15 Oct 2007

A celebration of birds

by BESG | posted in: Reports | 4

Today is Blog Action Day. All bloggers have been encouraged to set aside this day to write something on a specific theme: Environment.

BESG is celebrating Blog Action Day with a montage showcasing some of the birds that can be seen in a typical urban area – a downtown mini park, the planted areas around a cluster of high-rise apartment blocks, your very own private little garden or the garden around your condominium.

Singapore’s urban areas are alive with birds and wildlife. Numerous species of birds have made such areas their homes, filling the air with their melodious calls and brightening the greenery with their colourful plumage.

The presence of birds in urban Singapore does not just happen. It is the direct result of more than five decades of continuous tree planting along roads, followed by landscaping the spaces between trees and most open areas.

In fact, we are a virtual Garden City, fast becoming a City within a Garden.

Now how many species can you identify from the above montage?

YC Wee
Singapore
October 2007
(Images courtesy of Johnny Wee, Chan Yoke Meng, KC Tsang and YC Wee)

14 Oct 2007

Ruddy Turnstone and bird ringing

by BESG | posted in: Migration-Migrants | 2

On 5th September, KC Tsang reported: “I was at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) this late morning, not very productive as most of the dried ponds were empty of waders, maybe as a result of the tide being low and the birds had gone somewhere else to look for food. There were five Painted Storks, one Milky, one Large-tail Nightjar, usual tailorbirds, one Pied Fantail…

“No Common Kingfisher, no Asiatic Dowitcher…

“…found this one solitary Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) still in breeding plumage, right to the back of the SBWR complex, and by that time, the sun was right overhead, but never mind, the picture should be good for ID purposes (left).

“Now, according to David Bakewell from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this bird has been banded before in Singapore.

“So just wondering how many times has he been flying back to Singapore.

“And from where?”

According to David Li, Waterbird Conservation Officer with Wetlands International, he communicated with James Gan of SBWR and the latter confirmed that this bird was banded at the reserve in December 2006.

David further added: “With your finding, it seems that shorebirds tend to use the same wintering ground if habitat remains unchanged.”

Ashley Ng of the e-group Pigeon-Hole explained: “…the purpose of bird banding is to keep track of their migration path, both timings and routes for their behaviour study.

“…Green top and white bottom is the color for birds ringed in Singapore.”

According to the latest issue of SBWR’s publication, Wetlands (Vol. 14:1, April 2007), a Ruddy Turnstone was banded in 2001 and another in 23006. The earlier banded bird was not recovered but that banded in 2006 returned in September 2007, thanks to SK’s documentation. Obviously no information on where this particular bird came from is available.

For the records, SBWR has so far ringed 1,156 birds from 108 species since it started the exercise in 1990. In 2006 a total of 658 birds from 66 species were ringed.

Images by KC.

12 Oct 2007

Black-shouldered Kite: Mating

by BESG | posted in: Courtship-Mating | 10

On the morning of 5th August 2007, Chan Yoke Meng succeeded in recording a series of images of a pair of Black-shouldered Kites (Elanus caeruleus) in the act of copulation. The female bird was perching at the top of a vertical dead stem of a tree when the male flew in from behind (above). Wings fully stretched, tail feathers fanned and talons at the ready, he landed on her back (below).

The moment he grasped her back with his talons, she crouched low with wings extending downwards below the tail. He had to maintain his balance by flapping his wings (below).

In a flash he made cloacal contact. It is during this “cloacal kiss” that sperm are transferred from the male’s cloaca into the cloaca of the female. The act was over in less than two seconds (below).

The cloacal contact caused the male to release his grip on her and he slipped down slightly before projecting himself upwards. All these movements caused the female to stabilise herself with wings outstretched (below).

With a final flap of his wings, the male flew off with wings fully stretched and feet hanging down, to finally glide away from the female.

According to the literature, copulation normally takes place at or around the nest site. And copulation can occur up to ten or more times a day for a few days. Prior to copulation, there would be aerial displays and courtship feeding, but these were not observed on that morning.

Subsequently, the pair continued with their nest building activities. Unfortunately there was a murder of crows around. And as with all House Crows (Corvus splendens), they harassed the pair of kites, so much so that the pair may have abandoned their nest building efforts.

Did the kites fly off to look for another nesting site? Away from the aggressive crows and where there is more privacy? Your guess is as good as mine.

Input and images by Chan Yoke Meng.

10 Oct 2007

Flowerpecker excreting mistletoe seeds

by BESG | posted in: Waste | 1

In an earlier post, Angie Ng described in detail how a male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) deposited a string of sticky seeds on her sui mei (Wrightia religiosa) plant thus:

“After comfortably positioning itself transversely across the branch, it turned its head… then it awkwardly stretched apart its legs, lowered its little body for a second or two and with a swagger, it moved a few steps to the left. With that quick swaggering action it wiped off a string of six gluey mistletoe seeds onto the branch of my sui mei.”

Now, Chan Yoke Meng has documented another behaviour by a female Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker excreting Macrosolen cochinchinensis seeds. These mistletoe seeds were excreted one at a time. Each seed was enclosed within a tough gummy substance that remained unchanged after passing through the bird’s alimentary canal. The seeds were excreted in a string – any one seed attached to the one before and the one after by this gummy substance.

The bird had no difficulty expelling the seeds from the its vent, that is, its posterior opening. The problem was to get rid of the seeds after they emerged. With all the gummy substances around, the seeds remained stuck to the bird. In Angie’s case, the bird rubbed its posterior end on the branch it was perching on.

Meng’s observations show the birds actively removing the sticky seeds with the help of its bill and feet (of course, not using both feet at the same time, ha ha). The action was rapid and he missed documenting the most interesting scenes. However, he managed to record the bird entangled with strands of gum stuck to its bill and feet (see panel above). Two seeds that the bird managed to remove remain stuck to the branch behind it. Note the translucent globs of gum still attached to the seeds.

Earlier posts on mistletoes include accounts on the plants, naturalist’s account, observations of a sometime bird watcher, and pollination by Hanging Parrot.

Chan Yoke Meng
Singapore
October 2007

9 Oct 2007

Releasing a rehabilitated Pink-necked Green Pigeon

by BESG | posted in: Interspecific, Rescue | 1

Haniman Boniran wrote on 24th September 2007:

“…I would like to share with you my encounter with a Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) today. I’m sorry its going to be all text and no pictures as it was totally unexpected*.

“About 2.5 months ago my dad brought home a Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) to nurse it after an attack by some marauding crows. This bird, after spending sometime with us, won my dad’s heart but I’m not in favor of it staying too long. Its a juvenile bird by the way (above image shows an adult male bird).

“So today, I felt that it was time to set it free. I took it to Mandai Road where I have seen plenty of other PNG pigoens. Selected a spot facing the forest and I set it free. The bird took its flight and less then ten seconds it landed on a branch of a tree.

“In a split second a black morph Changable Hawk Eagle (right) swooped down and took the poor bird away in its talons right in front of me! It flew to a near by tree and feasted on it.

“I was speechless. I meant well for the PNG pigeon but I guess Nature has other plans for it. It was an **NG moment for me. Can’t say the same for the pigeon though.

“The ups and downs of birding… Sigh!”

Haniman Boniran
Singapore
October 2007

**NG: National Geographic

*Images: Chan Yoke Meng (pigeon) and Johnny Wee (eagle)

7 Oct 2007

Changeable Hawk Eagle: Pale x dark morph

by BESG | posted in: Courtship-Mating, Nesting | 2

In May-July 2006 Mark Chan documented the breeding of a pair of Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus), both pale morph. The chick that resulted in the union was distinctly a pale morph. The head, neck and underparts were totally white with no markings at all. The local subspecies is limnaeetus.

In June the following year, Johnny Wee and Chan Yoke Meng managed to document the mating of a pale and a dark morph in Singapore (above). Like most other eagles, they build their nest of sticks lodged between the forks of branches in tall trees.

The chick in this case was a dark morph (below left). On 22nd June 2007, the dark morph parent was seen flying past the nest with food in its bill (below right). Was it trying to persuade the chick to fledge by not feeding it in the nest?

Apparently the parent failed as the very next day the chick was seen feeding on a rat in the nest, swallowing it whole (below).

The chick was regularly testing its wings in the nest, as seen on 27th June when the image below (left) was taken. It fledged on or before 6th July as the bird was then seen outside the nest (below right). The dark x pale morph progeny was not all dark, as there were distinct white patches on the breast and flanks (bleow).

The fledged chick returned regularly to the nesting tree for feeding sessions and to roost on the branches.

The Changeable Hawk Eagle exists in two distinct forms or colour morphs. This is a common form of polymorphism (poly = many; morph = form) that occurs in birds, particularly birds of prey.

In this eagle, there is a pale morph and a dark morph. The adult pale morph appears dark brown above and whitish with dark streaks below. Adult dark morph is totally blackish. Each morph may have specific advantages in certain habitats, like certain survival and reproductive advantages. However, what these are, we do not know.

Melinda Chan, Johnny Wee & YC Wee
Singapore
October 2007

Images by Johnny (chick eating rat) and Chan Yoke Meng (the rest)

6 Oct 2007

Scaly-breasted Munia: Seed eater

by BESG | posted in: Feeding-plants | 8

In January 2006 I had an exciting encounter with a family of Scaly-breasted Munias (Lonchura punctulata) visiting my neighbour’s well-maintained garden. They came quietly and by chance I noticed them foraging among the grassy weeds. Then again, in September 2007 I had another excounter. This time, in my unkempt, weedy garden, foraging grass seeds.

The birds worked fast, pulling the grass inflorescence growing in my potted plants and stuffing the seeds in their bills. They worked from the ground, perching from the stunted bougainvillea plants growing from the pots as well as from the edge of the pots. They moved about rapidly, working different plants as they went about their foraging expedition. Then they were gone.

Obviously, munias are seed eaters. I looked up the limited literature and found that they go for the smaller grasses, like carpet grass (Axonopus compressus), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), goose grass (Eleusine indica), buffalo grass (Paspalum conjugatum) and panic grass (Panicum spp.) (above, from left to right). I am sure they take seeds of other grasses as well, but to birders, well, grass is grass. So we await more detailed observations from those who are more inclined towards plants, especially grasses. Or photographers, from whose images botanists can try identify the grasses.

In the images at the top of the page, the one on the left, taken by KC Tsang, shows a munia perched on a stalk of a ?panic grass while the other two images show the bird eating the seeds of carpet grass.

The birds also eat seeds of sedges (Cyperaceae) that some birders call grasses (Gramineae), but let’s not split hairs, and herbs like common snakeweed (Stachytarpheta indica).

Wells (2007) reports that the bird also “exploits the cones of casuarinas, often high in the crown of mature trees… also takes quantities of the nutrient-rich filamentous alga Spirogyra, found in open, wet places on paddyland etc.”

The images above (left) show a sprig of casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) with a close-up of a fruit that is still unripe. On ripening the many sharp projecting points will split to expose the seeds. The top right image shows a single filament of Spirogyra, also known as water silk and mermaid’s tresses, while the bottom image is an enlarged view of three filaments. The green spirals within the filaments are the chloroplasts, thus the generic name, Spirogyra. This is a microscopic green alga that grows in relatively unpolluted, stagnant or slow-moving freshwater (drains, ponds), forming masses of slimy, green, unbranched threads.

YC Wee
Singapore
October 2007

Images: KC Tsang (munia, top of page, left) and YC (others).

References:
1. Wee, Y. C. & R. Corlett (1986). The city and the forest: plant life in urban Singapore. Singapore University Press.
2. Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London.

4 Oct 2007

Bat Hawk: Predator of bats

by BESG | posted in: Feeding-vertebrates, Raptors | 2

The Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) is a raptor found in the sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Malay Peninsular, Sumatra, Banka, Borneo, Sulawesi and New Guinea. The bird is a rare visitor to Singapore.

This is a fairly large black hawk with a distinct crest (left). It is often not noticed because it is active only at night. During the day it perches quietly, almost horizontally on the branch of a tall tree, seldom leaving, even for a short while. It becomes active at dusk when it goes on the lookout for small bats, swifts, swallows and large insects.

Prey is caught using the hawk’s talons, usually after a high-speed chase, and transferred to the mouth to be swallowed whole while still in the air. As the period available for hunting is short – at dusk until darkness descends and a short period in the early morning – it needs to hunt where prey is plentiful, like at a cave entrance.

The image below, taken by Wilson Yang, clearly shows one Bat Hawk with a few others among the stream of bats emerging from their roost, probably a cave, in Borneo.

Observations made near a cave in Zambia record a foraging Bat Hawk catching, on an average, seven insectivorous bats during six consecutive nights (Black et al., 1979). As the bats flew out of the cave, the hawk intercepted them and either struck. caught or failed to make contact. The feeding bouts lasted 18.3 minutes per night and the success rate was 49%. The time between killing and swallowing of each bat (average weight 56.3 g) was 6.0 seconds.

Another specialist bat predator is the African Harrier-hawk (Polyboroides typus). There are also a number of owls, goshawks, peregrines and kestrels that occasionally catch bats.

Raptors predating on bats are better known than birds predated by bats. However, there have been recent accounts of giant bats snatching birds from the night sky (1, 2).

YC Wee
Singapore
October 2007

Images: Lim Kim Chye and Yian (hawk), Wilson Yang (back). Check out Wilson’s Flickr site.

References:
1. Altringham, J.D. (1996). Bats: Biology and behaviour. Oxford: University Press.
2. Black, H.L., Howard, G. & Stjernstedt, R. (1979). Observations on the feeding behavior of the Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus). Biotropica 11(1):18-21.
3. Fenton, M. B., Cumming, D. H. M. & Oxley, D. J. (1977). Prey of Bat Hawks and availability of bats. The Condor, 9:495-497.
4. Madoc, G. C. (1956). An introduction to Malayan birds. Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur. (revised ed.)
5. Richarz, K. & Limbrunner, A. (1993). The world of bats, the flying goblins of the night. T.F.H. Pub., Inc.
6. Wells, D.R. (1999). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London.

3 Oct 2007

Radjah Shelduck, a new duck around the lakes

by BESG | posted in: Exotics | 4

On 9th June 2006, Tang Hung Bun captured an image of a duck perching atop a street lamp along Bukit Timah Road, near Raffles Town Club.

The white duck has a brown back and wing tips and a rusty band across its breast. Its legs, feet, bill and eyes are pinkish.

This duck is new to Singapore. KC Tsang helped identify it as Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah), also known as Burdekin Duck, from the Northern Australian coast and parts of Indonesia.

For at least a year, if not longer, the duck can be seen in the Symphony and Eco Lakes of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Apparently it has been wandering around the island.

Introduced as a free-ranging bird? Escapee?

Incidentally, the Radjah Shelduck is listed as a protected bird in all states of Australia.

KC Tsang & Tang Hung Bun
Singapore
October 2007

Images: Tang (duck on street lamp) and KC (others)

1 Oct 2007

Black Eagle: First breeding record in Malaysia

by BESG | posted in: Nesting, Raptors | 0

On 21 March 2003, Chiu Sein Chiong, Ooi Beng Yean & Cheang Kum Seng successfully located a Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) nest containing a well-developed young (left). The nest was found in lower montane forest at about 1360 m asl at Pos Slim, Perak. As far as we are aware, this discovery constitutes the first nesting and breeding record for this species in Malaysia. The following is an account of the chain of events that led to this exciting discovery.

The sighting of a pair of Black Eagles in courting/pair-bonding flight above a ridge in Pos Slim, Perak on 26 January 2003 kindled a flicker of hope that the pair was either selecting a nest site or was already nesting. During a second visit to the same location on 12 February, a Black Eagle was observed carrying a forest rat which it dropped off behind some trees on the ridge. It re-emerged very quickly and glided away. Subsequently, a second Black Eagle emerged from the same ridge to confront a different pair of Black Eagles that were approaching. Later, on the same day, a Black Eagle was again observed dropping off a lizard at the ridge.

On the morning of 16 February, a Black Eagle was again seen carrying a lizard to the same line of trees on the ridge, dropping out of sight and reappearing soon after. By now we were quite positive that the Black Eagles were nesting on the ridge but the prospect of a tiring climb up the hill-cutting and then into the montane forest to look for a needle in the haystack was enough excuse to put off the search to another time. However, at the enthusiastic urging of the others, a party set out that same afternoon to find a way up to the ridge. The climbers successfully worked their way up the hill-cutting to the forest edge but decided against venturing further due to fading light. Now that the type of conditions and terrain were known, it set the stage for the planning of more climbs in search of the nest.

Our intended nest search plans were in disarray when suddenly access to Pos Selim for the general public was cut but thanks to the co-operation of the authorities we were given special permission to enter. On 9 March, one Black Eagle was again seen carrying a rodent back to the nest site. A second eagle appeared and glided into the nest location. From this we deduced that the Black Eagles had young in the nest. On 16 March a second nest search was organized. While a small group climbed up to the montane forest, the ground crew monitored the movements of the Black Eagles and provided feedback using walkie-talkies. Although the searchers occasionally caught glimpses of the eagles flying over, the thick canopy prevented them from seeing the flight direction of the eagles. The closed canopy and steep terrain did not help and we had problems with getting our orientation right. The search was called off as it was getting late and rain clouds gathered. However, the day’s efforts had not been a waste. The ground crew had observed a Black Eagle bringing food descend and ascend vertically within 2-3 seconds. This pinpointed the likely location of the nest and immediately motivated us to decide that another search be carried out within the next few days.

On 21 March, Ooi and Cheang started their climb at 10.30am while Chiu again provided ground support. Up to 11.50a.m. there was no sign of any Black Eagle but finally at 11.55am, one was seen heading towards the nest site. At 12.20pm, Ooi managed to “point” out his position in the forest to Chiu using a palm tree as a landmark. This indicated that Ooi was about 50 feet from the nest site. At 12.35pm, one of the Black Eagles flew out of the nest and joined the other Black Eagle that was performing flight displays. The first eagle turned back, perched and started calling. The second eagle then flew in to perch close to where Ooi was and then started to weave in and out of the forest. The behaviour of the Black Eagles was probably due to Ooi getting close to their nest. At 1.15pm, the walkie-talkie cackled again and the first words from Ooi were “EUREKA! Found the nest, one chick
inside!”

The nest was on a medium-sized tree, about 60 ft tall, growing on a very steep slope with its crown clear of smaller trees around it. The nest itself was lodged amongst the main branches, below the crown and near the center of the tree and was partly concealed by foliage and epiphytes. The nest was a compact mass of small twigs and branches, measuring about 2.5 ft wide and 2 ft deep.

The juvenile, seen with one of the adults, appeared to be about two-thirds as large but with a short tail (right). Overall, it was dark brown, with back and wing feathers quite developed but with some remnant down still attached to the feather tips, giving the back a speckled appearance. The head and neck area was almost bare of feathers, with the large ear opening clearly visible. The dark eye, with a whitish orbital ridge above, had a greyish-black orbital area around it, giving the face a sunken look, not unlike that of the head of a vulture. The bill was black with a light yellow cere and gape. The underside, including the breast and thighs, was still covered with downy feathers. These descriptions of the juvenile were based on digital images taken on the day the nest was located and also during two subsequent visits on 22 March and 23 March.

On a visit on 31 March, the nest was found empty. No Black Eagle adult or juvenile was seen in the vicinity during a two-hour vigil. Another visit on 8 April confirmed that the nest was empty. Again no Black Eagle or young was seen in the immediate area of the nest and nearby forest. At the time of writing, it is not known whether the young had fledged successfully as no flying juvenile has yet been sighted.

Note: Laurence Poh Soon Ping, Lim Kim Chye, Lim Swee Yian, Dr.Chan Kai Soon, Dr.Chan Ah Lak and Pamela Phang participated in the nest search leading to its discovery. Other contributors were Sharon Chan, Leow Kon Fah and Phang Chee Mun.

21 April 2003: 2nd Nest

In 26 October 2003, Chiu Sein Chiong and the late Laurence Poh Soon Ping observed a pair of Black Eagles breaking off branches to build a nest around 2km from the 1st nest site which had been cleared for hill slope stabilization work (left). The pair also exhibited courtship displays in flight. On 20 November, Chiu and Dr. Robert DeCandido saw one Black Eagle rearranging sticks in the large completed nest, no new branches were brought back.

On 21 December 2003, Chiu & Ooi Beng Yean observed the pair circling before perching and calling out. The pair then copulated. On 4 January 2004, Lim Kim Chye and Lim Swee Yian saw one Black Eagle gliding around the nest tree and incubation had not yet commenced.

On a visit on 8 February 2004, Chiu, Laurence Poh and Cheang Kum Seng confirmed that incubation was in progress and we also witnessed change of incubation duties. On 7 March one of the adults was seen frantically dive-bombing a Siamang which was trying to approach the nest. Incubation was still in progress on 16 March and by 28 March it was suspected that there was a small chick in the nest.

On 1 April 2004 Kim Chye saw one chick in white down and still wobbly. By 6 April the chick was left unattended for long periods, white down still extensive all over head and body but black/dark brown pin feathers visible on wings and tail, bill black with yellow cere.

The chick was last seen alive on 8 April (Kim Chye) and 11 April (Chiu) but on the next visit on 22 April, Kim Chye reported that the nest was empty and no adults or juvenile was seen in the vicinity. Another observation on 26 April (Chiu) confirmed no Black Eagles around the nest tree.

We were unable to confirm if the Juvenile had fledged but based on plumage of chick we think that it was too young to fledge and probably was predated.

Images by Ooi Beng Yean (eagle by nest) and Laurence Poh (eagle in flight, permission courtesy of Mrs Poh).

This posting is made in memory of Laurence Poh who passed away three years ago. Laurence was one of the active participants of the above Black Eagle study.

From the article:
Chiu, S.C. and Lim, K.C. 2003. The First Breeding Record of the Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis in Malaysia. Suara Enggang 11 (2):14-16.

26 Responses

kris

10th January 2011 | Reply

I just found a young dollarbird in the garden.. It seems to have left the nest too early and cannot fly yet. How am i to keep and feed it for a few days untill it can fly.???
Raja

17th March 2011 | Reply

March 20 is world sparrow day!

CHIRP FOR SPARROWS!
TWEET FOR SPARROWS!
TEXT FOR SPARROWS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?client=mv-google&hl=en-GB&v=MQiq8FHrG_0&gl=US&nomobile=1
Iwan

26th April 2012 | Reply

We have a small pond in our garden surrounded by trees and steep bedrock. The other day we saw a heron flying over and attempting to land – I guess to try to eat our small stock of fish. We managed to frighten it away before it landed, and have since installed trip wires around the pond in order to dissuade the bird. The amount of shelter around the pond means that a heron would have to land practically vertically. Does anyone know whether these birds have the agility to hover and land in this way, or do they always need a “glidepath” in order to land successfully?
Khng Eu Meng

1st November 2012 | Reply

Today, at the former Bidadari Cemetery, there was a buzz about a sighting of a Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus jotaka). I heard some birders say this nightjar isn’t commonly seen in Singapore. After some hunting, we spotted it asleep on a tree branch, some 15 m above ground. This was rather interesting as my previous encounters with nightjars have been on either terra firma or on low branches.

Is this perching so high up the tree normal or is it unusual? I have posted a photo of it on my Facebook Timeline: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151125012234135&set=a.108191464134.96538.617499134&type=1&theater
Jess

21st February 2013 | Reply

Bird Sanctuary At Former Bidadari Cementry

1)Which is the best spot in Bidadari cemetery for bird watch?

2)Where this bird usually resident at?

3)What are some of the rare bird species that can be found at Bidadari?

4)Where is the particular hot spot for the hornbills, eagles, kingfishers and some of the rare migratory bird?

5)Which part of Bidadari are richest in it wildlife?

6)Can you name me the 59 migratory bird species found?
YC

22nd February 2013 | Reply

Why not search the website using the word ‘Bidadari’ to obtain the information you need. There should be sufficient info in past postings to satisfy you.
Firdaus Razak

23rd March 2013 | Reply

Hai, I just want to ask did anybody had an experience bring bird from oversea via MasKargo? Did the bird will stress at high altitude?
Arjun

29th March 2013 | Reply

I heard this interesting bird call in a forest, and recorded it. Could anyone help me identify it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uubzo1wdbU&feature=youtu.be
Chung Wah

13th May 2014 | Reply

Hi, I am new to bird photography! Could anyone advise a good pair of binoculars to get for this hobby?
YC

14th May 2014 | Reply

Try this Facebook… https://www.facebook.com/groups/394479540610099/
I am sure there would be someone willing to advise.
Geam Liang

29th January 2015 | Reply

I ‘acquired’ a female Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot 5 days ago – was in a public place when the bird flew overhead hit the wall and dropped right in front of me dazed. I picked it up, it appeared unhurt but could not sustain it’s flight. I have since constructed a fairly large ‘cage’ for it, about 4ft x 2fx x 2ft and placed it there last night. I temporarily placed her in a normal bird cage until I had completed the build.
From what I have read up, it’s a fruit, seed and insect feeder and also nectar, flower buds. It’s doing as well as it can on bananas, papaya, jack-fruit (didn’t touch the grape) and seeds (black and white sunflower and other smaller ones). It loves to bathe so I’ve gotten it a tray and from what I read it’s important to keep things clean as it easily succumbs to infection.
Does anyone else have any useful experience and sharing on it’s upkeep? I suspect this bird is an escapee – as far as I can read up, it’s not common, if at all, found in Georgetown, Penang where I am. I’m also not optimistic that it can survive if I were to set it free – assuming it can sustain it’s flight and not go crashing down and if there were dogs/cats around that would be the end of it.
I can attach some pictures but not sure how to do this…
thanks.
Lee Chiu San

29th January 2015 | Reply

The blue-crowned hanging parrot, even though very closely related to the lovebirds, is a nectar feeder. You would raise it the way you raise a lorikeet – which is a messy process. And because you are mixing batches of food for just one little bird, whereas I used to do it for about half a dozen pigeon-sized lorikeets each morning, I don’t know how you are going to get the portions down to manageable sizes. Anyway, here goes, with my recipe for feeding big lories. You can adjust the proportions down accordingly for your little bird.

The staple diet would be a couple of slices of soft fruit (papaya, apple, grapes, even though I am surprised that you said the bird would not eat any) and a mixture of cooked rice sweetened with nectar mix.

How to make nectar mix? Go to a pharmacy and get a can of food for invalids or infants. I use Complan, but I am sure any good baby formula would do. I usually make up enough to fill a beer mug, but there is no way you need that amount for a day’s feeding. If in doubt, make the mixture thinner, not thicker. Birds cannot digest baby formula that is too thick. If it is too thin, they simply have to consume more to get the required amount of energy. Then to this mug, add half a teaspoonful of rose syrup. Also stir in about a cup of cooked rice, well mashed up.

In the case of your bird, I suggest that you pour this lot into an ice-cube tray, freeze the mixture, and defrost one cube to feed it each day.

Now, you said that this bird eats sunflower seeds. This is most unusual for a blue-crowned hanging parrot. Are you sure that this is actually the species you have? Could it be possible that you have actually got a pet lovebird that escaped? There are so many different artificially-created breeds of lovebirds in so many colours that you might have been mistaken.

If you actually have a lovebird, feeding is much simpler. Just go to the nearest pet shop, buy a packet of budgerigar or cockatiel seed of a reputable international brand, and offer it to the bird. You can supplement this with a couple of slices of fruit each day, and that will be all. Plus of course fresh water and a piece of cuttlefish bone to nibble on.
Lee Chiu San

29th January 2015 | Reply

About nectar feeding birds. I forgot to add that feeding nectar is messy, and it goes rancid very quickly in our tropical weather. Feeding containers have to be removed and thoroughly cleaned at the end of each day. The birds also splatter the mixture and wipe their beaks on perches and the bars of the cage. All my lories and lorikeets used to be housed in outdoor aviaries which were hosed down daily.

If Geam Liang does not think the bird will survive if released, I really hope that it is a case of mistaken identity, and that you have a lovebird, rather than a blue-crowned hanging parrot. In our part of the world, all available lovebirds are domestically bred, take to captivity readily, and are easy to feed with commercially available seed mixtures. Yes, and being domestic pets, they would not survive if released.
Geam Liang

30th January 2015 | Reply

Thank you Chiu San for your inputs. Thus far, bananas and papayas work well. I’m not sure why it did not take to grapes – will try again. Am I supposed to peel it? I didn’t the last time, basically skewered a couple of grapes to a satay stick and positioned it as I did for the sliced and skinned papaya and peeled bananas.
I have yet to try rice and certainly not nectar but will try out your concoction – have half a mind to go to a pet shop to see if they carry nectar for birds. The ice-cube freeze method is a good one, will try that. I might be mistaken on the sunflower seeds… not touched but it did eat the much smaller roundish, mixed colored seeds. Will remove the sunflower seeds.
I’m sure it’s a female blue crowned hanging parrot.. it sleeps like a bat every night.
Lee Chiu San

30th January 2015 | Reply

When feeding local birds which are unfamiliar with imported fruits such as grapes, it helps to split the fruits to expose the edible parts. As to your remark that the bird sleeps hanging upside down like a bat, yes, that is the way blue-crowned hanging parrots sleep.
Geam Liang

30th January 2015 | Reply

Thanks… I need to think like a bird – yup. She has probably not seen a grape much less know that it’s edible, unless the previous owner has fed her with grapes… even then… Today she’s done pretty well making the most of the banana and all of the papaya plus quite a bit of seeds. Will try the baby food + mashed rise + rose syrup.
Will regular honey do instead of rose syrup?
Thanks.
Lee Chiu San

31st January 2015 | Reply

About making nectar to feed birds. Most aviculturalists do not use honey for two reasons: 1. It is expensive and does not seem to give any added benefits. 2. Honey is made by bees, and the composition varies wildly. Some honeys are also known to cause fungal infection in birds.

If you do not want to buy a huge bottle of rose syrup just for one tiny bird, there are cheaper alternatives. The first is plain table sugar, though most don’t seem to like it very much.

What many birds will accept quite readily as a sweetener is condensed milk – the type with sugar that coffee shop owners use.

Many, many birds have a sweet tooth (or should I say sweet beak?) Besides the usual suspects of lories, lorikeets, sunbirds and hummingbirds, for whom it is an essential part of the diet, nectar mixture is readily consumed by mynahs, leafbirds, fairy bluebirds, barbets, doves, parrots of all kinds, and a whole host of other species.
Geam Liang

2nd February 2015 | Reply

I tried the condensed mild, placed in in a small bottle cap.. only the ants showed interest. Am I supposed to dilute it? I didn’t =( I took you advice and refrained from honey. Have yet to find Rose Syrup from the shelves of TESCO… will try to mix the baby food + mashed rise + rose syrup/sugar syrup this week…
David Thackray

29th March 2015 | Reply

Can anyone help me identify a bird I saw in Singapore last week. Size of a smakll dove or thrush. Dark metallic back. Grey breast with red throat, chest.
BESG

29th March 2015 | Reply

Any images?
Emily Koh

21st June 2015 | Reply

Lately I bought a bird feeder which I fill with 4parts water n 1 part white sugar. Sunbirds come regularly to drink and they are really lovely to watch. May I know if it is bad for them to feed on this? Previously they would sometimes pierce and drink from my potted flowers
Emily Koh

21st June 2015 | Reply

Lately I bought a bird feeder which I fill with 4parts water n 1 part white sugar. Sunbirds come regularly to drink and they are really lovely to watch. May I know if it is bad for them to feed on this? Previously they would sometimes pierce and drink from my potted flowers.
Ken Sng

12th September 2015 | Reply

Hi Friends,

I need help in identifying these 13 birds which i’ve published in a public album on Flickr.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/81819728@N00/y8ws5B

They are numbered 1-13 so if you know what they are please reply with number and name .

I’m doing a personal project to shoot 100 different birds in SG.

Thanks very Much !
Mahadevi Bhuti

19th October 2015 | Reply

One of best souce for the bird watcher’s enjoying knowledge about ornithology
Martin Nyffeler (PhD)

20th June 2018 | Reply

Dear Sir / Dear Madame,

I am a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at a University in Switzerland and I urgently need to get in touch with photographer Chan Yoke Meng, who takes beautiful photographs of birds near Singapore. Would you please mail me the email address of this photographer!

Thanks,
Martin
Wee Ming

17th September 2021 | Reply

Hello Besgroup,

Trust this email finds you well. We chance upon your photograph on your website and found the amazing image of the Laced Woodpecker and durians. We would like to explore the possibility of getting permission to use them for a new Bird Park in Singapore.

Spacelogic is a company based in Singapore and we have been contracted by Mandai Park Development to carry out design and build works relating to the exhibition interpretive displays in this new Bird Park.

Some background of the new Mandai Bird Park project; it will build upon the legacy of the Jurong Bird Park – https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/jurong-bird-park.html by retaining and building upon a world-reference bird collection and creating a place of colour and joy for all visitors. The new Bird Park will have a world-reference ornithological collection displayed in a highly immersive way with large walk-through habitats. To enhance visitors’ experience with storyline and narrative of the bird park, transition spaces are added to display exhibits that provide a varied type of fun, intuitive, interactive and educational experiences for all visitors. One of the habitats features the Laced Woodpecker on a flora panel It is in this flora panel that we are seeking your permission to feature the Laced Woodpecker. We are looking to use the first image on the link here.
Link can be found here: https://besgroup.org/2012/06/28/laced-woodpecker-and-durians/

We would like to ask if this is something that we can explore further and if yes, how can we go about with putting through a formal permission request. Thank you so much for considering our request and we look forward to hearing from you.

Warmest Regards,
Wee Ming
SPACElogic Pte Ltd

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