The place
Mai Po Nature Reserve, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, China. On the shore of Deep Bay, Mai Po’s mudflats, mangroves and traditional gei wai shrimp ponds make it one of the most important wetlands on the East Asian flyway. I made this frame mid-morning in March 2018.
The shot
The bulbul landed on a mossy branch and stood tall, its spiky black crest raised straight up. Against soft green bokeh, every detail of it was sharp: the red whisker patch behind the eye, the clean white cheek and the flash of red under its tail.
The bird
A bulbul of the family Pycnonotidae, the Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) lives from sea level to about 2,000 m, in habitats BirdLife lists from forest and shrubland to rural gardens and urban areas.
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, last assessed 2024); its population size has not been quantified, and BirdLife reports the trend as decreasing. Source: BirdLife International