Stejneger’s Stonechat – breeding males and females
“I have been trying to make sense of the breeding adults we saw while in Hokkaido. Clement (2015) provides extensive descriptions of ‘Common’ Stonechats and the subspecies, including Stejneger’s Stonechat. Opaev & colleagues (2018) say ‘S. stejnegeri is a cryptic … Continued
Stejneger’s Stonechat
“The taxonomy of this species is so varied with some calling it the Eastern Stonechat, Siberian Stonechat and Stejneger’s Stonechat. Scientific names also vary: Saxicola torquatus stejnegeri (HBW, Clement & Rose), Saxicola maurus stejnegeri (OBI) or just Saxicola stejnegeri (Brazil). … Continued
Mud Lobster – Excavation
“Whenever we explore the back mangroves in Singapore or around Southeast Asia, one is almost certain to come across mud lobster mounds of various sizes, at multiple stages of development (above, below). “However, encounters with the actual mud lobster (Thalassina … Continued
White-browed Crake – plumage and calls
“I met a pair of very accommodating White-browed Crakes (Porzana cinerea) today and was able to spend a long time watching and recording different calls. “Some observations about plumage; a close-up of the face of one of the birds as … Continued
White-throated Kingfisher mobs Malayan Water Monitor
Jkai Chan’s video of a White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) mobbing a large Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) shows to what extent the kingfisher will do to defend its active nest. We can only guess that the kingfisher must be nesting … Continued
White Wagtail – adults
“We saw a number of White Wagtails (Motacilla alba lugens) in Hokkaido (above). M. a. lugens is also called the Black-backed Wagtail. Below is an adult female feeding young with prey, largely dipterans. Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia … Continued
Japanese Bush-warbler
“There are three birds that fill the Japanese spring-summer with song: the Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina), the Japanese Robin (Larvivora akahige akahige) and, the most noticeable of the three, the Japanese Bush-warbler (Cettia or Horornis diphone cantans). “The Japanese Bush-warbler … Continued
Daurian Redstart casts a pellet
Yeo Eng Chai’s video of a Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) casting a pellet is the most complete video documentation we have of the phenomenon. It clearly shows the gaping of the bill when the bird started the process of regurgitating … Continued
Oriental Pratincole – flocks and thermals
“I had an opportunity to watch Oriental Pratincoles (Glareola maldivarum) today. They congregate at this wetland site in large numbers. I counted birds (using images, intentionally underestimate) and one flock alone, on the ground, was 260 birds with a sizable … Continued
Black-naped Oriole and papaya
Johnny Wee’s images of the Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) feeding on a ripe Papaya fruit (Carica papaya) is too eye-catching to ignore. An earlier post by Cheong Wen Chun can be viewed HERE. This oriole feeds mainly on fruits (Wells, … Continued
