What a wonderful bird with a singing voice that calls the morning light and red ears that chirp!

A bird's eye view of science

Quanzhou Association for Science and Technology

Quanzhou Bird Watching Society

Editor's Note

The ecosystem is like a grand and exquisite symphony. In this song of nature, birds, with their agile posture, colorful feathers and pleasant singing, have become one of the most eye-catching notes. Popular science protects the green home. Quanzhou Association for Science and Technology, together with the Quanzhou Birdwatching Society, has launched a new special science column "Bird's Eye Science", which publishes bird science knowledge from time to time, selects and broadcasts student essays and paintings, guides the public to participate in ecological education, pays attention to bird protection and research, and jointly maintains ecological balance. There are carefully drawn bird paintings, which outline their beautiful contours with artistic brushstrokes; there are high-definition and realistic bird pictures, showing them flying, foraging, and playing in the forest, interpreting the vitality and agility of life. Let us walk into the bird world full of wonders and surprises and explore their unique value in the ecosystem.

Red-eared BulbulPhotographer: Chen Wensen

Red-eared BulbulPhotographer: Cui Qiyan

Essay appreciation : " The World Through the Eyes of Birds "

2023 Luojiang District Essay and Painting Competition

Author: Wong Kam Man

Grade 5, Hongde Primary School, Luojiang District

/ Instructor Lai Senshui/

My family lives near Luoyang Bridge, so observing egrets has become a daily routine. Walking on Luoyang Bridge, the morning breeze blows on my cheeks, and a cool feeling comes over me. All around are the rushing Luoyang River and the lush mangroves. The breeze blows, and the river ripples. Suddenly, a few white dots come into view, like white flowers blooming among the green trees. Why are the little flowers moving? I look closely, oh! It turns out to be a group of naughty egrets. "How many springs have the erythrina flowers bloomed, how many years have the East and West Towers faced each other, how many people have walked across the Luoyang Bridge, how many ships have sailed out of Quanzhou Bay, and now it's my turn to walk on the bridge..." After reading this article by Grandpa Yu Guangzhong, I closed the page, but those words are still lingering in my mind. With my curiosity and longing for Luoyang Bridge, accompanied by the sunset that has already dyed the sky light crimson, I walked along the Luoyang Bridge with my family, savoring the nature and beauty of Luoyang Bridge.
I am a little bird, flying freely in the blue sky and white clouds every day. Have you ever thought about what kind of world is in the eyes of a bird? Now, follow me and take a look!

When you reach the treetops, you can see green leaves swaying in the wind like boats, and beautiful flowers under the trees, red, yellow, and purple, blooming beautifully in the sun and dancing in the wind. In the distance, little bugs are playing and chasing freely among the flowers, which is really fun.

Next, we came to the lake. The lake water was clear and transparent, like a mirror. Under the clear lake surface, the fish were swimming happily. A beautiful dragonfly was sitting on the lotus leaf next to it, swaying left and right, chasing its own shadow. There was a huge mushroom on the shore, and a little frog was standing on it, looking for food. The world in the eyes of birds is really wonderful!

After flying over the mountains, we came to a vast field. The grass on the field was green and dancing in the wind. A cute little rabbit jumped around in the grass, chasing its own happiness. In the middle of the field, cabbages were waving at you! Have you ever thought about how tempting cabbages are in the eyes of birds? Looking at their tender green leaves, which have not been picked by humans, I always can't help but want to fly down to taste them.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew and I flew to a beautiful and mysterious place - the forest. In the forest, there were birds singing and flowers blooming, and the animals lived happily. Look, the pine cones on the pine tree were swaying. It turned out that they had become food for a family of squirrels. The little squirrels jumped for joy and fell from the tree, picked up the pine cones and ran away. They were so naughty and cute. Clusters of wild flowers dotted the forest by the river. They swayed their petals and exuded a faint fragrance, attracting many bees and butterflies to come and collect nectar.

Time passed quickly, the sun secretly hid behind the clouds, and the sapphire sky had turned into a fiery hot sky. I flew out of the forest and saw the bright lights of the city. The streets were bustling with traffic. The busy roads and colorful neon lights formed a sea of ​​lights in the city. I felt a little strange, but the city also brought me some gains. In the trash cans on the street, I could always find some leftovers, which were my delicious food.

Whether it is the flowers on the treetops, the water by the lake, or the small animals in the fields, they all bring me endless joy. In my world, there is no dullness or monotony, only joy and happiness, and I am on the road of chasing my dreams every day.

Paintings . " Protecting Birds and Living in Harmony " 2023 Luojiang District Essay and Painting Competition

Author: Su Yuhan, Class 203, Majia Central Primary School, Luojiang District

/ Instructor Wu Weixia/

Popular Science Extension : Red-eared Bulbul Scientific name: Pycnonotus jocosus

Passeriformes Bulbulidae

The Red-eared Bulbul has brown upperparts with darker wings and tail, and grayish-white underparts with brown flanks . The crest is sharp and often erect, with a white lower cheek bordered by black; the throat is white with fine black mustache markings. There is a tuft of shiny red hair behind the eye that resembles a beard. The tail feathers are white-tipped, with all but the central pair of tail feathers tipped white; the undertail coverts are red. The bill, legs, and feet are black, and the iris is dark brown. The Red-eared Bulbul is similar in both sexes, but the crest is shorter and browner in juveniles, the red ear feathers are lacking, the breast ring is weaker, and the undertail coverts are pink to orange-rufous.

Red-eared Bulbul prefers lightly wooded areas , such as thickets, orchards, forest edges and open forests. They often move in pairs or small groups, living in woods, thickets near villages and farmlands, and even town parks. They feed mainly on fruits, berries, flowers and grass seeds, and also eat insects and larvae.