I saw my first Pacific Swift in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June 2010 just a few weeks before moving to China. Since then I have seen many more in north-east China – it is a common migrant through Beijing in spring and autumn. Last year, a thorough assessment of four Pacific Swift subspecies by Paul Leader (Leader, P J. 2011. Taxonomy of the Pacific Swift Apus pacificus Latham, 1802, complex. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 131: 81-93) found that they may deserve species status. This is an extract from an article in Birdwatch magazine by David Callahan in June 2011:
“Four subspecies of Pacific Swift are generally recognised, and the species as it is known traditionally has a wide breeding distribution throughout the eastern Palearctic. It is a long distance migrant, wintering south to Indonesia and Australasia.
Leader (2011) measured and assessed the plumage of 146 specimens of Pacific Swift from four different museums across Eurasia, as befits a species with pan-Palearctic records. The four forms were found to differ in wing and tail measurements, as well as the size and shape of their distinctive white rump patch, white throat patch, pale underpart fringes and the colour of the underwing coverts.
The new prospective species are as follows:
Pacific SwiftApus pacificus: cleaner white throat patch, a slightly longer tail fork and tail length, and the broadest rump patch by a margin; breeds from Siberia through to Japan, winters from Indonesia south and east to Tasmania (incorporating the subspecies A p pacificus and A p kurodae – other subspecies were found to be invalid).
Sàlim Ali’s SwiftA salimali: five to 10 mm longer tail but with similar wing length to A pacificus, throat patch forming a thin white strip half the width of the other three forms, thinnest at the bill end, and very little white to the underpart feathers; breeds at high altitude on the east Tibetan Plateau and west Sichuan, China, but its winter range is unknown.
Blyth’s SwiftA leuconyx: the smallest of the four forms, with the rump patch consistently narrow, brown-tinged crown and nape contrasting with the glossy black mantle, broad white thoat patch with black shaft streaks extending onto the upper breast, hardly any pale underpart fringing; mid- to high-altitude breeder across the Himalayan part of the Indian subcontinent into Bhutan and Nepal.
Cook’s SwiftA cooki: shallowest tail fork, first primary the longest (the other three have P2 as the longest), narrow white rump patch with dark, club-shaped shaft streaking, overall black upper- and underpart-coloration (brownish tinge in the other three), broad well-defined fringes to the underpart feathers, throat patch off-white with broad black shaft streaks, black contrasting underwing coverts, and green iridescence to upperparts with some white fringed scapulars; restricted range in limestone caves in northern south-east Asia, and a short distance migrant to then south.”
During my recent trip to Jiuzhaigou, I enjoyed watching a flock of “Fork-tailed” Swifts wheeling around the mountain tops at around 3,000m altitude. A (poor quality) image of one of them is below.
Fork-tailed Swift, Jiuzhaigou, 27 June 2012. Is this a Salim Ali’s Swift?
Compare this image with a couple of Pacific Swifts taken at Laotieshan in May 2011:
Pacific Swift, Laotieshan, Liaoning Province, May 2011Pacific Swift, Laotieshan, Liaoning Province, May 2011.
To my eyes at least the bird from Jiuzhaigou appears longer tailed and with a narrower white patch on the rump. I don’t have access to the article by Paul Leader so I am not sure on precise range but I think there is a good chance this is a Salim Ali’s Swift. Comments welcome!
Today was one of those amazing days that makes birding such an enthralling hobby. I accompanied Paul Holt on a visit to Huairou and Miyun Reservoirs, sites that I had not – for some unknown reason – visited before. The highlights were undoubtedly the cranes. Top of the list comes the 3 Siberian Cranes (2 adults and an immature) that we believe constitute only the second record for Beijing. But perhaps more significant was the count of 256 White-naped Cranes, around 10 per cent of the known wintering population in China at one location on Spring passage. Add in 620 Common Cranes and it was a real crane bonanza. The other unexpected bird of the day was a single Oriental Stork, a real rarity in Beijing.
Highlights:
– second record of Siberian Crane in Beijing (2 adults and an immature)
– second highest (possibly highest) count of White-naped Cranes in Beijing
– seventh record of Oriental Stork in Beijing
– earliest Garganey and Common Shelduck in Beijing
– second earliest Fork-tailed Swift in Beijing
Siberian Cranes, Miyun Reservoir, 19 March 2012White-naped Crane, Miyun Reservoir, 19 March 2012. We saw around 10 per cent of the Chinese wintering population today at this important staging post.Common Cranes, Miyun Reservoir, 19 March 2012Oriental Stork, Miyun Reservoir, 19 March 2012
Detailed species list from Miyun Reservoir (courtesy of Paul Holt):
Xin Zhuang Qiao (bridge over the Chao He), Miyun. (40°35.11’N., 117°07.95’E.). Alt. 115 metres. (11h30-12h50)
Miyun Reservoir – south of Bulaotun satellite tracking station, Miyun. (40°31.75’N., 116°57.77’E.). Alt. 75 metres. (13h20-17h05)
Japanese Quail 2 at Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Pheasant 7 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Swan Goose 20 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Tundra Bean Goose 10 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Taiga or Tundra Bean Goose ca.400 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Tundra Swan 4 adults at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Whooper Swan 168 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. 146 birds were also counted at Bulaotun in the late afternoon – but some or possibly even all of these could have been among those seen at HBJZ earlier in the day.
Ruddy Shelduck 796 at Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Most of these (780 birds) were at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang with just one being seen on the Chaohe near Taishitun & 15 at Bulaotun.
Gadwall 5 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Falcated Duck 12 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Mallard ca.600 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Almost all of these were at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang.
Chinese Spot-billed Duck 14 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Almost all of these were at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang.
Northern Pintail 5 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Baikal Teal 20 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Teal 150 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Pochard 20 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Ferruginous Pochard 2 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Tufted Duck 2 males at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Goldeneye 13 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Smew 51 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Merganser 80 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. These involved 65 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, three in the Chaohe near the Xin Zhuang bridge, Taishitun & 12 at Bulaotun.
Little Grebe 7 at Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Two of these were at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang & the other five in the Chaohe near Taishitun.
Great Crested Grebe 18 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Black Stork 1 flew high near Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Oriental Stork 1 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Oriental Stork is rare in Beijing – the other records that I’m aware of are –
1875
A small flock was seen near the city in summer 1875 (Wilder and Hubbard 1924, Wilder 1940b)
1924
1 collected in April 1924, probably south of the city in Nanhaizi (Nan Hai Tzu) hunting park (Wilder and Hubbard 1924, Wilder 1940b).
1955
1 specimen from Tongxian county on 8 June 1955 (Cai 1987). Mid-summer records must be exceptional!
1964
1 specimen from Niulanshan, Shunyi on 22 January 1964 (Cai 1987). Mid-winter records are probably also exceptional.
1999
14 on a flooded area in Shunyi, January 1999 (Qian Fawen in litt. 1999 to BirdLife International [2001]
2004
1 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang Miyun reservoir on the 1/10/2004. It was circling high up with a party of 5 Black Storks and would have been an early date even on the Hebei coast.
2009
3 at WDL on 21/3/2009 (Brian Ivon Jones, Spike Millington & Richard Carden – BIJ in litt. to PH on 20 March 2012)
Grey Heron 12 at Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Seven of these were at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, one besides the Chaohe near Taishitun & the other four near Bulaotun.
Great Egret 2 besides the Chaohe when viewed from the Xin Zhuang bridge near Taishitun, Miyun on the 19/3/2012.
Great Cormorant 1 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
White-tailed Eagle 1 juvenile at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk 2 singles near Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Kestrel 3 near Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. Two were seen just south of Miyun reservoir dam while the third was at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang.
Great Bustard 3 distant birds at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Coot 108 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Siberian Crane 3, a family party with two adults and a first year, at Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. First seen at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang in the late morning what were undoubtedly these same three birds were later seen at Bulaotun. Rare in Beijing – the only previous sighting from Beijing was of a bird at Wild Duck Lake in March 2008. Terry suggested that the easterly winds of the previous weekend might have drifted this bird, and the White-naped Cranes, inland from the Hebei coast.
White-naped Crane 256 at Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. 240 had been counted at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang earlier in the day but these were probably part of the group later seen at Bulaotun. Possibly only the second three figure count for Beijing – but not the largest as 500 birds were reported at Miyun reservoir one day later that our sighting in 2011 (fide “Xiaoming” in a BirdForum posting of 20 March 2011)
Common Crane 620 at Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. 100 had been estimated at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang earlier in the day but these were probably part of the group later seen at Bulaotun.
Northern Lapwing 6 around Miyun reservoir (four at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang & two at Bulaotun) on the 19/3/2012.
Long-billed Plover 1 besides the Chao river when viewed from the Xin Zhuang bridge near Taishitun, Miyun on the 19/3/2012.
Kentish Plover 2 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Black-headed Gull 61 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Mongolian Gull 2 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Oriental Turtle Dove 2 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Collared Dove 1 near Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Chinese Grey Shrike 1 at Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Black-billed Magpie 80 around Miyun reservoir & Miyun town on the 19/3/2012.
Carrion Crow 4 flew north high over Bulaotun, Miyun reservoir at 16h45 on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Skylark 2 singles at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
White-cheeked Starling 2 in Hou Ba Jia Zhuang village, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Common Starling 1 at Hou Ba Jia Zhuang, Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Present but not counted around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
White Wagtail 14 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012. These included 12 besides the Chaohe when viewed from the Xin Zhuang Bridge. Seven birds were seen well enough to racially assign & they were all leucopsis.
Meadow Bunting 3 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
Pallas’s Bunting 8 around Miyun reservoir on the 19/3/2012.
After staying in Jinshitan following the wader bonanza, we enjoyed a relative lie-in until 0530 and were up and ready at the station to catch the first train to Dalian at 0630. From there we took a bus (8 Yuan – about 80 pence) from Dalian to Lushun where we dumped our bags and set out straight for Laotieshan. We obviously missed the early morning visible migration but we were on site by 10am. It was a gorgeous day with very good visibility and temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius. Highlights include Asian House Martin, Red Collared Dove, 2 Mugimaki Flycatchers, a single Grey-streaked Flycatcher and, for the sheer spectacle, the hundreds and hundreds of hirundines – Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, Sand Martins and Fork-tailed Swifts – that were feeding over the point all afternoon – simply awesome to watch these expert aviators hang, glide and swoop in the stiff north-easterly breeze..
I am posting a few images from today and also a couple of the ‘crabbers’ that were very active on the mudflats yesterday… maybe that’s why we didn’t see a Spoon-billed Sandpiper!
These early mornings and full days in the field are starting to get to me.. I feel very tired this evening.. but hopefully I’ll be in bed by 9pm tonight and some good birds at first light tomorrow will no doubt wipe the sleep from my eyes! Have just set the alarm for 4am.. gulp.
Fork-tailed (Pacific) Swift, Laotieshan, 15 May 2011Fork-tailed (Pacific) Swift, Laotieshan, 15 May 2011. Note how the white rump wraps around onto the sides.Fork-tailed (Pacific) Swift, Laotieshan. Hundreds of these superb birds were hawking around the point for insects all afternoon.Record image of the Asian House Martin, Laotieshan, 15 May 2011. In the field this bird looked noticeably dusky on the underparts and there was no hint of pale underwing coverts.Watching the 'crabbers' paddle out to the mudflats on polystyrene rafts on the falling tide was an interesting sideshow to yesterday's wader-fest at Pikou.Digging for crabs/shellfish is hard work. The guy in the middle is clearly the boss.
Full species list (in chronological order):
Asian Brown Flycatcher (11)
Red-rumped Swallow (200+)
Spotted Dove (1)
Yellow-browed Warbler (25)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (9)
Siberian Stonechat (1)
Tristram’s Bunting (5)
Radde’s Warbler (6)
Taiga Flycatcher (6)
Chestnut Bunting (3)
Amur Falcon (12)
Chinese Bulbul (2)
Dusky Warbler (12)
Eastern Marsh Harrier (1 plus 1 brief harrier sp, probably also this species)
Yellow-browed Bunting (3)
Fork-tailed Swift (250+)
Pallas’s Warbler (2)
Two-barred Greenish Warbler (4)
Chestnut-eared Bunting (1)
Chinese Hill Warbler (1)
Rufous-tailed Robin (1)
Black-naped Oriole (1) in off sea at 1105
Purple Heron (1) in off sea at 1120
Black-faced Bunting (3)
White-throated Rock Thrush (2) including one in the lighthouse garden
Black Drongo (1)
Brown Shrike (7)
Japanese White-eye (1)
White-eye sp (20+)
Oriental Greenfinch (4)
Common Pheasant (4)
Ashy Minivet (5)
Common Kestrel (1)
Great Tit (4)
Olive-backed Pipit (3)
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler (4)
Vinous-throated Parrotbill (6)
Sand Martin (7)
Mugimaki Flycatcher (2) – a male and a female
Grey-streaked Flycatcher (1) – associating with the Mugimakis
Hobby (2)
Common Swift (1)
House Martin sp (1)
Yellow Wagtail (1)
prob Oriental Cuckoo (1) in off sea at 1530. Heavily streaked underparts including streaked underwing coverts.
