Eastern Crowned Warbler Singing in Shanghai

by Craig Brelsford
Founder, shanghaibirding.com

In Shanghai, the best birding occurs on the coast, 80 km or 50 mi. from the city center. Getting there can be a chore. Birding Pudong’s Century Park, by contrast, only requires a ride on Metro Line 2. Your day list from Century will only be about a third as long as a list from Cape Nanhui, but good birding can occur there, and at little cost.

On Sat. 15 April, my partners Larry Chen, Komatsu Yasuhiko (“Hiko”), Hiko’s biology teacher Zeng Qiongyu, and I had a bout of good birding at Century Park.

I had never heard Eastern Crowned Warbler sing in Shanghai. I am however familiar with the song, because in my wife Elaine Du’s hometown of Boli, Heilongjiang, the song of Eastern Crowned Warbler is one of the most common sounds in the remnant Manchurian forest.

We were in the heavily wooded area near Gate 7 when I heard the wheezy song. It sounded like this recording I made in Heilongjiang:

Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus, Xidaquan National Forest (45.727751, 130.317316), Boli, Heilongjiang, China, June, by Craig Brelsford (0:03; 922 KB)

It was just a snatch of song, and it occurred but once. I knew immediately that it was Eastern Crowned Warbler. The song was coming from the surprisingly high canopy of the wood.

The four of us strained to find the bird. The sun shone brightly through the canopy and into our eyes. Finally, Hiko saw movement. Through the glare we focused in and got a clear view of Eastern Crowned.

It was a shot of birding as good and satisfying as I get anywhere. And it just goes to show—good birding can occur anywhere, even in a busy city park.

Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler, September, Yangkou-Rudong, Jiangsu. One of the Big 5 Leaf Warblers of Shanghai, Phylloscopus coronatus is a common autumn and spring passage migrant in Shanghai. It is usually silent in Shanghai, but on 15 April, I heard one sing in Century Park. (Craig Brelsford)
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Singing Eastern Crowned Warbler, Xidaquan National Forest, Boli, Heilongjiang, May. Elaine’s hometown is in the breeding range of Eastern Crowned Warbler, and the song of this species is one of the most common sounds in the remnant Manchurian forest. (Craig Brelsford)

Featured image: Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus, Yangkou-Rudong, Jiangsu, September. (Craig Brelsford)
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