3 bird species new to mangrove reserve spotted

The Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve has recorded three newly discovered bird species since March this year, bringing the number of bird species monitored in the nature reserve to 259, according to DT News.

On March 12, a bird monitoring volunteer found a big bird with long and sharp wings and a forked tail wheeling in the sky near the estuary of the Xinzhou River in the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve.

The lesser frigatebird. Courtesy of the management office of Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve

According to the photos taken, the bird was confirmed to be a lesser frigate bird (Fregata ariel), which was rarely seen in Shenzhen with only a few observation records. This also marked the first time that such a bird was spotted in the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve.

The same bird monitoring volunteer also found an Asian emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica) on a big tree near the estuary of the Fengtang River on March 28. Asian emerald doves are mainly resident birds in Shenzhen and like to forage in woodlands with lush trees and bushes.

An Asian emerald dove. 

The Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve has also become home to speckled piculet (Picumnus innominatus), as the volunteer found a speckled piculet in the nature reserve March 29. The bird is the smallest woodpecker species found in Guangdong Province.

A speckled piculet.