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The Birds of Singapore – an online book
In May 1943, GC Madoc published “An Introduction to Malayan Birds.” He wrote his manuscript in Singapore’s Changi Prison where he was interned when the country fell into the...
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Videocam: A powerful tool for studying birds
1. Collecting birds: In the 19th century the equipment needed to study birds was the gun. Another skill necessary was a good stuffing technique in order to preserve the specimens....
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Documenting bird calls and songs
Many local birdwatchers are able to recognise the birds behind the songs. However, interest in most cases ends there except for a few who make basic recordings. Erik Mobrand...
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Should attempts be made to tame wild birds?
The first part of the series by aviculturist Lee Chiu San deals with whether birds can be tamed and whether they will remain tamed. The second part looks at whether it is...
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Postings your observations and images
Why should you post your observations and images? Southeast Asian birds are poorly studied in terms of behaviour and ecology. By posting your observations (and this include...
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Nature Society: The struggle for Singapore’s nature areas
The above paper has just been published. Nature in Singapore is a peer-reviewed, online journal that publishes articles on the flora and fauna (e.g., biology, botany, zoology,...
Nesting Pressure For Bulbuls
“Just and addition to my annual observation of Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus goiavier) nesting in my condo area.
“This year has been a miserable year. I see less than half the number of nesting in the same area. This I had earlier attributed to the development of the empty plots of land into highrise condos. The open fields and tall grasses probably could support more birds in terms of food supply.
“I anticipate that the numbers will come back but not... Read More
Oriental Honey-buzzard Mobbed
“Last year, I saw an Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) in action. It first peeped into the nest of a pair of Black-naped Orioles (Oriolus chinensis) from a distance of barely half a metre. Surprisingly, the pair of Black-naped Orioles failed to actively defend their nest. The orioles were screaming in the background, making lots of alarm calls, but did not mob the honey-buzzard. It ended well, however, as the honey-buzzard lost interest and fed on an... Read More
Javan Myna Behaviour
“A bird cage hung high up on the outside of a fifth storey apartment in my condo attracted my attention when I noticed unusual movements outside the cage. A Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) was hopping around the cage. My initial thought was that it was harassing the poor confined Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus). Then I realised that it was, without invitation, pecking and feeding on the cut papaya meant for the caged bird.
“This is one of the many... Read More
Cormorant Fishing – Guangxi, China
“I read with interest, sometime ago, a BESG posting on this ancient method of fishing, a traditional practice used in China and Japan LINK. The technique of cormorant fishing goes back as far as 960 AD.
“The bird species used are: Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo in China and P. capillatus in Japan.
“Today, this old fishing method is used not only to attract tourists but also, in the more remote villages in China, as a simple and effective way of... Read More
Brahminy Kite mobbed by a House Crow
Humant Kumar from Andhra Pradesh, India shares his image of the Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) being mobbed by a House Crow (Corvus splendens) while flying and not at all threatening to the latter. The smaller crow has the advantage as it has better maneuverability than the larger kite.
House Crows are fearless and aggressive, targeting raptors larger than themselves, even when the latter is not of any threat. They have been known to attack dogs, cats and even bats. When... Read More
Black-naped Oriole stole an egg
“I was in the usual morning round this morning in my condo when I saw a Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) charging at me from about 10-15 m. away, at an estimated height of 1m. Was I under attack? That was my immediate thought. I have been attacked by crows before – with no injury luckily. But oriole attacking people? I have never experienced it and have never heard of it. Then it crossed my mind that perhaps this was a bird in courtship. This is when they... Read More
Birds feeding on rats in the rice fields of Ulu Dedap, Perak, Malaysia
Ulu Dedap in the Malaysian state of Perak is an extensive rice farming area about 90 minutes drive from where Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS lives.
“I have often seen birds use human activities to aid in their foraging. On three occasions this morning [24th January 2013] I saw larger groups of raptors, herons, egrets (once in excess of 200) forage around tractors that were clearing fields that had been harvested (above). The birds were after the many rats that were killed [or... Read More
Common Kingfisher and Pied Kingfisher sharing a single pole
“Just want to share some interesting photos taken in Mai Po Wetland Reserve Hong Kong today.
“A Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) had been sharing the same stand with a Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) peacefully for almost one minute until the second Pied Kingfisher arrived and getting too close for comfort. The two Pied Kingfishers stayed only for a short period of time before flying to the far end of the pond to search for food.
“It is first time we... Read More
Grey-headed Fish-eagle mobbed by Osprey
We received an account from Peter Teagle on the sighting of the Grey-headed Fish-eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) below:
“I have just got back from a trip to see family in Singapore where I encountered on two successive days (1st and 2nd Jan 2013) a Grey Headed Fish Eagle from the dam looking south across Lower Pierce Resevoir (top: image by Chan Yoke Meng). I have not lived in Singapore for some time, so I was not familiar with this eagle but the books say this is... Read More
Crows harassing Black Kites
“From far, we saw a flock of black birds on a huge tree. From our earlier trekking trip near the Annapurna trails (Nepal), we saw crows gliding like raptors. So naturally, we thought they were crows. But we were wrong as we approached the tree. There were more birds at the river below the tree. This river called Bagmati River is one of the rivers that flow through Kathmandu. It was heavily polluted, smelly and not a living fish could be seen.
“As we came... Read More
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