RFP for Bird Description

Bird Description – Content Creation

 

V.0.3.0-20220425

What's this content for?

This writing task is to create general introduction of birds. On each bird’s content page, this is the first section directly talking about the birds, it is a “first impression” section. Try your best to make this section interesting and accurate, draw the first impression of the bird to the audience.

We don’t want this content to list physical information or scientific descriptions like many bird watching sites do. The most important thing is try to narrow the distance between unfamiliar birds’ names and the amateur readers.

Requirement

一、General Requirements:

  1. Word Count: Each description should consist of around 50 words. But it is OK to run slightly longer if all the information is important.
  2. Pattern: We’d like to have our description consisted of 2 parts. Start with (1) a one-sentence introduction to species (type of bird, habitat, approximate size, and/or distinctive features), then (2) detail 2-3 facts about this species.
  3. Interesting: Other than general introduction, each description should consist of 2 or 3 facts in different directions. Some facts are considered to be interesting (Goto section 2. what is an interesting fact?), try to include as much as possible.
  4. Avoid Formulaic Expression: Try to change the choice of content and expression in the facts section appropriately, preventing similar content with a similar structure from appearing repeatedly within one working set.
  5. Avoid simple listing: including but not limited to geographical distribution and habitat. Try to use generalized terms, e. g., we should use “Northeast Asia” instead of “Japan, Korea, Inner Mongolia, and Russian Far East”. A simple listing of more than 3 items (countries, habitats) at one time is NOT ALLOWED.
  6. Specific: Try to find the most characteristic facts about the target bird to build the description. Avoid information that lacks distinctiveness.
  7. Balanced: Do not let any single fact take up too much space in one description.

二、What is an Interesting Fact?

  1. Facts that are related to our daily lives or importance to ecosystems are considered interesting (Dos):
  • Practical uses like food (common poultry), pet (common commercial pets), hunting, clothing and fashion, etc.;
  • Symbolic uses in art, music, literature, etc.;
  • Name story;
  • Most …. (world records in any direction)
  • Notable behaviours for amateurs; (like an Australian brushturkey hatches its eggs with a mound, common cuckoo lays eggs in the nest of other birds, etc.)
  • Preferred habitats and nesting environments, a.k.a. “where can you find them”;
  • Harm to garden plants, crops, etc.;
  • Importance to the local ecosystem;
  • Is it an endangered species? Why is it threatened?
  • Invasive that threatens local ecosystems and biodiversity;
  • How to attract it to your garden (if it is a popular species).

    2.   These facts are considered NOT interesting (Not Suggested):

  • Simply mention the place of origin or distribution (only in some limited conditions will it be considered as interesting, such as when it is highly endangered and the distribution is why is it endangered; or declare the usage in a native garden, etc.)
  • Morphological description and measurements. (unless it is very uncommon in the animal world, or directly related to its usage, behaviour or so.)

     3.    Do not mention these pieces of information (Don’ts)

  • Please DO NOT discuss the edibility of species other than common poultry. DO NOT discuss the pet use of species other than the commercial ones that have a mature artificial breeding system. Unless you are trying to state the threat of poaching.
  • Scientific synonym, alternative common name. These names are listed in our system in another section, please DO NOT mention them unless there’s an interesting name story behind it.
  • Taxonomy information is neither interesting to common readers nor can it be wrong (because of the taxonomy system that has changed frequently recently), please DO NOT mention it here.
Special Attentions
  • Use common names instead of Latin names whenever possible
  • Italicize any Latin words that appear (e.g., genus names, etc.)
Sample Descriptions

1. Light-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus sinensis (42 words)

Light-vented bulbul is a medium-sized, noisy songbird, commonly seen in the urban and suburbs. It adapts well to the urban environment, so its range is spreading quickly as urbanization progresses. Light-vented bulbul causes damages to the crops in China and South Japan.

2. Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis (53 words)

Northern cardinal is a common medium-sized songbird, named for the male’s vivid red color which resembles a cardinal’s red robe and cap. Northern cardinal is territorial, the male sings to defend its territory. And interestingly, it always mistakes its images on reflective surfaces as another invading male and will fight his reflection relentlessly.

3. Red-billed Leiothrix | Leiothrix lutea (46 words)

Red-billed leiothrix is a medium-sized babbler. It is an excellent singer, extremely active, and often in small groups. But it always flits around in the understory of the forest, secretive and difficult to see. Its bright red beak is rather significant hence it gets the name.