Chinese bamboo chicken

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Chinese bamboo chicken
Chinese nominate-form bamboo chicken (Bambusicola th.thoracica)

Chinese nominate-form bamboo chicken ( Bambusicola th.thoracica )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Chicken birds (Galliformes)
Family : Pheasants (Phasianidae)
Genre : Bamboo chickens ( Bambusicola )
Type : Chinese bamboo chicken
Scientific name
Bambusicola thoracicus
( Temminck , 1815)

The Chinese bamboo chicken or gray eyebrows bamboo chicken ( Bambusicola thoracic , Syn. : B. thoracic ) is a Hühnervogel art from the family of pheasant-like . It is native to southern China and Taiwan . The Taiwanese subspecies B. th. sonorivox differs so clearly that it is sometimes viewed as a separate species. Both subspecies were introduced in Japan, B. th. However, sonorivox probably died out there again. The entire population of the species is viewed by the IUCN as not endangered (“least concern”).

description

At 30–32 cm, the Chinese bamboo chicken is about the size of a partridge and slightly larger than the closely related Indian bamboo chicken . The tail is about 10 cm long, the weight is between 200 and 350 g. The rooster is slightly larger than the hen and has a strong spur on its barrel; the sex dimorphism is low in terms of plumage . The beak is gray with a black tip, the iris (eye) shows a dark brown color. The feet and legs are grayish olive green.

In the nominate form , the vertex and neck are brown with reddish tips. The forehead and reins are bluish gray , like the wide stripe above the eyes. The latter extends to the nape of the neck and is finely and darkly delimited behind the eye. The chin, throat, lower ear covers and sides of the neck are lively cinnamon brown and the blue-gray chest is again bounded by a cinnamon brown band at the bottom. The rest of the underside and the flanks are warm beige, the feathers partly have a black or brown, heart-shaped spot behind the broad hem. These spots get larger towards the flanks, but they are missing in the middle of the abdomen. The upper side is olive brown, scrawled in dark color and has rough, dark maroon spots on the front back, shoulders and elytra. On the elytra they run into a black, terminal spot, which is partly lined with whitish. On the front back and the wing covers there are also white spots on the outer flags. The wings are gray-brown. The lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts are olive brown with fine dark spots. The red-brown tail is beige and brown with stripes.

The youth dress already shows the main features of the adult dress , but appears overall gray-brown and shows fine, beige shaft lines on the underside.

voice

The characteristic vocalizations are a long series of three-syllable calls that sound like gi-ge-roi or si-mu-kuai and are presented in different variants both as a courtship call by the male and in a duet, which is introduced by the male and is in the volume increases.

distribution

The distribution of the species extends in southern China from the Sichuan basin and the province of Guizhou eastwards through Hunan , eastern Jianxi and northern Guangdong to Fujian and southern Zhejiang . The subspecies B. th. sonorivox is endemic to Taiwan . Both subspecies were introduced in Japan, but probably only the Chinese form still occurs there. The distribution extends here via Kyushu and Shikoku to Sado , the southern Honshū and some surrounding islands. The species also occurs on Miyako-jima , Hachijō-jima and Iwojima . The species is said to have been introduced to Hawaii as well .

In China, the population is declining slightly due to habitat loss and hunting, while the population in Taiwan appears to be stable. In Japan the species is common and a popular game for hunting. The IUCN regards the entire population as safe (“least concern”).

Geographic variation

Two subspecies are recognized. The Taiwanese subspecies B. th. However, sonorivox differs so clearly that the status as a separate species could be justified. The birds in this subspecies are darker overall. The reddish-brown, lower part of the face of the nominate shape is limited to the chin and throat, so that the entire part of the face appears blue-gray. The stripe above the eyes is not noticeable, the lower breast is also drawn dark. The brown spots on the upper side are an intense chestnut color and the beige coloring on the underside is limited to the hems, which are narrow on the flanks and widen towards the middle of the abdomen. The spring centers are dark chestnut colored.

  • B. th. thoracica ( Temminck , 1815) - southern China, introduced into Japan
  • B. th. sonorivox Gould , 1863 - Taiwan, introduced deposits in Japan probably extinct

Way of life

The Chinese bamboo chicken colonizes dense bushes in the hill country up to 1000 m, more rarely it rises to heights of 2000 m. It is also found in bamboo forests and grasslands, in Japan also in parks. The species is found in pairs or in groups of up to 20 birds outside of the breeding season. In winter, sometimes up to 40 individuals gather in Japan. The winter troops break up in spring.

The mating behavior is hardly documented, regular observations of couples calling in duets suggest monogamy . In Japan, the breeding season begins in mid-April. The nest is usually at the foot of trees, under bushes or in the grass. The clutch consists of 3–7 beige to pale brown eggs, which are incubated for 17–19 days.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Madge, p. 275, p. literature

Web links

Commons : Chinese Bamboo Chicken  - Collection of images, videos and audio files