06-29-2006, 08:42 AM
Lucy,
The Pekin Robin, more commonly known as the Red-billed Leiothrix, is common, though not easy to find, flying wild on the Big Island. They are supposedly declining on Oahu and have disappeared from Kauai. Other alternate common names are Hill Robin and Pekin Nightingale. They belong to a group called babblers that includes the verbose Hwamei and the Greater Necklaced Laughing-thrush (Kauai only). I heard a lot of Hwamei (aka Melodious Laughing-thrush) in Hawaiian Paradise Park in March and April. These are all introduced species. The Hwamei sounds somewhat like a Northern Mockingbird, except that it doesn't repeat phrases like the mocker. They sound to me like someone mimicking the Chinese language with whistling. The Leiothrix doesn't quite sing like its cousins.
Les
The Pekin Robin, more commonly known as the Red-billed Leiothrix, is common, though not easy to find, flying wild on the Big Island. They are supposedly declining on Oahu and have disappeared from Kauai. Other alternate common names are Hill Robin and Pekin Nightingale. They belong to a group called babblers that includes the verbose Hwamei and the Greater Necklaced Laughing-thrush (Kauai only). I heard a lot of Hwamei (aka Melodious Laughing-thrush) in Hawaiian Paradise Park in March and April. These are all introduced species. The Hwamei sounds somewhat like a Northern Mockingbird, except that it doesn't repeat phrases like the mocker. They sound to me like someone mimicking the Chinese language with whistling. The Leiothrix doesn't quite sing like its cousins.
Les