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英文资料

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http://www.chinabirdnet.org/xiamen.htm

Xiamen Bird Watching Society
Bird-watching Branch, Xiamen Wildlife Conservation Society

Xiamen Biological Environment - Avian Distribution Pattern

According to China faunal geographic division, Xiamen belongs to the Min-Guang coastal sub-region, South China in Oriental realm. Xiamen enjoys a diverse ecological environment including forest, wetland, farmland etc. and a pleasant climate with warm winters and cool summers, and offers habitat for a wide variety of birds. Early in, Foreign missionaries began collecting birds in Xiamen during the middle of the 18 century. Around 1860, Robert Swinhoe recorded 228 species of birds in Xiamen. Since its establishment the Xiamen Birdwatching Society (XBS) has recorded more than 330 species of birds in Xiamen.

About Xiamen Bird Watching Society

Name: Xiamen Wildlife Conservation Society - Bird-watching Branch
Found on: 30 March 2002
Nature: A non-profit making organization, comprise of volunteers
Members: Members of XBS are volunteers who enjoy bird watching and care about birds and environmental conservation. They come from all walks of life including academics, government officials, lawyers, teachers, and the private sector.
Source of funding: Membership fee; Support from government/ enterprises/ funds, and expenditures shared by members of XBWS who take part in activities.

Main work of Xiamen Bird Watching Society

(a) Promote awareness of bird-watching

Help members to improve their bird watching skills: XBWS has 80 members and we organize regular small-scale bird watching activities and courses. We also encourage our members to organize bird surveys;
Organized bird watching event: XBWS holds activities during "Love the Birds Week" in March and China Bird Festival in October every year, introducing basic bird watching knowledge, and organizing bird watching activities. The number of people approached each time can be as many as 200;
Support students: We help student societies in Xiamen and Jimei Universities to organize their own bird watching activities. We also supported the birdwatching activities held in primary and secondary schools and universities;
Publicizing bird watching information on local newspapers: XBS has a good relationship with local media. We publish monthly articles on bird watching and conservation in local newspapers. This helps to build a healthy social image of XBS and makes the XBS one of the best-known social groups in Xiamen;
Actively communicate with other bird watching societies: Since the 1st Dongting Lake Bird Race in 2002, XBWS has shared skills and experience with other bird watching societies in mainland China;
Publication: XBS edited and published a guidebook on common birds in Xiamen - "Birds in Egret Island", common birds in Yun Dang Hu, common birds in Xiamen Botanical Garden and common birds in Xiamen Wetland Park. It has also produced the "Xiamen Wild Bird Photo Album".
( Bird Surveys

Participated in the annual synchronized Asian Waterbird Census and the Black-faced Spoonbill International Census in January; Initiated the China Coastal Waterbird Census and has been taking part in it;
Organized quarterly site investigation on birds in Xiamen;
Conducted Chinese Crested Tern survey along the coast of Fujian from October 2003 to October 2006. Breeding seabird survey has been carried out on nearly 60 islands and Chinese Crested Tern, Swinhoe's Egret, Relict Gull and another 18 species were recorded. Chinese Crested Tern survey in Nanao, Guangdong Province, and Tianheng Island, Shandong Province was started in 2008.
© Explore Education model on ecological conservation

We offer lectures on bird watching and wetland conservation to promote ecological conservation to primary schools and middle schools. XBS cooperates with the Education Bureau and schools to organize winter and summer camps.
Contact information
Website: www.xmbirds.org
E-mail: Chen Zhihong ("Reef Egret") aiffel@hotmail.com
Address: Yifu Secondary School, No. 209 Honglianlu Zhonglu, Xiamen

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https://xmbirds.org/bbs/index.php?s=&sh...st&p=144494

Searching local Guides in China
Dear birdwatchers and Birders from China,

I am sorry administrator that this item is in the wrong section of the forum.
My knowledge of the chinese language is zero. So it is very difficult to find the right section.
Maybe you can place this item in the right section.

My name is Robert Lammer from the Netherlands and i am building together with two other birders from the Netherlands a website called: www.guidedbirdwatching.com
This website is a database of all the birdguides and bird field trips offered worldwide.
For us it is very difficult to understand the Chinese websites. But we think there a lot of chinese birders out there who wants to guide people in their area to the best birding spots.

So if you like to guide people around, both amateur as professional we invite you to send us your data.
1 Your name
2 The area you will be guiding
3 your emailadress

Birding companies are also welcome to submit their info.

Our website address is http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com

Thank you very much and good birding to all the chinese birders !
Robert
www.guidedbirdwatching.com

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Best places to go birdwatching in Xiamen

http://subsites.chinadaily.com.cn/regional...11/c_214268.htm


Updated: Apr 11, 2018 whatsonxiamen.comPrint

Chen Zhihong, secretary of the Xiamen Bird Watching Society, said that March and April are the best time to watch birds in Xiamen, and birdwatchers have a better chance of spotting rare species during this period.

The city is currently home to about 264 documented species of bird, with 136 species of forest birds and 128 species of water birds, according to Chen.

Among the many species, dunlins are the most common, with about 10,000 spending winter in Xiamen every year. The rarest species is the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, with only about 300-500 left in the world.

Egret_6d1c9.jpg

Egret. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]

The Egret, the city bird of Xiamen, is usually seen flying in Bailuzhou Park (or Egret Park) on Xiamen Island. However, the best place to watch the egrets is the Xiamen Dayu Island Egret Nature Reserve, which is home to thousands of egrets, said Chen.

March and April witness the largest number of spring migrant birds in Xiamen, and October is also a great time to watch birds.

It is recommended that birdwatchers get up early and stay out late, as birds prefer cooler times of day.

For bird lovers, Robert Swinhoe is a familiar name. He has been hailed as the "No. 1 Asian Bird Expert". He recorded 232 species of bird during his 15-year appointment as consul general of the United Kingdom in Xiamen and Taiwan.

Purple Swamphen_8a8e2.jpg

Purple swamphen. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]

In 1868, Robert Swinhoe discovered the purple swamphen in Xiamen, which wasn't spotted again until 2012, 144 years later.

Recommended birdwatching sites in Xiamen:

Xiamen Island:

Wuyuan Bay Wetland Park, Wanshi Botanical Garden and Yundang Lake

Tong'an District:

Shanjinei and Jinguang Lake: high frequency of regular birds and higher chance of rare birds

Jimei District:

Xinglin Bay: higher chance of seeing the purple swamphen

Haicang District:

Dayu Island and Tianzhu Mountain

Xiang'an District:

Dadeng Island

black swan_13b58.jpg

Black swans. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]

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Fujian Province

Sulphur-breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti ©Craig Brelsford Website


Birding Fujian

https://fatbirder.com/world-birding/asia/pe...ujian-province/


Fujian is a province on China’s east coast, opposite the island of Taiwan. The provincial capital is Fuzhou, which lies on the Min River whose estuary has a wide expanse of sandbars and mudflats. As well as waterfowl in the winter, Dalmatian Pelicans are regularly recorded. In summer a variety of terns can be seen, including the critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern. The birds seen at the Min river estuary appear to be the same group that actually nest on the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands, about 30km east of the mainland. Breeding waders include the ‘dealbatus’ form of Kentish Plover, ‘White-faced’ Plover.Fujian’s second coastal city is Xiamen, formerly known as Amoy. Here in 1866 Robert Swinhoe shot the type specimen of the bird now known as Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel.

Inland Fujian has been little-visited by foreign birders, except for Wuyi Shan, a National Nature Reserve based around the highest peaks in eastern China, on Fujian’s northwest border with Jiangxi Province. In autumn 1873 the legendary Lazarist Missionary Armand ‘Pere’ David spent two months studying the birds and other wildlife from a base in Kuadun. (David’s greatest claim to scientific glory was his securing of the first specimen of Giant Panda in Sichuan a few years later.) Today, Wuyi’s scenery and famous tea are great attractions for the tens of thousands of domestic tourists who visit annually. Some of the best birding on the mountain is done along a narrow track that leads to the summit of Huanggang Shan, the highest peak in the Wuyi range. (Also accessible from the Jiangxi side.) Cabot’s Tragopan, Elliot’s Pheasant and White-necklaced (Rickett’s) Hill Partridge may be seen, but is usually only heard.

Fujian is a relatively prosperous and outward-looking province. A growing number of keen local birdwatching groups, such as Fujian Birdwatching Society and Xiamen Birdwatching Society co-ordinate birding of this still relatively under-watched area. Blyth’s Kingfisher has been found at Longxi NNR, perhaps the easternmost record of this ‘difficult-to-find’ species. Elsewhere Scaly-sided Mergansers can be found on some inland rivers. Recently the spectacular Sultan Tit was rediscovered in the province after an absence of records for eighty years. The rare and secretive White-eared Night Heron has also been found at a couple of inland sites.

Fujian is well off the beaten path of the Lonely Planet crowd, and has few Chinese endemic species. Nevertheless, it is still a rewarding place for both birder and general interest visitor.

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Introduction

http://www.southchinabirder.com/Provinces/Fujian.html

Fujian was once the home of two of the greatest of western naturalists in China. Pére David lived in the Wuyi mountains in the 1860s, while La Touche made his base in Fuzhou in the early decades of the twentieth century. However, the province has been neglected since the late 1930s. From the 1980s onwards a trickle of birding pilgrims have made the trek to Wuyi (hardly a trek now that there are direct flights from Hong Kong), but the rest of the province remains largely unexplored by foreign birdwatchers. In particular, the contorted coastline with numerous bays and inlets formed from rias should be thoroughly searched for wintering ducks and waders. The mountains in the west should also be thoroughly explored, if only to confirm whether the ranges of many species which are found in northern Guangdong but seemingly no further east also extend right along the spine of mountains to Wuyi Shan and beyond.

Key Species
Until very recently few new exciting species had been recorded in Fujian in the last twenty years. The province’s reputation for birds rested mostly on old records - a small number of species with isolated ranges found (or formerly found in the case of the White-eared Night Heron) in the Wuyi mountains, and mostly old records of pelicans, storks and cranes from the coast. There is a crying need for a proper ornithological survey of the province, but unfortunately the local authorities have provided the Forestry Department with very few resources. However, the formation of the Fujian and Xiamen birdwatching societies in the last few years is very encouraging for the future. The coastline is beginning to be explored more regularly and it is becoming apparent that there are still a number of good quality mudflat areas that support large numbers of wintering and migrating shorebirds. In addition there is still a great deal of exploration still to be done of the inland forest areas. The recent record of Blyth’s Kingfisher in Shaowu county less than 100km south-west of Wuyi, is one encouraging sign of what may still be found in the hill forests in the west of the province.
The key species for the province include White-necklaced Partridge, Elliot’s Pheasant, Swinhoe’s Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Dalmatian Pelican, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Chinese Crested Tern, Blyth’s Kingfisher, Rosy Pipit, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch and Green Shrike Babbler.


Reserves
There are 20 reserves in the province spanning most habitat types. The best known are the previously mentioned Wu Yi Shan in the north-west and a second national nature reserve, Min Xi Mei Hua Shan, in the south-west. Longxi Shan became the third national nature reserve in Fujian in 1998. Fujian, like Hunan, still as yet has no book covering the province’s reserves.

Geography of the Province
The coastal eastern part of the province is low-lying and easily accessible. In contrast on the western side the border between Jiangxi and Fujian comprises a spine of mountains, reaching up to the 2158m peak of Huanggang Shan. In-between the two the majority of the province is characterised by rugged low-lying hills, perfect for tea growing so now largely cleared of good forest. The seaboard is warm for most of the year but the mountains can be cold in winter.

Habitat and Vegetation
The Wuyi mountains have a very rich flora, dominated by Cyclobalanopsis glauca and Clerodendrum inerme. A rich variety of azaleas are also found there. In the central section of the province most of the original forest cover has been removed (though not as much as in Guangdong) and much of the cover is either Pinus massonia or shrubland. Where the forest has been untouched there are sometimes to be found some excellent patches of forest. The narrow forested valley at Mang Dang Shan is a good example where superb specimens of Cryptomeria fortunei, Castanopsis eyrei and Liquidambar formosana are found amongst others. In the south of the province there are patches of coastal mangrove.
Access
Ten years ago there were flights from Hong Kong to Fuzhou and Xiamen but getting around the province was still difficult. Access has improved considerably in recent years with the advent of direct flights from Hong Kong to Wuyi Shan and with the completion of a good highway down the eastern seaboard.

Contacts
The provincial forestry department is located at 10 Yeshan Road, Fuzhou 350003. Tel. +86-591 7858294.
Fujian Bird Watching Society: http://www.bird-watch.org
Xiamen Bird Watching Society: http://www.xmbirds.org

Maps

Maps of the province are readily available.

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Fowl Pursuits in Xiamen
(a birdwatcher's paradise!).

http://www.amoymagic.com/Fowlpursuits.htm

Click Here for Robert Swinhoe's Remarks on Amoy Flora and Fauna

For the Birds!
Bushwalkers should always carry a pair of binoculars because Xiamen is heaven for veteran birdwatchers like Mr. Marc Mueller (a teacher at Xiamen Education College; see photos below of Marc seeking the rare Woodstockius Peanutsiensis). Xiamen bird watchers have formed the Observe Birds Association (OBA), and each March the OBA promotes “Care for Birds Week,” and offers field trips for bird watchers of all ages. Back in 1860, Mr. Swinhoe, the British Consul in Amoy, reported 174 kinds of birds on Amoy! I’ll let Mr. Swinhoe introduce his fowl and fauna, but first a brief intro to the great naturalist himself.Robert Swinhoe, former Amoy Consul, was also an avid amateur naturalist, who during a trip to Taiwan recorded, in only two weeks, 93 new birds and 17 mammals. He never did find Woodstock (Woodstockius Peanutsiensis, which evolved from Robertius Schultzies) Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!

Robert Swinhoe was born in Calcutta, India on 1 September 1836 to a family who had served British interests in India for many years. His father was a lawyer and his brother was a colonel in India.
After university in England, Swinhoe went to Hong Kong at age 18, and studied Chinese, as well as Chinese natural history. He moved to Amoy in 1855, learned the local dialect, studied the local fowl and fauna, and kept as pets a civet cat , pangolin , great owl, and a young falcon . During a trip to Taiwan, he recorded, during only two weeks 93 new birds and 17 mammals.

Swinhoe returned to Amoy, where he helped found the short-lived Literary and Scientific Society of Amoy. At their first meeting, on 17 November 1856, Swinhoe read his first published paper, “A Few Remarks on the Fauna of Amoy.” (I include an edited version of this at the end of this chapter).
Marc Mueller, Xiamen teacher and bird watcher, on the prowl for rare species such as the Tweetum Birdium Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng! Swinhoe was the first British consular official in Taiwan. He became ill and returned to England in 1862, where he set up an award-winning “Formosan Booth” at the London Exhibition, and gave lectures for many societies. Charles Darwin, in one of his writings, noted the pigeon skin specimens sent to him by Swinhoe.
Swinhoe returned to Amoy in 1866, returned to England again in 1869 on sick leave, and in 1875 had a stroke in China. He decided China was for the birds and returned to England, but died anyway in 1877 at the tender age of 41.Marc Mueller, Xiamen teacher and bird watcher, on the prowl for rare species such as the Tweetum Birdium Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!

Want to know more about the 170+ birds that Mr. Swinhoe found on Amoy? Read on!

A FEW REMARKS ON THE FAUNA OF AMOY
by Robert Swinhoe (1857)

“…Who has not wondered at the bare hills of Amoy, at the first glimpse he obtains on entering the harbor, and, seeing the great boulders of rock rise one another in endless confusion, thought to himself with a shudder, Can animal life be there? But though animal life is there to a small extent, it is to the plains, which are inhabited and cultivated with such care by the natives, that we must look for most that will interest us in our science.
Drawings of Xiamen birds, including buzzard, blue-breasted quail, barn swallow, blue and white flycatcher, blue whistling thrush, common hoopoe, crested myna, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, brown hawk owl, Eurasian sparrow hawk,, dusky warbler, dalmatian pelican, dusky warbler, Eurasian cuckoo, Eurasian sparrow hawk, badminton birdie, deng deng
“The wily fox is the first animal which we have to consider, for, low as he stands in the natural series of Mammals, he is here prominent as the largest of the Carnivora we possess…

“The greatest devastator among the poultry of the poor is an animal belonging to the weasel family (Mustelideae), and, though generally distributed, is very rarely seen. It measures about a foot and a half in length, has buff-coloured fur, with a black muzzle, and is the Hwang-shoo-lang of the Pun-ts'aou, and the Chiah-ch'oo (tawny rat) of Amoy men…

“Before leaving the Carnaria it would be as well to mention a curious animal that was brought alive to me by a native, and which I kept some months in confinement. It evidently belonged to the civet family (Viverridae), measured in length one foot and a half, having rather long fur of a dingy brown colour, and a black head with a white line down the snout; the tail was tipped with white...More Drawings of Xiamen birds (Fujian, China), including peregrine falcon, Taiwan blue magpie, little egret, pintail snipe, mew gull, light vented bulbil, long-tailed shrike, spot-billed duck, osprey, Japanese white-eye, horned grebe, gray heron, masked laughing thrush, deng deng. Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!

“We have also heard certain stories about the sea-otter that is occasionally seen prowling about on Six Islands, seeking his finny prey at the dead hour of night, and avoiding the light of day…

“…The next quadraped… is the scaly ant-eater or pangolin…Ours is a small species (probably Manis brachyurus), measuring in toto only two feet and three inches, of the tail takes one foot. Its gait is most peculiar - with the body bent in a bow, and the head and tail downwards, as it runs along on the sides of its fore feet. ..Large prices are given by the native doctors for this animal, for its flesh and bones are employed for various medicinal purposes; and one of its scales, fastened to the end of a stick, is sold as a safe instrument to be used in scratching without fear of producing ulcers on the skin. … and also the Cetacea, the Phocaenae or porpises of which order are well known to us even in the harbour, where at times they may be seen showing their round white backs in a line, and then disappearing, to be seen again at a further distance.

“… the Aves. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a straggling visitor, but a pair built their eyrie last year on the high hill of Nan-tai-woo (on the summit of which stands the pagoda)…. A species of sparrowhawk … There is also a buzzard (Buteo), and the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) of Britain is seen not unfrequently in the early winter...An osprey (Pandion) is sometimes seen even in the harbour, but little is known of him. I have seen him strike a fish close under the bows of a vessel, and bear it away in triumph.

The great owl (Bubo maximus) … A sparrow owl (Nyctipeles, Swain.), and a small tawny Scops owl (probably Scops rufiscens of Horsfield), are seen occasionally in winter…

“…the blackbird and rock thrush (Petrocincla violacea) are always with us, the former enlivening our gardens by his rich full notes, and the latter enchanting the lonely wanderer among the bleak hills with his wild minstrelsy, as he sings from the summit of a monstrous boulder, or springs lightly into the air, trolling forth his merry roundelay. It may be mentioned that the blackbird here, though very similar, is yet not the same as our black-bird at home; he differs not only in being of greater size, and in the colouring of the female, but also in his call-note.

“The rock thrush and blackbird are taken by the Chinese for one and the same, and called Ok`ee, though one is blue and red, and the other black. The most familiar and perhaps the best known is the magpie robin (Gryllivora), a small bird of the pied plumage of a magpie, with the habits and peculiarities of a robin. Its song, poured out at early morn or sunset from the roof-tops of our houses, is occasionally pretty, but abounding in harsh and jarring notes…

“… The most diminutive of all stands next, the little tailor-bird (Orthotomus), remarkable for its long pointed bill, which serves as a needle in sewing leaves together round its nest; the underside of a long leaf of the Alpinia nutans is often chosen, the edges of which are drawn together by thread made of spider's web and fibres. The prettiest construction of the kind I have seen was a nest flanked in by three orange leaves, and placed in the extremity of the boughs of an orange-tree.

“Flocks of the beautiful white egret, or paddy bird, as they are familiarly known to us (Herodias Garzetta), often attract our attention as they wing their way slowly through the obscure blue of a summer twilight, from the fields where they have been feeding, to their selected nest-trees, on which they settle like masses of snow among the dark green leaves. The yellow-headed egret, while with us in summer, is commoner, and roams about in larger flocks than the latter. A third and solitary species, Herodias flavirostris, is also found, and may be distinguished by its yellow bill, and the tuft of snowy feathers which surmounts the occiput. We have, besides, five or six other species of heron, nearly all remarkable for their elegance and beauty.

“The egret is much admired by the sentimental Chinese, and is often alluded to in poetical compositions by the style Loo-sze; and the Island of Amoy is often poetically called Loo-mun, Loo-keang, and Loo-taon, from the number of these snow-like birds that annually frequent it. Of the ninety-two species of Insessores found here, nine are British birds. Seven species of the Grallatores, and nearly all the Natatores, with the exception of the pelicans, albatrosses, and a few gulls and terns, are identical with those found in Great Britain…

“ …It is unnecessary to dilate on the beauties and delights of the study of Nature: the heart of every man naturally throbs in the contemplation of the Creator’s handiwork, and thrills with joy at the discovery of some new manoeuvre in the wondrous economy which so beautifully modulates and arranges all animal and vegetable life upon the globe.

“Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun; ” so, probably, there is not; but a great deal of what passes around man is new to him, and astonishes him when brought to his notice, simply because he has not made use of those powers of observation that he has been endowed with. In conclusion, I cannot do better than quote the words that Milton puts in the mouth of the Divine Author of Nature in his address to our first parent:-- “Is not the earth With various living creatures, and the air, Replenish’d; and all these at thy command, To come and play before thee?”
............................................ Robert Swinhoe

A sampling of Swinhoe’s 174 Amoy Birds [I include some of his lengthy descriptions so you can appreciate just how serious were the birdwatchers of yesteryear. They definitely had birds on the brain!]

1. Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris) A regular winter visitant.
2. Osprey (Pandion haliaet) Lives on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor and comes occasionally to Amoy, but very shy and unapproachable. I have never been able to produce a specimen.
3. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Breeds in the neighbourhood and is not unfrequent.
10. Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutellatus) A straggling winter visitant, common in summer at Fouchow where it breeds. The immature plumage is brown, banded with ochraeous.
11. Great Owl (Bubo maximus) Occasionally seen of a winter's evening. Breeds somewhere in the neighbourhood, as every early spring the young are sold in the streets of the town.
17. Swift (Hirundapus nudipes) A straggler in spring during rain-storms.
18. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rusticas) This appears to be merely a degenerate variety of the European species. It is a summer resident here and pretty numerous, building mud-nests shaped like a half-dish, and lined with straw and a few feathers, over the doors of Chinese huts, where they are revered as the harbingers of good luck.
19. Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica, alpestris) A few passing flocks spend a day or two in Amoy during winter. In Formosa it takes the place of the common species, and builds domed nests of clay and mud under the roof-tops
21. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) A common resident; called “Fey-tsuy” by the Chinese, who glue the feathers, chiefly those of the wing, over ornaments worn by their women. Thus treated the lustrous blue feathers give the appearance of turquoise stone. The bird is shy and remarkable for its loud screeching cry.
24. Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) Very common on the river; where it rises on the wing at a height above the water, and drops suddenly on its scaly prey. I have also seen it strike obliquely when flying close to the surface of the water.
27. Prinia (Prinia sonitans) I have named this from the crackling noise it produces when hopping or flying from twig to twig…
34. Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) Common during winter… its most frequent note is “chick chick.”
56. Blue Whistling Thrush (Myiophonus caeruleus) Lives among rocky caverns; not common, and very shy; native name Aw-chuy.
64. Masked Laughing Thrush (Garrulax perspicillatuas) Length 12 inches. Wing 4 7/10. Tail 5 2/10. Bill 9/10, to gape 1 3/10…This large Butcher-thrush is common in some parts of the country, building a nest a good deal like that of the Blackbird. It is a shy bird, but may be known a long way off by its loud cry of Teo-teo, uttered from time to time, or followed by a liquid guzzling low chatter.
65. Spectacled Thrush (Garrulax sinensis) This is the Hwa-mei of the Chinese, by whom it is prized for its fine vocal powers, as well as for its pugnacious propensities. It is, strictly speaking, a hill-bird, and very abundant on the hills near Fuzhou, but as I have, on more than one occasion, met with it in the bushes here, I must include it in my list.
79. Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) Very common; has a great habit of shrieking. This is a much larger race than that found in the Indian archipelago, and is no doubt worthy of specific distinction…
82. Collared Crow (Corvus torquatus) Amoy’s only crow.
83. Magpie (Pica media) Very common.
84. Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) A very common species from Hongkong to Shanghai; builds in holes of trees or walls, or makes large oval nests in trees; learns to speak with facility and soon becomes docile.
94. Finch (Ligurinus sinicus) Half goldfinch, half greenfinch; not uncommon all the year, has a pretty tinkling note; and feeds on thistle-heads as well as grain, &c.
120. Little Egret (Herodias garzetta) The common resident species; building in company on large banyan trees.Archaeopteryx--extinct Jurassic period bird. If you see one, you'd better lay off of the rice wine. Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!
147. Goose (Anser segetum) Frequents the mouth of the river in immense flocks during winter.
151. Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
162. Albatross (Diomedea brachyuran)
164. Mew Gull (Larus canus)
168. Loon (Gavia Kittlitzii)
173. Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) Common in winter.
175. Archaeopteryx Extinct bird of the Jurassic period. If you see one of these flying about, you’d better lay off the rice wine.

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A FEW REMARKS ON THE FAUNA OF AMOY
by Robert Swinhoe (1857)

“…Who has not wondered at the bare hills of Amoy, at the first glimpse he obtains on entering the harbor, and, seeing the great boulders of rock rise one another in endless confusion, thought to himself with a shudder, Can animal life be there? But though animal life is there to a small extent, it is to the plains, which are inhabited and cultivated with such care by the natives, that we must look for most that will interest us in our science.
Drawings of Xiamen birds, including buzzard, blue-breasted quail, barn swallow, blue and white flycatcher, blue whistling thrush, common hoopoe, crested myna, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, brown hawk owl, Eurasian sparrow hawk,, dusky warbler, dalmatian pelican, dusky warbler, Eurasian cuckoo, Eurasian sparrow hawk, badminton birdie, deng deng
“The wily fox is the first animal which we have to consider, for, low as he stands in the natural series of Mammals, he is here prominent as the largest of the Carnivora we possess…

“The greatest devastator among the poultry of the poor is an animal belonging to the weasel family (Mustelideae), and, though generally distributed, is very rarely seen. It measures about a foot and a half in length, has buff-coloured fur, with a black muzzle, and is the Hwang-shoo-lang of the Pun-ts'aou, and the Chiah-ch'oo (tawny rat) of Amoy men…

“Before leaving the Carnaria it would be as well to mention a curious animal that was brought alive to me by a native, and which I kept some months in confinement. It evidently belonged to the civet family (Viverridae), measured in length one foot and a half, having rather long fur of a dingy brown colour, and a black head with a white line down the snout; the tail was tipped with white...More Drawings of Xiamen birds (Fujian, China), including peregrine falcon, Taiwan blue magpie, little egret, pintail snipe, mew gull, light vented bulbil, long-tailed shrike, spot-billed duck, osprey, Japanese white-eye, horned grebe, gray heron, masked laughing thrush, deng deng. Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!

“We have also heard certain stories about the sea-otter that is occasionally seen prowling about on Six Islands, seeking his finny prey at the dead hour of night, and avoiding the light of day…

“…The next quadraped… is the scaly ant-eater or pangolin…Ours is a small species (probably Manis brachyurus), measuring in toto only two feet and three inches, of the tail takes one foot. Its gait is most peculiar - with the body bent in a bow, and the head and tail downwards, as it runs along on the sides of its fore feet. ..Large prices are given by the native doctors for this animal, for its flesh and bones are employed for various medicinal purposes; and one of its scales, fastened to the end of a stick, is sold as a safe instrument to be used in scratching without fear of producing ulcers on the skin. … and also the Cetacea, the Phocaenae or porpises of which order are well known to us even in the harbour, where at times they may be seen showing their round white backs in a line, and then disappearing, to be seen again at a further distance.

“… the Aves. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a straggling visitor, but a pair built their eyrie last year on the high hill of Nan-tai-woo (on the summit of which stands the pagoda)…. A species of sparrowhawk … There is also a buzzard (Buteo), and the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) of Britain is seen not unfrequently in the early winter...An osprey (Pandion) is sometimes seen even in the harbour, but little is known of him. I have seen him strike a fish close under the bows of a vessel, and bear it away in triumph.

The great owl (Bubo maximus) … A sparrow owl (Nyctipeles, Swain.), and a small tawny Scops owl (probably Scops rufiscens of Horsfield), are seen occasionally in winter…

“…the blackbird and rock thrush (Petrocincla violacea) are always with us, the former enlivening our gardens by his rich full notes, and the latter enchanting the lonely wanderer among the bleak hills with his wild minstrelsy, as he sings from the summit of a monstrous boulder, or springs lightly into the air, trolling forth his merry roundelay. It may be mentioned that the blackbird here, though very similar, is yet not the same as our black-bird at home; he differs not only in being of greater size, and in the colouring of the female, but also in his call-note.

“The rock thrush and blackbird are taken by the Chinese for one and the same, and called Ok`ee, though one is blue and red, and the other black. The most familiar and perhaps the best known is the magpie robin (Gryllivora), a small bird of the pied plumage of a magpie, with the habits and peculiarities of a robin. Its song, poured out at early morn or sunset from the roof-tops of our houses, is occasionally pretty, but abounding in harsh and jarring notes…

“… The most diminutive of all stands next, the little tailor-bird (Orthotomus), remarkable for its long pointed bill, which serves as a needle in sewing leaves together round its nest; the underside of a long leaf of the Alpinia nutans is often chosen, the edges of which are drawn together by thread made of spider's web and fibres. The prettiest construction of the kind I have seen was a nest flanked in by three orange leaves, and placed in the extremity of the boughs of an orange-tree.

“Flocks of the beautiful white egret, or paddy bird, as they are familiarly known to us (Herodias Garzetta), often attract our attention as they wing their way slowly through the obscure blue of a summer twilight, from the fields where they have been feeding, to their selected nest-trees, on which they settle like masses of snow among the dark green leaves. The yellow-headed egret, while with us in summer, is commoner, and roams about in larger flocks than the latter. A third and solitary species, Herodias flavirostris, is also found, and may be distinguished by its yellow bill, and the tuft of snowy feathers which surmounts the occiput. We have, besides, five or six other species of heron, nearly all remarkable for their elegance and beauty.

“The egret is much admired by the sentimental Chinese, and is often alluded to in poetical compositions by the style Loo-sze; and the Island of Amoy is often poetically called Loo-mun, Loo-keang, and Loo-taon, from the number of these snow-like birds that annually frequent it. Of the ninety-two species of Insessores found here, nine are British birds. Seven species of the Grallatores, and nearly all the Natatores, with the exception of the pelicans, albatrosses, and a few gulls and terns, are identical with those found in Great Britain…

“ …It is unnecessary to dilate on the beauties and delights of the study of Nature: the heart of every man naturally throbs in the contemplation of the Creator’s handiwork, and thrills with joy at the discovery of some new manoeuvre in the wondrous economy which so beautifully modulates and arranges all animal and vegetable life upon the globe.

“Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun; ” so, probably, there is not; but a great deal of what passes around man is new to him, and astonishes him when brought to his notice, simply because he has not made use of those powers of observation that he has been endowed with. In conclusion, I cannot do better than quote the words that Milton puts in the mouth of the Divine Author of Nature in his address to our first parent:-- “Is not the earth With various living creatures, and the air, Replenish’d; and all these at thy command, To come and play before thee?”
............................................ Robert Swinhoe

A sampling of Swinhoe’s 174 Amoy Birds [I include some of his lengthy descriptions so you can appreciate just how serious were the birdwatchers of yesteryear. They definitely had birds on the brain!]

1. Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris) A regular winter visitant.
2. Osprey (Pandion haliaet) Lives on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor and comes occasionally to Amoy, but very shy and unapproachable. I have never been able to produce a specimen.
3. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Breeds in the neighbourhood and is not unfrequent.
10. Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutellatus) A straggling winter visitant, common in summer at Fouchow where it breeds. The immature plumage is brown, banded with ochraeous.
11. Great Owl (Bubo maximus) Occasionally seen of a winter's evening. Breeds somewhere in the neighbourhood, as every early spring the young are sold in the streets of the town.
17. Swift (Hirundapus nudipes) A straggler in spring during rain-storms.
18. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rusticas) This appears to be merely a degenerate variety of the European species. It is a summer resident here and pretty numerous, building mud-nests shaped like a half-dish, and lined with straw and a few feathers, over the doors of Chinese huts, where they are revered as the harbingers of good luck.
19. Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica, alpestris) A few passing flocks spend a day or two in Amoy during winter. In Formosa it takes the place of the common species, and builds domed nests of clay and mud under the roof-tops
21. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) A common resident; called “Fey-tsuy” by the Chinese, who glue the feathers, chiefly those of the wing, over ornaments worn by their women. Thus treated the lustrous blue feathers give the appearance of turquoise stone. The bird is shy and remarkable for its loud screeching cry.
24. Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) Very common on the river; where it rises on the wing at a height above the water, and drops suddenly on its scaly prey. I have also seen it strike obliquely when flying close to the surface of the water.
27. Prinia (Prinia sonitans) I have named this from the crackling noise it produces when hopping or flying from twig to twig…
34. Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) Common during winter… its most frequent note is “chick chick.”
56. Blue Whistling Thrush (Myiophonus caeruleus) Lives among rocky caverns; not common, and very shy; native name Aw-chuy.
64. Masked Laughing Thrush (Garrulax perspicillatuas) Length 12 inches. Wing 4 7/10. Tail 5 2/10. Bill 9/10, to gape 1 3/10…This large Butcher-thrush is common in some parts of the country, building a nest a good deal like that of the Blackbird. It is a shy bird, but may be known a long way off by its loud cry of Teo-teo, uttered from time to time, or followed by a liquid guzzling low chatter.
65. Spectacled Thrush (Garrulax sinensis) This is the Hwa-mei of the Chinese, by whom it is prized for its fine vocal powers, as well as for its pugnacious propensities. It is, strictly speaking, a hill-bird, and very abundant on the hills near Fuzhou, but as I have, on more than one occasion, met with it in the bushes here, I must include it in my list.
79. Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) Very common; has a great habit of shrieking. This is a much larger race than that found in the Indian archipelago, and is no doubt worthy of specific distinction…
82. Collared Crow (Corvus torquatus) Amoy’s only crow.
83. Magpie (Pica media) Very common.
84. Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) A very common species from Hongkong to Shanghai; builds in holes of trees or walls, or makes large oval nests in trees; learns to speak with facility and soon becomes docile.
94. Finch (Ligurinus sinicus) Half goldfinch, half greenfinch; not uncommon all the year, has a pretty tinkling note; and feeds on thistle-heads as well as grain, &c.
120. Little Egret (Herodias garzetta) The common resident species; building in company on large banyan trees.Archaeopteryx--extinct Jurassic period bird. If you see one, you'd better lay off of the rice wine. Amoy Magic--Guide to Xiamen and Fujian, China http://www.Amoymagic.com Xiamen and Fujian tourism, travel, business, investment, trade, cuisine, history, culture, Chinese humor and jokes, language study, Xiamen University, MBA, expatriate, research, deng deng!
147. Goose (Anser segetum) Frequents the mouth of the river in immense flocks during winter.
151. Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
162. Albatross (Diomedea brachyuran)
164. Mew Gull (Larus canus)
168. Loon (Gavia Kittlitzii)
173. Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) Common in winter.
175. Archaeopteryx Extinct bird of the Jurassic period. If you see one of these flying about, you’d better lay off the rice wine.