A globally-threatened Japanese Marsh Warbler Megalurus pryeri was recorded for the first time in Hong Kong during a regular monitoring activity for migratory birds in November this year at the Mai Po Nature Reserve.
This rare bird was captured in the large reed grass area using special mist nets on 10th November by HK-based bird researchers. After collecting important data from the bird such as body size and weight, fat content and identification features, it was released back into the wild.
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© Paul J. Leader |
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Japanese Marsh Warbler, as indicated by its name, breed mainly in Japan and also northeast China. It is a species classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Redlist, meaning that it is threatened with global extinction. The assessment was done by Birdlife International, a global alliance of conservation organisations working together for the world's birds and people.
Japanese Marsh Warblers disperse to wetlands in the Yangtze Valley and southern Japan in winter. Its occurrence in Hong Kong is probably due to strong northerly winds causing it to considerably overshoot the usual wintering grounds, which resulted in it being found 750 km south of the wintering grounds.
Mr. Bena Smith, Reserve Officer at Mai Po Nature Reserve, commented that the bird・s presence had caused quite a stir amongst local birdwatchers. He added, ：in recent years a number of new bird species had been found in Hong Kong, but of those speculated to be potential ：firsts； for Hong Kong, the Japanese Marsh Warbler had not been considered：.
Human development resulting in destruction of wetland habitats in its breeding and wintering ranges has caused a decline of their numbers worldwide.
Situated on the East Asia-Australasian Flyway, the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay wetland acts as an important stop-over site for many migratory shorebirds to rest, feed and replenish their energy reserves before setting off on the next stage of their long journey. More than 380 bird species (both migratory and resident), have been recorded from the wetlands, which is more than 80% of the total bird species known in Hong Kong. 26 of the Mai Po species are of global conservation concern. |
