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RFI Collared Crow sightings (1 Viewer)

P

Paul Leader

Well-known member
I am part of a small group currently reviewing the status of Collared Crow in Guangdong Province and am seeking any records (away from Hong Kong) of this species from China and Vietnam within the past ten years.

Please either post any records here or send me a PM.

This appears to be a much rarer species than the current literature states, as such any records are of conservation interest.

Many thanks.

Paul Leader, Hong Kong.
 
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Sorry Paul, I thought that reading your post until I saw you were in HK! Guangdong province is the one surrounding HK?
 
Paul,

Found one at the reservoir Beidiahe, Hebei province on 4th May 2012 (I think it had been seen by Bo Peterson's ringing group based at the same site in late April but had disappeared in between) which remained well into June and I believe was still present in the Autumn. This was a first for me and do not recall any records in the previous thirteen years I have been involved with Spring or Autumn migration in the region.

During this period/year , I remember Terry finding one in Beijing, I am sure he will comment, and perhaps Paul Holt also as I think there was at least one other record from Beijing/Hebei.
 
I believe I had one on Dec. 3, 2010 while riding a train from Wuhu, Anhui, to Hangzhou. It was perched on the wires along the tracks. I assume this would have been somewhere in Zhejiang Province.
 
Hi Paul, following records:

Pingwu area, Sichuan: May 2009 (pair), June 2013 (pair) - similar area, along river, typically.

En-route to Foping, Shaanxi: May 2009 & May 2010, nesting pair - nest beside river in town.

Between Wuhan & Dongzhai: Dec 2008, at least 4 birds by highway.

Wuyuan: at least 2 pairs along river: May 2008.

That's it off the top of my head, though sure I'm missing one somewhere (somewhere around Poyang I seem to recall, would need to check my notes when I'm home next month).

Though I haven't personally seen them, I believe John Pilgrim found a very small number in northernmost Vietnam about 5-6 years ago.

James
 
The birds in the Pingwu area of Sichuan - seen from the S205 that skirts the Fujiang River - are resident. Last year we saw birds during December, but have regularly seen birds during numerous spring, summer and autumn trips to the area that have been made over the last 6 years .
The birds are mainly seen along the river - but because of various dam projects they seem to be becoming more local.
The best location close to Pingwu to see the birds is at Houju - where garbage is washed into the Fujiang from a smaller stream - 32° 22.419'N 104° 38.212'E. However at this site the birds are heavily outnumbered by Large-billed Crow
Birds can be seen - in very small numbers - all the way down the 205 in a southerly direction for around 50km until the road leaves the river at 32° 4.826'N 104° 46.065'E
Another stretch of road where the bird is seen - that joins to the 205 - is along the route to Tangjiahe. Here the road leaves the 205 at 32° 20.743'N 104° 41.257'E - and we've seen Collared Crows, again in small numbers, all the way to town of Qingxi - 32° 27.883'N 104° 50.332'E

Away from this area I've once seen the bird just south of Songpan (October 2011) - a single bird with a mixed group of Large-billed and Carrion Crow (feeding at a garbage container)- but have failed in recent attempts to find the species in same area.
 
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china guy said:
The birds in the Pingwu area of Sichuan - seen from the S205 that skirts the Fujiang River - are resident. Last year we saw birds during December, but have regularly seen birds during numerous spring, summer and autumn trips to the area that have been made over the last 6 years .
The birds are mainly seen along the river - but because of various dam projects they seem to be becoming more local.
The best location close to Pingwu to see the birds is at Houju - where garbage is washed into the Fujiang from a smaller stream - 32° 22.419'N 104° 38.212'E. However at this site the birds are heavily outnumbered by Large-billed Crow
Birds can be seen - in very small numbers - all the way down the 205 in a southerly direction for around 50km until the road leaves the river at 32° 4.826'N 104° 46.065'E
Another stretch of road where the bird is seen - that joins to the 205 - is along the route to Tangjiahe. Here the road leaves the 205 at 32° 20.743'N 104° 41.257'E - and we've seen Collared Crows, again in small numbers, all the way to town of Qingxi - 32° 27.883'N 104° 50.332'E

Away from this area I've once seen the bird just south of Songpan (October 2011) - a single bird with a mixed group of Large-billed and Carrion Crow (feeding at a garbage container)- but have failed in recent attempts to find the species in same area.
Click to expand...

Very many thanks, a very interesting series of records. Would you be able to attach numbers of birds to these records? This would extremely helpful in that we are attempting to arrive at a broad population estimate.
 
Would you be able to attach numbers of birds to these records?
Click to expand...
hi Paul - I'm in Qinghai until end of the month and unable to get to my notes. But, since I most often see the birds in my capacity as guide, numbers of birds are never very high - once we see the bird for the list we stop scanning the river. Most birds are seen in singles or pairs - groups of birds are normally family parties seen during spring/summer - an adult and 2 or 3 young
However during a winter visit to Tangjiahe during Dec 2010 - in the river at Qingxi we had a flock of around 15 birds

For this year, off the top of my head, I can remember that my April trip to Tangjiahe recorded one bird about 10km before the town of Qingxi.
While both May and June June trips recorded both juvenile and and adult birds at the river outlet at Houju.
During May 1 adult and 3 juveniles
During June 2 adults and 4 juveniles
 
I saw 1 Collared Crow at Dǒngzhài (董寨) Preserve in S Henan in 2010. The next year, I was in N Hubei Province, where I saw 3. The place in N Hubei province is very close to Dǒngzhài; the Dàbié Mtns. (Dàbiéshān [大别山]) separate the two locations. A good place to look for Collared Crow, therefore, may be in and around the Dàbié Mtns. Photos from each location attached.
 

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I've seen them along the banks of the Li River in Guangxi province. They were feeding on flotsam washed up on the shore, and seemed relatively used to human presence.

There are also occasional records from Xiamen island, Fujian province. I've seen occasional photos from the Xiamen forum, but haven't seen one myself there yet.
 
Hi Paul,

I am aware of 2 recent COLLARED CROW records in Beijing. One was at Shisanling Reservoir (Ming Tombs) from 27-29 April 2012 (found by Colm Moore) and one (possibly the same?) was at Houbajiazhuang, Miyun Reservoir on 1 May 2012 (Terry Townshend and Paul Holt).

Paul Holt will have more extensive records from Beijing. I will ask him to send you his records as I don't think he visits BirdForum very often.

My understanding and my experience is that this species is a scarce/rare Spring overshoot to the capital.

Terry
 
Yangshuo, Guangxi Collared Crows

On August 1, 2014 there were 3 Collared Crows along the Li River in Yangshuo, Guangxi, just south of the West Street area. They were looking for food on a small island in the river and landing on the shallow bank.
 
In April 2011 at least two on the outskirts of Foping country town, which is apparently regular site for it. In my notes it was also seen at Crested Ibis site near Yangxian town.
 
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