Azure TitCyanistes cyanus is the eastern counterpart of Blue Tit C. caeruleus, with which it forms a superspecies and with which it can hybridize. Ranges European Russia to Sea of Japan. Three ssp. in China: tianschanicus northern and western Xinjiang, yenisseensis northeast Inner Mongolia as well as Heilongjiang, and berezowskii around Qinghai Lake and the eastern Qilian Mountains in Qinghai. HABITAT & BEHAVIOR Woodland of various types, usually near water; often in reedbeds in winter. Restless and active, in pairs during breeding season and at other times in small flocks, often with other species. Moves from branch to branch high in trees and in bushes near ground, foraging for seeds, fruit, insects, and spiders. ID & COMPARISON Differences in tianschanicus and yenisseensis largely clinal, but berezowskii and two other non-Chinese ssp. are sometimes lumped together into a separate species (“Yellow-breasted Tit,” C. flavipectus). Unmistakable. Head of tianschanicus white (sometimes tinged greyish) except for dark eyestripe running from lores to blue nuchal band. Underparts mainly white, with black belly stripe. Mantle, scapulars, and rump pale blue; uppertail coverts and longish tail deep blue, with increasing amount of white toward outer tail feathers; base color of wings deep blue, with a broad white wingbar across greater coverts and primary coverts; also white on alula, tertials, and tips of flight feathers (short and broad tips in secondaries, narrow band along outer web in primaries). Ssp. yenisseensis as tianschanicus but paler. Race berezowskii has pale yellow breast band (or patch) and less distinct eyestripe. BARE PARTS Bill short, stubby, black; feet black. VOICE Thin whistles and a trilling song. — Craig Brelsford
THE TITS AND CHICKADEES OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com covers every species in the family Paridae in China. Click any link:
During my initial visit to Northern Xinjiang in May 2012, I found birds that I missed in July 2017. The image above shows four of them. Clockwise from top left: Black Woodpecker, Rosy Starling, Demoiselle Crane, and Rock Bunting. In this fourth post in my five-post series, I offer you an illustrated list of the notable passerines of Northern Xinjiang. — Craig Brelsford
In 2017 Swedish birder Jan-Erik Nilsén and I found Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio (L) at sites in the northern Jungar Basin and in the Altai. I photographed this adult male on 17 May 2012 at Chonghu’er Xiang in the Altai foothills. I found the Red-tailed Shrike L. phoenicuroides (top, bottom R) near Ulungur Lake on 10 May 2012. This specimen has the bold white supercilium characteristic of the species, but the sandy grey-brown coloration of its upperparts is reminiscent of the closely related Isabelline Shrike L. isabellinus. (Craig Brelsford)
Mongolian or Henderson’s Ground Jay Podoces hendersoni, arid country south of Heshituoluogaizhen (46.326889, 85.918306), 24 July 2017. A random stop in the semi-desert paid off with a family party of 4. Four days later (28 July), on our way back to Urumqi, we again found the species at that site. The Tarim Basin of Southern Xinjiang is the home of Biddulph’s or Xinjiang Ground Jay; the Jungar Basin of Northern Xinjiang belongs to Henderson’s. (Craig Brelsford)
Coal TitPeriparus ater ater
In Xinjiang, the non-crested, trans-Eurasian nominate race is found in the Altai Mountains. In 2017 we had two records, both at Jiadengyu. This race also occurs in Northeast China.
Coal TitPeriparus ater rufipectus
In the Tianshan, the race of Coal Tit is the crested rufipectus. We recorded it at Baiyanggou.
Willow Tit Poecile montanus baicalensis, 28 July 2017. We achieved records of this race at Jiadengyu, where this photo was taken, and near the Kanasi River. Both sites are in the Altai Mountains. Race baicalensis occurs also in Northeast China. (Craig Brelsford)
Azure TitCyanistes cyanus
Azure Tit Cyanistes cyanus occurs both in Xinjiang and Northeast China. We found this species at sites in the Tianshan Mountains (23 at Baiyanggou on 21 July 2017) as well as in wooded areas in the Jungar Basin (3 at Hongyanglin on 24 July). This photo was taken in the woodland along the G216, 23 km (14 mi.) north of Beitun, on 8 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Great TitParus major kapustini
Great Tit Parus major kapustini is still another race of tit that occurs both in the extreme northwest and northeast of China. With its classic bright-yellow underpart coloration, kapustini is highly reminiscent of the Great Tit of Europe. I have recorded kapustini at various sites in the Tianshan as well as in riparian woodlands in the Jungar Basin. One of those Jungar sites, White Birch Forest Scenic Area, lies just 225 km (140 mi.) north of Hongyanglin, where we recorded the pale form turkestanicus, discussed below. I got the photo above at White Birch on 9 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Turkestan TitParus major turkestanicus
In the oases and forests of Central Asia, including the poplar forest Hongyanglin in Xinjiang’s Jungar Basin, a special tit occurs: Turkestan Tit Parus major turkestanicus. This pallid form more closely resembles Japanese Tit P. minor of Shanghai and eastern China than the bright-yellow Great Tit P. major kapustini. We found these birds 24 July 2017 at Hongyanglin. (Craig Brelsford)
Asian Short-toed LarkAlaudala cheleensis
We found Asian Short-toed Lark Alaudala cheleensis at various places in the flat, arid, treeless steppes of the Jungar Basin. (Craig Brelsford)
White-crowned Penduline TitRemiz coronatus
White-crowned Penduline Tit Remiz coronatus, Burqin Magic Forest, 12 May 2012. On our 2017 trip, Jan-Erik and I found the species once, on 25 July at the wooded site on the G216 north of Beitun. This species is similar to eastern China’s Chinese Penduline Tit R. consobrinus but is more closely associated with trees. (Craig Brelsford)
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus caudatus
On 26 July 2017 at White Birch Forest Scenic Area, Jan-Erik and I glimpsed 2 members of the snowball-headed nominate race. The nominate ssp. ranges across most of Eurasia, from northern Europe to Japan, and in China is found in the northern tip of Xinjiang and in the extreme northeast.
Hume’s Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus humei humei
In 2017 in the Tianshan (Baiyanggou) and Altai (Jiadengyu), we recorded nominate Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei humei. Hume’s is closely related to Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus. Yellow-browed, which is unlikely but possible in the Altai, usually shows a more distinct upper wing bar and has a profoundly different song (cf. sound-recording of Hume’s below). This individual was photographed at the Altai Mountain site Xiaodong Gulch on 18 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
On 27 July and 28 July 2017 at Jiadengyu, the site at the entrance to Kanasi Park in the Altai, we found nesting Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis. Note the strongly greyish-brown coloration of this individual, especially on the crown and nape. There is hardly a trace of the more greenish hues usually seen in Common Chiffchaff P. c. collybita. (Craig Brelsford)
On 27 July 2017 near the Kanasi River in the Altai Mountains, Jan-Erik and I found Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus. A pair of these wallcreeper-like birds were browsing a cliff-face the way their congeners browse the crowns of trees. In arid Central Asia, a leaf warbler has evolved that exploits a decidedly un-leafy habitat. (Craig Brelsford)
Sykes’s WarblerIduna rama
Sykes’s Warbler Iduna rama, found 23 July and 24 July 2017 at the poplar oasis Hongyanglin (46.123909, 85.652300). We found males defending territory and a parent feeding young. In China, this Central and Southwest Asian breeder is found only in Northern Xinjiang. (Craig Brelsford)
Sykes’s Warbler, hard “tek” call, Hongyanglin, 24 July 2017 (00:24; 4.6 MB; Craig Brelsford)
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus. We found this singing male 26 July 2017 in wetlands on the S229 west of Kaba (48.060168, 86.395527). In their landmark study Reed and Bush Warblers, Kennerley and Pearson do not describe Sedge Warbler as occurring on Chinese territory (2010). Our Xinjiang sighting is an extreme eastern record of this well-known Western Palearctic and Central Asian breeder. (Craig Brelsford)
Paddyfield WarblerAcrocephalus agricola
Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola, arid country north of Burqin, 16 May 2012. I found this acro in the northern Jungar Basin in Phragmites reed habitat near the Irtysh River (47.764563, 86.782345). In 2017 Jan-Erik and I found the species on 26 July in the wetlands on the S229 west of Kaba and at Kuitun Reservoir on 23 July. As in the photos above, the July 2017 records involved a singing male. Kennerley and Pearson note that in Xinjiang Paddyfield Warbler is ‘apparently expanding its range due to irrigation projects’ (2010, p. 332). The specimen we found at Kuitun Reservoir certainly does not contradict that hypothesis, for the reedbeds in which it was singing were in large part a result of the large irrigation project in that area. (Craig Brelsford)
On 18 May 2012, during my initial visit to Northern Xinjiang, I was privileged to find, in two thickly wooded areas 97 km (60 mi.) apart, singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum. About the birds shown here, Hong Kong-based bird expert Paul Leader writes, ‘Both birds can be readily identified as Acrocephalus warblers (rather than Iduna) on the basis of the long and very full undertail coverts and a lack of pale/whitish webs to the outer tail feathers (very clearly uniform in your photos). Once we’ve established that they are acros, habitat alone precludes anything other than Blyth’s Reed. The structure, especially primary projection, is spot-on for that species. The only other could be a massively extra-limital Marsh Warbler (!), but your birds are emarginated on PP 3-5, and on Marsh (and Eurasian Reed) only P3 is emarginated’ (Leader, in litt., 2017). Center R: Hualin Park (47.865992, 88.119787), Altai City. Others: thickly wooded garden of my hotel in Burqin (47.700558, 86.854760). (Craig Brelsford)
Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus zarudnyi
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus zarudnyi, 1 of 4 found at Daquangou Reservoir on 22 July 2017. We also had 2 at Ulungur Lake on 25 July. China listers must come to Xinjiang for this species, well-known to Western Palearctic birders. (Craig Brelsford)
At the semi-desert site Beishawo on 22 July 2017, we achieved our only trip record of this robust, distinctively barred, yellow-eyed warbler. The bird was skulking in tall bushes, not particularly close to water. Race merzbacheri is described by MacKinnon as an uncommon breeder in Xinjiang, but I have noted the race as well in western Gansu.
Desert WhitethroatCurruca curruca minula
We recorded Desert Whitethroat Curruca curruca minula at sites throughout the Jungar Basin, with the specimen shown here found at Beishawo on 22 July 2017. In China, Desert Whitethroat occurs in the arid northwest. It is paler and occurs in drier habitats than other races of Lesser Whitethroat. (Craig Brelsford)
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca halimodendri
In Xinjiang I have found Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca halimodendri at sites in the Tianshan and Altai and in wooded areas in the Jungar Basin. Top L, R: Hotel garden near Irtysh River, downtown Burqin (47.700863, 86.855065), 18 May 2012. Bottom L: Jiadengyu (48.504120, 87.125695), Kanasi Park, Altai, 27 July 2017. (Craig Brelsford)
Like most starlings, Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris is a wanderer, and it is occasionally recorded in Shanghai. In China, only in Xinjiang is the species an established resident. I have recorded the species at various Jungar Basin sites, among them White Birch Forest Scenic Area, where I took this photo on 14 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
Rosy Starling Pastor roseus ranges from southeastern Europe to Northern Xinjiang. I found a pair on 18 May 2012 feeding along the G217 just east of Burqin. Here is one of them. (Craig Brelsford)
Common BlackbirdTurdus merula intermedius
Xinjiang is the only home in China to Common Blackbird Turdus merula intermedius. This form is smaller than Chinese Blackbird T. mandarinus of eastern China and has a sweeter song. I have recorded Common Blackbird in the Tianshan (Baiyanggou), at oases and wooded areas in the Jungar Basin (Hongyanglin), and in city parks. I found this individual on 13 May 2012 in a small park in the center of Kaba (48.057806, 86.415389). (Craig Brelsford)
Black-throated ThrushTurdus atrogularis
At Xiaodong Gulch on 18 May 2012, I found breeding Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis. China listers need to go to Xinjiang to find this species, whose breeding range includes the Altai and Tianshan. (Craig Brelsford)
FieldfareTurdus pilaris
At a small park in the center of Kaba (48.057806, 86.415389) on 13 May 2012, I found breeding Fieldfare Turdus pilaris. One pair’s nest was in the crotch of a tree just a few feet above the heads of the many passers-by. The easy harmony between man and bird reminded me more of parks in Western Europe or America than China. I found this adult in White Birch Forest Scenic Area on 9 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
We recorded Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus numerous times in the Tianshan Mountains (Baiyanggou). We found the species once again as we drove north toward the Altai Mountains, for example in the Burqin Magic Forest on 26 July 2017. I took the photo above in the wooded area on the G216 on 8 May 2012, during my first trip to Northern Xinjiang. (Craig Brelsford)
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
I have recorded Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata in the Altai Mountains as well as in riverine woodlands in the Jungar Basin. My high count was 7 at the wooded area on the G216 (25 July 2017). Spotted Flycatcher is yet another species common in Europe and found on Chinese territory exclusively in Xinjiang. L: Xiaodong Gulch, Altai Mountains, 18 May 2012. R: Ahe’erbulage Cun, 24 July 2017. (Craig Brelsford)
Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos golzii
At the poplar oasis Hongyanglin on 24 July 2017, we thrilled to the song of Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos golzii. The bird sang only intermittently, probably because it was late in the year. I have also noted Common Nightingale at Hualin Park in Altai City. (Craig Brelsford)
Common Nightingale, snatches of song, Hongyanglin, 24 July 2017 (00:09; 1.6 MB; Craig Brelsford)
Eversmann’s RedstartPhoenicurus erythronotus
A major target for us was Rufous-backed or Eversmann’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythronotus. Jan-Erik and I found this uncommon Central Asian species 21 July 2017 in the foothills of the Tianshan (Baiyanggou). A male was singing and defending territory in a pine forest at 43.474525, 87.191575, elev. 2080 m (6,820 ft.). Note the cocked position of the tail above. MacKinnon (2000) reports that the male flits its tail ‘up and down, not sideways.’ (Craig Brelsford)
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros phoenicuroides
Note the white forehead of this Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros phoenicuroides. This race often shows a white forehead and can resemble a hybrid between Black Redstart and Common Redstart P. phoenicurus. I took these photos 27 July 2017 at Jiadengyu, the area near the main gate to Kanasi Park in the Altai Mountains. (Craig Brelsford)
Siberian StonechatSaxicola maurus maurus
We recorded Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus maurus in the Tianshan and Altai. This image of an adult male comes from Chonghu’er Xiang, 17 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
I have noted Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (L) at various sites in Northern Xinjiang, among them the loess hills north of the Tianshan and the Jungar Basin. The photo above is of a breeding male and was taken 17 May 2012 in the foothills of the Altai (Chonghu’er Xiang). Pied Wheatear O. pleschanka (R) was noted at Baihu on 21 July 2017, and I have seen it at Xiaodong Gulch in the Altai, where I got the photo above on 18 May 2012. Also recorded by us in Northern Xinjiang were Desert Wheatear O. deserti and Isabelline Wheatear O. isabellina. (Craig Brelsford)
Common ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
We recorded Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs in wooded areas in the northern Jungar Basin and in the Altai. I photographed this female (L) and singing male (R) at Hualin Park in Altai City on 18 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
European GreenfinchChloris chloris
When on 18 May 2012 I found this European Greenfinch Chloris chloris in the garden of my hotel in Burqin (47.700863, 86.855065), I began to realize how acutely underbirded is Xinjiang. Wanting to know the distribution of the species in China, I opened up my copy of MacKinnon and Phillipps’s Birds of China—and couldn’t find an entry. In 2017 we recorded the species on 25 July at the wooded area on the G216. (Craig Brelsford)
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
We recorded European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis in the Tianshan and Altai and in woodlands in the Jungar Basin. I photographed these birds in the foothills of the Altai (Chonghu’er Xiang) on 17 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
TwiteLinaria flavirostris
Twite Linaria flavirostris occurs throughout western China. In Northern Xinjiang, I have noted the species in the Tianshan and Altai as well as the Jungar Basin, with a high count of 90 at Wutubulake Toll Station on 28 July 2017. I found this bird on 18 May 2012 at Xiaodong Gulch in the Altai. In size and shape, Twite resembles Common Linnet L. cannabina, but Twite has a longer and more deeply forked tail. (Craig Brelsford)
Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
We had Common Linnet Linaria cannabina in the Tianshan and at sites in the Jungar Basin. In this photo from Baiyanggou, the bright red breast and loud song of the male cause the little bird to stand out in a thick patch of Northern Wolfberry. (Craig Brelsford)
Red-fronted SerinSerinus pusillus
Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus ranges from Turkey in the west to Xinjiang and Nepal in the east. At Baiyanggou in the Tianshan, we had counts of 38 on 20 July and 30 on 21 July 2017. The adult has a fiery orange oval spot on the forecrown. (Craig Brelsford)Juvenile Red-fronted Serin has a rusty-brown head and lacks the red spot. (Craig Brelsford)
Saxaul SparrowPasser ammodendri House SparrowP. domesticus Spanish SparrowP. hispaniolensis Eurasian Tree SparrowP. montanus
At Beishawo on 22 July 2017, we had four species of sparrow: Saxaul Sparrow Passer ammodendri (pair shown above), our only trip record of Spanish Sparrow P. hispaniolensis (whose spherical nests we viewed), Eurasian Tree Sparrow P. montanus, and House Sparrow P. domesticus. (Craig Brelsford)
Singing male Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis tschutschensis, near Burqin, 18 May 2012. This form is well-known to birders in Shanghai, where it is a common passage migrant. (Craig Brelsford)
White WagtailMotacilla alba personata
Masked Wagtail Motacilla alba personata was recorded by us numerous times in the Tianshan Mountains, Jungar Basin, and Altai Mountains. I took this photo at Xiaodong Gulch on 18 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Richard’s PipitAnthus richardi
Many ‘European’ birds in Xinjiang have ranges whose eastward expansion ends in or near the province. In the case of Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi, the situation is reversed; the westward extension of this East Asian bird’s range is just to the west of Xinjiang, in Kyrgyzstan. Note the long hindclaw and diamond-shaped blackish centers to the median coverts, telltale characters of Richard’s Pipit. Baiyanggou, 20 July 2017. (Craig Brelsford)
Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
My sole record of Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris came 17 May 2012 at Chonghu’er Xiang, a village in the foothills of the Altai. As is the case with many of the species in these posts, the Gobi Desert bars further eastward expansion of the range of Tawny Pipit, and in China this well-known European bird is found exclusively in Xinjiang. (Craig Brelsford)
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis, White Birch Forest Scenic Area, 9 May 2012. I have noted Tree Pipit in riparian Jungar Basin woodlands such as White Birch and in the Altai and Tianshan. Tree Pipit is closely related to Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni, which occurs (if at all) in Xinjiang only as a vagrant. Tree Pipit lacks the black spots on the ear coverts of Olive-backed, and the duller supercilium of Tree has no black border above it, as is the case in Olive-backed. (Craig Brelsford)
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
On 26 July 2017 at White Birch Forest Scenic Area (48.078487, 86.344951), we achieved a rare China record of Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella. The call of our bird matched that of Yellowhammer or the closely related Pine Bunting E. leucocephalos. The yellowish coloration from throat to vent of our bird strongly suggested Yellowhammer. As Yellowhammer is known to breed as far east as Lake Baikal in Russia as well as in north-central Mongolia, vagrancy to Northern Xinjiang must often occur, especially in the Altai Mountains and riverine woodlands of the northern Jungar Basin.
Pine BuntingEmberiza leucocephalos leucocephalos
We recorded Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos leucocephalos on 20 July and 21 July 2017 at Baiyanggou. I found this female feeding young hidden in a roadside bush at elev. 2080 m (6,820 ft.). (Craig Brelsford)
Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
Rock Bunting Emberiza cia occurs in mountainous areas from southern Europe and North Africa to Xinjiang and Tibet. I took this photo at Xiaodong Gulch on 18 May 2012. (Craig Brelsford)
Ortolan BuntingEmberiza hortulana
A major target for us in the Altai was Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana, which in China breeds only in these mountains. We found 6 on the slopes above the Kanasi River on 27 July 2017. The grey breast band, yellow-tinged throat and submoustachial, and prominently streaked mantle help distinguish this adult-male Ortolan from Grey-necked Bunting E. buchanani, which also occurs in the Altai. The first-winters we found elsewhere as well as the cricket in this bird’s bill are signs that breeding has occurred here. Sometime in the next six weeks after this photo was taken, this bird and the young it was feeding would have vacated the area and begun the long journey to sub-Saharan Africa, where Ortolan Bunting spend the winter. I took this photo at 48.712288, 86.982187, elev. 1710 m (5,610 ft.). (Craig Brelsford)
This post is the fourth in a five-post series about birding in Northern Xinjiang.
Northern Xinjiang, July 2017: Introduction: In this first post, Craig Brelsford gives you an introduction to Northern Xinjiang and an overview of the expedition of July 2017. Bounded by the Tianshan to the south and the Altai to the north, and with the Jungar Basin at its heart, Northern Xinjiang is one of the premier birding areas in China.
Notes on Birding in Northern Xinjiang: Read Craig Brelsford’s notes on the “European” birds of Xinjiang as well as other observations recorded during the 2017 expedition. In Xinjiang, birders are saiwai (塞外), “beyond the (Great) Wall”—in China, but not in East Asia.
Northern Xinjiang, July 2017: Introduction: In this first post, Craig Brelsford gives you an introduction to Northern Xinjiang and an overview of the expedition of July 2017. Bounded by the Tianshan to the south and the Altai to the north, and with the Jungar Basin at its heart, Northern Xinjiang is one of the premier birding areas in China.
Photo Gallery of the Birds of Northern Xinjiang (Non-Passerines): This is the first of two photo galleries of the birds of Northern Xinjiang. This post covers non-passerines. Each photo in the gallery was taken by Craig Brelsford in Xinjiang.
