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Birding Hongbenghe, Yunnan (Part 1)

10,000 Birds

The scientific species name of the Rusty-naped Pitta oatesi honors Eugene William Oates (1845-1911), an English civil servant in India and naturalist. He published a number of books on birds of India and Burma, making me wonder how hard all these overseas civil servants really worked in their day jobs. ” ( source ).

Burma 188
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Critically Endangered: Sociable Lapwing

10,000 Birds

Sociable Lapwings breed in several areas along the Kazakhstani – Russian border and overwinter in Iraq, Sudan and northwest India. These birds even lay their eggs on piles of cow or horse dung, most likely to elevate them from the cold ground and possibly provide some heating through the process of rotting plant material.

India 240
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Hornbills of Sabah

10,000 Birds

Another item they feed on is hunting edible bird nest swiftlets, which are quite common in edible swiftlet houses in Sabah, Malaysia ( source ). The first attempt in hunting was made by the male hornbill which was seen snapping at a passing swiftlet, but was unsuccessful.

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Birding Longcanggou, Sichuan again (but maybe for the last time)

10,000 Birds

Shockingly, the Ashy-throated Parrotbill apparently is a species heavily hunted for bird fighting in Guizhou Province, China ( source ). If being hunted by evil humans was not enough, Ashy-throated Parrotbills are also hosts of the parasitic Common Cuckoo. Some individuals even rejected their own eggs when they were in the minority.

Eggs 163
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Birding Napo, Guangxi, China – part 1

10,000 Birds

Apparently, she supported the research of a Romanian team on ectoparasites of birds from Meghalaya (India) – and for her troubles, the team thanked her by naming a species of feather mite newly discovered on Large Niltava after her. ” Unfortunately, this makes it much less likely this hunting will stop once people get richer.

China 147
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Birding Hongbenghe, Yunnan (Part 2)

10,000 Birds

In Grey-backed Shrikes (at least those breeding on the Tibetan plateau), the eggs laid during one breeding attempt get larger with time – presumably an attempt to at least partly overcome the disadvantages the last chick faces ( source ). The species is also hunted for local consumption in Meghalaya (India), according to the HBW.

Burma 180
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Birding Tongbiguan, Yunnan (part 1)

10,000 Birds

” Blue-bearded Bee-eaters seem to have a pretty clever hunting strategy. Atherton (1797-1827), a naturalist (whatever that means exactly) and a member of the British Army in India. They provoke honeybee colonies, which then fly out and attack the bird. Of course, the same applies to pizza services for humans.

Squirrels 136