J Ornithol (2014) 155:347–356 DOI 10.1007/s10336-013-1009-5 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Rediscovery of an enigmatic Chinese passerine, the Blackthroat Calliope obscura: plumage, vocalizations, distribution, habitat choice, nesting and conservation Gang Song • Per Alstro¨m • Yongwen Zhang • Xuebin Gao • Huisheng Gong • Paul I. Holt • Qing Quan • Zuohua Yin • Fumin Lei Received: 23 January 2013 / Revised: 15 April 2013 / Accepted: 16 September 2013 / Published online: 23 October 2013 Ó Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2013 Abstract The Blackthroat (or Blackthroated Blue Robin) that it is more numerous than previously believed, although Calliope obscura (previously Luscinia obscura) is one of it appears to be highly localized. The locally dense popu- the world’s rarest ‘‘robins’’. It is extremely poorly known, lations found in 2011 and 2012 and the vast expanses of with only a handful of records since it was firstly described suitable habitat suggest that the breeding population might in the 1890s. In 2011–2012, a series of field investigations be healthy. were carried out in nature reserves in the Qinling Moun- tains, Shaanxi Province, China. During these surveys, a Keywords Blackthroat Á Breeding habitat Á total of 14 males were found in 2011 and 24 males and 2 Conservation Á Qinling Mountains females in 2012 in the national nature reserves of Foping and Changqing. Based on these observations, we here Zusammenfassung describe the Blackthroat’s vocalizations and habitat choice and review its distribution and conservation status. We also Wiederentdeckung eines ra¨tselhaften chinesischen provide some notes on the plumage, especially of the Sperlingsvogels, der Schwarzkehlnachtigall Calliope female, and the nesting behaviour of this species. The obscura: Gefieder, Lauta¨ußerungen, Verbreitung, present report confirms that the Blackthroat breeds on the Habitatwahl, Nisten und Schutz southern slope of the Qinling Mountains in large, dense expanses of dwarf bamboo with scattered coniferous and Die Schwarzkehlnachtigall Calliope obscura (ehemals broadleaved trees above 2,100 m. Our observations suggest Luscinia obscura) ist einer der weltweit seltensten Schna¨pperverwandten. U¨ ber diese Art ist sehr wenig be- kannt, und es gibt nur eine Handvoll Berichte seit der Communicated by J. Fjeldsa˚. Erstbeschreibung in den 1890ern. In 2011–2012 wurde eine Reihe von Felduntersuchungen in Naturschutzgebieten im G. Song and P. Alstro¨m contributed equally. G. Song Á P. Alstro¨m Á Q. Quan Á Z. Yin Á F. Lei (&) X. Gao Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, No. 88, Xingqing Road, Xi’an Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen 710032, China West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China e-mail: [email protected] H. Gong Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve, Foping 723400, China P. Alstro¨m(&) Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of P. I. Holt Agricultural Sciences, Box 7007, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden Bracken Dean, Pendleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1PT, UK e-mail: [email protected] Q. Quan Y. Zhang University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, Shaanxi Changqing National Nature Reserve, Yangxian 723300, China China 123 348 J Ornithol (2014) 155:347–356 Qinling-Gebirge in der chinesischen Shaanxi-Provinz 1899; Collar 2005) (Fig. 1; Table 1). In the late nineteenth durchgefu¨hrt. Wa¨hrend dieser Untersuchungen wurden in and early twentieth centuries, about ten individuals were den nationalen Naturschutzgebieten Foping und Changqing collected at two localities in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces 2011 insgesamt 14 Ma¨nnchen gefunden und 2012 during the breeding season (May–August), and breeding 24 Ma¨nnchen und zwei Weibchen. Auf der Grundlage was confirmed at the Gansu site. Since then, there have dieser Beobachtungen beschreiben wir hier Lauta¨ußerungen been very few records of this species. The records have und Habitatwahl der Schwarzkehlnachtigall, pru¨fen ihre come from the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China Verbreitung und ihren Schutzstatus und machen einige and from Thailand (Fig. 1; Table 1). Those from China are Anmerkungen zum Gefieder, insbesondere bei den Weib- mostly from the presumed breeding area, except those from chen, und zum Nistverhalten. Der vorliegende Bericht Yunnan province, China and those from Thailand, which besta¨tigt, dass die Schwarzkehlnachtigall auf dem Su¨dhang were birds in wintering areas or on migration (Ripley and des Qinling-Gebirges in großen, dichten Zwergbambusfla¨- King 1966; Cheng et al. 1995; Collar et al. 2001; Bjo¨rn chen mit vereinzelten Nadel- und Laubba¨umen oberhalb Anderson, pers. comm; Wei and He 2011). A few indi- von 2,100 m bru¨tet. Unsere Beobachtungen lassen darauf viduals have also recently been found in bird markets in schließen, dass sie ha¨ufiger ist als bislang angenommen, China (Wei and He 2011) (Fig. 1; Table 1). It is listed as obwohl ihr Auftreten anscheinend o¨rtlich stark begrenzt ist. Vulnerable by IUCN (IUCN 2012), and human-induced Die lokal dichten Populationen, die 2011 und 2012 gefun- deforestation and habitat fragmentation are believed to be den wurden, und die großen Fla¨chen geeigneten Habitats major threats (Collar et al. 2001). As there are so few deuten darauf hin, dass die Brutpopulation gesund sein records of Blackthroats in its breeding grounds, next to ko¨nnte. nothing is known about its breeding habitat requirements and other ecological characteristics. We here report on the discovery of breeding populations Introduction of Blackthroat at two localities in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi province, China in 2011 and 2012. We describe ‘‘Robins’’ (e.g. genera Luscinia, Erithacus, Tarsiger, Calli- the species’ vocalizations, some plumage aspects, includ- ope) are small passerine birds which, as a group, are widely ing the poorly known female plumage, breeding habitat, distributed in the Old World from northernmost Europe to and breeding biology. We also review its distribution, and southernmost Africa and across the temperate parts of Asia discuss its conservation status. (Dickinson 2003; Collar 2005). Recent molecular phyloge- netic analyses have shown that robins do not form a mono- phyletic group but are instead members of different clades Methods containing other chats (Cinclidium, Myiomela and Hodgso- nius), forktails (Enicurus), whistling thrushes (Myophonus), Study area shortwings (Brachypteryx), robin-chats (Cossypha) and others within the family Muscicapidae (Sangster et al. 2010; We visited six nature reserves in the Qinling Mountains Zuccon and Ericson 2010). Most species are sexually (Fig. 2). Four of these are national nature reserves (Zhouzhi, dimorphic, with distinct male plumages and cryptically Laoxiancheng, Foping and Changqing), one is a key nature colored females, inhabit undergrowth in forests, feeding reserve of Shaanxi province (Pingheliang) and the sixth is a mostly on invertebrates on the ground, and are generally nature forest park (Honghegu). Honghegu, Zhouzhi and rather secretive (Collar 2005). Some northerly breeding Laoxiancheng are primarily located at the northern slopes of species are migratory, wintering thousands of kilometers the Qinling Mountains, Foping and Changqing are on the south of their breeding areas. Two robins, the European southern slopes, whereas Pingheliang is a ridge platform on Robin Erithacus rubecula and Common Nightingale Lusci- the eastern edge of the Qinling Mountains. All of these nature nia megarhynchos, are well known in Europe (Lack 1965; reserves have large vertical ranges, and the vegetation con- Cramp 1988; Collar 2005), whereas others, such as the sists of coniferous as well as broadleaved forests with an Rufous-headed Robin Larvivora ruficeps and Blackthroat abundance of understorey plants. Calliope obscura, are extremely poorly known (Collar et al. 2001; Collar 2005). Field survey and previous records As implied by its name, the male Blackthroat has a black throat and breast, and adult and at least some first-summer During 25 May to 19 June 2011, PA, HG, XG, FL, GS, ZY males are also black on the side of the head. The species and YZ visited 6 nature reserves in the Qinling Mountains, was first observed in 1886 in Gansu province, north central Shaanxi province, China (Fig. 2). During 16–20 May as China (Berezowski and Bianchi 1891; Dresser and Morgan well as 9–10 June 2012, PIH visited Foping, with the 123 J Ornithol (2014) 155:347–356 349 specific aim to study the Blackthroat. In Foping and juvenile) in total (Fig. 1; Table 1). However, some of these Changqing, XG and YZ carried out a series of field surveys records are ‘‘in litt.’’ and lack proper documentation. The for the Blackthroat from April to July 2012, respectively. first record, from August 1886, is the only confirmed In each of these reserves, we surveyed different habitats breeding record. It involved four adult males and four with elevations that were as low to as high as possible. The unfledged juveniles that were observed in Minxian, Gansu highest elevations reached were 2,750 m a.s.l. (Honghegu), Province (Berezowski and Bianchi 1891; Deditius 1897; 2,000 m a.s.l. (Laoxiancheng), 2,000 m a.s.l. (Zhouzhi), Dresser and Morgan 1899). The most recent observation 2,550 m a.s.l. (Foping), 2,740 m a.s.l. (Changqing), and from a potential breeding site is from Sichuan, where a 2,095 m a.s.l. (Pingheliang). The survey routes were male was observed on 2–3 June 2007 (Bjo¨rn Anderson, mostly along roads or forest trails and all birds along those pers. comm.). Three of