Antarctica 3: Passage to Antarctic Peninsula
On the wings of the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) will we imagine to fly, visit flightless birds that epitomize the Antarctic- the penguins (Sphenisciformes). We will visit 3 species-the Adelie (Pygoscelis adeliae), Chinstrap (Py. antarctica) (below right) and Gentoo Penguins … Continued
Jerdon’s Baza feasting on a lizard
An earlier posting reported the sighting of a pair of Jerdon’s Bazas (Aviceda jerdoni) at Lim Chu Kang. This is a rare passage migrant, having been reported only twice before. The current posting reports on the birds catching and feasting … Continued
Antarctica 2: Birding, bracing the dreaded drake
The journey of a thousand kilometres began late afternoon when it was time to walk up the ramp towards the welcoming expedition crew of the Yugoslavian made icebreaker, chartered to lead 104 passengers on a 10-day expedition to visit Antarctic … Continued
Breeding ecology of the Little Tern 2: The first few days
Most of the newly hatched chicks can be grouped into two main groups. They can be hatched helpless, with eyes closed, naked or sparsely covered with down, in which case they are altricial. On the other hand they can be … Continued
Sighting of Jerdon’s Baza
On the morning of 10th December 2006 while Chan Yoke Meng was out photographing birds in Lim Chu Kang, he chanced upon a pair of Jerdon’s Baza (Aviceda jerdoni) landing on a branch of a tree nearby. He managed to … Continued
Poaching of Straw-headed Bulbul
The Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is a popular cage bird valued for its “glorious bubbling song.” The 1994 Singapore Red Data book designated the bird as “vulnerable” as the birds were regularly trapped for the songbird trade. It was then … Continued
Antarctica 1: A prelude to avians of Antarctica
It is quite difficult to begin writing an article about the white continent Antarctica, for there are so many topics that can be had and one just wouldn’t know where to begin. From an ornithologist, marine biologist, botanist, geologist, surveyor, … Continued
Purple Swamphen and its habitat
Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a distinctive bird with its large size, blue plumage and prominently large red bill. It is commonly seen in wetlands, foraging a wide range of plant parts that proliferate in this watery environment. Though principally … Continued
Nesting of Barn Owl
The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is one of the easiest owl to recognise as it has a heart-shaped facial disk (above). It is a natural cavity-nester but has become dependent on man-made structures like nooks and crannies of old buildings … Continued
The fig tree at Upper Seletar
There was once an impressive fig tree growing by the water’s edge at Upper Seletar Reservoir (above). It was a Benjamin fig (Ficus benjamina), also known as waringin. It used to fig regularly but as far as I know, there … Continued
