This is a completely new story. It’s all about a new day, new life, and how these rainforest babies grow up to be big and strong in the rainforest.

In the tropical rainforest, new life emerges with every dawn. A female Light-vented Bulbul has been sitting on her nest for a very long time as she incubates her eggs, but now she must venture out to find food to replenish her energy. Every time she leaves the nest, the safety of the eggs is at risk and their temperature begins to drop, so she has to get back as soon as possible. When a heavy downpour begins, the mama bird hurries home to shield her young from the wind and rain with her own small body.

A Light-vented Bulbul feeds her chicks. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

After the downpour ends, the rainforest comes alive once more. In the underbrush, a female Hainan Hill Partridge takes her chicks for a forest outing. They follow closely behind their mother, learning how to forage. The Hainan Hill Partridge is an endemic Hainan species under national Class I protection in China. They have a nearly completely black head, white ear feathers, a red throat, a black mottled pattern on the upper body, and white stripes along the flanks. Their two-note call echoes the sound of their Chinese name - zhegu, zhegu!

A Light-vented Bulbul nest. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

During the breeding season, these birds often travel in pairs. The male bird begins to sing: “ge-ge” and the female replies: “zhe-gu, zhe-gu!” The male responds: “ge-gu, ge-gu,” and the duet goes on from there.

After the Light-vented Bulbul chicks leave the nest. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

Nearby, a female Hainan Peacock Pheasant is also teaching her chicks to search carefully among the fallen leaves. These are a national Class I protected species as well, and only found in Hainan. They have a small crest, and the gray-rimmed eye spots on the tail measure less than 15 mm in diameter.

An immature Hainan Silver Pheasant. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

A male peacock pheasant has also arrived on the scene. He He spreads his magnificent tail feathers to court the female, but she’s completely focused on foraging and protecting her young, rendering her immune to his charms.

A female Hainan Peacock Pheasant forages with her young. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

Elsewhere, a pair of adult Hainan Silver Pheasants are on the move with their more mature chicks. Their fuller wings and larger bodies show their growing independence. The fragile little bulbul chicks have also now grown wings and begun to explore the world outside the nest.

Hainan Hill Partridge chicks. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

Hainan Hill Partridges and their young forage. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

An adult male Hainan Silver Pheasant. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)

A male Hainan Peacock Pheasant spreads his tail feathers. (Photo: This is Hainan: Discovering Mysteries crew)