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Brahminy Kite feeding on fish

on 10th June 2015

“An adult Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) feeding on a fish from the nearby fish farms.

“The bird was intermittently disturbed by another Brahminy Kite (not in image or video), so looked up periodically.

“One of my friends says the fish is a Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii).

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
5th April 2015

Location: Tambun Interior, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Secondary growth near limestone hills, vegetable and fish farms

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

3 Responses

  1. Dear Amar, I believe that fish is more likely to be a Lampam Jawa (Barbonymus javanicus) rather than a Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldi). My reasons for saying so: The fish is relatively large in relation to the bird, probably at the very top end of the size range for a Tinfoil. Lampam get considerably larger. Tinfoils are very sensistive to pollution in the water, and are the first to suffer if water quality deteriorates in the fish ponds that I help to manage. They would be unlikely to be be cultivated in the type of area you mention. Lampam, on the other hand, are more forgiving of variances in water quality, and are sometimes cultured in ponds adjacent to vegetable farms. And they grow large enough to make a reasonable meal, unlike the smaller Tinfoil. Also, the general body proportions of the fish look more like those of a Lampam than a Tinfoil. And, Tinfoil have distinctly red fins, while those of the Lampam are more brownish. All nit-picking aside, the two species are closely related, and do resemble each other.

  2. Dear Amar, regret that my response was somewhat outdated. I referred to the fish as Barbonymus javanicus. It appears that some scientists have revised the taxonomy of that genus and the currently accepted name is Barbonymus gonionotus.

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