Little Heron chick: 5. The bird has been ringed

On 14th November 2007, our field ornithologist Wang Luan Keng (above right), came over to ring the chick of the Little Heron (Butorides striatus) (above left) 12 days after its rescue. The ring is inscribed “Sungei Buloh Nat Park F0028” (left).

The bird was weighed (175g) and measured (bill length 50.4mm; tarsus 42.1mm; wing length 145mm; and tail 38mm). It is to be noted that the wing and tail feathers are still coming in.

Details of the bird was also noted: primary feathers 10; secondary feathers 16; tail feathers 5 pairs; iris lemon yellow; outer eye ring black; tarsus and toes yellow-green; soles yellow; upper mandible pinkish blue, darker at the tip; lower mandible paler.

Ringing was done on the earlier suggestion of the Singapore Zoological Gardens’ Curator (Zoology), Douglas M Richardson that the chick should be rung above the “knee” and not around the “ankle” so that it may be identified later.

Wang Luan Keng
Singapore
November 2007
(Images by YC Wee)