Our 2nd ringing event in our monitoring project began to truly signal the start of Spring and mosquito season! We set up the nets wondering if we may get some early passage migrants but alas…

…a beautiful winter visitor instead! The Asian Stubtail! Another tricky species to age, this individual showed a nice uniform wing with no obvious moult limits, so we aged it as a 2nd calendar year or older!

Next up with one of our more charismatic residents, a gorgeous Oriental Magpie Robin. By now we know the drill with resident birds- commonly undertaking Summer Complete moults in adults and juveniles, and thus having to be aged as 2nd calendar year or older birds. This one showed a jet, metallic black in the head and body, meaning that this must be a male!

Immediately making me eat my words with regards to our residents’ moulting strategies were two Japanese Tits! These are residents to Hong Kong, however carry out the Summer Complete (adults) summer partial (juveniles) the same as most other Tit species.

Tits have a tendency to moult all their Greater Coverts (similar to Buntings), meaning that moult limits are usually found between the GCs and Primary Coverts, or the tertials (sometimes moulted) and Secondaries (almost never moulted). We can see this moult limits between the GCs and PCs above, and most obviously in the male (top), whose new, moulted GCs are darker and bluer than the female (bottom). This is also noticeable in the face, with the male showing a dark and metallic crown and throat, and on the belly, where the black in the male is far more extensive than the females.

A quiet but nice day!

Daily Totals

*Please note that all wild birds, their nests, and eggs are highly protected (under Wild Animals Protection Ordinate, Cap. 170) in Hong Kong. It is an offence to wilfully disturb, take, remove, or injure wild birds or their nests/eggs. The actions described here were undertaken by trained professionals holding the necessary licenses and permits issued by the AFCD.*