Two wild bird species spotted in Xiamen for first time

A chestnut-crowned fly-catching warbler is spotted in Xiamen city, southeast China’s Fujian province. (Photo/Xiamen Birdwatching Association)

Two species of wild birds, the rufous-bellied woodpecker and the chestnut-crowned fly-catching warbler, have been recently spotted in Xiamen city, southeast China’s Fujian Province for the first time, according to the Xiamen Birdwatching Association. So far, 431 species of wild birds have been recorded in the city.

The rufous-bellied woodpecker is colorful, with some red on its top, brown on the back of its head, and white horizontal spots on its back. They mainly feed on insects and generally inhabit areas north of the Yangtze River.

The chestnut-crowned fly-catching warbler lives in high-altitude areas. Its head is a chestnut color, its upper back and shoulders are gray, and its abdomen is bright yellow,.

Chen Hao, deputy director of Xiamen Birdwatching Association, said the two “new friends” are rarely seen in Xiamen.

A large number of migratory birds will fly to Xiamen in winter. There are several birdwatching spots in the city, such as the Wuyuan Bay Wetland Park, Yundang Lake, Xianyue Mountain and the Xiamen Horticulture Expo Garden where people can observe species including shorebirds, cormorant, egret, pied avocets and gray heron.