White-breasted Woodswallow mating
Irfan Choo is sharing with us images he took of a pair of White-breasted Woodswallows (Artamus leucorynchus) mating high up on a horizontal cable perch in Selangor, Malaysia (left). White-breasted Woodswallow is found in Southeast Asia and Australasia, but not … Continued
Eye colour in bulbuls
Light enters the eye through the pupil. The iris (Latin for “rainbow), the coloured part of the eye surrounding the pupil, controls the amount entering the eye. When lighting is bright, the pupil closes. It opens up when lighting is … Continued
Arrival of the Peregrine Falcon
On the morning of 26th December 2007, KC Tsang documented the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) at the Japanese Garden in Jurong (above). The bird was spotted by Margaret Yeo who alerted Amy and KC. The Peregrine Falcon is widely distributed … Continued
Asian Paradise-flycatcher: Fan-tail flushing
Johnny Wee had an exciting encounter with a female Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) at the Chinese Garden in Jurong on the morning of 21st December 2007. Not only did he get his shots, he was able to observe an interesting … Continued
The Large-tailed Nightjar and the spider 060108
The Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) is insectivorous. It feeds at dusk and just before dawn, sallying from a perch or even from the ground. It often perches on wiring immediately above street lamps, catching insects attracted to the light. Its … Continued
Java Sparrow conservation
The Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora) is indigenous to Java and Bali, from where it spread throughout the tropical world as a result of deliberate release and escape of captive birds (left). In its home country of Java, the highest concentration … Continued
Do birds take water bath only when weather is hot?
Reading an earlier blog on the bathing of a Little Heron chick rescued from the wild, Susan Wong commented that she noticed a small flock of Javan Mynas (Acridotheres javanicus) bathing in the many puddles of water formed outside her … Continued
Little Heron chick: 12. Release
The Little Heron (Butorides striatus) chick has been under my care for a month now (3rd December 2007). The bird has shed all its natal down and is now covered with juvenal plumage. All the flight feathers have fully emerged … Continued
Chestnut-bellied Malkohas: A cuckoo that builds its own nest
. The Chestnut-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus) builds its nest in trees. Made of twigs lodged between the forks of branches, the nest is neatly lined with green leaves (left). In it the female lays two white, glossless eggs. This malkoha … Continued
Arrival of the Jambu Fruit Dove
Jambu Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus jambu) is an uncommon non-breeding visitor. Apparently it visits any time of the year. Thus when a pair was sighted on 19th December 2007, news spread wide and fast. Photographers and birders flocked to the Japanese … Continued
