Bulletin / Oriental Bird Club.

Orieirfal

BULLETIN No. 1 RlH/1 |/|k

SPRING 1985 Viyi/

INSIDE: News.. Asian Dowitchers .. Himalayan
Migration. . . .Milky Storks. . . . Ranthambhor . .
Reviews .. Recent Reports

The Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club
is published twice yearly.

THE ORIENTAL BIRD CLUB aims +o:

encourage an Interest in the birds of the Oriental region and
their conservation.

to liaise with and promote the work of existing regional
soc ieties.

to collate and publish material on Oriental birds.

Two bulletins and a journal. The Forktall, will be published annually.

Indus'R.
PAKISTAN

CHINA

BHUTAN
•NEPAL - -A . •

banglaBe^h

Lakshadv/eep

MALDIVES

The

ORIENTAL

REGION

THAILAND:

INDONESIA.!!!!

1. Sumatra 2. Java 3 Bali
4.Lombok 5.Timor

Q6.Seram 7. Maluku
8. Sulawesi

TAIWAN 9- Kal imantan

MACAU -^ONG KONG MALAYSIA

lO.Sabah
1 1. Sarawak

}_jaman J2.Peninsular Malaysia

'KAMPUCHEA
...V I ETNAM

PHILIPPI I^ES^^n

i CkT (U Lydekkers /
BRUNEI '*'* 0 Line/'

MALAYSIA II

2

SINGAPORE

Si

INDONESIA*

Wallaces

i >

Line

The Oriental region lies mainly between 68° and I35°E, and between
I0°S and 32°N. It 'is bounded on the west by the Indus River in
Pakistan, and in the north by the Himalaya and an imprecise line in
China roughly coinciding with the basin of the Yangtze Kiang.
Southwards it includes the Indian subcontinent, south-east Asia,
Taiwan, the Philippines, and most of Indonesia. The eastern limit is

defined by Lydekker's line, beyond which very few Oriental species

extend. The area between this line and Wallace's line, which marks
the westward extension of Australasian forms, contains a mixture of
species from both faunal regions. It is referred to. as Wallacea.

Because of the imprecise boundaries with the Palearctic region in

Pakistan and China, the OBC is interested in material for the whole of
these two countries. However, in the Club's publications the emphasis
will be on the core area of the Oriental region.

T.P. Inskipp

Editorial

This is the first Bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club. Future
issues will include a mix of topical papers, reviews and
reports. Contributions covering a wide variety of topics are
required both for forthcoming editions of the Bulletin and the
first issue of the Club's journal, The Forktail.

The Launching Committee would like to thank Chris Harbard for
valuable technical advice.

This Bulletin was made possible by the assistance received from
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the
Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Club News

Annual General Meeting

The Oriental Bird Club AGM is to be held in London on 14

December. It will be followed by three or four illustrated

talks and food and drink will be available. Provisionally Paul
Goriup has agreed to talk on Oriental Bustards and Wim Verheugt
on Indonesian wetlands. Full details will be published in the

autumn Bulletin. We hope as many members as possible will be

able to attend.

Membership: £6.00 p.a. (£5.00 for residents in the Orient

*

belonging to other Oriental ornithological societies).
Institutional membership is £12.00 p.a. All sums remitted to
the UK skould preferably be in £ sterling. If foreign
currencies are sent (whether cash or personal cheque) we regret
that £2 should be added to cover bank charges. For further
information please contact: The Secretary, Oriental Bird Club,
c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds., SGI 9 2DL, UK.

)AV I D HUNT

David Hunt, a founder member of 0BC, was tragically killed by a
Tiger this February whilst leading a party of birdwatchers in
Corbett National Park. David's enthusiasm for India and its
bird life was an inspiration to the many people who travelled
with him or heard of his adventures. David was especially fond
of Corbett and this was his sixth visit to the Park.

LESSER FLORICAN - CONCERN FOR REMAINING GRASSLAND HABITATS
The Lesser Florican or Likh Sypheotldes indica, endemic to the
Indian subcontinent, is a monsoon visitor to the grasslands of
western and central India. The species was once relatively
abundant but is now considered endangered; its decline is

attributed to the destruction of its grassland habitat in order
to grow cash crops such as ground-nuts and cotton. Survey work
has shown that floricans are now restricted to areas set aside
for the production of hay, and that many of their most important
breeding areas are located in Gujarat, India. These grasslands
or 'vidis' may now face threat from the intervention of the
State Government of Gujarat. As part of a proposed land
red i str i bution programme, ail privately-owned ’vidis* would be
taken over and handed to landless members of the scheduled
classes for conversion to grow cash crops. Although land
red i str i but ion may be commendable, it seems tragic that to
achieve it areas could be lost which at present produce a
valuable fodder crop, offer protection against soil erosion, and
have an i rrep I aceab le wildlife heritage. (Source: ICBP Bustard
Group) .

NOW IT'S 1350 SIBERIAN CRANES

A remarkable event in 1980 was the discovery by Chinese
ornithologists of wintering Siberian Cranes Grus leucogeranus at
Lake Poyang in the Jiangxi Province of south-east China.
Surveys conducted by the Chinese in the spring of 1984 counted
840. The most recent fieldwork undertaken this winter has
boosted the known population of Siberian Cranes for this area to
1350! Lake Poyang, recently designated as a nature reserve,
also provides a refuge for important populations of Hooded and
White-naped Cranes _G. monacha and G. v i p io. However, the area
is threatened by the damming of the Yangtze river and management
of the area is required in order to maintain the water level,
and thus the suitability of the area for wintering cranes.
According to George Archibald of the international C^ane
Foundation the Chinese welcome tours to this 3rea and .hotel
accommodation is available in the town of Wucheng. (Source:

I UCN Bulletin Vol. 15(4-6); ICBP/George Archibald).

2

A new national park, the Shey-Dolpo National Park, newly

n

established in Nepal, covers approx i mate I y 145km and is the
only trans-H i ma I ayan protected area in the country. This brings
the total number of national parks in Nepal to five. The Park
is comparatively small; the largest Nepalese park, Langtang
National Park covers I709km^. Ringmo Lake or Phoksundo Tal,
Nepal's second largest lake is within the Park boundaries. The
area is poorly known ornithological ly and few visitors have been
al lowed to travel there.

Also recently established is the Khaptad Wildlife Reserve
in Seti Anchal in western Nepal. The bird life in this area also
remains little known. (Source: Oryx Vol. 18 No. 3).

TWO OF THE WORLD'S MOST THREATENED PROTECTED AREAS

Kutai Game Reserve in Indonesia and Mount Apo National Park in
the Philippines were identified as two of the world's eleven
most threatened protected areas by the General Assembly of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN), held in Madrid in November 1984.

Between October and November 1982 and April and May 1983
approximately 3.5 million ha. of forest in East Kalimantan
(Indonesian Borneo) were ravaged by what was probably the
world's worst ever forest fire. Kutai Game Reserve, situated on

3

the coast of East Kalimantan Province, was severely affected,
particularly those areas that had already been selectively
logged. The Game Reserve protected extensive tracts of lowland
rain forest and provided important habitat for Bornean
primates. Birds known to occur in the reserve include Great
Argus Argus? anus argus and Crested Fireback Lophura ignita as
well as eight species of hornbill. Urgent action is clearly
required, and it has been recommended that the boundaries of the
Reserve be redefined, logging activities be halted, and an
alternative site for the protection of a representat i ve area of
lowland rainforest be established.

Mount Apo National Park, on the south-east coast of
Mindanao is under severe pressure from logging and shifting
cultivation, and it is estimated that now only half of the Park
remains worthy of national park status. The Park provides
protection for the endangered, endemic Philippine Eagle
Pithecophaga jefferyi.

In addition, IUCN listed 32 other protected areas as
seriously threatened, six of these are in the Oriental region:
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhutan and the adjacent Manas Tiger
Reserve, India; Gir National Park, India; Silent Valley National
Park, India; Ker i nc i-Seb I at National Park, Indonesia; Klias
National Park, Sabah, Malaysia; and Thung Yai and Huai Kha
Kaheng Wildlife Sanctuaries in Thailand. The inclusion of
Silent Valley in this seriously threatened protected area list
is either misplaced or renews concern for the integrity of the
area; it had previously been announced that the Kerala
Government had dropped the Silent Valley Hydroelectr ic Project
and had promised inclusion of the area in the proposed Silent
Valley National Park. (Source: Threatened protected areas of
the world, IUCN press release, Nov. 1984).

CRESTED IBIS NEWS

In 1981, a small remnant population of Crested Ibis N i ppon i a
nippon was rediscovered nesting in the Quinling Mountains of
Shaanxi Province, China. The location of two pairs, one with
three young, followed intensive field work by the Institute of
Zoology, Beijing. In 1984 five young were raised by two pairs,
bringing the total known population in China to seventeen.
Apart from an unconfirmed report of a single bird in North Korea
in 1984, this small population appears to represent the last
wild Crested Ibises In the world. (Source: Flying Free,
Newsletter of the W.W.Brehm Fund, Vol.2,No.2).

Richard Gr immett

4

RECORDS OF THE ASIAN DOWITCHER Limnodromus
semipalmatus IN THAILAND

Approximately 400 Asian Dowitchers were found on
passage in spring 1984 , considerably more than

previously recorded .

Away from its breeding grounds, the Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus
semi pa Imatus is one of the least-known Asian shorebirds.
Collectors working in Thailand during 1910-1926 obtained over 80
specimens,' suggesting the presence of localised
concentrations on the east peninsular coast at Nakhon Si
Thammarat during August to November and in the Inner Gulf of
Thailand, near Bangkok during May (Figure I). In recent

decades, small flocks of dowitchers have been regularly reported
from the mudflats of Malaysia and Singapore, with the largest
single concentration of 29 birds2. In Thailand, however,
there have only been two further published records, both of
birds from the Inner Gulf. A single specimen was collected on I
May 1954, while eight birds were seen on 20 March 1981^.
Until 1984, the largest concentration recorded anywhere in the
world was a flock of 130 in north-west Australia (B. A. Lane &
C.D.T.Mi nton, in I i tt. ) .

During 8-10 April 1984, a concentration of approx i mate I y
400 Asian Dowitchers was located on intertidal mudflats at Samut
Sakhon (Figure I), about 30 km. west of Bangkok, between the

mouths of the Tachin and Mae Klong Rivers. On each day, the

birds were present on an ebb tide, when they fed with over 200
Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa. The dowitchers were

5

scattered from the upper shore down to the water's edge and
evidently flew into the area around five hours after high tide
(during a 24-hour tidal cycle). Although the area is bounded by
an estimated 50 sq. km. of fish ponds and salt pans, the birds'
roost site was not discovered. 145 dowitchers were once
observed loafing on fish ponds, although they only gathered here
briefly, in transit to the mudflats. Approximately two-thirds
of the birds were in complete or near-complete breeding plumage.

No dowitchers could be located during a return visit to
Samut Sakhon on 5 May 1984, when almost all the godwits had also
dispersed. The sighting in Thailand was followed by an
unprecedented count of 340 in Hong Kong, about two weeks later
(P. Kenner ley, in I ? tt. ) . No more than 39 had previously been
recorded there. Although the Samut Sakhon area was visited
regularly during August-December 1984, no further sightings were
made.

It has been suggested that the Asian Dowitcher may have
been overlooked in the past, owing to confusion with the
godwits, which it approaches closely in size4. However, the
all dark, swollen-tipped bill would normally be sufficient for
identification. Unlike the Long-billed Dowitcher L ? mnodromus
sco I opaceus or the Short-bi I led Dowitcher L.griseus the species
lacks a clear whitish trailing edge to the wing, having instead
a diffuse silvery, pale area across the entire secondaries,
contrasting with the darker outer primaries and carpal area.
The Asian Dowitcher also lacks the white rump and lower back of
the other Li mnodromus spp., and in flight recalls a Bar-tailed
Godwit of the race Limosa lapponica baueri. Although dowitcher

• — — ■ ■ - - - - — — — 5

feeding is said to be character i sed by high probing rates or
a "sewing-machine" action, the Asian Dowitchers observed at
Samut Sakhon showed a slower "stitching" action when wading in

i 984 spring location

Likely important
autumn staging areas

Additional sites
where 1-2 recorded

Records of Asian Dowitchers
Thailand .

in

6

shallow standing water. Every two or three steps were followed
by a brief, shallow probe in a rhythmic sequence. This gave the
peculiar impression that the birds were propelled along by both
legs and bill. When feeding on exposed mud, the birds were
stationary for longer periods, and probed more deeply. The only
call heard was given from one of a flock loafing on a fish pond
and was a peculiar airy "chaow” or "aow”, with something of the
quality of a distant human cry.

The distribution of past and present records suggests that
the Inner Gulf of Thailand may be an important spring staging
area. It seems that the area supports no appreciable numbers of
dowitchers in mid winter. Throughout December and January,
tides in the Inner Gulf remain high throughout the daylight
hours and may reduce feeding opportun i t ies for waders. December
and January wader numbers at Samut Sakhon, including Marsh
Sandpipers Tr i nga stagnat i I ? s and Curlew Sandpipers Cal ? dr i s
ferrug i nea, are certainly much lower compared with numbers
during September to November.

The east coast of the Malayan peninsula may be important as
an autumn staging area, or possibly even wintering area, for the
Asian Dowitcher and could conceivably also support spring
concentrat ions. The two areas with the most extensive mudflats
are the Banaon Bay area of Surat Than! Province and the Pak
Phanang estuary at Nathon Si Thammarat, neither of which has yet
received more than cursory examination. Both may well prove to
be sites of International Importance for a range of wader

species on passage. (see Recent Reports for autumn 1984 counts
i n Sumatra, Eds. )

References

1. Robinson, H.C. and Chasen, F.N. 1936. The Birds of the Malay

Peninsula, 3. Witherby, London.

2. Medway, Lord and Wei Is, D.R. 1976. The Birds of the Malay

Peninsula, 5. Witherby and University of Malaya Press, London.

3. Melville, D.S. and Round, P.D. 1982. Further records of the

Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus sem j pa I matus from Thailand, with
notes on its distribution and identification. Nat . FI i st , Bull.
S i am Soc . 30: 199-204.

4. Ali, S. and Ripley, S.D. 1969. handbook of the birds of India
and Pakistan, 2. Oxford University Press. Bombay and London.

5. Burton, P.J.K. 1974. Food and the feeding apparatus in
waders. British Museum (Natural Flistory), London.

Philip D. Round, Association for the Conservation of Wildlife,

4 Old Custom House Lane, Bangkok 10500, Thai land.

7

MIGRATION ACROSS THE NEPALESE HIMALAYA

Evidence is presented which shows that trans-
Himalayan migration is more common than once
thought. Raptors also carry out migration
east-west along the Himalaya .

Nepal Is a land-locked country in the central Himalaya situated
between China to the north and India to the south. There is
increasing evidence from Nepal, and elsewhere in the Himalaya,
to suggest that some bird species breeding in the Palearctic
region migrate across the Himalaya to winter in southern Asia.
However, Moreau* noted that relatively few species take this
route compared with the number which migrate to Africa, despite
Africa being considerably further away: 137 species from the
West Palearctic (west of 45°E) winter in Africa and 10 in India,
and 82 from the mi d-Pa learctic (45° to 90°E) winter in Africa
compared with only about 50 in India. He suggested that 'the
high elevated and ecologically inimical Tibetan plateau flanked
by the gigantic Himalaya' is an effective barrier for migrants.
Much of the current evidence for north-south movements across
the Himalaya is based on casual observations made by visiting
birdwatchers and mountaineering expeditions. There have been
few systematic studies of migration in these ranges ’ .

Most trans-H i ma I ayan migrants observed have been
non-passer i nes: large numbers of cranes, birds of prey, flocks
of ducks, geese, and waders, gulls, terns, and also Hoopoes
Upupa epops and Eurasian Wrynecks Jynx torqu ilia.

Birds have been noted flying over the highest parts of the
Himalaya, enabling them to shorten their journeys considerably.
Examples include a flock of Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus seen
as high as 9375m. over Mount Everest4, and a Steppe Eagle
Aquila rapax nipalensis found dead at 7925m. on the South Col of

— - - - - - r— - — — —

Mount Everest . A movement of small grey birds across the
South Col has also been noted^. Indicating that even small
birds can migrate at such heights. In spring and autumn, a
variety of species, mainly ducks but also waders, gulls and
terns, are regularly recorded stopping off at Himalayan lakes
including Phewa Tal, Begnas Tal, Rara, and frequently as high as
4750m. at Gokyo lakes in Khumbu.

However, some trans-H i ma I ayan migrants, whether they are
the majority is not known, have been observed moving along the
main river valleys such as those of the Karnali, Kali Gandaki,
Dudh Kosi, and Arun rivers.

8

Two systematic studies of autumn migration in the upper

Kali Gandaki Valley in central Nepal, by Beaman in 1973 and

by Thiol lay in 1978^, have shown this to be an important route
for trans-H ima I ayan migrants. Beaman pointed out that the

Valley is unusual in breaching the main Himalayan range, forming
a natural route for migrants leaving the Tibetan Plateau.
However, to the north the Valley is bounded by an extensive
tract of plateau, so that potential migrants are faced with one
of the most arduous crossings in the region.

Both studies recorded large numbers of cranes flying
south. Between 29 September and 14 October 1973, 3751 cranes,
including 2220 Demoiselles Anthropoi des vi rgo were seen ; and
about 63 000 cranes, mainly Demoiselles, were recorded between
24 September and 5 October 1978-'’.

Thiol lay-5 counted a total of 151 birds of prey

representing 15 species, and Beaman noted 18 species

totalling 404 birds. The largest species totals were of 254

Black Kites Milvus migrans flying south between 14 September and

I October 1 973^, 45 Common Buzzards Buteo buteo between 31

2 — — — -

August and 14 October 1 973 , and 39 Lesser Kestrels Fa I co
naumann ? between 24 September and 5 October 1978^. Some
interesting observations of migrant birds of prey were made in
the same area by Christensen et a I . ^ between 13 October and 4
November 1984. They recorded approximately 130 birds comprising
12 species, Including 56 Aqu i I a eag les (mainly Steppe Eagles).

Only about 19 species of passerine migrants were recorded
by Beaman, with significant numbers of Greater Short-toed Larks
Ca I andre I I a c ? nerea ( brachydacty la), Hume's Short-toed Larks
C. acuti rostr i s. White Wagtails Motaci I la alba, Black Redstarts
Phoen ? curus ochruros, and Ti eke ll's Warblers Phy I loscopus
af f i n i s. Even after bad weather few migrants were seen,
indicating that large numbers of passerines were probably not
moving over at night. Other observations also indicate that
only small numbers of passerines regularly cross the Tibetan
plateau. Species recorded include wagtails Motac ilia spp..
Booted Warbler H j ppol a i s ca I i gata. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia
curruca, and Common Chiffchaff P.col lybita.

The majority of passerines wintering in the subcontinent
presumably skirt the Himalaya. Populations of Black-throated
Thrush Turdus atrogu laris atrogularis, Paddyfield Warbler
Acrocepha I us agr ico I a, Blyth's Reed Warbler A . dumetorum, and
Greenish Warbler P.trochi loides mainly originate in the west and
probably fly round the range from this direction. Species such

9

as Siberian Rubythroat Luscl n I a cal I lope, Red-throated
Flycatcher F I cedu I a parva, Brown Shrike Lan 1 us cr I status.
Black-faced Bunting Ember I za spodocephal a and Yellow-breasted
Bunting E.aureol a, which chiefly come from the east, probably
skirt the eastern end of the Himalaya.

Birds of prey, especially Aqulla eagles, have recently been
found to use the Himalaya as an east-west pathway In autumn, and
also In I arger numbers than hitherto recorded In Nepal. The

q

phenomenon was first described by Fleming who made
observations In October and November 1975 In the Kathmandu
Valley, and also at Dhampus, south of Annapurna, where at least
490 birds of three Aqu? I a species were seen from 3 to 5 November
1976. Christensen et_ al J noted 1059 birds of 15 species.
Including 1004 Steppe Eagles, flying west-south-west or west
between 26 and 28 October 1984, also south of Annapurna, mainly
between BIrethante and Naudanda. In the Kathmandu Valley they
saw 63 Aqu I i a eagles, mainly Steppe Eagles, flying west, plus a
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug moving south-west between 2 and 4
November 1984. There Is also evidence that Spot-winged Stares
Saroglossa splloptera undertake east-west movements along the
Himalaya . It Is possible that other species undertake
si ml I ar movements.

Flocks of Lesser Kestrels and Amur Falcons F.amurensls are
regularly recorded on passage, particularly In autumn. It Is
not clear whether they are moving north-south or east-west. A
maximum of 300 Amur Falcons was estimated on 29 October 1984 at
Pokhara7. There Is an Interesting report of a roost of up to
300 mixed falcons Including Eurasian Kestrels F.tl nnuncu 1 us.
Lesser Kestrels, Amur Falcons and Peregrine Falcons F.peregr I nus
between 10 and 23 November 1977 In trees near Phewa Tal.

The marshes and large expanse of open water at KosI Barrage
In eastern Nepal provide the most Important staging point for
migratory wildfowl, gulls, terns and waders In Nepal. The area
has been well studied by ornithologists between January and
May. Peak numbers of wildfowl pass through In mid-February with
a maximum of over 50 000 estimated In 1981**. Wader passage
has been noted from the end of February to early May, with most
birds passing through In March and April**. Large numbers
have not been reported, with peaks of about 1000 to 1500 birds.
This presumably reflects the relatively low numbers of waders
crossing the Himalaya.

The study of migration Is one of the most exciting areas of
ornithological work In Nepal. Further studies on the east-west

10

movements of migrating raptors in October and November in the
area south of Annapurna should be rewarding. Almost no
Information is available on autumn passage at Kosi Barrage and
counts In September and October would be valuable.

References

1. Moreau, R.E. 1972. The Pal aearctic-Af r ican Bird Migration
Systems. Academic Press, London.

2. Beaman, M.A.S. 1973. Report of the ornithological Cambridge
expedition to the Himalayas 1973. Unpublished.

3. Thiol lay, J.M. 1979. La migration des grues a travers
I ’Himalaya et la predation par les aigle royaux. Alauda 47:83-92.

4. Schalier, G.3. 1980. Stones of Si lence. Andre Deutsch, London.

5. Singh, G. 1961. The eastern Steppe Eagle [Aqui la nipalensl s
n ipa I ensi s (Hodgson)] on the south col of Everest. J. Bombay
nat. Hist. Soc. 58:270.

6. Hunt, J. 1953. The Ascent of Everest. Hodder and Stoughton,
London.

7. Christensen, S., Bijlsma, R., de Roder F. and Henriksen, M.
1984. Notes on birds recorded in Nepal 1984. Unpublished.

8. Fleming, R.L.Jr. 1983. An east-west Aqui la eagle migration in
the Himalayas. J. Bombay nat. Hist, Soc. 80:58-62.

9. A I i , S. and Ripley, S.D. 1971. Handbook of the Birds of India
and Pakistan, 6. Oxford University Press, Bombay and London.

10. Leece, J. 1977. Notes on birds recorded in Nepal,
October-December 1977. Unpublished.

11. Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. In press, A Guide to the Birds
ofNepal. Croom Helm, London.

Carol Inskipp, 65 Swaynes Lane, Comberton, Cambridge, G33 7EF,

MILKY STORKS Ibis cinereus AND BIRDS OF
THE JAVAN PLAIN

322 Milky Storks were seen in NW Java in autumn
1934. Other interesting observations were made.

Although thought to be widespread within Vietnam, Malaysia,
Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi*, the actual distribution and
population size of the Milky Stork Ibis ci nereus is poorly known.

Prior to the 1984 University of East Anglia
( UEA ) / I nternationa I Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP)
expedition, the Malaysian population was the best known. A
total of 115 birds had been recorded from Kuala Gula in
north-west Peninsular Malaysia in 1983^. For Vietnam the data
are even more sparse, with no records subsequent to I968-5.
For Java and Sumatra the situation was similarly hazy, with
anecdotal records of local populations, and a single breeding
colony off the Javan Coast. Small numbers of apparently
resident Milky Storks were reported from Sulawesi in I9804.

The main aim of the UEA/ICBP expedition, carried out from
July to October 1984, was to survey the north coastal plain of
west Java for Milky Storks, after a two week visit to the
Malaysian population at Kuala Gula.

A minimum of 101 Milky Storks, all adults, was seen at
Kuala Gula. On Java 322 ll 27 birds were seen, including a
minimum of 20 breeding pairs on Pulau Rambut, whilst no birds
were recorded on Pulau Dua - a former breeding location. The
rumoured breeding population at Tanjung Krawang was not found.
However, between January 1984, when 60 birds had been present in

12

the area (R. Milton pers.comm.), and the expedition’s visit,
approx i mate I y I km. of mangrove and riverine forest had been
cleared, presumably taking with it the stork nesting site.
Prospects for a breeding population to re-establish are poor,
Pulau Rambut appears to be the only remaining breeding location
for Milky Storks in the area. Fortunately it is afforded
official protection by the Indonesian Government.

In order to assess the overall breeding distribution,
movements and population of Milky Storks, aerial surveys of the
sort carried out by I nterwader on Sumatra (D. Parish pers.comm.)
are needed within the region, as well as on the Javan plain
i tse I f ,

A number of other species of especial interest were
recorded whilst surveying for Storks. The first confirmed
sighting of Javan Yellow White-eye Zosterops flava for 42 years
was made on Pulau Dua, following reported sightings earlier in
the year (R.MI Iton, P. Andrew pers.comm.). Eight birds were
recorded on Pulau Dua, with further groups at Tanjung Krawang
and in replanted mangrove near Muara Pakis. Mangrove White-eye
Z.chloris was also recorded at the latter two locations. In
addition, a Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis seen at
Tanjung Krawang was the first recent record for Java.

Milky Storks and many waders were recorded using fishponds,
especially after the dry season when low water levels produced
mud areas ideal for wader feeding. An estimated 19,000 waders
were on fishponds near Muara Pakis in late August. Most of the
birds were Rufous-necked Stints Ca I ? dri s ruf icol I ? s and Curlew
Sandpipers C_. ferrug? nea, but also included Malaysian Plovers
Charadr i us peron ? i , Ruff Ph i lomachus pugnax, Broad-bi I led
Sandpipers L imicol a falcinei lus and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Ca I i dr i s acumi nata.

Whilst at Pulau Dua in the extreme west of Java on October
6th a movement of raptors was noted, with a total of 80 Japanese
Sparrowhawks Acc ? p i ter gu I ar i s, Chinese Goshawks A. so I pens ? s,
Crested Honey Buzzards Pern i s (apivorus) pti lorhynchus and
Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus recorded in an hour. During
the same period 20 Milky Storks moved eastwards in a single
flock. Such movements are poorly documented.

During a short visit to Guning Gede and Pangrango a number
of noteworthy species were seen, including: Dusky Woodcock
Scolopax saturata, Gianf Swiftlet Col I oca I i a g i gas. Pygmy Tit
Psa I tr ? a ex i I ? s. Lesser Forktai I En icurus ve I atus. Pink-necked
Fruit-Dove Pt i I i nopus porphyrea and several sightings of
probable Salvadori's Nightjars Capr imu I gus pu Ichel lus. The

13

Botanical Gardens, Bogor, held amongst other species.
Chestnut-capped Thrush Zoothera ? nterpres. Grey-cheeked Pigeon
Treron griseicauda and the surprisingly local Java Sparrow Padda
oryz i vora. Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot Lor ? cu I us pusillus,
and Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris were recorded on the
Green Indonesia Foundation Nature Trail on Gunung Salak. (see
Recent Reports for autumn 1984 counts in Sumatra)

References

1. King, B., Woodcock, M. and Dickinson, E.C. 1975. A Field
Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. Collins, London.

2. Parish, D. and Wells, D.K. 1984. Interwader 1983 Report.
Interwader Publications No. I

3. Wildash, P. 1968. Birds of South Vietnam. C.E. Tuttle,
Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo.

4. Escott,C.J. and Holmes, D. A. 1980. The avifauna of Sulawesi,
Indonesia: faunistic notes and additions. Bull. B.O.C.
100:189-194.

5. A. Wilson and G. Allport, 17 Harford Manor, Ipswich Road,
Norwich, NR2 2KW, UK.

Birdwatching areas

RANTHAMBHOR TIGER RESERVE

The rewards of hirding in Ranthamhhor Tiger Reserve
are outlined . The reserve holds a wide range of
birds/ plus many mammal species .

In an attempt to encourage and protect its country’s existing
Tiger Panthera tigris population, the Indian Government
designated Ranthambhor as one of nine new reserves in 1972.
Es+ablished under the auspices of Project Tiger, it is an area
of undulating, rocky hills and plateaux on the fringe of the
Vindhya Range, Rajasthan. Much of the reserve’s 400 sq.
kilometres is covered with dry deciduous forest, largely
composed of Dhok Anogeissus pendula and Roja Acacia leucophloea
trees. The reserve’s eastern margins slope downwards to the

14

Chambal river valley and the state border with Madhya Pradesh.
To the west lies the plain of Sawai Madhopur.

A direct rail route links Sawai Madhopur to Delhi (10 hours
by train) and Bharatpur (5 hours by train). Convenient
accommodation is difficult to find, and although there is a
forest lodge within the park itseif, this must be reserved in
advance through the state tourist office. Otherwise it is
necessary to stay in Sawai Madhopur, twelve kilometres from the
reserve. There is a wide range of hotels in the city, though
those at the cheaper end of the scale tend to be rather spartan.

There is a regular bus service to the park, catering mainly
for pilgrims destined for Ranthambhor ’ s Ganesh Temple, Buses
leave from the Sawai Madhopur railway station, starting at 6am
and take an hour to reach the park boundary.

Bicycles can be hired in the town at nominal rates, and afford
greater independence, although the road to the park is a chaotic
patchwork of gravel and tarmac, and is most uncomfortab I e.

Ranthambhor is open to the public from November until June
(most Indian reserves close during the monsoon), but it is
advisable to visit in winter or early spring in order to avoid
Rajasthan’s notoriously fiery summer temperatures. However,
whatever time of year one visits, access to much of the park is
limited to organised jeepruns laid on by park staff. The
jeepruns are fairly expensive; unless one is hoping to see
mammals most species of bird can be found in the vicinity of the
forest lodge and the entrance. This area is dominated by a
magnificent eleventh century fort, built on the the top of a
600m plateau - the highest point in the park. The base of the
rock from which the fort rises is girdled with mixed jungle, and
this area, together with the forest flanking the approach road
are the best birding habitats. Near the fort it is possible to
find the park’s specialities: Painted Spurfowl Ga I I operd i x
lunulata and Jungle Bush-Quail Perdicula asiatica, although like
all forest-dwelling gamebirds they are retiring and can be
difficult to see. Other noteworthy birds include White-naped
(Black-backed) Woodpecker Chrysoco I aptes festivus, Tawny-be I I i ed
(Rufous-be I I ied) Babbler Dumet la hyperythra, Tlckell’s Blue
Flycatcher Cyorn i s t icke I I i ae. Jungle Prinia Prlnia syivatica,
and Crested Bunting Melophus lathami. Sulphui — bellied Warbler
Phylloscopus griseolus and White-capped Bunting Ember i z a
stewart? are winter visitors to the area, while Ultramarine
Flycatcher Ficedula superc i I i ar i s is a passage migrant. A few
Palearctic species reach here in winter: notably Oriental
Turtle-Dove Streptopelia oriental is. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia

15

curruca, Common Chlffchaff Phy I loscopus col I ybita, Greenish
Warbler _P. trochi loides, Olive Tree- (01 i ve- backed) Pipit Anthus
hodgson ? , and Yellow-hooded (Citrine) Wagtail Motaci I la citreola.

The reserve’s complex of tourist accommodation overlooks a
lake which holds Mugger Crocodiles Crocodylus palustris. There
are a number of other pools and waterholes which attract a range
of common migratory waders, plus breeding Greater Painted-snipe
Rostratula bengha lensi s. The largest lake holds wintering duck
including Falcated Teal Anas falcata, as well as Brown Fish Owl
Ketupa zey lonens i s and Stork-bi f led Kingfisher Pe I argops ? s
capensis. This is also an idea! place to watch game going to
drink, Ranthambhor has two species of deer: Sambar Cervus
unicoior and Chital _C_. axis, plus two antelopes. Nilgai
Boselaphus tragocamelus and Chinkara Gaze I la dorcas. Together
with Wild Boar Sus scrofa, these species support a good stock of
large carnivores, including both Tiger and Leopard Panthera
pardus. As in all tiger parks, it is unwise to disregard the
rules about access, and activities should be limited to
well-defined paths, preferably not alone.

Before the road leaves the Sawai Madhopur plain and ascends
to the reserve gates, there is an Interesting area of cultivated
semi-desert, well worth investigation. The avifauna is
completely different from that within the park and includes
Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vane I I us ma I abar icus, Indian Courser
Cursor i us coromande I i cus. Painted Sandgrouse Pteroc les i nd ? cus.
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse _P. exustus, Sirkeer Cuckoo
Phaen icophaeus leschenau 1 1 ? i , and Long-billed Pipit Anthus
si mi I is. Both the semi-desert and the reserve attract wintering
raptors including Tawny Eagle Aqu i I a ra pax. Greater Spotted
Eagle A. c I anga and Lesser Spotted Eagle A. pomar i na. There are
a I so Crested Serpent Sp i lorn i s chee I a. Booted H i eraaetus
pennatus and Short-toed Eagles Ci rcaetus ga I I icus, while
Bone Mi’s Eagle H . f asc i atus a I most certa inly breeds .

Ranthambhor is chiefly famous for its large carnivores and,
perhaps for this reason, has not previously attracted large
numbers of amateur ornithologists. However, it supports a rich
avifauna, including species difficult to see elsewhere, such as
Painted Spurfowl, Painted Sandgrouse and White-naped
Woodpecker. All Indian reserves holding potentially dangerous
mammals have restricted visitor access, and this can at times
cause frustation. Yet few parks can boast such a magnificent
setting as Ranthambhor. The spectacular panoramas of eastern

16

Rajasthan from the walls of the ancient Rajput fort are in
themselves full reward for anyone who makes the effort to visit
the reserve.

Mark Cocker, 75 Stafford Street, Norwich, UK.

ALI, S. and RIPLEY, S.D. 1983. A pictorial guide to the birds
of the Indian subcontinent. Pp . 1 77 ; 73 colour & 33 monochrome
plates. Delhi & Oxford: Bombay N.H.S. & Oxford Univ. Press.

I 20Rs/£22. 50

It Is perhaps surprising that until now no single volume has
attempted to illustrate completely the rich and diverse avifauna
of the Indian subcontinent. The welcome puolication of this
book adequately fills this niche. It Is not intended to be a
field guide in the traditional sense, differing In Its larger
format (although quite slim) and very brief text. Nevertheless,
the publishers are to be congratulated on producing an eminently
portable, if not actually pocketable, book with almost every
species illustrated In the very attractive series of plates by
John Henry Dick.

After a very short Introduction there is a lengthy
Systematic Index of all the species covered. Each species (or
subspecies) Is numbered, enabling quick reference to the
monumental Handbook1 or the Synopsis . The sequence In the
Systematic Index follows these two works, but the plates do not
correspond exactly. The book concentrates largely on species
although a number of well-marked subspecies are Included and
1 1 I ustrated.

After the Systematic Index the rest of the book is devoted
to the plates, most of which are In colour. On the whole they
are bold and we I I -executed and very pleasing to the eye. A
variety of plumages is shown, where appropriate. Several groups
such as raptors and waders are illustrated in flight, as well as
perched. The majority of species should be identifiable without
too much difficulty, but my main criticism Is the lack of
feather detail, particularly in the case of the smaller
passerines. Having used the book in the field, I found the
colour representations to be reasonably accurate, although in a
few cases a little misleading.

17

Each plate Is faced by a page of text, usually just two or
three lines per species, which briefly details size, habitat and
range within the subcontinent. Sadly no Information at all is
given on identification. Whilst appreciating that the inclusion
of identification points would have considerably increased the
bulk of the book, for certain groups of difficult species the
plates by themselves will prove inadequate.

It is claimed that all species found in the subcontinent
are included. Comparing this book with the Synopsis^, I found
33 full species omitted. Admittedly half of these are vagrants
to the region and their omission is not likely to detract from
the book’s usefulness. Several other species omitted occur only
marginally in the region. It would appear this was not

deliberate as some vagrants and marginal species are included.
The recently described Enigmatic Shortwing Brachypteryx crypt ica
from Arunachal Pradesh has been omitted, whilst several extinct
species are included. I regard the omission of six species to
be more serious, all are regular breeding or wintering birds:
Rufous-necked Stint Cal Idris ruf icol I is, Saunders’s Tern Sterna
saundersi , Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus, Hume’s Short-toed
Lark Calandrelia acuti rostr I s. Blunt-winged Warbler Acrocepha I us
conci nens and Blyth’s Pipit Anthus god lewski i . It is

interesting that all six are notoriously difficult to identify
in the field. Even if this were the reason for their omission,
users of the book should have been made aware of these potential
pitf a I Is.

There is considerable variation in the choice of English
names compared with the standard textbooks of peripheral
regions. Readers outside the subcontinent will recognise up to
16 taxa which elsewhere are often considered to be full species,
and which are ’lumped’ in the Pictorial Cuide. F0r example,

Saker Palco cherrug and Laggar Falcon F. j ugger are regarded as
subspecies of the extra! imital Lanner F. biarmicus. Several
species listed as extra! Imital have been recorded at least once
or twice within the region. A few Inconsistencies or errors
occur in the book, but most are unlikely to cause serious

confusion. For example, the plate numbers of Brown-winged
Pelargopsls amauroptera and Stork-billed Kingfishers _P. capens i s
are transposed and the Ashy-throated Warbler Phy I I oscopus
macu I ipennis is Illustrated but there is no accompanying text.
In several instances the names used in the Systematic Index
differ from those used in the text. It Is a shame that two

species, in different genera, have to have the same English

name: Chinese Bush Warbler.

18

I have tried to highlight some of the shortcomings of the
book. I have not wished to undermine the tremendous value of it
to anyone birding in the Indian subcontinent. It is the most
complete Illustrative work to date on the region and I recommend
it highly.

References

1. Ali, S. and Ripley, S.D. 1968-1975. Handbook of the birds of
India and Pakistan, I- 10. Oxford University Press, Bombay and
London .

2. Ripley, S.D. 1982. A Synopsis of the Birds of India and
Pakistan: together with those of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and
Sri Lanka. Second edition. Bombay Natural History Society,
Bombay.

Nigel Redman.

DE SCHAUENSEE, R.M. 1984. The birds of China Pp.602; 38 colour
plates; 39 wash drawings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. £35.

I was glad indeed to receive a copy of this new book only days
before leaving for a month long visit to China last year.
Although my initial pleasure was somewhat diminished once the
various shortcomings became apparent, I still regard this book
as an invaluable asset and an essential acquisition for anyone
with a serious interest in the birds of China.

With so few works on the birds of China currently in print,
let alone in English, it is good indeed to see the entire
avifauna covered by a single volume. The bulk of the book is
taken up by a systematic section covering the nearly 1200
species recorded In China to date. Under each species the ,text
is largely devoted to a short description of the species and an
account of the distribution both inside China and elsewhere.
Very brief additional details of habitat, nest sites and
sometimes altitudinal distribution and behaviour are also
given. The descriptions of the species are supplemented by 38
colour plates and 39 wash drawings depicting some 550 species.
The remainder of the book consists of a short introductory
section, which includes a concise summary of the history of
ornithology in China, a brief b i b I iography , a list of variant
names, a checklist and indexes.

Users of this book w i I I undoubted I y be concerned most with
the information concerning distribution and habitat. In general
the concise verbal descriptions are accurate and, providing one
has learnt the locations of China's many provinces (as well as
both old and new spellings), not too difficult to visualise. It

19

is a pity, however, that for such a high price the amount of
information could not have been increased, perhaps through an
expansion of the size of the volume. Surely it might also have
been possible to produce range maps for most species? There are
quite a number of errors and omissions, some quite glaring.
Thus, for example, the latitude and longitude given for
Sukatschev's Laughing-thrush Garru I ax sukatschew i , a species
known only from one area in Gansu, refers in actual fact to an
area on the borders of Yunnan and Sichuan hundreds of kilometres
south of the correct locality.

The book does not claim to be a field guide and certainly
the brief and simplistic descriptions of each species can In no
way act as a comprehensive field guide text. There are only
rarely details of immature or non-breeding plumages and no
reference at all to voice and 'jizz'. Nevertheless, when used
with field guides to surrounding regions, the book is helpful in
the field, especially in so far as those species endemic or
virtually endemic to China are concerned. I have most criticism
for the colour plates - not with their execution (which is
mostly of a good standard, although not up to the level found in
European and North American field guides), but with what they
portray (or rather fail to portray). Here, surely, was an
opportunity to provide accurate, illustrations of China's many
endemic or near-endemic species, many of which have rarely been
illustrated. It is these species which the bi rder/orn ithologi st
visiting China will be most interested in seeing and
consequently will most want to find illustrated. Sadly a
wonderful opportunity has been wasted - instead of a
comprehensive coverage of the endemics and near-endemics, plus
di f f icu It-to-identify species of wider distribution, we find the
plates illustrating a hodge-podge of species ranging from those
which are common and widespread all over Eurasia at one end of
the scale to highly localized Chinese endemics at the other.
Not only have a considerable number of endemic and neai endemic
species been omitted from the plates altogether, but far too
many of those sepcies which are illustrated are depicted in a
single plumage - presumably in order to increase the total
number of species depicted in the number of plates available.
At this price, one would have liked to see more plates, but
failing that a much more careful choice of Illustrations.

This book partially fills a yawning gap in the
ornithological literature of Asia. It is the first book in
English to cover the entire avifauna of China since the
communist revolution and, as such, the author and publisher are

20

to be congratulated. There is a great deal of interest these
days in the avifauna of China and this book will help to
stimulate this still further. Even so we are unlikely to see a
succession of books on the birds of China and the present work
is likely to remain the standard for some considerable time (in
English at least). Given the high price, one could have
expected something rather more comprehensive, with more plates
(and a better choice of i I I ustrations) , range maps and a more
detai led text.

Mark Beaman.

Announcements - Requests

A Field Guide to the Bird Songs of South-East Asia, a set of
two cassettes, compiled and edited by Terry White is available
from the British Library National Sound Archive, 29 Exhibition
Road, London SW7 2AS. Price £10, incl. p & p i n UK (plus £1 for
overseas) .

Interwader: East Asia Wader Migration Project. I nterwader i s
an I nternationa I Research Programme launched in 1983 to identify
key wetland areas in East Asia of importance to migrating
waders, and to study their ecology and conservation status. In
1983/1984 surveys were mainly conducted in Malaysia, Thailand,
Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong. Important sites for
hundreds of thousands of waders have been located and more
remain to be discovered in the next two years. Rarities found
include Asian Dowitcher L i mnodromus semi pa Imatus and
Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus. The I nterwader
programme is to be expanded in 1985/87 to cover the entire East
Asia - Pacific Region, with major field seasons from July -
November and February - May.

There is currently very little information on East Asian
wetlands; the Interwader co-ord i nators (Duncan Parish and David
Wells) would like to encourage biologists to conduct studies on
them. The co-ord! nators can arrange local contacts and in some
cases provide facilities or part-funding for such studies.

Interwader is also looking for biologists with
wader/wetland experience who would like to help with the
existing programme for periods exceeding two months during
1985. Such assistants would conduct ground surveys, organise
ringing operations or assist in the co-ord i nat i ng office. The
majority of the posts are voluntary, but a limited number of
grants are available which will cover the locai costs of

21

successful applicants. In the future, these posts may develop
into long term positions. Those interested should send persona!
details, a statement of relevant experience and dates
available, F0r birdwatchers visiting the region Interwader will
happily supply information on good sites in return for completed
wader survey forms.

For further information contact: Duncan Parish and David
Wells, co-ordi nators. Interwader Project, c/o World Wildlife
Fund Malaysia, P.O.Box 19769, Wisma Damansara, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.

Brown Dippers. We are currently researching the ecology of the
Whi te-throated Dipper Cl nc I us cl nc I us gu I ari s on the Wye
catchment in Wales (see 3i rd Study 32:33-40). Comparable
information is now sought for other C? nc i us species, especially
the 3rown Dipper C. pa I I as I i including its association with
C. c 1 nc I us in sympatric areas. Details of diet, breeding
biology, movements and distribution, moult, biometrics,
behaviour etc. are required for a review. Full acknowledgements
will be given to those providing information. Please contact :
Dr S.J. Tyler and S.J.Drmerod, c/o R.S.P.B. Wales Office, Frolic
3t., Newtown, Powys, Wales, U.K.

Indian National Parks and Sanctuaries. The Department of the
Environment, India is currently undertaking a preliminary survey
of Indian National Parks and Sanctuaries. Data on all aspects
of these areas, including the flora and fauna, are sought to
supplement official records. Anyone who can help should contact
Shri Shekhar Singh, Indian Institute of Public Administration,
Indra Prastha Estate, New Delhi NO 002, India and ask for a
questionnaire. Please state name and address, areas visited and
dates of visits in your letter.

An Atlas of the Distributions of Oriental Birds. Launched in
1984, its purpose Is to use precise locality records and their
relation to habitat type, etc., to attempt (a) to uncover
patterns of geographical speciation repeatable from group to
group (b) to redefine the Oriental avifauna at the levels of
superspecies and species group.

The area to be covered is the Indian subcontinent with Sri
Lanka, north to the Indus valley and the southern face of the
Himalayas to an altitude at which broad-leaved woodland becomes
deciduous in response to a winter; east through South-east Asia
as far as, but not Including, islands standing on the

22

Austra I o-Papuan (Sahul) continental shelf; north into China,
including Taiwan, as far, roughly as the Yangtze. At both the
Australasian and Palearctic interfaces there will be a need for
some selectivity of species to be treated. This is being
decided upon as work through the various groups progresses, and
will be up for regular review.

The primary sources of information must inevitably continue
to be museums. It will take many years, and much collaboration
to cover them adequately. Even so, with its rather different -
and difficult - recent political past, tropical Asia has never
been collected with anything like the evenness of cover apparent
within the Afrotropics. In trying to supply as complete as
possible a picture of what still exists, or has until recently,
therefore, it would be senseless to ignore the now rapidly
expanding body of competence of field identification in this
area. We have accordingly opted for judicious use of sight and
sound records - which means of course that the launch of the OBC
as an organised repository of quality field informaton is a
serendipitous event.

In this first OBC bulletin we are taking the opportunity of
alerting members to what is going on, and asking for records to
collected with ADOB in view; almost any good identification
coupled with locality, co-ordinates and adequate site data
stands a high chance of becoming a point on a map. Some areas
can only be mapped by special fieldwork, indeed one of the most
obvious immediate spin-offs of foraging in museum collections
has been to order priorities for fieldwork (quite a lot of it
urgent or critical in some way or other).

At the same time, the chance in big museums to oversee
entire taxon groups against a background of modern
b iogeograph i ca I ideas has tended to throw up fewer actual
answers in taxonomy than questions and counter-hypotheses,
demanding the kinds of extra information (on behaviour,
vocalisations, habitat selection, etc) that can only be
collected from the living animal on site. Member ornithologists
intending to visit critical areas might thus be in unique
positions to help pin down biological species limits/identify
a I lospec i es.

There are many problems to be resolved. If the idea
catches on we intend to advertise projects in future issues of
the Bui let i n.

D. R.Wells: Zoology Department, University of Malaya, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.

E. C. Dickinson: Chemin du Chano 8, 1802 Corseaux, Switzerland.

23

Recent Reports

These are largely unconfirmed reports. We urge that full
details be supplied to relevant regional organisations in due
course.

INDIA

Bharatpur was very dry during the winter of 1984/85. 4!

Siberian Cranes Grus leucogeranus arrived in late December. An
impressive Harrier roost of 500-700 birds was observed at the
Vellavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary, Gujarat on the 23 December. The
roost was estimated to comprise about 75$ Montagu’s Harriers
Ci reus pygargus and 25$ Pallid Harriers C. macrourus, but
included some Marsh Harriers C_. aerug ? nosus (AP,SR).

NEPAL

The second Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus i nd i cus for Nepal
occurred at Chitwan(NP) in April 1984. In May the 2nd or 3rd
record of Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis banyumas for Nepal was
seen in the Marsyandi Valley(JC). October brought the 1st
record of Baikal Teal Anas formosa, when a pair was seen at
Kalopani In the Kali Gandaki valley. Several days later the
same group of birdwatchers located a pair of Baer's Pochards
Aythya baeri (3rd record) on Phewa Tal, Pokhara (RB, SC,MH,FR) .
(See C.lnskipp’s article for details of exceptional raptor
numbers logged in autumn 1984, Eds.)

CHINA

The Birdquest tour to Xizang Zizhiqu, Heilongjiang and Sichuan
produced a number of interesting records in the late spring of
1984. A female Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus at
Dai ling in n.e. Heilongjiang (Manchuria) on 3/4 June and a
single Black-throated Robin Er i thacus obscurus at Jiuzhaigou,
n.e. of Sungpan, n. Sichuan on 13 June, being most noteworthy
(SM). Two Asian Dowitchers Limnodromus semipalmatus were seen
at the Zhalong reserve near Qiqihar, Heilongjiang on 5/6 June.

2 Large Hawk-Cuckoos Cuculus sparver ioi des were heard calling at
Badaling (Great Wall, n.w. of Beijing) on 23 May and another two
were seen at Xiangshan, Beijing on I June. This species is only
mentioned as a straggler to Hebei Province. 3 Chestnut-flanked

24

White-Eyes Zosterops erythrop leura were seen on 12 June with 5
on the 13 June at Jiuzhaigou, n. Sichuan (MB,SM). At Lake
Poyang, Jiangxi Province, this January, wintering crane numbers
were up again. The following counts were made: Siberian Crane
1350, White-naped Crane Grusvipio 1165, Hooded Crane G. monacha
105. Also of interest wintering here were 100+ "Eastern” White
Storks C icon? a c icon? a boyciana, 500+ Great Bustards Otis tarda
and large numbers of Swan Geese Anser cygno ? des. 200-300
Red-crowned Cranes G. japonensi s were counted at the coastal Yan
Cheng reserve in Jiangsu Province (GA).

HONG KONG

April and May 1984 produced exceptional wader numbers, with 325+
Asian Dowitchers, 5 Spoon-billed Sandpipers Eurynorhynchus
pygmaeus and 3 Nordmann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer. Chinese
Egrets Egretta eulophotes were seen in May, but apparently did
not nest at Yim Tso Ha. Spot-billed Ducks Anas poeci lorhyncha
bred for the first time and Black-naped Terns Sterna sumatrana
nested for the second year running on a small islet in Tolo
Harbour. Sadly the first definite breeding attempt by Crested
Kingfishers Ceryle lugubris in Hong Kong failed, apparently due
to human i nterference. Autumn. wader passage was, as usual,
light, but good number of ducks over wintered (1984/85). with
record counts of Falcated Teal Anas faicata. In January 1985
Hong Kong’s 2nd Ruddy She I duck T. f errug i nea was recorded, along
with a male Baikal Teal. Other winter highlights included 2
Rose-coloured Starlings Sturnus roseus (1st Hong Kong record).
Black Stork Cicon ?a nigra and up to 24 Dalmatian Pelicans
Pe lecanus cr ? spus. Small numbers of Saunders’s Gulls Larus
saundersi were present from mid-December (DM).

THAILAND

April 1984 produced an unprecedented 400 Asian Dowitchers at
Samut Sakhon in the inner Gulf of Thailand (I). May saw the
arrival of 4 Spot-billed Pelicans Pelecanus philippensis at Bung
Boraphet Reservoir, one of which was later shot (MRPV). Grey
Peacock-Pheasants Polyp lectron b i ca Icaratum were heard calling
In the Ban Thai Salao Reserve Forest, Phetburi Province in
mid-August (UT). Field-work in northern Chumphon Province in
late September produced range extensions of several Malaysian
birds, including Ci nnamon-rumped Trogon Harpactes orrhophaeus
and Large Wren-Babbler Napothera macrodactyl a (KK,PR,UT). The
autumn wader passage began with single Asian Dowitchers and

25

Grey-tailed Tattlers Heterosce I us brevipes at Bangpoo on 19
August ■ JS). On 2 September 10 000 Oriental Pratincoles
G I areo I a ma ! d i varum were counted in the fields between Samut
Sakhon and Bangkok (JJ). 2 Slendei — billed Gulls Larus genei

were at Sa^ut Sakhon from I September into October (BBCN). The
mudflats off Phetburi held 7 Painted Storks and 3 Spot-billed
Pelicans in early October (I), but pride of place goes to the
mudflats off the Pattani Campus'of the Prince of Songla

White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus CsFL.

University which was the site of Thailand's 1st White-tailed

Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, 7 Spoon-billed Sandpipers (2nd
record) and a single Asian Dowitcher, all in late October

(EM,KS,JS). There were several high wader counts at Samut
Sakhon in early November with I 1 00 Marsh Sandpipers Tr i nga

stagnati I i s, 343 Broad-bi I led Sandpipers L ?m? co I a f a I c ? ne I I us
and 593 Curlew Sandpipers Cal Idris ferrug ? nea (PR,JS). An

immature Painted Stork was seen near Phimai in early November

(PR). Other interesting October records were a Jerdon's Baza
Ay ? ceda jerdon ? at Sai Yok Noi, Kanchanaburi (PR), and a
Slaty-legged Crake Ra I I i na eurizonoides which was rescued from
children in a Bangkok suburb on 27 October ( UT,MRPV, SV) . A

Black-tailed Crake Porzana bicolor was found in an open marshy
area on Doi I nthanon In late January 1985 (PD). Subsequent

examination of the area revealed at least 3 territories on 31
January (BK,PR). A Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca was seen
near Naknon Phathon, west of Bangkok on 16 January 1985 (BK). 2

Pin-tailed Parrotf i nches Erythrura prasina were found at Khao
Yai on 25 January 1985 (BK). No exceptional numbers of thrushes
occurred this winter, but a few Grey-sided Thrushes Turdus feae
with Eye-browed Thrushes T. obscurus were seen on Doi I nthanon
on 31 January 1985 (PR). A male Grey-winged Blackbird T urdus
bou I bou I was seen on Doi Pu i on 25 January (AW). On Doi

I nthanon a Long-tailed Thrush Zoothera dixoni was seen from 28

26

January to I February 1985 with a Black-headed Greenfinch
Carduelis ambigua on 31 January 1985 (AW).

PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

1984 produced a number of interesting breeding records. A
female Malaysian Peacock-Pheasant Pol yp lectron ma I acense was
found incubating a single egg on 4 August at Kuala Lompat.
Unfortunately the nest had been predated when it was visited on
20 August. A nest of the Jambu Fruit Dove Pti I inopus jambu with
one egg was found at Kuala Lompat on 3 July. Both sexes were
still incubating on 13 July but the nest was deserted on 14
July. A nest of the Large Wren-Babb ler, also found at Kuala
Lompat, on 6 May contained 2 eggs. On the slopes of Gunong
Tualong Rabong (3,500ft) on 16 June, the nest of an Eye-browed
Wren-Babbler Napothera ep i lep ? dota was found, containing two
juveniles. Two Dusky Warblers Phy I I oscopus f uscatus seen at
Kuala Selangor on 27 November were presumably ovei — wintering.
There are no previous documented records for Peninsular
Malaysia. A single Ruff Phi lomachus pugnax was seen near Kuala
Selangor on 4 November. An adult Rufous-bel I i ed Eagle
H ? eraaetus k i ener ? i at Gombak on 18 July was apparently the
first July record for the peninsula (FL). Also seen in
September and December in the same area were Peregrine Falcons
(dark birds, probably of the race Falco peregrinus ernesti) at
the Batu caves In October 1984 and at Templar Park during
January 1985 (FL,AH,DW). Mating was observed on I January 1985
and their nest located in mi d-February. This is the first
breeding record for the peninsular. The Crested Argus
Rheinardia ocel lata was recorded for the first time on Gunong
Tualong Rabong (Ke I antan/Pahang border, at the edge of Taman
Negara) on 14 June 1984, when three birds were seen (ad female
and two probable immatures) and males heard calling (FL,GWHD).
The species was expected to occur on this mountain.

INDONESIA (Sumatra)

The recent survey of the s.e. Sumatran coastline (17 October - 27
November) proved very successful, recording large numbers of
wintering waders (100 000) including 1500 Asian Dowitchers. The
most abundant wader species were: Black-tailed Godwit L i mosa
I i mosa (18 747), Mongolian (Lesser Sand-) Plover Charadr i us
mongo! us (15 396) and Common Redshank Tr i nga totanus (12 391).
Herons and storks were also well represented, the most
remarkable find being 3 000 Milky Storks Ibis c i nereus,
including 5-10$ immatures. One breeding site was discovered.

27

Otherwise, the commonest species were Great Egret Egretta alba
(1370), Lesser Adjutant Leptopti I os javan i cus (634) and
Black-headed (Oriental White) Ibis Threskiornis me I anocepha I us
(854). Other sightings by the survey team included 2 Pomarine
Jaegers (Skuas) Stercorar i us pomar i nus off-shore near Tanjung
Jabung, Jambi Province (18 October), 8 Caspian Terns Hydroprogne
( Sterna) casp i a near Tanjung Jabung (24 November), a further 4
near Desa Camera, Berbak Game Reserve (27 October) and 7

Spot-billed Pelicans near Pulau Sir it, Sumatra Selatan Province
(22 October) (MS, WV).

INDONESIA (Java)

A single Javan Owlet Gl auc i d i urn castanopterum was seen near

Paienbuhan Ratu (West Java) on 19 July 1984 (FL). 3irds had
been located here earl ier in the year (PA). Two Dusky Woodcock
Scolopax saturata were seen at Kadang Badak CIbodas on 28

November 1984 (PA,FL). They had been seen here on several
occasions In the past (PA). Five Javan Blue Cochoas Cochoa (a.)
azurea were found at Cibodas, two on the loop trail on 23

November 1984, one near the waterfall on 26 November and two at

Kadag Badak on 28 November (FL). Four White-breasted Babblers
Stachyris grammiceps were located in a small patch of forest

near Wyncoops Bay (West Java) on 20 November 1984. Finally up
to 70 Giant Swift lets Col I oca I ? a g i gas were counted at the
Cibodas Waterfalls from 25-29 November (PA,FL).

Records were collated by Craig Robson from observations and
contributions by the following:- Paul Andrew, George Archibald,
Bangkok Bird Club Newsletter, Mark Beaman (Birdquest Ltd), Rob
Bijlsma, Steen Christensen, Jack Cox Jr., G.W.H. Davidson,

Philippe Dubois, Mogens Henri kson. Interwader, Andrew He! big,
June Jeans, Ben King, Kamol Konolphalin, R.M. and D. Lafontaine,
Frank Lambert, Steve Madge, Eric Marteyn, M.R. Parcharjakorn
Voravan, Ray Pierce, Neil Powell, Annette Preece, Frank de
Roder, Steve Rooke, Phil Round, M.J.Silvius, Jon Starks, Kees
Swennen, Uthal Treesucon, W.J.M. Verheught, Shane Voravorn,

David Wells, Andrew Whittaker. We welcome recent reports for
future issues of the Bulletin.

28

ADVICE TO CONTRIBUTORS

THE BULLETIN OF THE ORIENTAL BIRD CLUB provides a forum for
news, notices, recent publications, expedition results, reviews,
and preliminary or interim publication of studies on Oriental
Birds by contributors from all parts of the world. Publication
of interim results in the OBC Bulletin does not preclude or

pre-empt publication of final results as journal papers either
by the OBC or elsewhere. Contributions are considered by the
Editor and an Editorial committee, with contributions accepted
subject to editing and refereeing where appropriate. Copies of
new journals, books or reports for mention or review are always
welcomed. Contributions or enquiries should be sent to the
Editor, Dr. T.M.Reed, Oriental Bird Club, c/o The Lodge, Sandy,
Beds., SG 1 9 2DL, UK.

PREPARATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Whilst the Editor is always pleased to discuss possible

contributions with potential authors, and to advise on

preparation, it would be helpful if the following guidelines
could be adhered to:

1. Artie I es These should be written clearly, preferably typed,
on one side of the page, with all lines double-spaced, leaving
wi de marg i ns.

Articles for publication in the Bulletin should be no longer
than 2000 words, accompanied in all cases by a concise summary.
Scientific names should appear at the first mention of each
species or, if all species appear in a table, they may be given
there instead. Scientific names should, where possible, follow
King _et a 1 . 1975 'A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East
Asia*.

Any tables to accompany articles should be prepared on

separate pieces of paper, and be thoroughly checked. Titles of
tables should be self-explanatory. Diagrams should be clearly
drawn, in ink, with appropriate captions given on an
accompanying piece of paper, ideally to fit a single column
width of I I cm.

References should be cited In alphabetical order at the end of
the paper in the same style used in this Bulletin.

It would be helpful if two copies of each contribution
could be submitted.

2. Recent reports These should follow the format in the current
edition of the OBC Bulletin, and be sent to C. Robson, OBC, c/o
The Lodge, Sandy, Beds. SGI 9 2DL, UK.

3. News/ I nformation Contributions should be sent to R.Grimmett,
OBC, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds. SG 19 2DL, UK.

CONTENTS

Page

1 Editorial

2 News and Views

Lesser Floricans
Siberian Cranes
Nepalese National Park
Protected Areas Threatened
Crested Ibis
Main Articles

5 Records of the Asian Dowitcher in Thailand
8 Migration across the Nepalese Himalaya

12 Milky Storks and birds of the Javan Plain

T.M. Reed
R. Grfmmett

P.D. Round
C. Insklpp
S. A. Wi I son
& G. All port

14 Birdwatching Areas

Ranthambhor Tiger Reserve M. Cocker

17 Book Reviews

A 1 1 & Ripley: 'A Pictorial Guide to the Birds

of the Indian Subcontinent. N. Redman

de Schauensee: ’The Birds of China’ M. Beaman

21 Announcements & Requests

Bird Songs of South-east Asia
I nterwader
Brown Dippers
Indian National Parks

Atlas of the Distributions of Oriental Birds
24 Recent Reports

India, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, Thailand,

Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia. C. Robson

Illustrations by: C. Robson, front cover, p.5, p.26, p.28;

R. Gr I mmett, p.3, p . 1 2 ; J. Wo I stencroft, p.ll.

Editor: T.M. Reed. Editorial Committee: M. Cocker, R. Fairbank,
R. Grimmett, C. Inskipp, T. Insklpp, R. Martins, N. Redman, C.
Robson .

©The Oriental Bird Club 1985

Published by the Oriental Bird Club, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds.,
SGI 9 2DL, UK. and printed by the RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy.