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LIFE> Odds and Ends
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Feathered friends
By Cheng Anqi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-27 10:34 Great spotted Woodpecker
 With black-and white-striped feathers and a cherry red patch on its lower white belly, the great spotted Woodpecker can be easily identified in woodland, parks, and rural and suburban gardens. It is Beijing's most common Woodpecker, numbering about 100,000. Billed as the percussionist of the city, the bird gives an impressive performance in spring, drumming loudly and rhythmically into tree trunks to make a hole to nest in. "In this season, the bird usually make its signature fast drumming sound, a very sharp, quick knocking on wood, to attract its mate," says bird-lover Zhao. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. If you spot one with a bigger red patch on the crown of its head, it's likely to be a young bird. This clever bird is quite shy and often tries to hide around the other side of a tree. Although rarely seen on the ground, the great spotted woodpecker will visit bird tables and peanut feeders. White-browed Chinese Warbler
A loud and sweet twitter "chee-anh, chee-anh" usually echoes around Huairou reservoir. Beijing bird watchers locate the white-browed Chinese Warbler through this distinctive cry. With black stripes on the back, this species, which is a typical bird of north China, has a body length of less than 20 cm. Usually found in thick undergrowth, the bird is also called a long-tail wolf, for it flies low and fast while trailing a straight and long tail behind it. |
