One of the most fascinating animals that lives in the MacRitchie forest is the Flying Lemur (Cynocephalus variegates). It is not a lemur that one sees everywhere in Madagascar. And it does not actually flies. It glides from tree to tree with the help of a membrane that extends from the neck region to the fore feet and the hind feet and thence to the tip of the tail (above, image by YC Wee). Thus its alternate name, Malayan Colugo, that is currently gaining popularity.
This... 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,...
Save MacRitchie Forest: 2. Flying Lemur
One of the most fascinating animals that lives in the MacRitchie forest is the Flying Lemur (Cynocephalus variegates). It is not a lemur that one sees everywhere in Madagascar. And it does not actually flies. It glides from tree to tree with the help of a membrane that extends from the neck region to the fore feet and the hind feet and thence to the tip of the tail (above, image by YC Wee). Thus its alternate name, Malayan Colugo, that is currently gaining popularity.
This... Read More
Save MacRitchie Forest: 1. Introduction
Note: The MacRitchie forest is under threat with plans to run a rail line through it LINK. Earlier, Saker Subaraj, a 12 year old nature enthusiast posted his concern LINK. BESG is now planning an awareness campaign to highlight the flora and fauna of this forest in an effort to make the public aware of what exactly is at stake.
The MacRitchie forest is part of the larger Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR). The forest serves as a catchment for the first impounding... Read More
Copper-throated Sunbird nest-building
“The female Copper-throated Sunbird (Nectarinia calcostetha) is commonly seen at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve during nest-building season, busy harvesting and ferrying nesting material to her nest (above). This one made at least a dozen trips to a Funnel-web/Tent Spider’s (Beccari’s Tent Spider? LINK web during the 15mins I was watching her, tugging at the web to pull off small bits which she transported to her nearby nest 10m away.
“On the left is... Read More
©INSECT COURTS DEATH WITH BROWN BARBET. PART 4
“Remember the Chinese Master ‘Kung Fu’ movie series where his pupil-Grasshopper would listen intently to his instructions?
“On one occasion, the Master noticed his pupil was kind of distracted over a buzzing housefly that refused to leave their table.
“Master Kung Fu in showing the art of lighting speed over visual, caught the ill fated fly with his pair of silver chopsticks, sending Grasshopper to jaw dropped and blinked in bewilderment.
“I... 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
A list of birds in my garden – how useful is it?
Subaraj Rajathurai‘s recent post LINK mentioning my garden as having a few birds that are considered nationally endangered triggered this post.
The small patch of garden around my house is less than 100 sq m LINK. It is overgrown with about a dozen trees and palms of varying sizes. In addition, there are various shrubs and herbs scattered between trees. In most cases I allow nature to take its course and leave some plants to proliferate as and when they invade the... 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
Male Golden-backed Weaver building a nest
“During a pleasant morning walk 19th May 2013 at Lorong Halus with Simon Day and his two sons, who are doing a Big Year in 2013, we came across an unfamiliar species building a nest.
“We saw a ‘funny’ black-headed weaver collecting grass near the ‘Little Grebe”-lake, obviously some African escapee. It flew into some branches overhanging the lake, and Mark took a few snapshots with his compact. There was a bird photographer staking out the... Read More
Courtship of the Pin-tailed Whydar
On 17th May 2013 Johnny Wee documented the courtship dance of a male Pin-tailed Whydar (Vidua macroura) at Punggol Barat grassland along Seletar North Link.
This bird, an escapee, has been documented as early as 2008 LINK. It is well sought after as a cage bird, especially the male with his long narrow tail feathers.
During courtship, the male sings nearly all day within a designated display area, chasing other males away. His display includes flying from tree to tree,... Read More
Saving MacRitchie forest: A youngster’s view
The MacRitchie forest is under threat with plans to build a Mass Rapid Transit Line through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR), in particular the MacRitchie forest LINK. Within a few months time, soil testing will commence, meaning that the forest will be invaded by heavy machinery that in turn will cause damage to the fragile ecosystem. This patch of forest is the oldest within the CCNR, with some areas as old as the primary forest at Bukit Timah. This is... Read More
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