On 4th April 2013, Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS visited his favourite birding spot in Tambun Interior, Perak, Malaysia. This is a fish and vegetable farming area among the ex-mining pools and scenic limestone hills around.
The area is an excellent spot to view the Ashy Tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps cineraceus). A number of pairs were around, some just starting breeding process, others feeding fledged juveniles. The adults were in full breeding plumage (above: adult male)... Read More
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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,...
Ashy Tailorbird – vocalisation…
On 4th April 2013, Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS visited his favourite birding spot in Tambun Interior, Perak, Malaysia. This is a fish and vegetable farming area among the ex-mining pools and scenic limestone hills around.
The area is an excellent spot to view the Ashy Tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps cineraceus). A number of pairs were around, some just starting breeding process, others feeding fledged juveniles. The adults were in full breeding plumage (above: adult male)... Read More
© Splitting Images of Brown Barbet Part 1
“Brown Barbet (Calorhamphus fuliginosus), one of the 17 species of SE Asian Barbets is categorised as ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red Data List of bird species in conjunction with Birdlife International – an agreed criteria based on the degree of threats of global bird population.
“Four subspecies are currently recognised based on geographical locations. They are:
Calorhamphus f. hayii: Malay Peninsula... Read More
The beauty of the beast: Crested Serpent-eagle
On 28th March 2013, Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS took time off from his busy schedule to visit one of his favourite spot, Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands. While trekking up a mountain road through the montane forest, he encountered a Crested Serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) at about 2,000m ASL (above).
As Amar related his encounter, “Saw this adult sitting quietly in the middle of primary montane forest (off the road) and was quite tolerant of my presence,... Read More
Barn Swallow – plumage
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS photographed the Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) in Ipoh City, Perak, Malaysia on 6th January 2013.
Wrote Amar, “I find the ‘common’ bird fascinating. These two Barn Swallows were very accommodating and beautiful in full sun. The images show plumage and under-wing structure. Note that one of them is less mature and developing full adult plumage (unless this is... Read More
Little Egret – breeding plumage transformation
“Lots of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta garzetta) in the city and possible to get close, using the car as a hide, when they are at an open sewage/septic tank/pond to fish [above image shows a small section of the group]. There were 35 at this site. And I used the opportunity to get some observations on breeding plumage transformation. I took serial images of birds and used these to determine three issues: change in facial skin colour, chest and back plumes, and nape... Read More
In-between White-breasted waterhen
“Most people are familiar with what an adult White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) looks like. And it is also generally known that the chicks are an uniform sooty, charcoal grey. I have a family of waterhens in my garden, and watched the chicks changing from infant to sub-adult plumage.
“This juvenile delinquent trespassed into my house, and I took these mug shots. They have no artistic value, but are meant to be used purely for an identification... Read More
Golden-backed Weaver: Stages of moulting
The Golden-backed Weaver (Ploceus jacksoni) is an African exotic, commonly encountered in Singapore’s grassy areas LINK.
Lim Sheau Torng‘s images of this weaver were taken on 22nd February 2013. They provide an interesting study of moulting by both sexes. The image above shows clearly the breeding male with his entire head to nape and throat black, yellow mantle and chestnut brown breast. The bird on his left appears to be a female while that on his right is... Read More
Javan Myna with deformed wing
“Some time ago there was a discussion on this website as to whether or not birds could survive long with wing deformities or injuries. The attached pictures show a Javan Mynah (Acridotheres javanicus) with an obviously deformed or injured wing that has survived for more than six months in the vicinity of my garden.
“When I first noticed this bird, it spent a lot of time walking. I attempted to capture it to examine the deformity. However, it was capable of... Read More
Masked Finfoot – immature male, foraging and roosting
“The Masked Finfoot (Heliopais personata) is a rare migrant and is globally vulnerable with some estimates putting it at fewer than 1,000 mature individuals (J. C. Eames in litt. 2007, see: HERE).
“I am grateful to Connie Khoo, a bird watching colleague, who alerted me when she spotted one. We were fortunate to see an immature male (from speckled white in face mask at throat) and were able to watch foraging for the better part of a morning and evening. The... Read More
Yellow Bittern – leucistic?
“Visited the UTAR Campus, Kampar, Perak with my wife to enjoy some cycling in this lovely ‘green’ Campus which is built around rehabilitated ex-mining pools (now wetlands). Lots of herons, egrets, bitterns, etc.
“We arrived early and my wife, a great bird spotter, saw this unusual looking bittern. The sun was just coming over a ridge at 8.30 am, but views were good and this bittern definitely looked very pale. I am certain it is an adult male Yellow... Read More
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