The Spring Migration
by Thomas Gomersall
Another winter’s migration season is over. With the warming weather heralding the arrival of spring, many of the migratory birds that have enthralled birdwatchers over the last few months are now leaving Hong Kong to return to their breeding grounds in China, Korea and Mongolia.
But don’t put the binoculars and guide books away just yet. Between late March and mid-May, birdwatchers will have a whole new reason to get out to the birding sites as many species that occur here only in spring start passing through. They may not be here for long, but that’s all the more reason to go out and see them while you can. While Deep Bay and Po Toi Island are widely considered to be the best places for spring migrants, many of these birds can turn up anywhere, so keep your eyes peeled. There are plenty of birds to choose from; here are seven of them. Good luck!
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia): Of the many tern species that spend the spring migration and (in the case of some) the months after it in Hong Kong, the Caspian tern is definitely the most distinctive. Not only for its thick, coral red beak, but also for being the largest of the tern species by far, rivalling even the bigger gulls in size. Like many terns it feeds largely on fish, which it catches by hovering above water and then diving for them. It is found mainly on the coastal mudflats near Mai Po Nature Reserve, where it may be seen roosting communally at low tide (Viney et al, 2005, p. 124).
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus): Unfortunately, you may not see the russet collar of neck feathers for which the red-necked phalarope is named if you see any in Hong Kong, as many of them will still be clad in their silvery non-breeding plumage until they reach their nesting grounds in the Arctic. Fortunately, other distinctive things about them can still be seen in Hong Kong, like their feeding strategy. Unique to this group of birds, it involves spinning rapidly around on the water in order to stir up planktonic organisms and bring them to the surface, though they will also feed on insects, tadpoles, worms, snails, crustaceans and seeds (Rubega et al, 2000; BirdLife International, 2018). They tend to gather in large flocks quite far out to sea (Viney et al, 2005, p. 100), in which case the best way to see them is from a ferry to the southern islands (Allcock, 2019).
Grey-faced Buzzard (Butastur indicus): As a raptor that migrates over the sea, the grey-faced buzzard relies heavily on islands for mid-migration resting. Therefore, the best places to find them is on islands off the south coast, although it can also be seen circling in the New Territories and Mai Po (Allcock, 2019). When hunting it will often perch on a tree or pole next to open habitat, where it can easily spot its prey of frogs, lizards, snakes and rodents. Occasionally they can even be seen migrating in flocks of 100 or more (Tipper, 2016, p. 38).
Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus): Hong Kong may be very biodiverse, but even people who recognise this would be hard-pushed to say that it’s the best place in the world to see wildlife. That is unless your target species is the Asian dowitcher. This medium-large wader stops over here in such large numbers (around 350 in May) on the way to its northern Asian breeding grounds that according to local birdwatcher, John Allcock, Hong Kong is a prime place to see them. A coastal specialist, it is most easily seen on the mudflats at Mai Po Nature Reserve, where it hunts for polychaete worms using a rapid stabbing motion of its head (Allcock, 2019).
Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina): If you’re walking through a well vegetated area of, say, Po Toi or Ho Man Tin and you see a sudden flash of black, yellow and orange amongst the bushes, then you may have just spotted the male narcissus flycatcher. Passing through Hong Kong mostly in April, this colourful migrant’s favoured habitat is open woodland, where it often sticks close to the ground and feeds on fruit and invertebrates, particularly caterpillars. It is also a frequent visitor to offshore islands (Tipper, 2016, p. 141).
White-winged tern (Chlidonias leucoptera): If you want to see a striking- looking tern during the spring migration but don’t want to pay for access to the Mai Po mudflats, the white-winged tern may be just what you’re after. Unlike the Caspian tern, its preferred habitat is not restricted to mudflats and it can just as easily be seen flying over other coastal habitats and even inland fishponds in Deep Bay and the Northern New Territories (Viney et al, 2005, p. 122; Tipper, 2016, p. 71). It feeds by flying low over the water and dipping its beak in it and roosts on posts and stones in the water (Viney et al, 2005, p. 122). The best time to see them is after storms or bad weather, when they tend to gather in large numbers (Allcock, 2019).
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocauda): With tail feathers three times the length of his body, the male Japanese paradise flycatcher is practically a holy grail of Hong Kong birds, a prize made all the sweeter by how difficult this species is to see. Not just because it is a forest bird, which are hard to spot in general due to having more cover to hide amongst. Not just because it is a rare migrant at best. But also because of its tendency to hunt for insects very high up in the forest canopy. As well as natural woodland however, it can also be seen in gardens or parks so if you’re lucky, you may not have to search exhaustively for one (Singapore Birds Project).
References:
· Allcock, J- local birdwatcher (Personal communications, March 2019)
· BirdLife International 2018. Phalaropus lobatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22693490A132530453. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22693490A132530453.en. (Accessed: 10th April 2019)
· Japanese Paradise Flycatcher — Singapore Birds Project https://singaporebirds.com/species/japanese-paradise-flycatcher/ (Accessed: 11th April 2019)
· Rubega, M. A., D. Schamel, and D. M. Tracy (2000). Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.538 (Accessed: 11th April 2019)
· Tipper, R. (2016). A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong. John Beaufoy Publishing.
· Viney, C; Phillipps, K; Chiu Ying, L. (2005). The Birds of Hong Kong and South China. Information Services Department, Hong Kong SAR Government.
