鳥類知識科普

The Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata minor) is a large seabird primarily found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, often seen soaring over open seas. Its most striking features are its long, narrow wings with a wingspan exceeding two meters and its deeply forked tail. It can glide for extended periods using updrafts, flying for hours or even days with only occasional wing beats. The forked tail aids in agile maneuvering in the air. During the breeding season, males inflate their bright red throat pouches, creating a balloon-like appearance to attract females. This is a conspicuous display during courtship, and the pouch is usually not as distended otherwise. The Lesser Frigatebird mainly preys on fish and squid, skillfully catching prey near the sea surface. It sometimes chases other seabirds, forcing them to regurgitate or abandon their catch, and then steals it. This behavior is known as 'kleptoparasitism,' although they primarily hunt for themselves. For the Lesser Frigatebird, its long, powerful wings are not just a physical characteristic but also a crucial tool for exploring the ocean and finding food. Image source: https://share.google/2nt8NAYKvMRfdEoay

The Little Swift (scientific name Apus nipalensis) is a species of swift that is exceptionally skilled at flying. It is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan and can often be seen soaring in the skies above valleys, forests, and urban environments. Its body is streamlined with narrow, pointed wings, allowing for fast and agile movements in flight. Its plumage is mostly dark brown, with one of its most distinctive features being its white throat and white rump band, making it quite recognizable as it flies through the sky. The Little Swift spends most of its time airborne, often flying in flocks. They catch small insects directly from the air while flying, so you can frequently observe a group of Little Swifts rapidly circling and darting through the sky. Their legs are relatively short, primarily suited for clinging to vertical surfaces like rock faces and buildings, rather than walking on the ground. This makes the Little Swift appear as if the sky is its main habitat. During breeding season, Little Swifts build nests in crevices on rock faces, under bridges, or on buildings. Nest materials can include light items like feathers and dry grass, which are then bonded together with mud or saliva. The breeding season in Taiwan is typically in the spring and summer. For them, the sky is not just a place to pass through, but a vital space for foraging, activity, and life. Image source: https://share.google/0CvFZ4vjMz4TZTxRo

The Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) is a nocturnal bird of prey, a subspecies endemic to Taiwan, also known as the Taiwan Scops Owl. It measures about 18-20 cm in length and mainly inhabits mountainous forests from low to mid-altitudes. Its most striking features are its yellow eyes and yellow beak. Its body is generally yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, with fine dark markings. It also has a pair of short ear tufts on its head. The Mountain Scops Owl is primarily active at night, usually perching in densely leaved trees during the day. Its plumage closely resembles tree bark and dead leaves, and because it often hides deep within the canopy, it's difficult to spot even when nearby. As night falls, it begins hunting for prey, which includes insects, lizards, frogs, small birds, and rodents. It also uses its calls to mark its territory. The Mountain Scops Owl is a precious and rare protected wild animal in Taiwan. It's not an exceptionally rare bird, but due to its nocturnal habits, small size, and tendency to hide in dense foliage, it's hard to see directly even when living in the mountains. Image source: https://share.google/mSb9028AtkPy9Hobq Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, even though I'm a bit late~

The Maroon Oriole (学名 Oriolus traillii) is a medium-sized bird, about 25 cm in length. In Taiwan, it is mainly found in broad-leaved forests from low to mid-low altitudes, being a resident bird and a subspecies endemic to Taiwan. The most striking feature of the male is its black head, neck, and wings, paired with a vibrant maroon body, making it very conspicuous in the green forest. The female's plumage is duller, with white feathers and black longitudinal stripes on the chest and abdomen, showing a clear difference in appearance from the male. Maroon Orioles are mainly active in forests, searching for food among the branches. They primarily feed on fruits, berries, and insects. Sometimes they perch on higher branches, so despite their conspicuous plumage, they may not always be easy to spot. Their calls are also distinctive, with various types of vocalizations including whistles and harsher, more rapid sounds. In dense forests, you might notice their presence by their calls before you even see them. The most special aspect of the Maroon Oriole is the strong contrast between the male's vivid maroon and black. When it flies quickly through the green forest, its bright red form is like a small flame flashing through the woods, making it a very impressive bird in Taiwan's forests. Image source: https://share.google/Od212WO1GT00wwEX8 https://share.google/3UbocO8OIGUk2lzSQ

The Black-winged Kite (scientific name Elanus caeruleus) is a relatively small bird of prey. It is a resident bird in Taiwan, primarily inhabiting open environments such as plains, farmlands, and grasslands. It is also a protected species in Taiwan. Its most distinctive feature is its ability to hover in mid-air. When it spots prey on the ground, it rapidly beats its wings to maintain a relatively fixed position in the air, meticulously scanning the ground from above. The Black-winged Kite mainly feeds on small animals like rodents, but also preys on lizards, insects, and small birds. Once it finds prey, it dives down from the sky to capture it. Adult birds are predominantly white, gray, and black, with striking red eyes, yellow cere, and legs. Its distinct black and white wings in flight, coupled with its unique hovering behavior, are key characteristics for identifying the Black-winged Kite. So, if you see a raptor hovering 'motionlessly' in the sky over plains or farmlands, it might be locking onto its next meal on the ground. Image source: https://share.google/PjRhVOBq91U5HK8cE

The Taiwan Barwing (Actinodura morrisoniana) is an endemic bird species of Taiwan, primarily inhabiting broad-leaved forests and mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests in mid-to-high altitude mountainous areas. It measures about 18-19 cm in length, with its body mainly in shades of grayish-brown and chestnut-brown. Its most distinctive feature is the alternating black and chestnut bars on its flight feathers and tail feathers, which give it the name "Barwing." The head is a distinct chestnut-brown. While its overall plumage is understated, a closer look reveals intricate feather patterns. Taiwan Barwings often move in small groups, enjoying hopping and clinging among branches, and sometimes foraging in the understory or shrubbery. Their diet mainly consists of small invertebrates like insects, but they also eat fruits and seeds. Although not as brightly colored as the Fairy Pitta, it possesses very characteristic black and chestnut wing and tail bars, making it a unique bird in Taiwan's mid-to-high altitude mountain forests. Image source: https://share.google/HUAIVTIxFrl0BoC7c

The Brown-headed Fulvetta (Fulvetta formosana), also known as the Taiwan Fulvetta, is an endemic resident bird of Taiwan, primarily active in the lower strata of forests, shrublands, and bamboo thickets in mid-to-high altitude mountainous areas. It measures about 13 cm in length, with predominantly brownish-grey plumage. It has distinct white eye-rings around its eyes, and the wings and tail are a brighter color. The throat features delicate vertical streaks, a very characteristic feature for identification. Brown-headed Fulvettas are often found foraging actively in the undergrowth of forests and bamboo thickets. Their diet mainly consists of insects, but they also consume plant-based foods like fruits and young leaves. Another interesting habit is their tendency to associate with other bird species. In studies of Taiwan's high-altitude forests, Brown-headed Fulvettas have been observed participating in mixed-species flocks at a high rate, appearing in over half of the mixed flocks observed, with an average of about 6 individuals per flock. Despite lacking vibrant plumage, they are a very distinctive small bird in Taiwan's mountain forests. The next time you're walking through bamboo fields or forest undergrowth at high altitudes, if you see a group of small, brownish birds darting through the branches, take a closer look – it might just be a Brown-headed Fulvetta. Image source: https://share.google/TH17pJho8OpQ8yAnN

Swinhoe's Pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) is an endemic bird species of Taiwan, primarily inhabiting low to mid-elevation mountain forests. They are often found active on the forest floor, along forest roads, and at forest edges. They are naturally cautious and secretive, making them quite difficult to spot in the wild. The male has a striking appearance, mostly a metallic blue-black and purplish-blue. It features a white crest on its head, and prominent white feathers on the nape, back, and the two central tail feathers. The bare facial skin and legs are bright red. The female, on the other hand, has a much more subdued appearance, mainly in shades of brown and earth tones with distinct markings, allowing her to blend well with the leaf litter and vegetation on the forest floor. The significant difference in appearance between males and females is a notable characteristic of Swinhoe's Pheasant. Swinhoe's Pheasant primarily forages on the ground, scratching through leaf litter and humus for fruits, seeds, young leaves, and buds. They also consume small invertebrates like earthworms and insects. They tend to appear on forest roads or in open areas under the forest canopy during early mornings, late afternoons, or on cloudy, foggy days. When startled, they often run or fly quickly, darting into nearby bushes and forests to hide. Due to their quiet, alert, and secretive nature, encountering a Swinhoe's Pheasant in the mountains is indeed a rather rare experience. Image source: https://share.google/77mmwB0Pk4XDXSqQv https://share.google/d6sIhdZLa8NzLsSpS

The Taiwan Wren-babbler (scientific name Pnoepyga formosana) is an endemic bird species in Taiwan and the only wren-babbler in Taiwan. It mainly inhabits mid-to-high altitude forests and forest understory environments. Its most distinctive feature is its very short tail, so short that it might appear tailless from a distance. It has a round body and is only about 8 cm long. The Taiwan Wren-babbler is often found foraging in the forest floor, near fallen logs or rocks. It moves agilely but is quite secretive, making it difficult to spot. It primarily feeds on insects and other small invertebrates. Although it's a small bird, it's an endemic forest bird of Taiwan. If you encounter one, don't mistake it for something else just because its tail is so short. Image source: https://share.google/zjUHIGzddBmpRV6H8

The Little Tern (scientific name Sternula albifrons) is a small tern species distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. In Taiwan, it is commonly found in wetland environments such as coastlines, estuaries, fish farms, and salt pans. Its most fascinating behavior is how it hovers rapidly above the water surface while hunting fish, briefly suspending itself in the air as if 'targeting precisely' from above. Once it spots a fish, it suddenly dives into the water to catch it. The Little Tern is about 22-28 cm long and primarily feeds on small fish, but also preys on crustaceans and insects. When flying, it flaps its wings rapidly, allowing it to agilely search for prey above the water surface. During breeding season, they typically nest in open areas like sandy or gravelly ground. Their nests are very simple, sometimes just a shallow depression dug in the ground where they lay their eggs. This makes the eggs and chicks vulnerable to disturbance from human activities. In Taiwan, Little Terns mainly breed from April to July and are a protected coastal bird species. Approaching their nesting areas during the breeding season can disturb the parent birds, affecting incubation and chick-rearing. Don't underestimate this little bird; its ability to hover, lock onto a fish's position, and then dive into the water to catch it makes it like a mini fighter jet of the sea. Image source: https://share.google/liZ3OEMXwOEZm8Zef