Glaucidium brodiei is a small owl living in the Himalayas, southern China (including Taiwan Island and Hainan Island), Indochina Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, with a body length of only about 16 cm, not much larger than the common sparrows around us, and is the smallest owl in China. You may not have seen it in its real form, but you may have heard a rhythmic, repetitive single whistle in the southern woods. This distinctive sound is quite far away in the empty mountains, so you may wish to pay attention to it the next time you enter the mountain.
The cry of a collared partridge. Audio: Birdman Robbi
"Huh?" Image: TharanaINU / Wikimedia Commons
Traditionally, the genus Glaucidium consists of about 30 species, and their petite size is a common feature, the largest of which is the Central African Grebe (G. Glaucidium). Sjostedti) is also less than 30 centimeters long. In fact, the genus name of the genus Grebe is derived from the Greek language, which originally meant "small owl". The English name of the plover is often called pygmy owl or owlet, which is also a description of their small size.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > is old and gray-haired</h1>
Regardless of their small size, the collared ibises are out-and-out hunters, feeding mainly on small and medium-sized birds, but also on insects, rodents, frogs and lizards. Their diets vary from season to season, with studies in Taiwan finding that during the spring and summer breeding seasons, the collared plover tends to prey on insects and frogs, while during the non-breeding season, it turns to prey on birds. Their hunting skills are quite good, and they can handle the much larger woodpeckers, woodpeckers and dōng birds. Therefore, in places where the collared partridge is distributed, other birds often become very irritable when they hear its call, and most of them take the initiative to approach and try to drive the collared partridge away.
Old paper super fierce! Image: Imran Shah / Wikimedia Commons
Long-term observations and studies of birds have shown that some birds have two or more different color types of the same bird, such as the snow goose introduced earlier by the calendar lady, there are white and blue-gray color types, called "plume polymorphism". It is estimated that about 3.5% of living birds have plumage polymorphism. Moreover, the proportion of species with plumage polymorphism in birds of prey is particularly high, and this phenomenon has been observed in nearly 30% of species.
In the past, it was thought that the collared plover had two shades, reddish-brown and lead-gray, but a study in Taiwan found that different plumage colors actually correlate with age. The collared partridge, which is less than one year old, is reddish-brown, and gradually darkens its plumage at one year of age, and turns lead-gray after two years of age. This study reminds people not to jump to conclusions: "This bird has a plumage polymorphism!" First, we should figure out the effect of age on plumage. Maybe people will become grandma ash when they are old.
Actually, I also have a neck! Image: Christian Artuso /inaturalist
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > little secret for the little owl</h1>
With the deepening of the research, more secrets have been discovered about the collared ibis. A 2019 study showed that, based on molecular genetic evidence, the collared grebe, which was once classified as a genus of emu, should be identified separately as Taenioptynx, which is far related to other emu in Asia but is most recently related to Micrathene whitneyi in North America and Xenoglaux loweryi in South America. Researchers believe that the distribution patterns of collared grebes, petite grebes and long-whiskered grebes today suggest that they may be descendants of a once-widely distributed owl family.
Petite Grebe, also known as Ji Owls. Image: Bettina Arrigoni / Wikimedia Commons
The distinctive call of the collared grebe also attracted the attention of the researchers. A study was also published in 2019 that carefully analyzed the call and feather ornaments of collared plovers on the Asian continent and neighboring islands. It turned out that the call of the collared plover in Sumatra and Borneo was similar, but they were very different from the calls that lived on the asian continent and the island of Taiwan. In addition, the collar ring on the back of the sylvaticum subspecies found in Sumatra and the borneeense subspecies in Borneo is white, while the collar ring of the nominate subspecies in mainland Asia and the pardalotum subspecies in Taiwan Island is beige. Based on acoustic and morphological differences, the researchers suggest that the four subspecies mentioned above should be classified as collared plover (G. kelly). Brodiei) and the Sunda Collared Partridge (G. sylvaticum) two species.
A furball is staring at you. Image: Imran Shah / Wikimedia Commons
The collared owls are widely found in the mountain forests below 3,000 meters above sea level in southern Asia, and unlike most other owls, which are nocturnal, they prefer to be seen during the day. Even so, however, people know very little about it. On the one hand, due to the similar morphology of the little owls, the appearance of which obscures the true kinship, their genealogy needs to be revealed with the help of molecular genetics, acoustics and other evidence. On the other hand, it also shows that there are still many gaps in the study of birds in Asia to be filled, and there are still many basic tasks to be completed.
The next time you hear a collared partridge, why not try to slow down the angle and pay more attention to careful observation. Maybe the next person to uncover the secret of the Collared Partridge will be you.
A little cute is looking at you. Image: abcdefgewing/inaturalist
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