Lost bird or abandoned "pet"?

Now I've been told by a bird expert that this is an Oriental Pied Hornbill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Pied_Hornbill

Trouble is, this variety of bird is not native to Taiwan, although it may be found in Southern China. So it makes me wonder how it got out in the wild here in Taiwan.

We were doing a long walk through a stretch of farm land near the river in Xindian when we heard a loud banging sound. Drawn in the direction of a water tower perched on the 5th floor of a building, we saw this astounding bird.

A local passed by and looked at us starring at the bird and asked, "What kind of bird is that?"

Anyhow, here is the video. You can hear the banging sound after the motorcycle passes.

 I think there are a few possible explanations here:
 a) the bird is lost and somehow flew to Taiwan (unlikely as  its not a migration bird)
 b) it was brought in (smuggled in) as a pet and it got loose
 c)  it was brought in (smuggled in) as a pet and it was abandoned
 d) it escaped from a preserve or a zoo

Any other ideas?

The concept of having wild animals as pets is not uncommon in Taiwan. If you are interested, read more here about orangutans, wild boars and more:

http://blog.islaformosa.com/2008/06/orangutang-alert-and-other-strange.html

If you are a bird enthusiast, we saw the bird at the location on the map. You can see the water tower in Street View:

View Larger Map

Mynah Bird Clip

I was finally able to get a decent recording of the myna bird in my neighborhood. Check it out!

Mynah by islaformosa

This is the previous article:
http://blog.islaformosa.com/2007/09/myna-birds-taiwanese-sounds.html

Cat Hammock

These two cats were just loving this cat hammock, jostling for the better sleeping position.

From Blogger

Attack of the African Snails!

From Blogger

It was a slow week so it called for a sluggish story. East African Land Snails in Taiwan.

I have been surprised a few times in the concrete jungle of Taipei to find these rather large suckers crawling all over hedges at night (during the day they burry themselves in the earth). They are really big when compared to the tiny land snails we have back home in Canada so it makes them doubly striking to find in the middle of the city. I have accidentally stepped on a few of them crossing the sidewalks of Taipei and the feeling of their cracking shells is not unlike stepping on Xmas bulbs.

[Bushman has a good account of coming across one of these giant suckers]

At the time I just assumed that someone's meal had escaped and had managed to find another of its own to reproduce. I was wrong on both counts.

First, what, you say, are African snails doing here in Taiwan? Well they were probably accidentally introduced through trade. The problem is:

"They are a highly invasive species, and colonies can be formed from a single [...] individual. The species has established itself in Temperate Climates also, and in many places, release into the wild is illegal."

Furthermore:
"The Giant East African Snail is a simultaneous hermaphrodite."

It is this factor that makes it a pest. All it takes is one stray snail and the right environment for these snails to flourish into colonies.

Even so, Taiwanese have probably responded to the invasion by serving them on the dinner plate. Other infested countries have, though, tried control methods and haven't been so succesful:

"Suggested preventative measures must include strict quarantine measures to prevent introduction and further spread. Many methods have been tried to eradicate the Giant East African Snail. Generally, none of them have been effective except where implemented at the first sign of infestation. Methods include hand collecting, use of molluscicides, flame-throwers [!!!], and the failed attempts at biological control discussed below. In some regions, an effort has been made to promote use of the Giant East African Snail as a food resource, collecting the snails for food being seen as a method of controlling them. However, promoting a pest in this way is a controversial measure, as it may encourage the further deliberate spread of the snails."

wiki

So, although not dangerous, the snails are certainly pesky foreign guests whose numbers may or may not be welcome in Taiwan.

Myna bird's Taiwanese sounds

Meet Xiao Hei (Little Black). He's my father-in-law's bird. And a very special bird indeed.

First, he was found in the rafters of my parents-in-law's house under renovation.

Second, although a wild bird, he is quite fond of my father-in-law and, upon being released into the wild, will spend the afternoon in a tree with others like him only to return to his cage later on.

Third, Xiao Hei is a Myna bird. This kind of bird has a special mimicking ability. And this is where the real fun begins because Xiao Hei doesn't do the "Polly wants a cracker" routine. Xiao Hei does what birds in Taiwan usually hear. And that is cars and scooters!

He has two specialty sounds: scooters starting and car lock beeping. I have been fooled on many occasions as he truly does a smashing imitation of the real thing! I have even gone out into the street thinking someone was leaving or someone had just parked their car only to find that it was just Xiao Hei sitting lonely in his cage!

I'd like to make a recording of it if I get the chance and upload it. Stay tuned!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna_bird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_Myna