Who stole the nest-hole??!!
“In mid-January 2018, it was an absolute delight to document the nest-hole excavation by a dedicated pair of Laced Woodpeckers (Picus vittatus) see LINK. And so in early February, I returned to the same site with eager anticipation and the … Continued
Red-throated Sunbird – female plumage
“The Macaranga bancana fruits will almost always attract the near threatened (Red Data Status) Red-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes rhodolaemus). Apart from this fruit I have seen them feed on the nectar of a number of a Mistletoe species. Having watched on … Continued
A phalanx of Asian Openbills arrived in Singapore
In January 2013, Johnny Wee encountered a few Asian Openbills (Anastomus oscitans) at Seletar West Link – see HERE. This was probably the first record for Singapore. This time around the openbills arrived at least by more than a thousand, … Continued
Call of the Lineated Barbet
Dr. Jean Ho’s video was recorded this morning from her residence. She had earlier recorded the haunting call but only now was the call identified. The video was sent to field ornithologist Wang Luan Keng who identified the call as … Continued
Little Cormorant nesting in Peninsular Malaysia
“The Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) used to be an uncommon migrant to Peninsular Malaysia. The ‘A Checklist of the birds of Malaysia Dec 2016(v2)’ lists the Little Cormorant as a rare migrant to the peninsular. “Summary of selected observations of … Continued
Tanimbar Corella in a Starfruit Tree
A Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffini) was caught on video in a 20m tall Starfruit Tree (Averrhoa carambola). As there were no close-up images of the corella, what it was doing there cannot be confirmed. Was it eating the leaves or … Continued
Cinnamon Bittern – bare parts & plumage
“The structure of the iris of the Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) has always fascinated me (above). It has a pigmentation posterior to the pupil and I have wondered about its function if any. Wells (1999) states ‘iris yellow with dark … Continued
Asian Openbill
“Asian Openbills (Anastomus oscitans) are common birds in Peninsular Malaysia after their mass movement south some years back. Any visit to the Perak wetland areas will witness 200-400 birds. I had, in the past, erroneously assumed that birds that are … Continued
Laced Woodpecker – Excavation
“While strolling along a secluded mangrove boardwalk, a female suddenly caught my eye (as they sometimes do). “I cautiously zoomed in on her (with my camera) and verified that she was a Laced Woodpecker (Picus vittatus) engaged in excavating a … Continued
Lesser Coucal – adult non-breeding or juvenile
“I saw these two Lesser Coucals (Centropus bengalensis javanensis) together, which is unusual as they are often solitary. I am trying to decide if they are adults in non-breeding plumage or juveniles (or one of each or subadults) as they … Continued
