26-11-2015 SINGAPORE - BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)

The black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), or black-capped night-heron, commonly shortened to just night-heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and North and South America. In Australasia it is replaced by the closely related nankeen night-heron (N. caledonicus), with which it has hybridized in the area of contact.

Adults have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. They have pale grey wings and white under parts. Two or three long white plumes, erected in greeting and courtship displays, extend from the back of the head. The sexes are similar in appearance although the males are slightly larger. Black-crowned night-herons do not fit the typical body form of the heron family. They are relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks than their more familiar cousins, the egrets and "day" herons. Their resting posture is normally somewhat hunched but when hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds.

Immature birds have dull grey-brown plumage on their heads, wings, and backs, with numerous pale spots. Their underparts are paler and streaked with brown. The young birds have orange eyes and duller yellowish-green legs. They are very noisy birds in their nesting colonies, with calls that are commonly transcribed as quok or woc.

The breeding habitat is fresh and salt-water wetlands throughout much of the world. The subspecies N. n. hoactli breeds in North and South America from Canada as far south as northern Argentina and Chile, N. n. obscurus in southernmost South America, N. n. falklandicus in the Falkland Islands, and the nominate race N. n. nycticorax in Europe, Asia and Africa. Black-crowned night-herons nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in a group of trees, or on the ground in protected locations such as islands or reedbeds. Three to eight eggs are laid.

This heron is migratory in the northernmost part of its range, but otherwise resident (even in the cold Patagonia). The North American population winters in Mexico, the southern United States, Central America, and the West Indies, and the Old World birds winter in tropical Africa and southern Asia.

A colony of the herons has regularly summered at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. for more than a century. The birds also prominently live year-round in the shores around the San Francisco Bay, with the largest rookery in Oakland. Their ever presence at Oakland's Lake Merritt and throughout the city's downtown area, as well as their resilience to the urban environment and displacement efforts, have led to them being named Oakland's official city bird.

There are two archaeological specimens of the black-crowned night-heron in Great Britain. The oldest is from the Roman London Wall and the more recent from the Royal Navy's late medieval victualling yards in Greenwich. It appears in the London poulterers' price lists as the Brewe, a bird which was thought to have been the Eurasian whimbrel or glossy ibis, which has now been shown to refer to the black-crowned night-heron, derived from the medieval French Bihoreau. Black-crowned night-heron may have bred in the far wetter and wider landscape of pre-modern Britain. They were certainly imported for the table so the bone specimens themselves do not prove they were part of the British avifauna. In modern times the black-crowned night-heron is a vagrant and feral breeding colonies were established at Edinburgh Zoo from 1950 into the 21st century and at Great Witchingham in Norfolk, where there were 8 pairs in 2003 but breeding was not repeated in 2004 or 2005. A pair of adults were seen with two recently fledged juveniles in Somerset in 2017, which is the first proven breeding record of wild black-crowned night-herons in Great Britain.

These birds stand still at the water's edge and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night or early morning. They primarily eat small fish, leeches, earthworms, mussels, squid, crustaceans (such as crayfish), frogs, other amphibians, aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, lizards, snakes, small mammals (such as rodents), small birds, eggs, carrion, plant material, and garbage and refuse at landfills. They are among the seven heron species observed to engage in bait fishing; luring or distracting fish by tossing edible or inedible buoyant objects into water within their striking range – a rare example of tool use among birds. During the day they rest in trees or bushes. N. n. hoactli is more gregarious outside the breeding season than the nominate race.

Black-crowned Night Herons nest in groups that often include other species, including herons, egrets, and ibises. A breeding Black-crowned Night Heron will brood any chick that is placed in its nest. The herons apparently don't distinguish between their own offspring and nestlings from other parents.

26-11-2015 SINGAPORE - TIMNEH PARROT (Psittacus erithacus ssp. timneh)

The Timneh parrot (Psittacus timneh), also known as the Timneh grey parrot or Timneh African grey parrot, is a West African parrot. Formerly classified as a subspecies of the grey parrot Psittacus erithacus timneh, it is now considered a full species Psittacus timneh. In aviculture, it is often referred to by the initials TAG and is commonly kept as a companion parrot.

The Timneh parrot was formally described in 1844 by the British zoologist and collector Louis Fraser. He coined the binomial name Psittacus timneh and specified the type locality as "Timneh country, Sierra Leone". The Temne are an ethnic group that are predominantly found in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The Timneh parrot was formerly classified as a subspecies of the grey parrot but is now treated as a separate species based on the results of a genetic and morphological study published in 2007.

Two subspecies are recognised:

P. t. timneh Fraser, 1844 – south Guinea to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali and west Ivory Coast

P. t. princeps Alexander, 1909 – Príncipe, an island off the west coast of Africa

Growing to 28–33 centimetres (11–13 in) in length and weighing 275–375 grams (9.7–13.2 oz), the Timneh is a medium-sized parrot. Its plumage is mainly a mottled grey, with a white face mask and pale yellow eyes. Compared with the only other recognised Psittacus species, the grey parrot (P. erithacus), the Timneh is smaller and darker, with a dull, dark maroon (rather than crimson) tail and a horn-coloured patch on the upper mandible. Like the grey parrot, the Timneh parrot is intelligent and a skilled mimic. The Timneh parrot may be less nervous and more outgoing around human beings, and can learn to talk at a younger age than the grey parrot.

The Timneh parrot is endemic to the western parts of the moist Upper Guinean forests and bordering savannas of West Africa from Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and southern Mali eastwards to at least 70 km east of the Bandama River in Ivory Coast. There is no natural range overlap with the grey parrot although, as both taxa are common in aviculture, escapes can occur and hybridization between greys and Timnehs has been observed in captivity. The birds typically inhabit dense forest, but are also seen at forest edges and in clearings, in gallery forest along waterways, savanna woodland and mangroves. Though they are sometimes found in cultivated areas and gardens, it is not clear whether these habitats contain self-sustaining populations; the birds may make seasonal movements out of the driest parts of their range in the dry season.

30-12-2015 HOI AN, VIETNAM - SCARLET BACKED FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum cruentatum)

The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum ) is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. Sexually dimorphic, the male has navy blue upperparts with a bright red streak down its back from its crown to its tail coverts, while the female and juvenile are predominantly olive green. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and occasionally gardens in a number of countries throughout South and East Asia.

Measuring 9 cm (3.5 in) and weighing 7 to 8 grams (0.25 to 0.28 oz), the scarlet-backed flowerpecker is a small bird with a short tail. It exhibits sexual dimorphism. The male has a navy blue face, wings and tail, with a broad bright red stripe from its crown to its upper tail coverts. The female is predominantly olive green with a black tail and scarlet upper tail coverts and rump. Both sexes have creamy white underparts, black eyes and legs, and a dark grey arched bill. The juvenile has plumage similar to the female but has an orange bill and lacks the bright red rump.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. No global population studies have been undertaken; it is thought to be common throughout most of its range particular in Thailand, although it is considered rare in Bhutan and Nepal. It is found up to 1000 m (3500 ft), in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, wooded areas and gardens.In the north of its range, it is found in southeastern China to Fujian (as the subspecies Dicaeum c. cruentatum ). It has been recorded from both native and plantation forest in West Bengal in India.

It has been observed feeding on the figs of Ficus fistulosa and F. grossularoides in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore. It visits Syzygium jambos in urban Hong Kong.

The scarlet-backed flowerpecker weaves its pouch-shaped nest hanging from a branch high up in a tree. The nest has a side entrance, typical for those of the flowerpecker family.

24-12-2015 KOH KOON, THAILAND - BRAHMINY KITE EAGLE (Haliastur indus)

Brahminy Kites have weak feet so, although they have long, sharp curved claws, they cannot take large prey. However they are expert at snatching prey in flight.

The Brahminy Kite is one of the medium-sized raptors (birds of prey), with a white head and breast. The rest of its body is a striking chestnut brown. The very tip of its tail is white. The wings are broad, with dark 'fingered' wing tips and the tail is short. The legs are short and not feathered, the eye is dark and the lemon yellow coloured bill is strongly hooked. It sails on level wings along shorelines and mudflats.

The Brahminy Kite is a bird of the coast, particularly mangrove swamps and estuaries. It is sometimes seen over forests and along rivers.

The Brahminy Kite is widespread across northern Australia, mainly along the coastline from Western Australia to northern New South Wales, and is more common in the north of its range. It is widespread throughout tropical Asia.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREATER GREEN LEAFBIRD (Chloropsis sonnerati) NIKON P900

The greater green leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati) is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae. It is distinguished from the lesser green leafbird (Chloropsis cyanopogon) by its powerful beak, yellow throat and eye ring of the female; and lack of a yellow border along the black throat patch found in the male C. cyanopogan.

It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. In Indonesia, it is found in Sumatra, Borneo, Natuna Islands, Java and Bali. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, mainly old-growth forest but also secondary forest and edges.

It moves quite conspicuously at the canopy level, jumping between branches and flying from tree to tree. It often visits fruiting fig trees, but also takes insects and small invertebrates.

The greater green leafbird has a loud voice, consisting of an ascending whistle chee-zi-chee.

The species is threatened by trapping for the cage bird trade and has become rare or even disappeared in large parts of its range.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MASKED LAPWING (Vanellus miles)

The Masked lapwing (Vanellus miles ) is a large, common, and conspicuous bird. It spends most of its time on the ground and has several distinctive calls. It is common in Australian fields and open land, and is known for its defensive swooping behavior during the nesting season. The species is also known as the Masked plover and often called the Spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range.

The Masked lapwing is the largest representative of the family Charadriidae. It has a conspicuous yellow spur on the carpal joint of each wing. The subspecies from northern Australia and New Guinea (V. m. miles ) have an all-white neck and large yellow wattles with the male having a distinctive mask and larger wattles. The subspecies found in the southern and eastern states of Australia and in New Zealand (V. m. novaehollandiae ), and often locally called the Spur-winged plover, has a black neck-stripe and smaller wattles. (Note that the northern hemisphere Spur-winged plover is a different bird.)

Masked lapwings are native to the northern and eastern parts of Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea. These birds don’t migrate and prefer to live on the edges of wetlands, and in other moist, open environments. However, they are adaptable and can often be found in surprisingly arid areas, pasturelands, and urban areas.

Outside of the breeding season, Masked lapwings are shy and harmless birds. They are active during the day and spend most of their time on the ground searching for food. They can feed singly, in pairs, or in small groups. Masked lapwings have a wide range of calls that can be heard at any time of the day or night: the warning call, a loud defending call, courtship calls, calls to its young, and others. Since these birds live on the ground, they are always alert and, even though they rest, they never sleep properly. Masked lapwings may use diversion tactics against potential predators, such as fiercely protecting a non-existent nest, or a distraction display of hopping on a single leg, to attract attention to themselves and away from their real nest, or from their chicks. There seems to be some significant use of language to guide chicks during a situation perceived to be dangerous. Long calls appear to tell the chicks to come closer to the calling bird, and a single chirp every few seconds instructs them to move away. There is a widely-believed myth that the spur on the wings can inject venom. That may have been based on fear of the Masked lapwing's territorial behavior. Sometimes the bird can damage its wing in a strike but usually survives, although it is flightless while the wing heals.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WOOD DUCK (MALE) (Aix sponsa)

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE WINGED DUCK (Asarcornis scutulata)

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - FOREST KINGFISHER (Todiramphus macleayii)

The forest kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii), also known as Macleay's or the blue kingfisher, is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae, also known as tree kingfishers. It is a predominantly blue and white bird. It is found in Indonesia, New Guinea and coastal eastern and Northern Australia. Like many other kingfishers, it hunts invertebrates, small frogs, and lizards.

The forest kingfisher is native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia, where it is found on or near the Australian coastline from Port Stephens in New South Wales northwards to Cape York and westwards across the Top End. It is a summer visitor in the southern parts of its range in New South Wales and southern Queensland; elsewhere it is resident all year round.

As its name suggests, it inhabits subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest and Melaleuca swampland.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SULPHUR CRESTED COCKATOO (Cacatua galerita)

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - BALI MYNA (Leucopsar rothschildi)

The Bali myna is a beautiful almost wholly white bird with a long, drooping crest, and black tips on the wings and tail. The bird has blue bare skin around the eyes, greyish legs, and a yellow bill. Both males and females are similar in appearance. The Bali myna is one of the rarest birds in the world. It is critically endangered and fewer than 50 adults are assumed to currently exist in the wild.

Bali mynas are native to the island of Bali (and its offshore islands) in Indonesia. They inhabit dry forest, shrubland, tree and palm savanna, and flooded savanna woodland. In the past, they also inhabited coconut groves near villages.

Bali mynas are diurnal but very secretive birds. In their natural habitat, they are inconspicuous. They use treetops for cover and usually come to the ground only to drink or to find nesting materials; this would seem to be an adaptation to their noticeability to predators when out in the open. Bali mynas often gather in groups when they are young to better locate food and watch out for predators. At night, they roost communally in small groups of up to 6 birds. These birds communicate with a variety of sharp chattering calls and an emphatic twat. When alarmed, they utter tschick, tschick, tschick.

20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SPOTTED WHISTLING DUCK (Dendrocygna guttata)

The spotted whistling duck (Dendrocygna guttata ) is a member of the duck family Anatidae. It is also referred to as the "Spotted Tree Duck" This duck resides in Indonesia, New Guinea and the Philippines, but captive populations can be found elsewhere in the world.

The Spotted whistling duck is one of the smaller species in the genus Dendrocygna. This duck grows to 43-50 cm tall. Males can weigh anywhere from 590g to 650g while females weigh 610g to 860g. White spots on their flanks and breasts gave these ducks the spotted name. The sides of the neck, faces, and eyebrows are all grey. Black or dark brown coloring stretches from the crown nape to the hindneck. This dark coloring is also found in the eyepatch. Their coloring resembles a cape with a thick collar. This cape starts as a light brown then fades into a darker brown closer to the tail. Their underbelly is mostly brown, sometimes spotted, and significantly lighter than the wings and the “collar.” A white bar on the upper tail coverts can be seen during flight aiding in identification. They have dull pink legs with black webbed feet and sharp nails. The bill is dark, yet often seen with portions of red and a small white mark on the lower mandible. Spotted whistling ducks look as though they are raised from the ground, as though they are standing up tall. (look more into this). Their wings pressed strongly against the body. Inner vanes of the outer primaries are jagged and can be seen in flight (check on this). While flying, the head is positioned down causing the whole bird to look hunched. The tail stays pointed and looks long when in flight.Juveniles are seen with white streaks on flanks instead of spots and have significantly duller coloring. Spotted whistling ducks are visually similar to D. arborea, yet many scientists believe its closest relative is D. eytoni. After gaining their adult plumage at the age of 6 months,. the spotted whistling duck has a single annual molt. Like other ducks, swans, and geese, the spotted whistling duck molts synchronously. Synchronous molting is common within Anseriformes because waterfowl have the ability to avoid terrestrial predators. Unlike other birds, waterfowl float in ponds lakes while they molt, safe from predators. Other more evolved ducks have two molts, whistling ducks only molt once.

Whistling ducks are found all over the world. The spotted whistling duck is distributed throughout the Philippines, Australia, and New Guinea. These ducks live in the southern part of the Philippines and several islands of Indonesia. In Indonesia spotted whistling ducks stretch from the Eastern Lesser Sundas islands to new guinea. Spotted whistling ducks are also found in Weipa and Iron ranges od Australia, but have also been seen at Wonga Beach. Scientists hypothesize the Indonesian population was introduced due to a storm blowing the birds off course.

Spotted whistling ducks live around bodies of water, like many other ducks. These ducks specifically live around small ponds and marshes surrounded by trees. They prefer humid and low altitude habitats. Spotted whistling ducks build hollows within the trees surrounding their habitats.

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - RED WHISKERED BULBUL (Pycnonotus jocosus)

The red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus ), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves. It has a loud three or four note call, feeds on fruits and small insects and perches conspicuously on trees. It is common in hill forests and urban gardens.

The Red-whiskered bulbul is a frugivorous songbird native to Asia. It has brown upperparts and whitish underparts with buff flanks and a dark spur running onto the breast at shoulder level. It has a tall pointed black crest, red face patch, and thin black moustachial line. The tail of this bird is long and brown with white terminal feather tips, but the vent area is red. Juveniles lack the red patch behind the eye, and the vent area is rufous-orange.

Red-whiskered bulbuls are found in India, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam. These birds don’t migrate and prefer to live in lightly wooded areas, more open country with bushes and shrubs. They also occur in agricultural areas, suburbs, and urban areas.

When not nesting Red-whiskered bulbuls spend their days in flocks and roost communally in loose groups of a hundred or more birds. During the breeding period, they will defend territories of about 3,000 square meters (32,000 sq ft). Red-whiskered bulbuls are noisy birds. Their loud and evocative call is a sharp ‘kink-a-joo’ and the song is a scolding chatter. They are more often heard than seen, but will often perch conspicuously especially in the mornings when they call from the tops of trees.

Red-whiskered bulbuls are herbivores (frugivores, nectarivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly on fruits including those of the yellow oleander that is toxic to mammals, berries, and nectar. Young birds feed on caterpillars and insects which are replaced by fruits and berries as they mature.

The breeding season of Red-whiskered bulbuls peaks from December to May in southern India and March to October in northern India. They may nest once or twice a year. During this time the males perform courtship display that involves head bowing, spreading the tail, and drooping wings. The nest of these birds is cup-shaped and is built on bushes, thatched walls, or small trees. It is woven of fine twigs, roots, and grasses, and embellished with large objects such as bark strips, paper, or plastic bags. Females usually lay 2 or 3 eggs that have a pale mauve ground color with speckles becoming blotches towards the broad end. Eggs take 12 days to hatch and both parents take part in raising their helpless chicks. The young typically fledge at about 14 to 18 days after hatching. Red-whiskered bulbuls have an interesting defensive behavior when they sense danger at the nest. Adults (possibly the female) may feign injury to distract potential predators away from the nest.

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN (Copsychus saularis)

The Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis ) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. These birds are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds.

The Oriental magpie-robin is 19 cm (7.5 in) long, including the long tail, which is usually held cocked upright when hopping on the ground. It is similar in shape to the smaller European robin, but is longer-tailed. The male has black upperparts, head, and throat apart from a white shoulder patch. The underparts and the sides of the long tail are white. Females are greyish black above and greyish white. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts and heads.

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - MASKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH (Garrulax perspicillatus)

A rowdy and sociable inhabitant of gardens, parks, and shrubby thickets, this long-tailed, black-eared bird is unmistakable. Upper body is dark gray overall, with brown primarily on the belly but also with some in the wings. Vent area is a dirty rufous color, often seen as the bird intermittently pumps its tail while foraging. Bold, often foraging out in the open on lawns and field edges, but even when hidden, its harsh chattering will give it away.

The masked laughingthrush (Pterorhinus perspicillatus ) is a species of laughingthrush found in China and Vietnam. It is often seen in small noisy flocks of seven. Its Chinese name means 'seven sisters'.

This species was formerly placed in the genus Garrulax but following the publication of a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study in 2018, it was moved to the resurrected genus Pterorhinus.

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - LONG TAILED BROADBILL (Psarisomus dalhousiae)

The long-tailed broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae ) is a species of bird that is found in the Himalayas, extending east through Northeastern India to Southeast Asia. It is the only bird in the genus Psarisomus. The long-tailed broadbill is about 25 cm (10 inches) in length and weighs between 50 and 60 grams. It can be identified by its shrill call.

The long-tailed broadbill displays a yellow plumage on the throat. Blueish-green plumage on the belly, back, and wings.The long-tailed broadbill is a forest bird that lives on insects. It is very sociable and normally travels in large, noisy parties except during the mating season. It builds a pear-shaped nest in a tree. The female usually lays between 5 and 6 eggs that are incubated by both sexes; both sexes also help to feed the young.

Adult long-tailed broadbills have a bright yellow throat and face, where the yellow patch ranges on each side of the occiput. The yellow feathers continue down to a form a thin band around the neck. There is a thin layer of pale-yellow/whitish feathers that envelops the yellow patch below their throat. Some even have a hint of pale yellow-green on their chin. They have a helmet-like black cap with a sleek blue patch on the crown and a smaller blue patch at the back of their neck. The feathers along the back, belly and top of the wings are bright green produced by a combination of pigmentary and structural color. The underparts of the wings are a lighter green or blueish green. The primary feathers are black, with a metallic blue margin at the base of the external web and a white spot on the base of the inner web.

Long-tailed broadbill have a long blue tail, but the under-tail is black. They have strong, broad bill that is yellowish green in color with lighter edges. They have a pea-green toes and brown legs. Juvenile long-tailed broadbills have a shorter tail, green head with duller plumage. A full-grown adult stand about 10 inches in length (25 cm) and weighs anywhere between 50 and 60 grams.

The long-tailed broadbill is found in the Himalayas and Myanmar and discontinuously found through South-East Asia and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo. They are distributed in a variety of countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They are commonly found in broad-leaved evergreen forests, ranging in altitudes from 150 to 2500 meters. Their natural habitats include: forests, streams and creeks, tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, tropical and subtropical moist mountain forests. They seem to have a habitat preference nears small bodies of water such as streams, freshwater and wetlands. They are resident, non-migratory species. The populations of long-tailed broadbills that live in the higher altitudes of the Himalayas often move down to lower altitudes during cold winter months.

Long-tailed broadbills are social birds that are usually seen foraging about in small flocks. They have also been seen in mixed-species flocks. Despite their loud high-pitched calls, they are relatively shy birds that usually hide among the foliage of trees. They are especially noisy during breeding season.

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - HAWAIIAN GOOSE (Branta sandvicensis)

The Hawaiian goose or the nene (Branta sandvicensis ) is the world's rarest goose. It is thought that the nene evolved from the Canada goose, which most likely arrived on the Hawaiian islands about 500,000 years ago, shortly after the island of Hawaiʻi was formed.

Adult male Hawaiian geese have a black head and hindneck, buff cheeks, and heavily furrowed neck. The neck has black and white diagonal stripes. Aside from being smaller, the female is similar to the male in coloration. The adult's bill, legs, and feet are black. It has soft feathers under its chin. Goslings resemble adults but are a duller brown and with less demarcation between the colors of the head and neck, and striping and barring effects are much reduced.

Native to the Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaiian goose today is found most commonly in Hawaii, in and around the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and on Maui in Haleakala National Park. A large and increasing population also lives on Kauai Island, and the animal has recently been reintroduced on Molokai Island. They don't migrate and inhabit various habitats, including scrub forests, grasslands, volcanic slopes with sparse vegetation, coastal dunes, and lava plains, and related anthropogenic habitats such as pasture and golf courses. Some populations migrated between lowland breeding grounds and montane foraging areas.

Population size

2,600-3,300

Life Span

20-24 years

Weight

1.5-3

kglbs

kg lbs 

Height

41

cminch

cm inch 

Length

53-69

cminch

cm inch 

7-1-2016 HONG KONG - COSCOROBA SWAN (Coscoroba coscoroba)

The coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba ) is a species of waterfowl endemic to southern South America. It is the smallest of the birds called “swans”, but still a large species of waterfowl. It belongs to the subfamily Anserinae in the family of ducks, swans, and geese, Anatidae. It is placed in the monotypic genus Coscoroba. The coscoroba swan is traditionally considered as an early branch from the common ancestor leading to true geese and swans, and recent genetic studies have associated a phylogenetic relationship between this species and the Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae ) as sister groups.

Male coscoroba swans weigh 3.8–5.4 kg (8.4–11.9 lb) and females weigh 3.2–4.5 kg (7.1–9.9 lb). The length is from 87.5 to 115 cm (34.4 to 45.3 in) and the wingspan is 155 to 160 cm (61 to 63 in). They have white plumage except for black tips to the outer six primary feathers, although this black is often barely visible on the closed wing. In flight, the black wing tips are conspicuous. The bird has a red beak, legs and feet. They look somewhat more like geese than swans. The female looks almost identical to the male. The cygnet is a patchy color, with brown and gray hues. The coscoroba swan lacks the patch of bare skin between the eyes and beak typical of swans. They look like a very small swan in body and look like a goose in the head. Eggs measure 89 X 61 mm, with averages of 82 to 94 53 to 67 mm, with an average weight of 170 grams and range from 129 to 203 grams.