The attractive Java Sparrows (爪哇禾雀) , with its immaculate grey, white and black plumage, have been a favourite caged bird and used as a fortune-telling bird. The adult can easily be recognized, with its grey upperparts and breast, pink belly, white-cheeked black head, red eye-ring, pink feet and thick red bill. They are highly socialized, forging for food in groups. 

The Edward Youde Aviary of Hong Kong Park, after a recent renovation, reopens in early February this year.  As it is still a Public Holiday in Hong Kong, many people come here for a glimpse of the lovely birds.

Below are some pictures I took this morning inside the Aviary.

The Common Tailorbird (長尾縫葉鶯) is a common resident and is widely distributed in Hong Kong. It has a reddish-brown forehead, olive-green upperpart and whitish underpart and a long tail that it “wags” frequently. It has a unique way of building nests by stitching one or two leaves with plant fibres to form a cradle, in which it builds the nest with grass.

Below is a photo of a Common Tailorbird spotted in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens this morning.

Blue Whistling Thrush (紫嘯鶇), which is also called Violet Whistling Thrush, Himalayan Whistling Thrush, is a common resident in Hong Kong and can be found widely in shrubland and woodland throughout Hong Kong.

Blue Whistling Thrush, which fans its tail often, is dark violet overall in colour, sprinkled with pale dots. It can be found feeding along forest streams, and in open spaces or gardens. This kind of Thrush have been seen on hillsides along Bowen Road in the early morning recently.

This Blue Whistling Thrush was spotted along the hillside near the Edward Youde Aviary in the Hong Kong Park yesterday.

Spotted Dove(珠頸斑鳩), which is also called Spotted-necked Dove, Spot-necked Dove, Pearl-necked Dove, is often seen in the countryside, urban parks and wooded areas in Hong Kong.

It is the most commonly seen resident dove in Hong Kong. It looks like pigeon with white-spotted black collar around the side of the neck and hindneck.

This Spotted Dove was spotted at Bowen Road this morning.

A spotted dove was spotted in the Hong Kong Park a few day days ago.

It was sunny and dry at Bowen Road this morning.  Flocks of Black-throated Laughing Thrush(黑喉噪眉), Red-billed Blue Magpies(紅嘴藍鵲) and Hwamei(畫眉) and Red-whiskered Bulbuls flew down from the treetops to fetch their food along the road.

The Red-whiskered Bulbul is not easily mistaken for any other species of bird.  It has a tall pointed black crest, white cheeks, brown back and a long white-tipped tail. The red whisker mark, from which it gets its name, is located below the eye.

Here are some pictures I took this morning.

It was fine and dry this morning though a bit cool at Bowen Road.  Apart from the flocks of Black-throated Laughing Thrushes(黑喉噪眉), Red-billed Blue Magpies(紅嘴藍鵲) and Hwamei(畫眉) that come up daily to fetch their food, there came a couple of Chinese Bulbuls perching on the treetops. This is the second time this week I spotted Chinese Bulbuls(白頭鵯) that rarely appear here.

Chinese Bulbuls have a distinctive white hindcrown and olive back, hence its traditional Chinese name: “white-haired old man”(白頭翁). Chinese Bulbuls are widespread and commonly found in urban and rural areas. They will sometimes join together with Red-whiskered Bulbuls, feeding on berries and insects, papaya being their favourite. 

Here are some pictures that I took this morning.