Yearly report from Bawangling NP, Hainan

[Hainan]

The past weeks a major wildlife survey has been carried out in the Bawangling national park on Hainan, a Chinese/Vietnamese has documented the fauna and flora of this, so far poorly known park.

A total list of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles seen

Mammals

Leopard Cat
Clouded leopard
Masked palm-civet
Common palm-civet
Large Indian civet
Small Indian civet
Chinese Ferret-Badger
Indian mongoose
Clawless otter
Yellow-throated Marten
Black-footed muntjac
Wild boar
Sambar deer
Rhesus Monkey
Hainan Gibbon
Chinese pangolin
Black giant squirrel
Hairy-footed flying squirrel
Parti-coloured flying-squirrel
Phayre's flying squirrel
Hainan flying-squirrel
Belly-banded squirrel
Red-hipped squirrel
Maritime striped squirrel
Common Tree Shrew
Delacour's Marmoset Rat
Edwards’s giant rat
Ryukyu Mouse
House mouse
Chinese White-bellied Rat
Chestnut Rat
Tenasserim White-bellied rat
Lesser Ricefield Rat
Brown Rat
Sladen's rat
Brush-tailed Porcupine
Short-tailed Porcupine
Hainan Hare
Hainan Moonrat
Indochinese shrew
Great White-toothed Shrew
House shrew
Hainan mole
Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Rousette bat
Intermediate Horse-shoe Bat
Little Japanese horseshoe
Woolly Horse-shoe Bat
Blyth's Horseshoe Bat
Bicoloured leaf-nosed bat
Black-bearded tomb bat
Chinese Pipistrelle
Greater yellow house bat
Whiskered bat
Hardwicke's Forest Bat
Painted Bat


Birds

Chinese Francolin
Japanese quail
Blue-breasted Quail

Hainan Partridge (High density noted and it was very common on hill sides and at mountain ridges)

Red Junglefowl (seen numerous times, but many birds seemed to have been a mix with domesticated chicken, probably very few pure Junglefowl populations left on Hainan)

Silver Pheasant (Three females joined by a male was seen crossing a small rocky forest patch, also heard calling several times but not seen because of the dense forest)

Hainan Peacock Pheasant (a single male was heard calling from a mountain ridge above the field station at dawn, two females was seen in the undergrowth of a Dicer tree the same day)

Lesser Whistling duck
Cotton pygmy-goose
Small buttonquail
Barred buttonquail
Grey-capped Woodpecker
Rufous Woodpecker
Lesser Yellownape
Greater Yellownape
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Bay Woodpecker
Black-browed Barbet
Eurasian Hoopoe
Red-headed Trogon
Dollarbird
Blyth's Kingfisher (An adult male was seen perched on a limestone formation, first recent record from Bawangling)
Common Kingfisher

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (unexpected very rare and observed only two times, both were in high elevated primary forest)

White-throated Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher

Crested Kingfisher (Among the most remarkable birds, was very common at higher altitudes where they was observed at or around mountain streams, mostly around smaller attributers and only rarely along larger rivers)

Crested Kingfisher
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

Large Hawk-Cuckoo (Very rare and the only confirmed sighting was the one of a adult female)

Indian Cuckoo
Oriental Cuckoo
Plaintive Cuckoo
Asian Emerald Cuckoo
Drongo Cuckoo
Asian Koel
Green-billed Malkoha
Greater Coucal
Lesser Coucal

Red-breasted Parakeet (was only common at higher altitudes and there was concerning few records in lowland forests, might be nearly extirpated on Hainan today)

Silver-backed Needletail
Asian Palm swift
Fork-tailed Swift
House Swift

Bay Owl (A single adult bird was observed clinging on to a tree branch over a small mountain creak, although heard around the field station 3 times)

Oriental Scops Owl (Very common and probably the most common owl on Hainan, no less than 16 individuals was observed, although seems to be mostly more common in lowland terrain)

Collared Scops Owl
Brown Fsih Owl

Brown Wood Owl (Rarely observed, heard a dozen times but shy and rarely seen)

Collard Pygmy Owlet
Asian Barred Owlet
Large-tailed Nightjar

Pale-capped Pigeon (Was assumed to be extinct on Hainan, no confirmed records since the 1970s, two birds was observed drinking at a small mountain creek)

Oriental Turtle Dove
Spotted Dove
Red Collared Dove
Barred Cuckoo Dove
Emerald Dove
Orange-breasted Green Pigeon
Thick-billed Green Pigeon
Pompadour Green Pigeon
White-bellied Green Pigeon
Green Imperial Pigeon
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
White-breasted Waterhen
Ruddy-breasted Crake
Watercock
Common Moorhen
Common Coot
Little Grebe
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Great Egret
Intermediate Egret
Cattle Egret
Chinese Pond-Heron
Green-backed heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow Bittern
Cinnamon Bittern
Black Bittern

White-eared Night Heron (A single adult was found sitting in a tree, down in a forest creek, second recent record from Hainan)

Malayan Night-heron

Eurasian Woodcock (A single female was caught in lowland grassland, a winter guest)

Swinhoe's Snipe (winter guest)

Greater Painted-snipe

Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Very rare and just two adult birds was seen)

Great Thick-knee
Osprey

Blyth's Baza (First confirmed breeding record from Bawangling, and maybe among the first breeding record from Hainan, total three birds was seen)

Black-winged Kite (Rare, a single bird seen perched on a log in mountain secondary forest)

Black-eared kite
Crested Serpent Eagle
Eastern Marsh Harrier

Pallid Harrier (A first record from Bawangling)

Rufous-bellied Eagle
Crested Goshawk
Shikra
Besra
Grey-faced Buzzard

Black eagle (Very rare in lowland terrain with, only recent breeding record from Hainan noted, seemed more common in more hilly terrain)

Mountain Hawk Eagle
Oriental Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Little Grebe

Blue-rumped Pitta (Very rare, only survive in remote and rough terrain, two birds seen)

Silver-breasted Broadbill
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Long-tailed Shrike
Eurasian Jay
White-winged Magpie
Black-naped Oriole
Maroon Oriole
Indochinese Green Magpie
Grey Treepie

Ratchet-tailed Treepie (Rare, this species seems was just seen a couple of times)

Black-billed Magpie
Rook
Large-billed Crow
Collared Crow
Ashy Woodswallow
Large Cuckooshrike
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Grey-throated Winivet
Scarlet Minivet
White-throated Fantail
Black Drongo
Bronzed Drongo
Crow-billed Drongo
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Black-naped Monarch
Asian Paradise-Flycatcher
Large Woodshrike
Blue Rock Thrush
Orange-headed Thrush
Scaly Thrush

Red-breasted Flycatcher (common winter guest)

Snowy-browed Flycatcher
Fujian Niltava
Hainan Leaf Warbler
Hainan Blue-Flycatcher
Pale Blue-Flycatcher
Oriental Magpie-Robin
White-rumped Shama
Plumbeous Water-Redstart
White-tailed Robin
White-crowned Forktail
Silky stanling
Common Myna
Crested Myna
Hill Myna
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Yellow-billed Nuthatch
Great Tit
Sultan Tit
Barn Swallow
Light-vented Bulbul
Puff-throated Bulbul
Chestnut Bulbul
Mountain Bulbul
Black Bulbul

Zitting Cisticola (was sporadically spotted during the whole survey, winter guest)

Yellow-bellied Prinia
Plain Prinia
Japanese White-eye
Clamorous Reed-Warbler
Common Tailorbird
Rufous-faced Warbler
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Grey Laughingthrush
Black-throated Laughingthrush
Hwamei
White-browed Laughingthrush
Large Scimitar-Babbler
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Rufous-capped Babbler
Spot-necked Babbler
White-browed Shrike Babbler
Dusky Fulvetta
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta
White-bellied Yuhina
Grey-headed Parrotbill
Oriental Skylark
Plain Flowerpecker
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Olive-backed Sunbird
Fork-tailed Sunbird
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Forest Wagtail (winter guest)

White Wagtail (winter guest)

Red Avadavat
Scaly-breasted Munia
Black-headed Munia


Amphibians

Limnonectes fragilis
Fejervarya limnocharis
Bufo galeatus
Bufo melanostictus
Hyla simplex
Buergeria oxycephalus
Kalophrynus interlineatus
Kaloula pulchra (New species for Bawangling)
Microhyla butleri
Microhyla heymonsi
Microhyla ornata
Microhyla pulchra
Amolops hainanensis
Amolops torrentis
Leptobrachium hainanense
Occidozyga lima
Occidozyga martensii
Rana guentheri
Rana chloronota
Rana hainanensis
Rana johnsi
Rana nasuta
Rana macrodactyla
Rana nigrotympanica
Rana graminea (New species for Bawangling)
Rana spinulosa
Rana taipehensis
Rana tiannanensis
Chirixalus doriae
Chirixalus vittatus
Hoplobatrachus rugulosus
Philautus odontotarsus
Pelophryne scalptus (New species for Bawangling)
Philautus ocellatus (New species for Bawangling)
Polypedates megacephalus
Polypedates mutus
Rhacophorus bipunctatus (New species for Bawangling)
Rhacophorus dennysi (New species for Bawangling)
Tylototriton hainanensis


Reptiles

Platysternon megacephalum
Chinemys megalocephala
Cistoclemmys galbinifrons
Cuora trifasciata
Geoemyda spengleri
Mauremys mutica
Ocadia philippeni
Ocadia sinensis
Pyxidea mouhotii
Sacalia bealei
Sacalia pseudocellata (Very rare and just two specimens collected from a mountain black water creek)
Sacalia quadriocellata
Manouria impressa
Palea steindachneri
Pelochelys cantorii
Pelodiscus sinensis
Gehyra mutilata
Gekko chinensis
Gekko gecko
Hemidactylus bowringii
Hemidactylus frenatus
Hemidactylus garnotii
Goniurosaurus hainanensis
Goniurosaurus luii
Acanthosaura armata
Acanthosaura lepidogaster
Calotes microlepis
Calotes versicolor
Draco maculatus
Leiolepis reevesi
Varanus salvator
Platyplacopus kuehnei
Takydromus sexlineatus
Ateuchosaurus chinensis
Eumeces chinensis
Eumeces quadrilineatus
Mabuya longicaudata
Mabuya multifasciata
Scincella reevesii (New species)
Sphenomorphus incognitus
Sphenomorphus indicus
Tropidophorus hainanus
Ramphotyphlops braminus
Typhlops diardi (New species)
Xenopeltis hainanensis
Cylindrophis ruffus
Python molurus
Achalinus rufescens
Ahaetulla prasina
Amphiesma boulengeri (New species)
Amphiesma popei
Amphiesma sauteri
Amphiesma stolata
Amphiesmoides ornaticeps
Boiga kraepelini (New species
Boiga multomaculata
Calamaria septentrionalis
Chrysopelea ornata
Cyclophiops major
Ovophis tonkinensis (New species)
Cyclophiops multicinctus
Dendrelaphis pictus
Dinodon flavozonatum
Dinodon rosozonatum
Elaphe porphyracea
Elaphe taeniura
Enhydris chinensis
Enhydris plumbea
Lycodon subcinctus (New species)
Oligodon chinensis
Opisthotropis balteata
Pareas margaritophorus
Psammodynastes pulverulentus
Pseudoxenodon bambusicola (Very rare and the only recent record from Hainan)
Pseudoxenodon karlschmidti
Ptyas korros
Ptyas mucosus
Rhabdophis adleri (New species)
Rhabdophis subminiatus
Rhabdophis tigrinus
Rhynchophis boulengeri
Sibynophis chinensis
Sibynophis collaris
Sinonatrix aequifasciata (New species)
Sinonatrix annularis
Sinonatrix percarinata
Xenochrophis piscator
Bungarus fasciatus
Bungarus multicinctus
Calliophis macclellandii
Naja atra
Achalinus hainanus

Ophiophagus hannah (Rare, only three adult animals was observed, and none measuring more than 1,5m, a dozen juveniles seen)

Protobothrops mucrosquamatus
Trimeresurus albolabris
Trimeresurus stejnegeri


Plants

2823 plant species was found in the Bawangling NP, an increase from previous 2454 species.

[MKinHK]

There are some very interesting records here. Could you give more details on the survey, which species are the exisiting list for the reserve and which were actually recorded on this survey.

Some of your records are very interesting :

First record of White-eared Night Heron on Hainan for some time. How did you decide it was a female?
Pale-capped Pigeon - recentlyrecorded from Yinggeling by Kadoorie Farm China Team, so Bawangling is an additional site.
Is Blyths Baza the same as Jerdon's Baza?
Oriental Bay Owl I thought I heard this species here in Dec 2003
Crested Kingfisher How high up were you?
Blyth's Kingfisher a really good record - recently recorded from Yinggeling by Kadoorie Farm.


Mike Kilburn
Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

[Hainan]

There are some very interesting records here. Could you give more details on the survey, which species are the exisiting list for the reserve and which were actually recorded on this survey.

Some of your records are very interesting :

First record of White-eared Night Heron on Hainan for some time. How did you decide it was a female?
Pale-capped Pigeon - recentlyrecorded from Yinggeling by Kadoorie Farm China Team, so Bawangling is an additional site.
Is Blyths Baza the same as Jerdon's Baza?
Oriental Bay Owl I thought I heard this species here in Dec 2003
Crested Kingfisher How high up were you?
Blyth's Kingfisher a really good record - recently recorded from Yinggeling by Kadoorie Farm.


Mike Kilburn
Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

Hi MKinHK,

I dont know the sex of the white-eared Night-heron, just that it was an adult one. Not a good sighting and the forest in the ravine was very thick and dense. This is also the second recent record from Hainan, there was another down in the South-west Some month ago.

Ok thanks for the Status of the Pale-capped Pigoen, wasent aware of that before.

Yes Blyth and Jerdon Baza is the same species.

Crested Kingfisher obereved at 1,100-1156m

Yes the Blyth Kingfisher was one of the highlights

[James Eaton]

A superb list of species. Compliments the species recorded at Yinggeling nicely, overlaps are very noticeable between the two sites regarding species previously thought extinct/very rare on Hainan.

Would the study area be accessible for the visiting foreign birder? I am looking into Hainan for the not to distant future (once again Mike!). Would be interested to hear about access arrangements.

Nice to see you recorded Hainan Gibbon, the rarest gibbon in the world! Clouded Leopard to, excellent.

[Cuora]

This is a very interesting list. Can you tell me, if then turtles were really reported by this team or are from a previous listing. Especially Cuora trifasciata, Sacalia pseudocellata, Chinemys megalocephala and Ocadia philippeni? Were photos taken of the specimens?

Thanks,

Torsten