After going back to Taiwan, I visited Little Liuqiu. I was attracted by the call of the light-vented bulbul. Although its call is not as bright and varied as the call of the red-whiskered bulbul, it is still clear and loud. Every morning from the balcony on the second floor of the villa, I enjoyed their calls which brought happy days for the vacation. Later, when I went hiking in Yangmingshan, I also saw light-vented bulbul. Only then did I know that light-vented bulbul is a very common bird in Taiwan. The light-vented bulbul is a songbird that eats insects, seeds and fruits, and is omnivorous. The particular characteristic of the light-vented bulbul is the large white patch covering the nape and the sides of its black head.
我剛回臺灣去小琉球玩的時候，就被白頭翁的叫聲吸引住了，雖然它的叫聲沒有紅耳鵯那麼生動有變化，但是清脆響亮，每天早上從旅館二樓的陽台上，欣賞著它們的叫聲，開啟了假期的快樂的一天。之後去陽明山健行也看到白頭翁，才知道白頭翁在臺灣是滿普遍的鳥。白頭翁是一種鳴禽，食昆蟲，種子和水果，屬雜食性。它的特殊特徵是覆蓋在頸背和黑色頭部兩側的大片白色斑塊。
Notes 筆記
- The light-vented bulbul (scientific name: Pycnonotus sinensis), also called the Chinese bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family.
- It is found in central and southern China, Hong Kong, Macao, northern Vietnam, southern Japan and Taiwan.
- The particular characteristic of the light-vented bulbul is the large white patch covering the nape and the sides of its black head.
- They are lively and active. They are not afraid of people. They eat insects, seeds and fruits. They are omnivorous.
- They often appear in groups in bushes, hills and forests in plains, and on various tall wires and trees in campuses, parks, courtyards, and sidewalks.
- Bird watchers in Taiwan often refer to the light-vented bulbul, sparrow and Japanese White-eye as the “Three Treasures of the City”. In Shanghai, the light-vented bulbul is also listed as the “Four Great Kings” along with the sparrow, Turdus mandarinus and the Streptopelia chinensis.
- March to May is the breeding season of the light-vented bulbul every spring. During this period, if you see a the light-vented bulbul standing alone on a prominent branch or on the top of a tree, calling loudly, another the light-vented bulbul will fly over soon after. When the two birds sing together, they are probably singing love songs to each other.
- 白頭翁（學名：Pycnonotus sinensis），又名中國鵯(白頭鵯、白頭鵠仔)，是鵯科的一種鳴禽。
- 分佈於中國中南部、香港、澳門、越南北部、日本南部和台灣。
- 白頭翁的特殊特徵是覆蓋在頸背和黑色頭部兩側的大片白色斑塊。
- 性活潑，不甚畏人。食昆蟲，種子和水果，屬雜食性。
- 常成群出現在平原區灌木叢、丘陵樹林地帶，以及校園、公園、庭院、行道中的各種高高的電線與樹上。
- 台灣的賞鳥人士常將白頭翁、麻雀、綠繡眼合稱為「城市三寶」，在上海白頭翁也與麻雀、中國黑鶇和珠頸斑鳩並列為「四大金剛」。
- 每年春天三月到五月是白頭翁的繁殖期，這段期間，如果見到一隻白頭翁單獨站在突出的枝頭或是樹頂上高聲鳴叫，過不了多久，另一隻白頭翁飛過來，兩隻鳥一唱一和，那多半就是牠們在互唱情歌了。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Light-vented bulbul
- 百科知識: 白頭翁[鵯科鳥類]
- 維基百科: 白頭翁
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