Globally difficult species coming to feeders (1 Viewer)

[DMW]

I thought it might be interesting to create a list of species that are rare and / or generally difficult to see, but have been habituated to visit specific feeders on a regular basis.

I know there are plenty of Antpittas and rarer Hummingbirds, but I'll start the ball rolling with some of the Asian ones I can think of:

Palawan Peacock Pheasant - St Paul's NP, Philippines
Mountain Peacock Pheasant - Berjaya Hills, Malaysia
Grey Peacock Pheasant - Mae Wong NP, Thailand
Sri Lanka Spurfowl - Singharaja Forest, Sri Lanka
Rusty-naped Pitta - Mae Wong NP, Doi Lang NP, Thailand
Blue Pitta - Kaeng Krachan NP, Thailand
Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo - Khao Yai NP, Thailand (no longer regular?)
Red-tailed Laughingthrush - Baihualing, Yunnan
Red-legged Crake - Kaeng Krachan NP

So, what else?

 

[njlarsen]

Ecuador - Refugio Paz the las Aves:
beyond 4 species of antpittas, he also has Dark-backed Wood Quail and Rufous-breasted Antthrush coming

Niels

 

[temmie]

I can think of, e.g. the 5 species of Antpitta at Rio Blanco, White-bellied Antpitta in San Isidro, Urrao Antpitta in Urrao, Black-backed Thornbill at the feeders in El Dorado, Grey Tinamou at Copalinga, Little + Undulated Tinamou at Arena Blanca, Gould's Shortwing at Baihualing...

 

[DMW]

And, of course, Blakiston's Fish Owl at Rausu, Japan

 

[lewis20126]

Pale-headed Brush-finch - that spot in Ecuador.

cheers, a

 

[lewis20126]

I think Red-and-white Crake at Intervales, SE Brazil but not seen it myself..

cheers, a

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Also Uniform Crake at Geovani's Reserve in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. I'm not sure they come to the feeders themselves but they're easily seen in the vicinity (as are White-throated Crakes).

 

[jurek]

Archbold's Bowerbird, Ribbon-tailed Astrapia and assorted - Kumul Lodge, PNG

I think Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo at Khao Yai is gone for several years, and was not fed but coming to wet patch behind local showers.

 

[temmie]

The Ground Cuckoo still shows up (ir?)regularly at the main restaurant, where they dump the leftovers. The bird has good taste for overpriced plain food it seems!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo at Khao Yai is gone for several years, and was not fed but coming to wet patch behind local showers.

It 'was' taking food scraps behind the restaraunt in the camp ground, I saw it so I know.

andy

 

[jurek]

The cuckoo is seen occasionally in several places in Khao Yai, but, according to the local guide (with whom I dipped it) outflow from the showers was the only regular place. Anyway, still on my 'to see' list. Good for you guys!

I wanted to add Hume's Pheasant, but... the site in N Thailand is overrun with tens of photographers, mostly Chinese, taking literally 10,000's of photos. The pheasant showed perfectly, but it was becoming tiring experience like any crowded tourist trap.

Unfortunately, the access to the area is limited to exactly one place. One cannot see the birds away from the crowd, like we in Europe and USA take for granted in our national parks...

I wonder, when these 10,000s of bird photos will lose any value, and nobody would care about them anymore. Like nobody is interested is seeing yet another holiday photo of Aunt Mary in front of a Buddhist temple or riding an elephant in Thailand...

 

[DMW]

I visited Doi Lang in early April last year, and encountered just one photographer... and must have had at least a dozen Hume's Pheasants at various places along the road! The real mega staked-out birds at Doi Lang were the Spotted Laughingthrushes coming in to food. Sadly no more... they may have been trapped.

 

[Andy Adcock]

How many people encounter any of the Twin-spots away from feeders?

Green is easily seen at Kurisa Moya in South Africa but we never got a sniff away from them.

Andy

 

[jurek]

Well, in January this year at Doi Lang situation changed slightly. There were over 20 bird photographers at the same time, perhaps closer to 40 (I count only people with at least half a meter long telephoto lenses ). The road photo is the pheasant stake-out. Six photo hides, extra guy is laying on the asphalt under the cammo, and the seventh hide is being put up. Pheasants showed well. Rather less pleasant situation was when hides were touching each other side to side forming unbroken row, and completely blocking the view. No sign of Spotted Laughingthrushes since some time.

 

[sicklebill]

Red-necked Crake at Cassowary House, Kuranda Queensland used to come in for cheese, now seen easily enough in the wet bits by the bananas; Victoria's Riflebird and Spotted Catbird at the feeders.
There used to be a tame Painted Buttonquail at Whimpey's Little Desert, bit not for some years
Brown Sicklebill on the feeders at Kumul Lodge, PNG and sometimes Bronze Ground-Dove there, also Brehm's Tiger Parrot easy.

 

[DMW]

I guess a slight diversification from feeders, but there are obviously quite a few blinds set-up on display grounds for various Birds of Paradise in New Guinea, e.g. Black Sicklebill, Western Parotia, and Magnificent BoP in the Arfak Mountains, and Wilson's BoP on Waigeo.

The only place most birders can realistically see Orange-bellied Parrot is on the feeders at Melaleuca, Tasmania.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Taiwan partridge coming to spread feed in Daxueshan NP (km 23).