Subject: 'Chinese Warbling Wren'
Date: Jan 25 19:45:04 1999
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets,

Richard Rowlett writes:

(quote)
Perhaps. I don't know but whatever, unless one decides to board the
'Pineapple Express', I won't hold my breath for one to turn up around
tweeterland any time soon. Pekin Robin is also called Pekin Nightingale and
Japanese Hill Robin and just plain ol' Hill Robin. OFFICIALLY, in Hawaii and
as listed in Monroe & Sibley, and King el.al., this bird is called the Red-
billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea).
(quote)

Twice, actually. Both in Vancouver BC. Given how its aviary popularity, I
suspect it's a fairly common, if inconspicuous, escapee.

In the early 1980's, there was a Red-billed Leiothrix which, according to
Park regulars, used to show up regularly in April or May for several years
at the Stone Bridge feeding area at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, suggesting
it was in transit/migraton somewhere each year. Escapee or bona-fide
vagrant? We'll
never know.

In the early 1990's, I was cycling up the hill on Northwest Marine Drive to
UBC one day in late summer and heard a lovely but unidentifiable ringing
song reminiscent of---at different times---thrush, wren, cardueline finch and
solitaire. Finally located the male Leiothrix (lutea) near the top of a
large decorative deciduous tree, singing from well inside the interior of
the foliage. Stood and listened for about twenty minutes, then left him to
his bright, loud, futile advertisements.

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net

"She's psychic....we've decided to find it charming."
--Frasier