I shall return for the bittern

A summer visitor has returned. A week ago, I rambled through Hong Kong Park pondering whether summer visitors would be attracted to this little paradise. Seeing nothing, I intended to leave. Suddenly, something amid the reeds caught my attention. As quickly as the bird gave away its hiding place, it was identified without delay. A yellow bittern! Unfortunately, there was no camera in my bag. It means that I should and I must return for the bittern.

I was there the next day, 7:00 a.m. Very quickly the bird was located. Stripes along its throat reinforce the camouflage brought by its pale colour. It blends into its favourite habitat, reed bed, very well. This time, the plants in the centre of the pond provided it a sense of security.

Commonly perceived as a secretive bird, this individual is certainly an exception. It frequently perched on prominent branches just above the water surface, waiting for the opportunity to seize any unattending preys.

It is indeed a small bird, especially when compared to tortoises nearby.

Great patience is exercised during foraging. The slow-moving bittern continuously administers inch-by-inch searches for any edible creatures. Its flexible yet powerful neck unfolds as a deadly weapon that precisely grasps the prey in a sudden. Dragonflies and fish are delicacies for the yellow bittern.

The park's ponds plays an important role for the birds' journey. They are oases in the highly developed parts of the city. Years ago, a yellow bittern and a black bittern made their appearance in Hong Kong Park. The ecological functions of the green patches scattered around the urban should never be underestimated.

Pay attention to the rapidly declining bird number!

20150610 (Wed)

An article is published on Conservation Biology. The headline is clear - Global population collapse in a superabundant migratory bird and illegal trapping in China (Kamp, et al., 2015). My grandparents are from Guangdong, a province in Southern China. It is not rare to hear "Rice Bird" (禾花雀) when talking about the dishes in China. I am lucky enough not to be one of the culprits eating them to the verge of extinction.

What is Rice Bird? Actually, the bird species concerned here is the Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola, 黃胸鵐). Apparently, it is similar to the much more common sparrow we see every day. But there is a stark contrast between their conservation status. The Yellow-breasted Bunting is now endangered on the IUCN Red List, which is an all-around inventory of species bearing high conservation importance.

The lower the number of birds, the higher their conservation status. Decades ago, they were abundant. The Eurasian population is migratory. Hong Kong lies on their migration route. According to previous Hong Kong Bird Reports, birdwatchers and oral history, birds in migration could be seen in thousands in Hong Kong. In present years, seeing them in only in dozens surprises birdwatchers. The decline in their number is alarming.

Massive hunting is a major threat causing rapid population decline. They roost in large numbers. If I were a merciless hunter, I would set traps on these easy preys. But the biological behaviour should not be blamed. Human appetite is the real disaster for them. It is rumoured that the Yellow-breasted Bunting is valued for boosting sexual vitality. Can you imagine how much the impotent Chinese males are willing to pay for their incurable conditions? The rising wealth is a catalyst. The hunt may rage at an unimaginable scale in near future. The threats should never be under-estimated.

It is everyone's responsibility to encourage conservation and discourage consumption of these magnificent creatures. Once they were as common as sparrows, now they are not. Starting with people around us, we can spread the message around.

Cockatoos in Hong Kong Park

20150609 (Tue)

In the past, I used to take a stroll in the Hong Kong Park before waiting for the bus to the university. I did not do it every day, but at least twice a week. For more than four years, the practice continued until December 2014. Since then, as the MTR takes me directly to the campus, the park has been less visited. Those memorable old days always linger on my mind. So I decided to go back last week. I made it, twice! 

The Yellow-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea) are still thriving there. These intelligent birds are absolutely wonderful. Being emotional, the cockatoos display their magnificent yellow crest when feeling happy or angry. You may say that they are honest as they do not fake it. The crest  tells it all!

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