03/01/2021
KILING - THE RED-NECKED MIGRANT
When I posted my photograph of the endemic Luzon Water Redstart last October 2020 (see the link below) and asked if it is the bird the Cordillerans call KILING, many answered that it is not. Almost all said that KILING is a red-necked bird that usually first appear in October and November, the start of the bird migration season.
With all those comments, we are now sure that KILING is the Siberian Rubythroat that migrates to the country and winters here from October to April-May. Yes, the bird indeed comes from Siberia where they usually spend their summer. In the Philippines, they usually are found in Luzon, except in Palawan, and sometimes in Panay and Negros islands. And in the Cordilleras, they are known as KILING.
There's a debate that the appearance of KILING, the migrant red-necked, is either before or after a strong typhoon. Some believe that its appearance is a sign that a strong typhoon is forthcoming, others believe that its appearance signals that typhoons have already passed or typhoons will no longer occur. Nevertheless, the appearance of KILING in the Cordilleras would mean the immediate harvesting of rice as typhoons, strong ones, might come and destroy the crops, and preparing the land for a new planting season.
Well, we photographed it yesterday, during our first birding sortie for 2021. If this January sighting is the basis, then the story that it's appearance usually occurs after the strong typhoons (which we have November to December 2020). But then again we all know that migration season starts October, so it can still be that it arrived during those times, and its appearance is a prelude to strong typhoons which we usually have November-December of every year.
I delayed my posting, hoping that my birding buddies Roy, Bert, Djop, Christian and Vinz would first post their shots. But nobody did so, so I am taking this opportunity to post mine, 28 hours after we have framed it.
Oh, by the way, when I cropped this shot to 12x18 inches size, I have to reduced my original size to about 50% in order to properly present this bird. First time I did this reduction. I usually enlarge my photos to fit in the standard 12x18 inches size. That's one of the features of Canon EOS R5 which boasts of a 45 megapixel file size.
Happy New Year! May we all have a covid-resistant, if not covid-free, year ahead of us! While health protocols and social distancing become a norm of our new life, our freedom of movement, of travel, of gathering, and of interaction is most cherished for 2021. Manigong Bagong Taon po!
Maraming salamat kay Victoria, Tarlac Mayor Christian Tell Yap, sa Victoria at Tarlac Tourism Offices, at sa mga wild bird photographers ng Tarlac at sa lahat ng tumulong kahapon. Thanks also to the owner of the area where we parked. It seems he is a nephew of Tito Caloy, the husband of Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones. He has fishponds and lots of sheeps and goats! Maraming salamat po!
SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT, Migratory
Canarem Lake, Victoria, Tarlac; January 2021
Canon EOS R5 + EF Adaptor + EF 400mm f/2.8 IS II USM + 2X III TC
ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/2500, Aperture Priority EV, Spot Metering, Reduced by 50%
https://www.facebook.com/haringibon.bif/photos/a.1193757540730341/3194905443948864/
https://www.facebook.com/haringibon.bif/photos/2981629698609774
