The Collared Finchbill isn’t an extraordinary fowl, and it isn’t endangered, however this is a specific favourite of mine. So, with the intention to display a couple of extra footage of the fowl than the standard two or 3 had I incorporated this fowl in a publish of birds observed round Wolongshan, Sichuan), here’s one devoted to the species.
The Collared Finchbill is a bulbul, despite the fact that the identify does no longer state this immediately. This is a little bit of an interloper within the bulbul circle of relatives, being handiest certainly one of two bulbuls within the genus Spizixos (“chirping bulbul” – a little peculiar as many different bulbuls together with the omnipresent Gentle-vented Bulbul additionally chirp so much). The opposite is the Crested Finchbill.
The Latin species identify is semitorques, which means that one thing like “half-twisted” – however I do not know why. The Jap Scops Owl has the similar phrase in its identify (Otus semitorques), however I may just no longer to find an reason for that both.
The distribution map of the Collared Finchbill contains Shanghai, which is on the Northeastern border of the distribution – however actually, Collared Finchbills are slightly uncommon right here. In most cases talking, regardless that, this is a not unusual fowl that advantages from tolerating extremely man-modified environments (HBW). So, I suppose perhaps Shanghai is simply too chilly for it in wintry weather.
If you’re extra fascinated with feather mites than in birds, a paper describing two new species of pteronyssid feather mite species (certainly one of which was once accrued from Collared Finchbills) could also be extra horny to you than this publish, regardless of the loss of footage. It was once printed within the Magazine “Systematic and Implemented Acarology” (it seems that, acarology is the find out about of mites and ticks).
Consuming greens is just right on your well being, my mom insisted, regardless that I infrequently apply this recommendation until on birding journeys when there are not any just right possible choices. In one find out about simply printed in July 2023, herbivorous Collared Finchbills had the bottom mercury focus whilst an insectivorous species had the best possible. My mom is useless already, however she may have identified that she informed me so.
And naturally, there may be the predicted paper characterizing the mitochondrial genome of Collared Finchbill. Will have to to find paintings for grad scholars, should to find paintings for grad scholars, mumbled the professor manically.
Maximum Collared Finchbills don’t seem to be very interested in citing the chicks of Himalayan Cuckoos. Thankfully for them (regardless that much less so for the cuckoo), in one experiment they ejected 100% of all cuckoo fashion eggs. A relative of them, the Brown-breasted Bulbul, depends upon a distinct option to steer clear of being cuckolded – hanging their nests clear of forests (the place the cuckoo lives), and aggressively attacking cuckoos.
I used to be almost about to apply the above with the word about there being multiple technique to pores and skin a cat however then shied clear of the use of it as I actually like cats (as witnessed by way of the 13 sharing my condo with me). So, I appeared on-line for another and located a site with the self-explanatory name “Animal-Pleasant Possible choices for Commonplace Expressions” (it additionally gives possible choices for words equivalent to “Killing two birds with one stone”). The word they recommend the use of is “Feed two birds with one hand”, or the vegan model “Minimize two carrots with one knife”.
