Formosan Magpie

Formosan Magpie

Formosan Magpie

Urocissa caerulea

Endemic

An elongated (63–69 cm) blue magpie.  The long tail accounts for some 40 cm of this length.  The body plumage is rich azure-blue, with black head, neck, throat and breast, red beak and feet, and yellow iris.  Two very long white-tipped feathers protrude from the tail.

Like other members of the corvidae family (crows, jays and magpies), Formosan Magpies are intelligent.  They live in deciduous hill forests at low and middle elevations up to 1800m, but sometimes descending as low as 50 m in winter. The breeding season is April to August.A social breeder; their shallow nests are constructed of twigs, placed in tall trees.Clutch size 4–7 eggs.Formosan Magpies feed on a variety of foods, including fruits, insects, lizards, snakes, bird's eggs, birds, and small mammals.  They especially like papayas, persimmons, and other fruits, when they can find them.  They give a metallic call of "ge-- kang, kang, kang."Parties of Formosan Magpies often fly in the so-called "long-tailed formation," with each bird flying one after the other in a magnificent troop.Relatively uncommon to locally common through their main range. Absent from cleared western lowlands.Local common name: long-tailed mountain lady.

http://www.birdingintaiwan.org/Birdsintwn/formosan_blue_magpie.htm

Taipei Green Tree Frog

Taipei Green Tree Frog

Profile

Scientific name: Rhacophorus taipeianus

Features:

The Taipei green tree frog is a medium-sized species roughly 3-4cm long.

Their bodies vary from green to light green in color and can change according to their environment and breeding conditions. Their undersides are yellow with no flecks, and their eyes have silver-gray irises with a slightly green tint. When motionless, the edges of the Taipei green tree frog's body will usually turn white. Tadpoles are dark green.

Behavior:

Taipei green tree frogs are usually found in the weeds bordering rivers, on farmland containing moist soil, and in muddy bushes near streams, ponds, and freshwater swamps. Their mating season occurs between winter and spring, usually from around October of one year until April the following year. The frog's croaking call sounds a lot like a duck's "quack" and can often be heard on cold, drizzly winter nights. As one of the few species of tree frog to breed in the winter, Taipei green tree frogs dig holes in which to make nests and lay their eggs, which are foamy in appearance. After the eggs have been laid, the nests are then covered with a thin layer of mud to conceal and protect them. Adult frogs feed primarily on arachnids and insects found on the ground.

Habitat:

Taipei green tree frogs are endemic to Taiwan and inhabit low to middle altitude areas north of Nantou County.

http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/ecology/English/animals_e/LowAnimals_e/LowAnimals23_e.htm