liewwk Nature Photography Blog
Main Birds Collection page
1. Yellow-throated marten, 黄喉貂, Martes flavigula
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1. Yellow-throated marten, 黄喉貂, Martes flavigula
A fairly common medium-sized mammal, not too difficult to encounter in the forest, but usually too shy for a photo. However, this time, an adult and a young one gave us a nice view before continuing on their way.
一种相当常见的中型哺乳动物，在森林里并不难遇见，但通常太害羞而难以拍摄。不过这次，一只成体和一只幼体在继续前行前，给了我们一个不错的观赏机会。
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What a magnificent stork! It was a truly stunning sight to behold.
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1. Hamerkop, 锤头鹳, 錘頭鸛, Scopus umbretta, シュモクドリ
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1. Hamerkop, 锤头鹳, 錘頭鸛, Scopus umbretta, シュモクドリ
A squat, brown, ibis-like bird with a bushy-crested “hammer-head”; often found near wetlands or rivers. In flight, it has distinctively deep wingbeats and may occasionally soar very high, when the long neck separates it from raptors. It struts about in wetlands foraging for frogs, fish, and insects. It needs nearby large trees for building its giant (1.5-m-across) stick nest. Calls include a high-pitched “nyip” in flight and a distinctive, rollicking call ending in a purring rattle “kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik kyik-keeek-kreeeeek”. [ebird]
一种矮胖的棕色鸟类，外形像鹮，头顶有一丛浓密的羽冠，像“锤头”；经常在湿地或河流附近发现。飞行时，它有独特的、强有力的振翅，偶尔也会翱翔到很高的高度，这时它细长的脖子使其与猛禽区分开来。它在湿地中昂首阔步，觅食青蛙、鱼类和昆虫。它需要附近的大树来建造其巨大的（直径1.5米）树枝巢。叫声包括飞行时发出高亢的“nyip”声，以及一种独特的、欢快的叫声，最后以咕噜声结束：“kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik-kyik kyik-keeek-kreeeeek”。
update 202502
This bird is generally brown and has a peculiarly shaped head. It’s quite strangely featured, yet surprisingly common, found in both urban and forested environments.
这种鸟通体呈棕色，头部形状奇特。它的外貌相当怪异，但却出人意料地常见，在城市和森林环境中都能找到。
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1. Bank Cormorant, 岸鸬鹚, 堤鸕鷀, Phalacrocorax neglectus, ハナグロウ
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1. Bank Cormorant, 岸鸬鹚, 堤鸕鷀, Phalacrocorax neglectus, ハナグロウ
A medium-to-large-sized, stocky, marine cormorant that is a specialist in kelp forests of the Benguela Current, where it is scarce resident. Similar to Cape Cormorant but slightly larger and thicker-necked. Adults have a black (not orange) throat patch and honey-brown (not blue) eyes, giving them a plain-looking face. If seen well, the head is flattish with an indistinct crest that more often manifests as a bulbous forehead. In flight, it is difficult to tell from the abundant Cape Cormorant unless the characteristic white back–most prevalent in the breeding season (but absent in some individuals)–is seen. Immatures are duller but retain the adult’s characteristic shape. Best seen at roosts. [Ebird]
一种中等至大型、体型粗壮的海洋鸬鹚，主要栖息于本格拉寒流的海藻森林中，但数量稀少。与好望角鸬鹚相似，但体型略大，颈部更粗。成鸟的喉部是黑色（而非橙色），眼睛呈蜂蜜棕色（而非蓝色），使其面部看起来较为朴素。若观察仔细，可见其头部较平，具不明显的冠羽，有时表现为隆起的额头。在飞行时，除非看到其特有的白色背部（主要出现在繁殖季节，但部分个体没有），否则很难与数量众多的好望角鸬鹚区分。幼鸟颜色较暗淡，但仍保留成鸟的特征性体型。最佳观赏地点是其栖息地。
update 202502
We only spotted this bird in Cape Town. It appears completely black, though from certain angles, the “white rump” can be seen. It’s a unique species and surprisingly easy to find, but only in that one location.
我们只在开普敦看到这种鸟。它整体呈黑色，但从某些角度可以看到“白色臀部”。这是一种非常独特的鸟类，而且只在一个特定地点容易找到。
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1. Secretarybird, 蛇鹫, 蛇鷲, Sagittarius serpentarius, ヘビクイワシ
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1. Secretarybird, 蛇鹫, 蛇鷲, Sagittarius serpentarius, ヘビクイワシ
A distinctive, tall, long-legged, crane-like raptor with unique quill-like plumes on its head and bright-red facial skin. In flight, the dark edge to the hind wing, diamond-shaped tail, and long spatulate tail feathers make it unmistakable. It prefers open rangeland and savanna, where it strides about hunting for reptiles, small mammals, and insects, which it bludgeons with its powerful legs. [Ebird]
一种独特的、高大、长腿的类似鹤的猛禽，头上有独特的羽毛状饰羽，面部皮肤鲜红。在飞行时，其后翼的黑色边缘、菱形尾巴和长长的匙状尾羽使其极具辨识度。它偏好开阔的牧场和稀树草原，迈着大步四处行走，捕猎爬行动物、小型哺乳动物和昆虫，并用强有力的双腿将猎物击晕。
update 202502
A remarkable bird that resembles a crane or stork with long legs but has more of a raptor-like appearance. It’s one of my main targets—I’ve had a few sightings but haven’t captured great photos yet. However, I’m sure I’ll dedicate more time to this bird on my future trips to Africa.
一种独特的鸟类，外形类似鹤或鹳，拥有修长的双腿，但更像猛禽。这是我主要的目标之一，虽然曾经遇见过几次，但照片效果不太理想。不过，我相信在未来的非洲之行中，我会花更多时间关注这种鸟。
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1. Southern Crested Guineafowl, 南冠珠鸡, 南冠珠雞, Guttera edouardi
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1. Southern Crested Guineafowl, 南冠珠鸡, 南冠珠雞, Guttera edouardi
A large-bodied, small-headed, black gamebird perfectly lined with rows of hundreds of bluish-white spots. It has a ridiculous-looking plumed “toupee” above the naked face, which features an ivory-colored bill and a blood-red eye. The facial skin color varies geographically, and can be mostly blue-gray with small patches of red and white, or predominantly blue-gray with a large white patch on the back of the neck. A broad band around the base of the neck is unspotted black. It prefers forest and thickets, where it forages on the ground for berries, seeds, and other plant matter. The similar Helmeted Guineafowl differs by its lack of feathered crest and its having a bone-like casque on top of the head instead. The alarm call is a series of rattling, agitated notes that speed up and slow down; similar to the call of Helmeted Guineafowl, but with a tinnier quality. [Ebird]
As we were nearing our hotel on a cloudy day, a large group of birds suddenly appeared by the roadside. Wow, what a stunning sight!
当我们快到酒店时，天空乌云密布，一大群鸟儿突然出现在路边。哇，真是太美了！
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Typically refers to a flamingo, which we remember as a bird with a long neck, reddish hue, and slow, graceful movements.
通常指火烈鸟，我们记得它是一种长颈、红色、动作缓慢而优雅的鸟。
1. Greater Flamingo, 大红鹳, 大紅鸛, Phoenicopterus roseus, ヨーロッパフラミンゴ
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1. Greater Flamingo, 大红鹳, 大紅鸛, Phoenicopterus roseus, ヨーロッパフラミンゴ
update 20250120
The flamingo was the final bird of our 18-day South Africa bird photography trip. During the morning session, we struggled with either facing the wrong direction or dealing with distance challenges. However, just before heading back, a few of them flew gracefully toward us in perfect light, as if bidding us farewell. We ended the trip with over 356 bird species, 20+ mammals, and several reptiles captured in photographs. It was an incredible journey filled with fun, great company, delicious food, and valuable lessons in patience (especially when waiting for meals).
火烈鸟是我们南非18天观鸟摄影之旅的最后一只鸟。在早晨的拍摄中，我们不是方向不对就是距离受限。然而，就在我们准备返程前，一些火烈鸟迎着完美的光线飞向我们，仿佛是在向我们告别。最终，我们拍摄了超过356种鸟类、20多种哺乳动物以及一些爬行动物。这是一段充满乐趣的旅程，有很棒的团队、美味的食物，还有耐心的宝贵训练（尤其是在等待食物的时候）。
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a very lovely bird family active, move between tree.
1. Livingstone’s Turaco, 利氏蕉鹃, 綠頭冠蕉鵑, Tauraco livingstonii, リビングストンエボシドリ
2. Purple-crested Turaco, 紫冠蕉鹃, 紫冠蕉鵑, Gallirex porphyreolophus, ズグロエボシドリ
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1. Livingstone’s Turaco, 利氏蕉鹃, 綠頭冠蕉鵑, Tauraco livingstonii, リビングストンエボシドリ
update 202501
The overall green coloration, accompanied by a low crest and blue body, is a key target for our group. In the first few days, it seemed fairly common, as its calls and presence could be heard and seen by everyone. However, capturing a photograph proved to be quite challenging—much like our Malkoha, it kept moving between the trees and bushes. Fortunately, just before the heavy rain, we were lucky enough to find one that stayed still for a while, allowing us to capture it.
整体呈绿色，带有低冠和蓝色身体，这是我们团队的主要目标之一。在最初的几天里，它似乎相当常见，大家都能听到它的叫声并看到它的身影。然而，要拍到它的照片却相当困难——就像我们的鸦鹃一样，它总是在树丛间移动。幸运的是，就在大雨来临之前，我们有幸遇到了一只停留了很长时间，让我们成功捕捉到了它的身影。
2. Purple-crested Turaco, 紫冠蕉鹃, 紫冠蕉鵑, Gallirex porphyreolophus, ズグロエボシドリ
A bulky, iridescent bird clad in deep purple, blue, green, and olive washed with pink. It clambers acrobatically through riverine woodland and savanna thickets. In flight it explodes from the canopy with distinctive deep red panels in the wings. It produces a distinctive croaking “khoh-khoh-khoh-khoh….” that gets progressively louder before suddenly stopping. The similar Ross’s Turaco differs from Purple-crested Turaco by being darker overall and having a red crest and yellow face. [Ebird]
一种体型厚实、具有金属光泽的鸟，身披深紫色、蓝色、绿色和橄榄色，并带有粉红色调。它在河岸林地和稀树草原的灌木丛中灵活攀爬。飞行时，它会从树冠中猛然冲出，翅膀上显眼的深红色翼斑格外醒目。其叫声独特，为低沉的“khoh-khoh-khoh-khoh……”声，音量逐渐增强后突然停止。与之相似的罗氏蕉鹃整体颜色较深，并具有红色的冠羽和黄色的脸部，这一点与紫冠蕉鹃有所区别。
update 202502
This is our first Turaco sighting, but it stayed hidden in the bushes for a while. After some waiting, the bird suddenly took flight. Luckily, I had the R1 ready—capturing the moment almost instantly as it happened in a split second.
这是我们第一次看到蕉鹃，但它一直藏在灌木丛中。等待一段时间后，鸟儿突然起飞。幸运的是，我的 R1 已经准备好，几乎瞬间就捕捉到了这转瞬即逝的画面。
update 202501
It’s a stunning bird, and each of the three species we encountered on our tour instantly caught our attention. Even during lunch and shopping, the moment someone shouted “Turaco,” everyone scrambled to grab their cameras again. However, it’s not an easy bird to photograph—it moves through the bushes much like our Malkoha. Among the three species we captured, this one is the most common and, in my opinion, the most beautiful.
这是一种非常美丽的鸟类，我们在旅途中遇到的三种蕉鹃都能瞬间吸引我们的目光。甚至在大家忙着购物和午餐时，只要有人喊了一声“蕉鹃”，所有人都会立刻拿起相机。然而，这种鸟并不容易拍摄，它总是在灌木间穿梭，就像我们的鹃鵙一样。在我们拍摄的三种蕉鹃中，这种是最常见的，对我来说也是最美的。
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Most people are familiar with the nest parasitism – or brood parasitism – that is shown by our cuckoos, such as the Jacobin cuckoo and Diederik Cuckoos, where the birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species. These other species, the hosts, then feed and rear the young as if they were their own offspring. There are two other groups of birds in our area that are also brood-parasites, the family Viduidae (indigobirds, whydahs, and cuckoo-finch) and the family Indicatoridae (honeyguides). In this article we will focus on the Viduidae, a family that is well represented in the Hoedspruit area including three species each of indigobirds and whydahs.
The Viduidae comprises small, finch-like perching birds birds that are native to Africa. All species in this family are dimorphic, which means that there are significant differences between males and females. In the indigobirds, males have predominantly black or indigo colours in their plumage, while in whydahs breeding males have have long and sometimes ornate tails. In the cuckofinch, males are bright yellow with a black bill in the breeding season. Females of all species are brownish, do not have long tails, are much better camouflaged than the breeding males. Males lose their breeding plumage outside the breeding season, and become much more like females in appearance.
https://learnthebirds.com/viduidae/
维达鸟科（学名：Viduidae） 有1属19种。生活于热带草原和疏林中，喜结群活动。主食果实、种子和嫩芽，也吃昆虫和蠕虫。不筑巢，是巢寄生者，寄主相对稳定，主要是梅花雀科的鸟类，幼鸟由寄主喂养长大。因常发现于贝宁的维达镇，故得名。维达鸟虽为小鸟，但长尾所占鸟体的比例绝对是鸟中之最，这种鸟其貌不扬，尾羽却难得一见，雄鸟主要呈黑色，4根中尾羽极长，以尾羽冠压雀类之首，也是非洲著名的鸟种之一，主要分布于非洲热带
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1. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ
2. Shaft-tailed Whydah, 箭尾維達雀, 箭尾维达雀, Vidua regia, ミカドスズメ
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1. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ
update 202501
While busy recovering some accidentally deleted pictures, I wanted to share part of a full series capturing this beautiful long-tailed bird’s display and mating behavior. I really enjoy watching how this bird performs—it sometimes flies vertically, resembling a stick in motion.
在忙着恢复一些意外删除的照片时，我想分享这一整套系列中的部分内容，捕捉了这只美丽的长尾鸟展示和求偶的画面。我非常喜欢观看这只鸟的表演——它有时会垂直飞行，像一根竖直的棍子一样。
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CANON R1, CANON RF100500mm, 1.4x South Africa update 202501 Finally, I’m back from my South Africa tour! One of the most fascinating “common” birds we encountered was the Pin-tailed Whydah. While it’s not a rare species, its long tail and unique flying style captured our attention more than any other bird. This particular moment happened while we were in the car—yes, shooting handheld through the window! After taking hundreds of photos of the male flying, displaying, and mating, I decided to switch to video. Although I recorded in 4K 60p, I slowed down the second half to highlight the incredible beauty of its dance. 终于从南非之旅回来了！旅途中看到的最迷人的“常见”鸟类之一就是针尾维达雀。虽然它并不罕见，但它那长长的尾巴和独特的飞行姿态比其他任何鸟类都更吸引我们的目光。这段拍摄是在车里完成的——是的，手持相机透过车窗拍摄！拍了几百张照片，记录下雄鸟飞行、炫耀和交配的瞬间后，我决定拍摄视频。虽然我用4K 60帧录制，但在后半部分慢放，展现它舞蹈的惊人美感。
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A male bird with a very long tail, black-and-white plumage, and a striking red beak is hard to miss. While the local guide claimed it was common, we didn’t spot many during our first seven days. However, we were fortunate to see one performing a display for a female, which thrilled everyone. Capturing the moment from the car was quite challenging, but it was an unforgettable experience.
一只拥有非常长尾巴、黑白羽毛和鲜红喙的雄鸟，非常显眼。虽然当地向导说这种鸟很常见，但我们在前七天里并没有看到很多。不过，我们很幸运看到了一只正在为雌鸟表演。这让我们所有人都非常兴奋，而在车内拍摄这景象也是一个不小的挑战，但这是一次难忘的经历。
2. Shaft-tailed Whydah, 箭尾維達雀, 箭尾维达雀, Vidua regia, ミカドスズメ
A small whydah with a reddish-orange bill and legs. The breeding male has buffy-orange underparts and neck, a dark cap, and 17-centimeter-long black tail feathers. The female and non-breeding male have streaky upperparts and pale buffy underparts. Breeding males hold territories in dry thorn scrub, but form flocks with other seedeaters after breeding. The species imitates the song of the Violet-eared Waxbill, which it parasitizes. Differs from the similar Pin-tailed Whydah by Shaft-tailed Whydah’s duller pink bill and streakier head in female and non-breeding male plumages, and black-and-buff plumage of the breeding male. [EBird]
一种小型织雀，具有橙红色的嘴和腿。繁殖期的雄鸟腹部和颈部呈橙黄色，头部为深色，并具有长达17厘米的黑色尾羽。雌鸟和非繁殖期的雄鸟则具有上部的条纹花纹和浅橙黄色的腹部。繁殖期的雄鸟在干燥的荆棘灌丛中占领领地，但繁殖后会与其他食种子鸟类混群。该物种模仿其寄生对象——紫耳蜡嘴雀的鸣叫声。与相似的针尾织雀相比，轴尾织雀的嘴较暗淡，为粉红色，雌鸟和非繁殖期雄鸟头部条纹更多，而繁殖期雄鸟则呈黑色与橙黄色的羽毛。
update 202501
What a beautiful little bird with its unique four racket-shaped tail feathers! Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to capture any great shots of it this time. It’s definitely on my photography bucket list if I get the chance to visit Africa again. Despite the whole day of rain, we were lucky enough to witness some wonderful moments of it in flight.
Anyone want join me next visit ?
多么美丽的小鸟，拥有独特的四根球拍状尾羽！可惜这次没能拍到好的照片。如果有机会再来非洲，它绝对是我的摄影目标之一。尽管下了一整天的雨，我们还是很幸运地见到了它飞行的美好瞬间。
有人要来看他吗？
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very special family, small without tail
1. Pygmy Cupwing, 小鳞胸鹪鹛, 小鱗胸鷦鶥, Pnoepyga pusilla, タカサゴミソサザイ, BURUNG-RESAM KERDIL
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CHINA
101. Scaly-breasted Cupwing, 鳞胸鹪鹛, 大鱗胸鷦鶥, Pnoepyga albiventer, ヒメサザイチメドリ
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1. Pygmy Cupwing, 小鳞胸鹪鹛, 小鱗胸鷦鶥, Pnoepyga pusilla, タカサゴミソサザイ, BURUNG-RESAM KERDIL
– very small wren-babbler no tail that move very fast
– split to different family Pnoepygidae, may make another sharing
– 被分鹩鹛属
update 202409
– one of my favorite birds of Malaysia, it is small, cute, active and lovely bird. It always moving with wing span open. But it almost invisible by naked eye.
– with the new canon Pre-continuous Shooting function, simple when see the bird stay still, half-press shutter .. and when see the wing open or move press the shutter .. than anything happen in before .5s will be record as raw into camera .. make this kind of picture simple
– 马来西亚最喜爱的鸟之一。快，可爱，活跃。他随时动的时候都会吧翅膀张开。要拍这个真的不容易。
– 可是佳能的新R5markii 预拍功能把这种情况容易的拍下。只要看到鸟站好，半按下快门键。等它动的时候，再按下快门。任何发生半秒前的都会拍下。就这么容易。
update 2020 Jun16
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101. Scaly-breasted Cupwing, 鳞胸鹪鹛, 大鱗胸鷦鶥, Pnoepyga albiventer, ヒメサザイチメドリ
Adorable tiny bird that loosely resembles a minute tailless wren. Warm dark brown above with rufous overtones, and scaled below; pale-morph birds have white edgings to black “scales,” while dark-morph birds have edgings that are coffee-stain tan. Smaller Pygmy Cupwing lacks the tan spots speckling the crown and neck of Scaly-breasted. Scaly-breasted inhabits dark, damp areas in dense forest, often around boulders, streams, and ravines. Song is a jumbled series of high-pitched melodic warbles, notably more complex than the song of Pygmy Cupwing. [Ebird]
可爱的小鸟，外形有点像一只没有尾巴的微型鹪鹩。上体为暖棕色，带有红褐色调，下体有鳞状纹；浅色型鸟黑色“鳞片”边缘为白色，而深色型鸟则为咖啡色边缘。与小棕林鸲相比，鳞胸棕林鸲的头顶和颈部缺乏棕色斑点。鳞胸棕林鸲栖息于浓密森林中阴暗潮湿的区域，通常出现在巨石、溪流和峡谷附近。鸣唱是一连串高音调的悦耳啁啾，比小鹪鹛的鸣声更复杂。
update 202412
On our last day in Baihualing, we spotted two distinctly different tiny, tailless birds. At a distance of about 10-15 meters, I initially assumed they were the same Pygmy Cupwing. However, upon reviewing the captured photos, it was clear they were different species.
Knowing their behavior of spreading their wings when moving, I enabled Continuous Pre-record mode and pressed the shutter the moment the bird moved. Got it!
在白花岭的最后一天，我们发现了两只明显不同的小型无尾鸟。由于距离大约在10-15米，我起初以为它们是同一种小鳞胸鹪鹛。然而，当查看拍摄的照片时，发现它们明显是不同的物种。
了解到它们在移动时会张开翅膀的行为特点，我启用了连续预录模式，并在鸟儿移动的瞬间按下快门。抓拍成功！
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another new collection from Lombok, Indonesia 202412
1. White-tailed Tropicbird, 白尾鹲, 白尾熱帶鳥, Phaethon lepturus, シラオネッタイチョウ, Buntut-sate putih
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1. White-tailed Tropicbird, 白尾鹲, 白尾熱帶鳥, Phaethon lepturus, シラオネッタイチョウ, Buntut-sate putih
A medium-sized white seabird with black marks on the wings and a yellow beak. The long white tail streamers are visible from a great distance. Nests on coastal and inland cliffs on the main islands. Often seen flying over canyons and along cliffs. At sea usually flies high above the water. Calls are loud clucks and squawks. Smaller and more graceful in flight than Red-tailed Tropicbird [Ebird]
中型白色海鸟，翅膀上有黑色斑纹，喙为黄色。长长的白色尾羽从远处即可见到。栖息于主要岛屿的沿海和内陆悬崖上。常见于峡谷上空和悬崖边飞翔。在海上通常飞得离水面较高。叫声为响亮的咯咯声和尖叫声。相比红尾鹱，这种鸟体型较小，飞行更为优雅。
update 202412
I just can’t help but share more of this lovely bird… under the hot sun, it’s such a beautiful sight to watch them soaring through the sky.
我忍不住再分享更多这只这么美的鸟… 在炽热的阳光下，看到它们在天空中翱翔真是太美了。
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One of the target birds can be found here, making it an incredibly beautiful location to observe this species. The view is breathtaking, and I hope to return again. While waiting for a better sighting of the bird, I was fortunate to also spot a Dugong, Green Turtle, and Spinner Dolphins. Watching this bird gracefully soar through the air is truly mesmerizing.
其中一种目标鸟可以在这里看到，这里是观赏这种鸟类的绝佳地点，风景非常优美，希望能再来一次。等待更好观鸟机会时，还幸运地看到了儒艮、绿海龟和飞旋海豚。这种鸟在空中优雅飞翔的姿态，实在令人着迷。
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