p.1 #1 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
My trip to WuYuan was primarily in search of this bird, Courtois' Laughing Thrush, (and the Pied Falconets - though they are not endangered) armed with information on the exact locations in WuYuan where these very rare birds can be found (this information is not widely available and is just being passed on from birder to birder).
This is a little information on how endangered these birds are :
Even though the available data on courtoisi are still quite limited, enough is known to draw some tentative conclusions as to its status - given the fact that the known birds are now totally in one local population, with 150-160 individuals and in one small area only. In accordance with the latest version of the IUCN Red List Criteria 2000, (17) the subspecies courtoisi certainly qualifies as Endangered (EN), and quite possibly even Critically Endangered (CR), given its presumed population size and the range it actually seems to occupy. For example, of the four breeding sites of this taxon which have been located, none is larger than 10 ha in total size, which shows how phenomenally circumscribed the breeding territory of this relict subspecies has become.
The results of our exhaustive field searches reveal that the first, and for a long time also the only, record of Courtois's Laughingthrush, though nearly a century old, is by no means an incidental one. There has evidently long been a very small, remnant population of the bird tenaciously surviving in Wuyuan - and only Wuyuan.
In the last 10 years, the local authorities and government in Wuyuan County have been making constant efforts in conservation, including the delimiting of so-called Mini-Protected Areas (MPAs), with ranges varying from a few hectares to hundreds of hectares or even more. When field studies on courtoisi were initiated, more than 180 MPAs had already been established, which cover a remarkable portion of the territory of Wuyuan and should bode well for the future of the birds.
I hope you enjoy these shots at least part as much as I did taking them !
Two for Joy [/img
And Baby Makes Three
Fluff
Fatty Bum Bum
Rainbow (sorry not great IQ but it amused me so I hope you enjoy it too) !
p.1 #2 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
To be able to photograph and document these rare birds must be quite a thrill. Thank you for sharing your superb images as well as the interesting background information.
Eric
Jul 15, 2012 at 01:59 PM
Herb Houghton Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
Another new one to the forum. Great behavioral series. I enjoyed these a bunch. TFS
p.1 #15 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
eyelaser wrote:
To be able to photograph and document these rare birds must be quite a thrill. Thank you for sharing your superb images as well as the interesting background information.
Eric
Thank you Eric - it was indeed. I'm pleased you enjoyed my work.
p.1 #16 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
Herb Houghton wrote:
Another new one to the forum. Great behavioral series. I enjoyed these a bunch. TFS
Thank you Herb ! It doesn't surprise me that they are new to the forum though - unless someone else had visited WuYuan and found the location of the flock - but it's certainly nice to be able to post some shots of these rare and beautiful birds.
p.1 #20 · One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush
KF wrote:
Wonderful set of shots of this rare bird. VERY Interesting information about this species too.
I really LOVE the second picture. TFS
Koen.
Thank you very much of your kind comments Koen !
Funnily enough whilst most people favourite Fatty Bum Bum or Rainbow, the 2nd shot - And Baby Makes Three, is also my favourite. In the non-web version there is far more catchlight shown in the eyes of birds #2&3.
