Dai Ju "Peter Pan" wearing small yellow flowers

goldcrest

If you often go to Zhongshan Park, you may have seen a bird with a head like a small yellow flower, yes, it is Dai Ju. Although the appearance value is online, but because of its agile movements, it always flies around in the forest, so few people can use their mobile phones to take its "ID photo", but from the blurry photos, you can still see a striking touch of yellow, like a mysterious "Peter Pan".

"Cross-dressing" first when courting

"You listen, it squeaks, it's very thin." Zhang Fengqin is a retired teacher who will come to Zhongshan Park every day to exercise, and after a long time, she has gradually become familiar with some common birds in the park. "It's Dai Ju, it's small and lively, anyway, I've taken it many times, and none of it can be clearly photographed." Usually I come to it through its shrill voice. ”

Zhang Fengqin said that some people know willow warblers, so they always recognize Dai Ju, whose body is also gray-green, as a willow warbler. But their biggest difference is that Dai Ju has a particularly obvious yellow feather on its head, like a small chrysanthemum, and because of this, it has the name 'Dai Ju'!

"Dai Ju's 'little chrysanthemum' is actually the crown pattern on the top of its head." Chen Hao, deputy director of the Zhongshan Park Zoo, said that when he is usually active, it looks like a colored stripe, just like a willow warbler, only when stimulated or courteous will the feathers on the top of the head be erected and scattered, three-dimensional and bright, just like wearing a blooming chrysanthemum. "The top of the female's head is yellow, and the male's head is yellow with orange-red, both of which are beautiful."

Chubby "little skinny man"

Dai Ju feeds on insects. Coleoptera, in particular, are dominated by insects and larvae, but also eat spiders and other small invertebrates, and also eat a small number of plant seeds in winter. But their average lifespan is only about two years, and ferrets, birds of prey, snakes, etc. are enough enemies to kill them. And if you encounter bad weather during the migration, it will also make Dai Ju's journey dangerous.

"When they migrate in winter, they must eat all the time along the way, otherwise they can easily lose their body temperature and freeze to death." Chen Hao introduced, so don't look at Dai Ju as if they are chubby, in fact, they are veritable "small thin people", the body is only 7 to 9 centimeters, and the weight is only 4 to 7 grams.

"In general, young birds that have just left the nest are mostly active on the branches of young trees and shrubs under the forest, and sometimes huddled together for warmth." After listening to such a detailed introduction from the experts, Zhang Fengqin said that she would have to talk to others later. "Now you can still see it in the park, and everyone can come and look for it."

Journalist Wang Min