"In this season, the bird usually make its signature fast drumming sound, a very sharp, quick knocking on wood, to attract its mate," says bird-lover Zhao.
Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. If you spot one with a bigger red patch on the crown of its head, it's likely to be a young bird.
This clever bird is quite shy and often tries to hide around the other side of a tree. Although rarely seen on the ground, the great spotted woodpecker will visit bird tables and peanut feeders.
White-browed Chinese Warbler
A loud and sweet twitter "chee-anh, chee-anh" usually echoes around Huairou reservoir.
Beijing bird watchers locate the white-browed Chinese Warbler through this distinctive cry. With black stripes on the back, this species, which is a typical bird of north China, has a body length of less than 20 cm.
Usually found in thick undergrowth, the bird is also called a long-tail wolf, for it flies low and fast while trailing a straight and long tail behind it.
Snowy-browed Chinese Nuthatch
The Fragrant Hills offer an ideal woodland for Chinese nuthatches, who live there around the year. The compact birds, 11.5 cm long, have a distinct head marking, a cool black eye stripe, with a contrasting white "eyebrow".
Like woodpeckers, they forage along tree trunks and branches, and sometimes nest in the cavities abandoned by woodpeckers. However, they rely on their strong legs and feet to progress in jerky hops instead of on tails for support.
They are able to descend head-first and hang upside-down beneath twigs and branches. Nuthatches are very vocal, using mellow whistles like "wip, wip", and raucous trills like "schraa".
Ibisbill Beijing
The Ibisbill often triggers heated discussion among Beijing's bird watchers.
The Tanghe River in Huairou district is the best place to see this mysterious bird, which prefers being alone. Many watchers spend days hoping for a glimpse of this lonely worker foraging along the river and hear its ringing "klew-klew", but often in vain. The adult is grey with a round white belly and down-curved bill. The young ones lack the black on the face and breast, and the bill is duller.
By Cheng Anqi
Editor: Wen Yi
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