Pallas’s Bunting – Wild Beijing 北京自然

Pallas’s Buntings (Emberiza pallasi, 苇鹀 Wěi wú) in Beijing: a mini-study from Shunyi District

This post provides the results of a small-scale study of Pallas’s Buntings (Emberiza pallasi, 苇鹀 Wěi wú) in Beijing focusing on racial identification of birds using vocalisations at one site – the ChaoBai River in Shunyi District.

Pallas’s Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) is a common, sometimes abundant, passage migrant and winter visitor in Beijing from breeding grounds in N China, Mongolia and Russia. Autumn arrivals begin as early as August, with the bulk arriving in September and October. Many remain through the winter before departing in April and May.

According to Birds of the World, there are at least three races of Pallas’s Bunting:

pallasi: “breeds in Altai and Sayan Mts E to Transbaikalia and W Amurland (S of Tukuringra Mts) and S to N Mongolia and possibly NE China (Inner Mongolia, N Heilongjiang), perhaps also disjunctly in E Tien Shan; winters in W and N China (Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia).”;

polaris, whose distribution is quoted as “NE European Russia E in Siberia (S to basins of R Angara, R Lena and R Aldan) to Chukotskiy Peninsula, Sea of Okhotsk coast and N Kamchatka; winters in NE and E China, extreme SE Russia (S Ussuriland) and Korea.”;

and lydiae, with a distribution of “S Siberia (Tuva and S Transbaikalia) through N, C and E Mongolia, probably to adjacent NE China (NE Inner Mongolia); non-breeding probably in N China.”

It is unclear whether the race minor is legitimate.

The status of these three races in Beijing has not, to my knowledge, been studied but the recently-published The Birds of China (Princeton, 2024) states: “E.p.polaris is a passage migrant or winter visitor in eastern China; E.p.pallasi is a breeder or passage migrant in northwestern China; E.p.lydiae breeds in Inner Mongolia.”

Given that my local patch at the ChaoBai River in Shunyi District holds good numbers of Pallas’s Buntings during the spring and autumn migration seasons and during winter (counts of three figures are not uncommon from October to April), I decided to conduct an experiment to see whether I could understand more about the races of Pallas’s Buntings that were using this site.

How to identify the different races in the field is not well-understood. However, it appears from sound recordings that there are noticeable differences in the vocalisations of the three races, at least from the spectograms. Geoff Carey provided me with some information about calls of lydiae and polaris from the breeding grounds (some examples are available on Xeno-canto) and also one recording of pallasi. Assuming these recordings are representative of the three races, they offer a way to gain an understanding of the races present at my local ChaoBai River site in Beijing.

Vocalisations of Pallas’s Buntings

In my experience, Pallas’s Buntings in Beijing typically use two calls, which I have labelled as “call-type 1” and “call-type 2”. Call-type 1 is a downward-inflected call, with call-type 2 more level or in some cases slightly upward-inflected.

Here are some examples of the three races (these are all recordings from the ChaoBai River in Beijing)

Lydiae call-type 1

Lydiae call-type 2

Pallasi call-type 1

Pallasi call-type 2

Polaris call-type 1

Polaris call-type 2

If one listens carefully, the calls of lydiae, although similar to pallasi and polaris, have a more ‘buzzy’ tone. This is often possible to distinguish in the field. However, to my ears at least, the calls of pallasi and polaris are extremely similar and, thus far, I have been unable to distinguish between these two in the field.

The good news is that, although the calls of all three races sound similar, the spectograms show some noticeable differences.

Spectograms

Lydiae call-types 1 and 2

Spectograms of the lydiae call types 1 and 2. Note the ‘buzzy/fuzzy’ nature of the latter part of the spectograms.

Pallasi call-types 1 and 2

Spectograms of the pallasi call types 1 and 2. Note the ‘cleaner’ nature of these calls, compared with lydiae, the distinctive ‘humped’ shape of call-type 1. Call 2 is variable but seems to consistently show obvious parallel lines on the first part of the spectogram without the obvious protruding ‘giraffe neck’ of polaris (see below)

Polaris call-types 1 and 2

Spectograms of polaris call types 1 and 2. Again, note the ‘cleaner’ nature of the calls, compared with lydiae, and the different shape, with call-type 1 resembling a heartbeat on a monitor and call-type 2 resembling a giraffe (at least that is how I remember them!).

Over the period October 2023 to May 2024, whenever I visited the ChaoBai River, I placed my sound recorder in an area favoured by Pallas’s Buntings (a scrubby area with long grass and some small bushes – see below) and recorded for one hour. The timing of my visits was usually in the early morning but occasionally was in the late afternoon.

The habitat at the ChaoBai River in Shunyi District – some long grass, reeds and a few shrubs.

I processed the recordings using Audacity to create spectograms of each hour-long file and scanned for calls of Pallas’s Buntings, logging each call and identifying it to race. Over 25 visits, I recorded 21,573 calls of Pallas’s Buntings. Of these, polaris was the most numerous with 13,252 calls, followed by lydiae with 6,985 calls and finally pallasi with 1,336. The graph below shows the volume of calls by race over the period.

Of course, the number of calls does not necessarily give a true representation of the number of individuals – one individual could sit above the recorder and call constantly while many others remain silent – but over time, I think it is reasonable to assume that the volume of calls is indicative of the relative abundance of the races.

In terms of dates, polaris was by far the most numerous taxon between November and March. Lydiae peaked in October and again in April, with a few lingering all winter, and pallasi was by far the scarcest of the three, with only a handful recorded in late autumn and winter, and a distinct peak in late April and May.

These results suggest that polaris is the dominant wintering race in Beijing; lydiae appears to be predominantly a passage migrant in Beijing, with smaller numbers wintering, suggesting that the bulk of this race may winter further south? The relative scarcity of pallasi is perhaps not a surprise given the bulk of this race is thought to breed quite a long way west of Beijing (NW China, W Mongolia), although, according to Birds of the World, it may also breed in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Throughout the winter, I made ad-hoc recordings of a further five Pallas’s Buntings from the Wenyu River, all of which were polaris, reinforcing the suggestion that polaris is the dominant race in winter in Beijing. Interestingly, one recording from c1800m asl at Lingshan in Mentougou District on 30 October 2023 was a pallasi. This race apparently breeds at high elevations in subalpine tundra in high mountains, including the Altai and Sayan Mountains.

Possible plumage differences

During my visits, I was able – on some occasions – to sound record and photograph specific individuals, enabling racial identification of photographed birds. The small number of birds photographed AND sound-recorded means that the sample size is too small for any meaningful conclusions. Nevertheless, I have included some photographs below of positively identified birds with some comments.

As with vocalisations, birds of the race lydiae are perhaps the easiest to identify in the field. They seem to be consistently pale, sandy and with less contrasting upperparts. Adult males in breeding plumage are relatively straightforward to identify on colour/contrast of upperparts alone. For females and immature males, it is more difficult. However, it appears that there may be some structural characteristics that apply to both males and females. For example, from the small sample size, primary projection may be an indicator. Lydiae birds seem to have a relatively short primary projection and certainly appear longer-tailed (the latter may, of course, be a function of the shorter wings). This makes sense given that lydiae is most likely a relatively short-distance migrant compared with polaris, which breeds further north. However, again, I would stress that with this limited sample size, it is impossible to draw firm conclusions.

Photographs

Lydiae

Male lydiae, 10 April 2024

Female lydiae, 10 April 2024

Female lydiae, 30 April 2024

Pallasi

Male pallasi, 16 May 2024

Male pallasi, 14 May 2024

Male pallasi, 16 May 2024

Female (or 2cy male given dark ear coverts?) pallasi, 16 May 2024

Female pallasi, 16 May 2024

Polaris

Note the long primary projection relative to lydiae.

Male polaris, 30 April 2024

Male polaris, 24 April 2024

Female polaris, 24 April 2024

Conclusion

From this small experiment at one site, and assuming that the recordings from Xeno-canto on which this study is based are correctly identified, it is clear that three races of Pallas’s Bunting visit Beijing and that, by recording vocalisations, racial identification of individual birds is possible. At the study site, polaris was by far the most numerous, especially in winter, followed by lydiae, which peaked in October and April with a reasonable number in winter, and finally pallasi, the scarcest of the three races by some margin, with a noticeable peak in late April and May.

I hope that this small study helps to enthuse birders about Pallas’s Buntings and encourages more people to gather data from other parts of Beijing, and indeed across China, to better understand the distribution, and movements, of the various races.

Thanks again to Geoff Carey for his support at the beginning of this study and to Patrick Franke for providing some recordings of pallasi from the breeding grounds, which helped to put together the pieces of the puzzle from my recordings at the ChaoBai River site.

Title image: Pallas’s Bunting (Emberiza pallasi), male of the race polaris, ChaoBai River, 24 April 2024 (Terry Townshend)

Winter is coming…

It’s that time of year again. As temperatures plummet and the days shorten, many people might think it’s time to stay indoors with a real fire, put on that favourite woolly jumper and sip a warm cup of (green) tea. However, for birders, it’s worth putting on the thermal underwear and braving those icy temperatures – winter can be a brilliant time.

Here are five reasons why winter is a good time for birding in Beijing:

First, with the leaves down, birds are easier to observe
Second, winter is the only time we can see certain species (for example, those that breed to the north of Beijing, including as far north as Mongolia and Russian Siberia, and spend the winter here). These species include: Ruddy Shelduck, Common Crane, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin, Mongolian Lark, the winter thrushes (Naumann’s. Dusky, Red-throated and Black-throated), Goldcrest, Guldenstadt’s Redstart, Siberian Accentor, Brambling, Pallas’s Rosefinch, Japanese Reed Bunting, Lapland Bunting and Pine Bunting.
Third, many mountain dwelling species will move lower into the valleys and even into cities in the winter, making them easier to see. For example: Winter Wren, Beijing Babbler, Plain Laughingthrush and Yellow-throated Bunting.
Fourth, depending on the seed crops and weather, especially the extent of snowfall, some species ‘irrupt’ in large numbers to areas where they would normally not occur in significant numbers. Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Japanese and Bohemian Waxwings and Redpolls are examples of species that sometimes ‘irrupt’ into Beijing.
Finally, there is always a chance of finding something special. The discovery of wintering Jankowski’s Buntings in winter 2015/2016 by Xing Chao and Huang Mujiao was exceptional. Who knows what else might occur – maybe a Snowy Owl at Lingshan? Or a Gyrfalcon at Ma Chang?

2016-03-07 Jankowski's Bunting, Miyun5 — One of the wintering JANKOWSKI’S BUNTINGS at Miyun Reservoir in winter 2015/2016.

The best winter sites?

Most good birding sites in the capital (e.g. Yeyahu, Lingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Shahe Reservoirs (if accessible)) are worth visiting all year round. And, within the city itself, the Botanical Gardens, with its berry-laden shrubs, is often one of the first sites to host groups of Japanese or Bohemian Waxwings during a ‘waxwing year’. The Olympic Forest Park can host Beijing Babbler in winter and is often a good place to see Brown-cheeked Rails and Great Bittern. It has also played host to some very scarce winter visitors such as ‘caudatus’ Northern Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff. For me, personally, two of the best winter birding sites are Donglingshan and Shidu.

Donglingshan (东灵山）

2015-11-01 Red-throated Thrush male in flight, Lingshan2 — Red-throated Thrush usually winters in good numbers at Lingshan.

The site of Beijing’s highest peak (2,303m), around 110km west of the city along the G109, Donglingshan is a superb winter birding site. It is the only reliable site in Beijing to see the high-altitude specialist, Guldenstadt’s Redstart, and the scarce Pallas’s Rosefinch. In most winters, tens of the former spend the winter feeding on the sea buckthorn berries in the many gullies and valleys below the peak and small flocks of the latter can be found foraging under stands of silver birch. Other reliable species here include Chinese Beautiful and Long-tailed Rosefinches (interestingly, the latter are of the subspecies lepidus from central China and not the more northerly ussuriensis that has occurred in other parts of Beijing), not to mention Siberian and Alpine Accentors, good numbers of thrushes, Cinereous Vulture, Golden Eagle and, in some years, Asian Rosy Finch. Rarities at this time of year have included Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Black and Przewalski’s (Alashan) Redstarts.

At around 2,000m, a visit to Donglingshan in winter can be bitterly cold, especially if the wind is blowing. However, if you time your visit on a day with light winds and sunshine, it can be surprisingly pleasant and hugely rewarding.

A downloadable PDF guide for Donglingshan (Lingshan) can be found here.

Shidu （十渡）

A spectacular gorge worthy of a visit in its own right, even without any birds, Shidu is an excellent winter birding destination, offering species that can be hard to see in other parts of the capital. A road runs through the gorge, crossing several bridges and it’s a good tactic to stop close to the bridges to scan the area. Shidu is perhaps most famous in birding circles for its Black Storks, a handful of which can be seen feeding alongside the river. However, many more interesting species are possible. For the last few years, at least one, sometimes two, Wallcreepers have been reliable near bridge 6. And Long-billed Plover, Brown Dipper, Crested Kingfisher, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart and Cinereous Vulture are all regular in winter. Even the spectacular Ibisbill, a species that is increasingly difficult to see in the capital, is possible. And Solitary Snipe, another difficult-to-see species has also been recorded.

2013-11-23 Wallcreeper, Shidu — Shidu is the best place in Beijing to see Wallcreeper.

Ten Species To Look Out For This Winter

Beijing has many special birds in the colder months and here are a few to look out for.

1. Merlin	This small, compact, falcon can often be seen hunting flocks of small passerines, including buntings and larks. Open spaces such as Ma Chang (Yanqing) and the edges of reservoirs are good places to look.
2. Cinereous Vulture	With a wingspan of c3m, this huge bird of prey can be seen in the mountains around Beijing from November to March. Feeding on carrion, they can often be seen patrolling the ridges of mountainous areas on sunny days, especially when there is a breeze, providing them with lift.
3. Goldcrest	This tiny bird is insectivorous and, somehow, it can find enough food in Beijing in winter. The larger parks, such as the Botanical Gardens and the Olympic Forest Park, are good places to look. Focus your search on areas with conifers and listen for their high-pitched calls.
4. Siberian Accentor	This beautiful sparrow-sized bird likes scrubby areas with lots of good undergrowth. They can be shy but with patience and knowledge of their high-pitched call, searching in the right areas should be successful. The Botanical Gardens and Donglingshan are two good places to look.
5. Naumann’s Thrush	Naumann’s is the most common of the four classic ‘winter thrushes’ in Beijing (the others are Dusky, Red-throated and Black-throated). With its orange-coloured tones, Naumann’s Thrush is a very pretty bird and can often be seen feeding on berries or on the ground in Beijing’s parks.
6. Japanese Waxwing	The beautiful Japanese Waxwing is an annual winter visitor to Beijing in varying numbers. Sometimes in large flocks, they can strip berries from a bush in minutes. Listen for their ‘ringing’ calls and look for flocks of birds that have similar silhouettes to starlings. Can most easily be told from the very similar Bohemian Waxwing by the pinkish, not yellow, tip to the tail.
7. Winter Wren	The charismatic Winter Wren breeds in the mountains around Beijing and, in winter, it moves to lower elevations to escape the harshest winter temperatures. In winter it can be found in the Botanical Gardens and other large parks, often near water. The distinctive cocked tail means that it’s unmistakeable.
8. Brambling	The Brambling is a common winter visitor to Beijing. A sociable bird, it can often be found in flocks feeding on seeds (often beech mast) at the base of trees. Listen for its upslurred call as flocks wheel around over wooded areas.
9. Pallas’s Rosefinch	A real gem of the Beijing winter, the Pallas’s Rosefinch is one of the most sought after species by foreign birders visiting the capital. A winter visitor in varying numbers, usually to relatively high elevations, it is most reliably found at Donglingshan in winter. The ridge above the Botanical Gardens and sites around the Great Wall can also produce this species. A favourite food is birch mast, so look for stands of silver birch and check the ground around the bases of the trees.
10. Pallas’s Bunting	A winter visitor in good numbers, the Pallas’s Bunting is one of Beijing’s signature winter birds. Found in reedbeds and any areas of rank grass and/or scrub, it can be skittish but will sometimes sit on the top of vegetation and utter its sparrow-like call, quite different to that of the similar, but scarcer, Common Reed Bunting and Japanese Reed Bunting.

Of course, the most important thing about going birding is not where you go or what you see but that you enjoy it. Wishing everyone a wonderful winter’s birding.

Title image: Przewalski’s (Alashan) Redstart, Lingshan, February 2014.

This article has been translated into Chinese and appeared in the Winter edition of the China Birdwatching Society magazine.