As of March 2024, our school eBird life list has finally reached 100! Our campus has now recorded 102 species in total. In the past year, three new species have been added to the campus life list, which we will introduce.

Black-collared Starling

On April 26, 2023, two black-collared starlings (Gracupica nigricollis) were spotted and photographed on top of a dawn redwood tree near the parking lot forest. An individual is spotted again flying over Zhongxing Lake along with some crested mynas. The black-collared starling is an uncommon resident in Shanghai, mainly feeding on insects and sometimes seeds and fruits. They are distinctive black-and-white starlings with yellow skin around their eyes. This new record marks the 100th species of birds on campus.

The Black-Collared Starling at the Parking Lot Forest, perched at the top of the dawn redwood tree.Photo: Chloe Gu

Osprey

On October 27, 2023, one osprey was sighted flying near the botanical garden and was spotted on campus. There were reports from the night prior of azure-winged magpies calling and vocalizing, which indicated the presence of raptors nearby. One osprey was sighted along with a grey-faced buzzard and an Oriental honey-buzzard near the main gate at Baise Road. The osprey, also known as the "fish hawk," is a relatively uncommon raptor in Shanghai. It is renowned for its remarkable fishing prowess and is usually habituated near bodies of water, plunging into water with precise accuracy to catch its prey.

The flying Osprey.Photo: Jonathan Hu

Bull-headed Shrike

On March 20 this year, a bull-headed shrike was spotted near the border of the dawn redwood forest in the early morning and quickly flew away. The bull-headed shrike is an uncommon passerine bird in Shanghai, and it mainly feeds on insects, often prowling on the ground for prey. The adult male can be recognized with its pale-bordered black mask, mostly gray back and wings, and a brightly-colored underside. 

A male Bull-Headed Shrike seen on the edge of the dawn redwood Forest.Photo: Chloe Gu

(Written/Pictures by Chloe Gu, Jonathan Hu        Supervised by Qiongyu Zeng   Reviewed by Qian Zuo)