This article was published in the "Sanlian Life Weekly" No. 47, 2019, the original title of the article "Going abroad to watch birds is not out of reach", it is strictly forbidden to reprint it privately, and infringement must be investigated.
Costa Rican King Vulture (Photo by Li Siqi)
Text/Liu Yang Li Siqi Zhu Lei Huang Qin
Going abroad for bird watching is a way for bird species to "add new". With more than 1,400 bird species, China ranks sixth in the world in terms of bird diversity. If you belong to the "collecting fetish" faction, you will find that when the number of domestic bird species reaches about 1100 species, it enters the bottleneck of "adding new". There are more than 10,000 bird species in the world, making it the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates. Among these more than 10,000 kinds of birds, many exotic bird groups in China do not represent species, such as penguins in Antarctica, ostriches in Africa, emus in Australia, hummingbirds in the Americas and so on. Then being able to plan a bird watching trip will definitely help increase the number of bird species, and the observation of bird representative species can also bring new knowledge of ornithology.
It is a sad fact that our planet has entered the "Anthropocene," in which human activities have accelerated the extinction of species. Some bird species are facing extinction due to habitat loss, human hunting and invasive species. If you don't hurry to see birds in some developing countries with a high risk of bird extinction now, you may not see them later.
Southeast Asian countries are a good starting point for bird watching. Not only are there a variety of birds inhabiting here, the cost of watching birds is not more expensive than in China, and many countries have implemented visa-free or visa-on-arrival visas for Chinese tourists. If you have the idea and the strength to go far, South America and African countries are good choices.
We invited several leaders who often lead the group to go abroad to share their bird watching experiences from four countries: whether it is neighboring Malaysia and Sri Lanka, or as far away as Uganda and Costa Rica, magical birds are waiting for you there.
Malaysian black and red broadbill (Photo by Huang Qin)
<h1>Malaysia</h1>
This tropical country, home to Asia's oldest rainforest, is home to a diverse range of bird species, with more than 810 species recorded. The whole country consists of two parts, east and west, separated by the South China Sea. West Malaysia, the Malay Peninsula, has 11 states and two federal territories, which are smaller in size; East Malaysia is part of Borneo, with two states of Sabah and Sarawak and one federal territory. Because of its connection to the mainland, west Malaysia is more abundant in birds, while east Malaysia is more unique, and many species are endemic to Borneo.
Observing birds in the rainforest is a challenging thing to do. Because the dense canopy blocks the sunlight, the bottom of the rainforest is very dark, making the birds living here more alert and mysterious. Observing them requires patience, but effort pays off. The gorgeous eight-colored owls inhabit here.
There are 12 species of eight-colored owls in Malaysia, and sabah's black-headed eight-colored thrush is one of the leaders. It has a black undertone, bright blue eyebrow lines and wing spots, and a red belly, which makes many birdwatchers fall in love. Another species of white-browed long-necked plover is also commonly found at the bottom of forests. Its courtship vocals are very unique. The male bird will pose in a very peculiar V-shape and start singing. At the same time, with the help of air currents, it propped its throat open, revealing bright patches of color hidden in it, attracting females to come.
The middle birds of the rainforest are relatively easy to observe. For example, all kinds of biting cranes, broad-billed birds, night hummingbirds, magpies, spiny eagles and so on. The broad-billed bird, also known as the "cartoon bird", is red, yellow, green, the color is bright and bold, and watching them is like admiring a work of art, or a gorgeous costume performance, often making designers ashamed of themselves. The Echinocephalus is a bird endemic to Borneo and is taxonomically a family of its own, the Echinocephalus family, and is the hallmark bird for bird watching in Sabah.
In the canopy of the woods, the most striking birds are undoubtedly the hornbills, which are large, feed on fruits and small animals, and are the propagators of seeds in the forest. Over the past few decades, deforestation and the illegal wild bird trade have led to a decline in populations of a variety of hornbills. In particular, the helmet hornbill, because its skull resembles a helmet, and the head part is solid, the material is easy to carve, and it is often used as a play material. Driven by interests, helmeted hornbills have been illegally poached and smuggled into our country in large numbers and are now on the verge of extinction. At present, they can only be seen in a very small number of well-protected forests in Malaysia.
Specialty bird species: Malay peacock pheasant, mountain peacock pheasant, big-eyed pheasant, red-headed forest partridge, fire-backed partridge (4 species), eight-colored plover (12 species), hornbills (10 species), kingfishers (14 species), biting cranes (7 species), Malay fishing owl, broad-billed birds (8 species), spiny-headed partridges, white-browed long-necked plovers, sunbirds and spider catchers (20 species).
Bird watching time: Bird watching is available throughout the year, but the rainy season will shorten the daytime bird watching time, and the best time period is from March to October. In recent years, the timing of the rainy season has changed due to the effects of El Niño and La Niña and should be considered before departure.
Bird watching locations: For novice bird watchers, choose places where birds are concentrated and easy to observe, such as FulongGang Mountain, Bukit Tingyi Mountain in West Malaysia, Shenshan National Park in East Malaysia, Sibilok Rainforest Exploration Center and Kinabatangan River are all good choices; birdwatchers with certain experience can consider Dahan National Park in West Malaysia, Perak State Park, Tabin Nature Reserve in East Malaysia, Danong Valley, and Ma liao Basin.
Sri Lankan little vulture (Photo by Li Siqi)
<h1>Sri Lanka</h1>
Islands have a special meaning for birds. Due to geographical isolation, birds evolve independently on islands, resulting in the formation of bird species endemic to the islands over tens or hundreds of years. Sri Lanka is one such island. This tropical island in the southern Indian Ocean, roughly equivalent to China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has a total of 508 species of birds, of which 33 are endemic, almost 50% of the number of birds endemic to China. Due to limited surveys, only a part of Sri Lanka's birds are known. In 2004, a new species of owl, the Sri Lankan horned owl, was discovered.
To explore in such a bird paradise, it is better to start in the Sinharaja Rainforest Nature Reserve in the southwest of the island. It is the area with the highest concentration of endemic bird species in Sri Lanka, with two-thirds of the country's endemic species concentrated. Whether it is the Sri Lankan blue magpie, the red-faced ground crane or the bright green collar parrot, they are all bird species with high "appearance" in the minds of bird friends. Wander the forest trails and occasionally encounter habitat birds such as the Sri Lankan native chicken, orange-billed grebe, brown-crowned ghostbird and other habitats that move on the ground. It is also the only seasonally humid region in South Asia, with up to 3,000 mm of rainfall per year. Although birds will reduce their activity when it rains, which is not conducive to bird observation, when the rain is clear, the birds will come out to dry their feathers, and you will see a lot of birds when you choose this time.
Leaving Sinharaja and heading southeast of Sri Lanka, you will see completely different habitats. In Udawalawe National Park and Yarra National Park, while enjoying the diverse landscapes of open land, plains, lakes, swamps, sparse jungles, etc., large birds such as blue peacocks, colored storks, black-necked cranes, small bald ibises, spot-billed pelicans, black-headed white ibises, and black-bellied snake pelicans are also dazzling.
Of course, the Bentara Internationally Important Wetlands in southern Sri Lanka cannot be ignored. Many water birds will come here to overwinter, such as a large number of white spoonbills, Indian cormorants, cormorants, terns, has reached the internationally important wetland waterbird number standards, constitute the value of wetland protection.
Bird watching in Sri Lanka will be struck by the closeness of humans and birds. Since the Sinhalese dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, forests and wildlife have been considered part of human society and are strictly protected by law. Sri Lankans believe in the Buddhist teachings of non-killing, which makes it harmonious for humans and wildlife here. Traveling through Sri Lanka, you'll see parrots and crows wandering the streets, peacocks pacing slowly outside the village in the early morning, frozen in the same space as the busy farmers. Arguably, Sri Lanka is a true paradise for wildlife.
Special bird species: Sri Lankan blue magpie, red-faced ground cuckoo, Sri Lanka horned owl, Sri Lankan shou belt, Sri Lankan original chicken.
Bird watching time: Bird watching is available throughout the year, but it is necessary to avoid the rainy season from May to August. Perhaps the best bird watching season is from December to March, as it is the dry season and there are a large number of winter migratory birds from the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia.
Bird watching locations: In addition to the few places mentioned above, consider seeing some low-altitude birds at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kandy and Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya, as well as visiting the Houghton Plains (which is actually a plateau) to see endemic birds in the alpine cloud forests.
Ugandan whale-headed stork (Photo by Ju Ming)
<h1>Uganda</h1>
For Chinese tourists, the East African country of Uganda is not as famous as Kenya and Tanzania, but when it comes to biodiversity, it is on par with these two much larger neighbors. Uganda is known to have nearly 1,100 bird species, about 10% of the world's bird species, which means that more than half of the continent's species are found here.
Bird watching trips in Uganda can experience a variety of modes of transportation. Drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park and enjoy the beautiful shadow of the grey-crowned crane. Elegant in temperament, it is the national bird of Uganda, the image is seen in the flag and national emblem; a boat cruise on the White Nile River in Murchison Falls National Park, you can search for the whale-headed stork on the bank of the river, this unique beak-shaped large bird, with its cute appearance and behavior, has become popular on the Internet in recent years; walking in Kibale Forest National Park, if you are lucky enough, you can meet the courtship performance of the African green-breasted eight-colored owl.
In terms of unforgettableness, it is necessary to mention the bird watching experience in Semliki National Park. This rainforest is an eastward extension of the Ituri jungle in the Congo Basin and the easternmost point of some West African rainforest bird distribution. The heat emitted by the boiling hot springs lingers in the low air for a long time, the sulfur-bearing minerals brought out by the springs form colorful patterns on the ground, the heroic palm vultures hover in the air from time to time, and the huge hornbills fly by with a little difficulty, and all kinds of scenes are intertwined like a dream.
Characteristic bird species: whale-headed stork, African green broadbill, African green-breasted eight-colored owl, grey-crowned crane.
Bird watching time: Because most of the birds are resident, Uganda can watch birds all year round, the best season is the cooler dry season between June and October, especially in October, the winter migratory birds migrating from the northern hemisphere have also begun to arrive; December to February is a hotter dry season, when the north is not too hot, the south is less rainy, which is also a good time for bird watching; the rainy season from March to May and November, traffic and outing activities are more inconvenient.
Bird watching locations: In addition to the locations mentioned above, consider Bwindy Impervious National Park (home to many of the birds endemic to the Albert Rift), Budongo Forest Reserve (rich and unique forest birds), and Mabamba Bay Wetlands (a community-managed whale-headed stork habitat).
<h1>Costa Rica</h1>
Costa Rica, located in Central America, accounts for only 0.03% of the world's land area, but has nearly 4% of the world's species, making it one of the most biologically rich countries in the world. There are more than 900 species of birds here. Although there are not many endemic bird species, the density of bird populations will bring a different kind of shock to birdwatchers.
If you're an entry-level birdwatcher, try to see larger, winged birds like toucans and macaws that inhabit lowland forests. Pairs of macaws flying through the sky are a sight that many birdwatchers have dreamed of. Another species of anchovy green-tailed cuckoo, which lives only in high-altitude cloud forests with avocados, has the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their flamboyant wings in Monteverde National Park and the Savag Highlands. During the breeding season , the male produces four long tail covert feathers. When they fly through the forest, they are like "fairies descending".
Strange-looking birds are also eye-catching, like the meat-hanging umbrella bird that can be seen in Monteverde National Park. In order to attract the opposite sex, the male meat-hanging umbrella bird has three strips of flesh around the beak. And their calls are also very ghostly, alternating between a bell-like sound and a high-frequency scream.
As a high-level birdwatcher, you can challenge birds that are difficult to identify. There are more than 80 species of bullies here. The most common in the city is the large fly-eating bully, and there are 6 other species of bully cranes that look like it; there are more than 50 species of hummingbirds. In the Hummingbird Garden in La Paz Waterfall Park, more than a dozen species of hummingbirds can be seen at a time. They are petite, fly extremely fast, and their plumage changes with the angle of observation, which makes it difficult to identify; there are also more common in various habitats, such as the cockpit finches, rift finches, hard-tailed finches, leaf pickers, tree-climbing finches, pintail finches, in order not to let predators find out, their color has evolved into the same color as the bark.
Of course, it is also possible to target difficult birds. For example, go to Caracalla National Park to look for antbirds, antbirds and antbirds, which are usually active deep in dense forests, often following the movements of ants, and are timid and cautious. To see them requires a closer look under the forest, and there is also an element of luck. Another bird that is difficult to observe is called the Grebe, which hides deep in the forest. If you can catch a glimpse of the Courtship dance steps of the Red-capped Petite Like Michael Jackson, those hours of searching are worth it.
Special bird species: black-billed toucan, thick-billed toucan, anchovy green bitebird, meat-hanging bell umbrellabird, crimson macaw, great green macaw, copper-headed hummingbird (endemic), mangrove hummingbird (endemic), red-capped petite wagtail, king vulture, etc.
Bird watching time: April to December is the rainy season, with a lot of rain, and the dry season from the end of December to April is the most suitable season for wild activities. For bird watching, except for August and December, when there is a lot of rain, it is not recommended to go, but other months are good seasons. The best time is from February to May, which is the breeding season and nesting time for birds, and many birds migrating from South America can be observed.
Birding locations: In addition to the suggested locations above, consider taking a boat ride to see water birds in ca?o Negro and Tortuguero Wetland National Parks, looking for nocturnal owls, nighthawks and forest eagles in the Arenal volcano area, and seeing the vultures at la Laguna del Lagarto Hostel in San Carlos County.
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