BirdingAsia 27

Cover image: Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis, Latpanchor, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, March 2013, by Debapratim Saha

CONTENTS

3 Chairman's letter

4 BirdingASIA briefings

6 OBC in Action – Conservation Fund & Bertram Smythies Fund

11 TAXONOMIC UPDATE Notable taxonomic changes proposed for Asian birds in 2015 N. J. COLLAR

20 CONSERVATION ALERT Records of four Critically Endangered songbirds in the markets of Java suggest domestic trade is a major impediment to their conservation VINCENT NIJMAN, SUCI LISTINA SARI, PENTHAI SIRIWAT, MARIE SIGAUD & K. ANNE-ISOLA NEKARIS

26 CONSERVATION ALERT The dearth of information on the breeding habits of Wallacean birds, and why we should care about it RICHARD A. NOSKE

35 CONSERVATION ALERT The elephant in the room: addressing the Asian songbird crisis BRIAN R. SYKES

43 NOTEBOOK Notes on the Collared Crow Corvus torquatus population structure at Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong DAVID J. STANTON

47 NOTEBOOK Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher Vauriella gularis tackles large prey JAMES FITZSIMONS

49 NOTEBOOK Mysterious calls from the swamp: the song of the Vulnerable Swinhoe’s Rail Coturnicops exquisitus TOM WULF, WIELAND HEIM & ALEXANDER THOMAS

54 NOTEBOOK Changeable Hawk Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus ceylanensis nesting in association with Giant Honey Bees Apis dorsata UVINI SENANAYAKE, PRANEETH RATNAYAKE, SAHAN SIRIWARDENA & DINITH PATHIRGE

57 LITTLE-KNOWN AREA Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia: an emerging hotspot of avian endemism PHILIPPE VERBELEN, COLIN R. TRAINOR, VEERLE DOSSCHE & ROHAN FISHER

74 LITTLE-KNOWN AREA Virachey National Park, Ratanakiri province, north-east Cambodia HOWIE NIELSEN 82 IMPORTANT BREEDING RECORD Incubation strategy of Philippine Scrubfowl Megapodius cumingii on Manumpitaeng islet, North Sulawesi, Indonesia HANOM BASHARI, BUYUNG MANGANGUE & ASTRID MANGANGUE

86 IMPORTANT BREEDING RECORD New records of Critically Endangered Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini in 2016 indicate ongoing breeding success HE FEN-QI & JIANG HANG-DONG

88 CONSERVATION REPORT Release of confiscated raptors in Indonesia by Suaka Elang (Raptor Sanctuary): protocols and progress to date GUNAWAN, ZULHAM, HENDRY PRAMONO, DJAMALUDIN, ANNISA YUNIAR, KANTHI HARDINA, SRI MULYATI, KUSWANDONO & IKA KRISTIANA

94 CONSERVATION UPDATE Asian vulture crisis—some positive signs? CHRIS BOWDEN

96 CONSERVATION UPDATE Preparing for the first release of captive-bred White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis in Nepal KRISHNA PRASAD BHUSAL, DEVENDRA CHAPAGAIN & TOBY HEATH GALLIGAN

98 PHOTOSPOT Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii

100 LITTLE-KNOWN ASIAN BIRD Mantanani Scops Owl Otus mantananensis on Tambaron island, Mindoro, Philippines BRENDAN SLOAN

102 ID FORUM Which subspecies of Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela occurs on Bangka island, Sumatra, Indonesia? MUHAMMAD IQBAL, ZAHRIAL EFFENDI, CEPI MUHAMAD CAHADIYAT KURNIAWAN, ILHAM ISNANDI & DONI SETIAWAN

107 NOTEBOOK Migratory bird collisions with man-made structures in South-East Asia: a case study from Singapore BING WEN LOW, DING LI YONG, DAVID TAN, ALAN OWYONG & ALFRED CHIA

112 NOTEBOOK The third record of Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina for Sichuan, China, and possible evidence of breeding CHRIS GOODDIE & SID FRANCIS

114 FIELD STUDY Presumed courtship behaviour of the Cerulean Kingfisher Alcedo coerulescens IVAN MARTIN & ALEXANDER K. S. PUTERA

COUNTRY FIRSTS

116 The first record of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis for Nepal NARESH KUSI, TSHIRING LHAMU LAMA, PEMA RIKZIN LAMA & GERALDINE WERHAHN

117 First record of Brent Goose Branta bernicla for the Philippines LISA J. PAGUNTALAN, PHILIP GODFREY C. JAKOSALEM & RACHEL CASIO

118 First record of Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus for Mongolia BARKHASBAATAR ARIUNBAATAR, BAYARBAATAR BUUVEIBAATAR & AVIRMED OTGONSUREN

119 First record of Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola for Mongolia BAATARGAL OTGONBAYAR, SUURI BUYANDELGER & TSOLMONJAV PUREVSUREN

120 First record of Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum for Bhutan TSHERING TOBGAY

121 The first documented record of Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca for Bhutan PRASAD GANPULE

122 The first record of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica for Vietnam LE MANH HUNG, NGUYEN QUANG HUNG, GABRIEL W. J. LOW, KEREN R. SADANANDAN, WEN QING NG & FRANK E. RHEINDT

123 The first record of Vinaceous Rosefinch Carpodacus vinaceus from Vietnam LE MANH HUNG, BUI DUC TIEN, XUAN THANH & LA NHAT TAN

126 From the field

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