Red-breasted Parakeet: fasciata or alexandri?
Robson’s Birds of South-east Asia lists the subspecies of the Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) occuring in the region as fasciata. Local birders have never been seriously interested in the bird, probably because it is an escapee. Also, with a pair … Continued
Avian mansions: Marathon flights
Human beings build houses to live in, many turning them into homes to raise a family. Birds build nests to breed their young; well… most of them do anyway. They fledge their chicks and then, let them go. Bird nests … Continued
Anatomy of a nest: Olive-backed Sunbird
Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis, formerly Nectarinia jugularis) is a common garden bird that nests near human habitation (left). I have seen it building its nest in parks by paths that are regularly walked by visitors. I have also seen a … Continued
Oriental White-eye: Feather development
The chick of the Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) is hatched blind and naked (top left). The natal downs or down feathers that usually cover chicks at hatching are generally absent here, as in most passerines. Traces of these downs can … Continued
Oriental Honey-Buzzard: Successful breeding of 2 chicks on third attempt
Since 1998 a pair of resident Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus torquatus) in the Royal Perak Golf Club, Ipoh, Malaysia, has been coming back to nest yearly (1, 2). Most of the time they produced one chick only but twice … Continued
Olive-backed Sunbird: mating dance
K. C. Tsang, L. K. Wang & Y. C. Wee, 2008. The olive-backed sunbird, Cinnyris jugularis Linnaeus, 1766 and its pectoral tufts. Nature in Singapore 1:207-210. A PDF copy of the above paper can be obtained HERE – Vol. 1 … Continued
Cat, koel, myna and bulbul
This is the breeding season. The Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus goiavier) are not building their nests in my garden but in my back neighbour’s (left). I have yet to locate it but it is definitely there. Everyday I see a pair … Continued
Buffy Fish Owl in distress
Many birders would have been aware of the family of Buffy Fish Owls (Ketupa ketupu) that inhabit the forest of the Lower Peirce Reservoir. Recently the juvenile owl was the focus of much attention as it sits quietly on its … Continued
Nesting of Red-breasted Parakeet
Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) (above left), a feral resident, is breeding and making its presence felt. Slowly but surely, it is replacing the resident Long-tailed (Psittacula longicauda) (above middle) and the other feral, Rose-ringed (Psittacula krameri) (above right). The bird … Continued
Owl bathing
During the last few weeks the resident juvenile Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu) at Lower Peirce Reservoir had been regularly taking its bath in the shallows of the reservoir (left). It flew into the water either in the morning or … Continued
