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Sunny Zhang Wildlife, West Vancouver, BC (2026)

02/01/2022

Birds in the photo: Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus). Click on each photo to read about the location and date :)

When Eastern birders travel to the Western States/Provinces, they might usually go for birds like Varied Thrush, California Scrub-Jay, Steller's Jay, Golden-crowned Sparrow etc., but as a West Coast birder, **in my opinion**, Bushtits are one of the more underrated western NA birds. When I go out on a birding trip in Metro Vancouver, I would usually ignore them because of how easy it is to find flocks of 10-20 of them as well as their plain grayish-brown colorations, but once I get to see and photograph one up-close, I can stare at the pictures for a while and become obsessed their cuteness. They are also the only member of Aegithalidae that are found in the Americas.

Bushtits are found in the Southwestern-most part of Canada (Mainland BC and Vancouver Island), Western and Southwestern US, Mexico, and Guatemala, and according to eBird, they are rarely seen in locations far away from their native range. Their nests are bag-like and are consisted of materials such as spider silk, feathers, furs, and plant matter. Both males and females are involved in the nest-building process.

How to find one in Metro Vancouver: When you're walking in a forest or urban area with lots of trees and other greenery and see a flock of small brown-gray "lollipops" with no distinct markings, then those birds would be Bushtits. They're not super hard to find, but they are very hard to photograph, as they move around very, very frequently.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithalidae

01/06/2022

Click on each photo to learn a little more about each of the three North American scoter species. November-March is the time of the year that I would call Weird Duck Month!

12/12/2021

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius). Vancouver BC. December 2021.

Varied Thrush are native to Western North America from Alaska to Northwestern Mexico. They can be identified by their orange belly, dark head and back with an orange "eyebrow", olive-colored crescent patterns on their flanks, orange on the wingbars and near the wingtips, and b&w patches on their undertail coverts.

Their diet changes depending on the season. In spring and summer, they consume mainly arthropods whereas in fall and winter, fruits such as berries become a main part of their diet. The ones in the photos were attracted to the berries on the tree and were actively feeding on them.

Of all the winter birds here, the Varied Thrush is my favorite because of their vibrant colors and also their peaceful songs. When viewed from a distance, they can be tricky to tell apart from American Robins because of structural similarities. I would really just sit under a tree and wait for the birds to slowly move towards somewhere where the lighting is just good enough to reveal the plumage, and when I see a Varied Thrush, I can tell that it is one and then I start smashing the shutter button.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae

10/11/2021

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) (Captive). National Aquarium. Photo taken in January 2018.

Canadian Thanksgiving's Day post! The Wood Turtle is a species native to Eastern Canada and the US. In Canada, they are found in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. In the US, they have a relatively larger range, stretching from Minnesota east to Maryland and Pennsylvania and northeast to Maine.

Wood Turtles inhabit wetlands with rivers, streams, and deep pools. They nest in sand as well as gravel substrates. They feed on plants, fungi, and small invertebrates.

The Wood Turtle is now listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. In 2018, Wood Turtle populations were assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and were listed as threatened by the Specied At Risk Act. Wood Turtles are mainly threatened by habitat fragmentation and conversion. Wood Turtles produce 3-20 eggs per clutch and do not reach maturity until 14-18 yrs old. Given their low productivity and slow growth, road kill, machinery injuries, and loss of available habitat can be particularly concerning. Additionally, overharvesting of Wood Turtles for the pet trade also poses a threat.

IIRC in the National Aquarium, the Wood Turtles are part of the Maryland: Mountains to the Sea exhibit, where you can also find American Bullfrogs, Diamonback Terrapins, and other specied native to Maryland and nearby states.

Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae

08/12/2021

Wild Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) juveniles resting on a buoy in the middle of the Strait of Georgia (near Sunshine Coast). July 2021 with Prince of Whales Whale Watching. Thank you for such an awesome trip!

The eastern population of Steller Sea Lions experienced a decline in the 1970s with competition for food and pollution being two of the main threats, but because of effective conservation measures, the eastern population recovered dramatically and in 2013, it was delisted from the Endangered Species Act.

Steller Sea Lions can live up to 30 years. The males are bigger and heavier than females.

Order: Carnivora
Family: Otariidae

08/02/2021

Hong Kong Warty Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) 香港瘰螈 in the Vancouver Aquarium. August 2017. It's cool that the aquarium has this species in the Frogs Forever gallery.

The Hong Kong Warty Newt is native to all of Hong Kong and the province of Guangdong in Southern China. They are nocturnal and are typically found in slow-flowing, clear mountain streams or deep pools with lots of vegetation and abundant cover. Males are around 10-12cm long whereas females are 12-14cm long.

The diet of adult Hong Kong Warty Newts consists mainly of aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and plant materials but may sometimes feed on larvae and eggs of its own species. The larvae will also feed on each other.

Hong Kong Warty Newts are classed as Near Threatened due to habitat loss, habitat degredation caused by hydropower and pollution, and illegal harvesting for the pet trade and medicinal purposes.

Order: Caudata
Family: Salamandridae

07/30/2021

The Shadowcat

Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) at the National Aquarium in Baltimore MD. January 2018.

Redtail Catfish are native to the Amazon, Essequibo, and Orinoco River basins in South America and are usually bottom dwellers. They have these super long whiskers that help them smell food. Due to their large size, indigenous peoples living in the Amazon Rainforest would catch and harvest their meat. Outside of their native range, Redtail Catfish are often kept as pets by fishkeeping enthusiasts. Redtail Catfish have been introduced to Florida but the population isn't believed to be sustainable.

The diet of Redtail Catfish includes fish and invertebrates. They also consume terrestrially-derived food such as fallen fruits. The Tennessee Aquarium describes that RTC hunt prey by probing or ambushing them.

Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae

07/16/2021

World Snake Day!!

Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus) at the Vancouver Aquarium. December 2016, which seems like a long time ago.

Emerald Tree Boas are native to Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Colombia, and Brazil. They spend a lot of time in the forest canopy and occasionally come to the ground to sunbath (bask).

Emerald Tree Boas are carnivorous and often feed on small mammals and small reptiles. They are also one of the typical preys of the Crested Eagles.

At the aquarium, you can see them in the Graham Amazon Gallery.

Order: Squamata
Family: Boidae

03/21/2021

World Frogs Day (I’m also making an invasive species awareness post).

Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) (captive) in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France. August 2018.

Cane Toads are native to the Americas from the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas to Peru in South America. They have been introduced to Australia in the 1930s for pest control purposes. Their populations have been expanding ever since and they eventually became one of the worst invasive species there.

Cane Toads are a large toad that reaches an average length of 10-15cm. When Cane Toads are threatened, they release toxin from their parotid glands behind their eyes to kill their predators. Cane Toads prey on insects, small amphibians and reptiles, small birds, and small mammals. During breeding season, ground-nesting birds such as Rainbow Bee-Eaters are often outcompeted and their eggs and youngs are consumed by Cane Toads. Cane Toads are highly adaptive and can survive in both natural and urban environments. A typical female Cane Toad produces around 8000 to 30000 eggs per clutch while most native frogs in Australia produce 1000-2000. Cane Toads can live from 5-15 years. All of these traits make them an effective invader.

Cane Toads are a good example of why introducing species for short-term gains is not a good idea.

Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae

03/11/2021

Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) at the Bloedel Conservatory Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver BC. March 2021.

When talking about countries with high bird species diversity, Australia often comes to people’s minds. One of the most beautiful Australian species is the Gouldian Finch. Their colorations really brighten up my day. There are also the black-headed and yellow-headed variants of this species.

Gouldian Finches are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List mainly due to fire supression which results in altered fire regimes. Altered fire regimes lead to habitat destruction and fluctuation of seed availability so Gouldian Finches could have harder access to food. With climate change, it is expected that high intensity fires would occur more frequently and reduce water availability during dry seasons. As a species that lives near a water source, they might not benefit from these climate impacts.

Gouldian Finches are highly social species. In the wild, they often congregate in groups and would travel depending on changes food and water abundance.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae

03/04/2021

It was World Wildlife Day yesterday and I forgot to post😮😮😮

This bird is a Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) Chinese: 紅嘴相思鳥. The photo was taken in the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver BC on March 3rd 2021. Bloedel Conservatory

The Red-billed Leiothrix is one of my favorite birds native to Eastern Asia. My first time seeing a Red-billed Leiothrix was back in August 2007 while hiking in the Huangshan Mountains in the province of Anhui in Southeastern China. They can be found in most parts of Southern and Southeastern China. Outside of China, they are native to Northern Vietnam, Northern Myanmar, Northern India, Northern Pakistan, Bhutan, and Nepal. As a popular pet bird, it has been introduced to and have established feral populations in Hawaii, Southern Japan, France, Spain, and Italy.

In the wild, these birds are common in the undergrowth of forests and tolerate a wide range of elevations. Some have been recorded at more than 2000 meters above sea level.

Red-billed Leiothrixes are omnivorous and feed on fruits as well as insects.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Leiothrichidae

02/18/2021

I visited the Bloedel Conservatory again after two years and was quite surprised to find out that a Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus) has been added to their avian collection!

Superb Starlings are native to Eastern African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. Introduced populations have established in the UAE.

As their name suggests, Superb Starlings are a starling and related to the European Starling, but are much more colorful.

Superb Starlings are found in grasslands, forests, and dry woodland habitats. They are also seen in urban and suburban environments.

Like European Starlings, Superb Starlings feed on insects and fruits.

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae

Photo taken in the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver BC. February 2021.

Sunny Zhang Wildlife

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