Not-so-good Pics of Good Birds (East Asia #2)

SHAMELESS CROSS-POST-PROMO: Click here for Episode 1 of East Asia

Taiwan has not zero, not 1.5, but two endemic species of Scimitar-babblers, an astonishing fact when you consider that 99% of ABA birders think a Scimitar-Babbler is a virus you pick up in African deserts, where scimitar-babblers conveniently do not exist.

 This Taiwan Scimitar-babbler was too busy babbling to notice the creature with two small eyes and one big glassy one quietly encroaching on it.

Another endemic species, the subtly beautiful, skulky, Taiwan Whistling-thrush. The most notable thing about this bird is -- you didn't guess it--- its plumage (HA! You thought I was going to say call, didn't you) which changes from this dank and stodgy dark blue to an eclectic electric in the right angle.
Unfortunately, although they're streamside feeders, they do not possess the awesome ability of feeding like a dipper.


Taiwan Blue-Magpie

I demand you to click on this photo and revel in the splendor of this beauty. Look at the length of that tail. Just look at it, for fulmar's sake. If it wasn't for the lack of iridescence on that thing, it would surely be up in the top charts with Resplendent Quetzal.

Also, it's endemic to Taiwan, and with complete disregard for the Corvid Rule #384 (which states that if a bird is a corvid, it's going to be common to the point of annoyance), it's only locally viewable.

Oh wait. You thought the line of gorgeous blue magpies was over? (Note: none of these photos are mine, the link to the original source is hyperlinked in the caption)

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie again, just for effect

Red-billed Blue Magpie 

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (holy Ivory-billed-woodpecker-crap, this thing is gorgeous)

It's not an Urocissa, but let's throw in the American Black-throated Magpie Jay into this jam.

Creature Feature: Obsessed With Those Long Tails? 

Perhaps even more crippling in the long tail department is the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, which unfortunately I dipped on.

  But wait, it doesn't end there. Check out this post for more long-tailed goodness.  







The line of jaw-droppingly beautiful birds in not over. Meet the Taiwan Barbet. This photo does no justice to the remarkable greenness of these guys. The resulting color from mixing two buckets of lime peels, neon lime paint, and solid green gummy bears couldn't compare to how awesome Taiwan Barbets look in the field. So how about yet another photo that isn't mine?

Babble babble,
-chiccadee