Blackthroat at Chengdu (1 Viewer)

A male Blackthroat was recorded yesterday (May 2nd) at Chengdu by Photographer He Yi, from ISSC (Image Studio of Southwest China）.

This is the first photo of the species from field.

Please go to the following link for the details.

http://www.swild.cn/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=3865&extra=page%3D1

or if it doen't work, try this one http://www.swild.cn/News-40.html

Fantastic record and picture!!!!!!

By the way the text in Chinese - tells that the bird was photographed at Sichuan University - and hopes that as a hotspot for passage birds - many interesting migratory species have been sighted here - the university will be able to keep some green areas.
Unfortunately the major birding spot on campus is now being developed for yet more new buildings - and proposals to save this area as a mini city bird reserve seem to have come to nothing.
That Blackthroat certainly proves that trying to keep small areas away from the developer's cement and the park gardeners with their chemicals and non-native plants is a very worthy project!!!!!

Thanks for posting this Blancheliu!

We get some interesting birds on our campus - though the local watcher (me) isn't really up to id-ing rarities! Also, we are not yet an "island" in the middle of the city the way I guess Sida is.

Chengdu is one huge light magnet for nighttime migratory birds - which makes those city islands of green so important!!!!!
The new concrete Chengdu with its abundance of highly illuminated multi-storey buildings - if you take the info in this link as fact; http://www.citywildlife.org/lights%20out.html - can mean real problems for the disorientated night migrant. Sichuan University has given areas of cover and feeding where birds can feed up and hopefully restart their journeys during a part of the day when their natural navigation systems won't be entirely confused by man-made lighting.

I think the the sighting of the Blackthroat is so significant that it deserves a mail to the president of Sichuan University - congratulating the institution on still possessing areas that can attract birds of such rarity, but also reminding him why its so important to preserve and conserve such sites.
The presidents Email is - [email protected]

Here's my mail

Title - rare bird found at Sichuan University

Dear Sichuan University President,
I would like to draw your attention to the extremely rare bird that was found May 2nd on the city campus of Sichuan University - report and pictures can be found here - http://www.swild.cn/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=3865&extra=page%3D1
Congratulations on having a campus that provides habitat for such a rare bird - but please remember;

- birds thrive best in areas of native plants, such as large trees, thick bushes and bamboo, that are not subjected to heavy gardening and chemicals.

- many birds that move during spring and autumn migrate by night, and are drawn towards bright city lights. Modern Chengdu is now becoming a huge highly illuminated city of tall buildings, which makes areas such as the Sichuan University campus such an important area for the survival of birds attempting to pass over Chengdu.

- one of the best bird areas within the campus - a site with old trees and bushes is now undergoing building development and will be a site for yet more high rise buildings.

Please try and protect remaining areas that are used by migrants. All it takes is a policy of letting a few corners of the university grow a little wild, maybe establishing a few plants that will attract birds, stop using chemicals on weeds and insects and foster an interest and pride within your faculty for the willdlife and nature you are able to protect in the middle of one of China's new mega-cities.

Yours sincerely
Sid Francis

Maybe others would like to mail him???????

We've just had a local friend, who has no special interest or knowledge of birds, phoning up to tell she's just read about the Blackthroat on a Chengdu news-site!!!!
It's very heartening to see that we have birdwatchers here who get the local media to carry information of the local birdlife - and that ordinary people, like our friend, are picking up on this news.

Well done those guys who found this birds - and fantastic that you're spreading the word, beyond the normal birding circles, on how important this sighting is :t:

Nee and interested in China and conservation. I visited in 1996 must be a huge sprawl since then. Thankyou for your interest in conservation . There should be in every urban are bird friendly policies. Nature is our essential infrastructure. We destroy at our peril.