Tekkei [Bambusicola thoracica sonorivox]

Bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracica) is relative to pheasant and a naturalized species coming from China originally. Bamboo partridges were introduced in various places in Japan around 1920. When spring comes, they starts calling with vigorous voice "Tyotto-koy, tyotto-koy!" Since they get along in flocks in the woods, you can rarely see them even when walking around in the mountain.

One spring, I was taking photographs of pussy willows along a stream in Rokko mountains. Plenty of pussy willows with snowy white fuzz had grown on the river shore. Photographing downy fuzz shining with the spring sunlight, with listening the sound of the river water flowing and murmurous small birds' calls, made me feel simply happy.

Small and tiny long-tailed tits came there in a couple from time to time and pecked insects coming up to the pussy willows, again and again. They did not perch on the point I wanted them to be, but that gave me another pleasant. Having leisure and relaxed time at spring riverside is more important.

While I trudged along the mountain path on the way home, a sound came from bamboo grass thicket by the path. Rustle and rustle.... I stooped down and looked into the bush through binocular. Rustle and rustle.... Plump birds were walking in a group. One, two, three...five birds in total.

"Are they bamboo partridges?" It was odd, considering. The face was blue. Bamboo partridge should have reddish-brown cheeks. I observed them through binocular again. Their cheeks were blue, as I had looked first. "Ah, they were Tekkei!"

Tekkei, Bambusicola thoracica sonorivox, is a subspecies of bamboo partridge introduced from Taiwan and ranged only around Kobe in Japan. In contrast with the reddish-brown cheek of common bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracica), Tekkei has deadly blue cheeks, so looked sick due to the bad complexion. Descendants of the Tekkei that had been transported from Taiwan all the way and released at Kobe were strolling in front of my eyes.

"I get it. You are Tekkei!" My first Tekkei partridges crossed away the path in a troop. I do not know whether they noticed me or not. "Indeed...." That was in the second year after I had started to live in Kobe.

(March 5, 2000)