8-11-2016 MANDALAY, MYANMAR - ZEBRA DOVE (Geopelia striata)

The zebra dove (Geopelia striata ), also known as the barred ground dove, or barred dove, is a species of bird of the dove family, Columbidae, native to Southeast Asia. They are small birds with a long tail, predominantly brownish-grey in colour with black-and-white barring. The species is known for its pleasant, soft, staccato cooing calls.

The birds are small and slender with a long, narrow tail. The upperparts are brownish-grey with black-and-white barring. The underparts are pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. The face is blue-grey with bare blue skin around the eyes. There are white tips to the tail feathers. Juveniles are duller and paler than the adults. They can also have brown feathers. Zebra doves are 20–23 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 24–26 cm.

Their call is a series of soft, staccato cooing notes. In Thailand and Indonesia, the birds are popular as pets because of their calls and cooing competitions are held to find the bird with the best voice. In Indonesia this bird is called perkutut. In the Philippines they are known as batobatong katigbe ("pebbled katigbe") and kurokutok ; in Malaysia this bird is called merbuk, onomatopoeic to their calls. They are also known as tukmo in Filipino, a name also given to the spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis ) and other wild doves.

8-11-2016 MANDALAY, MYANMAR - SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis)

The Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small pigeon that is a common across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. These birds are also called the Mountain dove, Pearl-necked dove, Lace-necked dove, and Spotted turtle-dove.

The ground color of this long and slim dove is rosy buff below shading into grey on the head and belly. There is a half collar on the back and sides of the neck made of black feathers that bifurcate and have white spots at the two tips. The median coverts have brown feathers tipped with rufous spots in the Indian and Sri Lankan subspecies which are divided at the tip by a widening grey shaft streak. The wing feathers are dark brown with grey edges. The center of the abdomen and vent are white. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white and become visible when the bird takes off. The male and the female are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults and do not acquire the neck spots until they are mature.

Population size

Unknown

Life Span

8 years

Weight

160

goz

g oz 

Length

28-32

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

43-48

cminch

cm inch 

8-11-2016 MANDALAY, MYANMAR - RED VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus cafer)

The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer ) is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Fiji, as well as parts of Samoa, Australia, USA and Cook Islands. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

The Red-vented bulbul is a medium-sized songbird that can be found across the Indian subcontinent. It can be easily identified by its short crest giving the head a squarish appearance. The body of this bird is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. It has a long black tail, tipped in white. The males and the females of this species look similar, but young birds are duller than adults.

Red-vented bulbuls occur across Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. These birds don’t migrate and inhabit dry scrub, open forests, plains, cultivated areas, parks, and gardens.

Red-vented bulbuls are diurnal social birds. Outside of the breeding season, they like to form large flocks and gather together in communal roosts. The typical call of Red-vented bulbuls has been transcribed as ginger beer, but they also produce a number of sharp single-note calls sounding like a pick. Their alarm calls are usually responded to and heeded by many other species of bird.

Population size

Unknown

Life Span

11 years

Weight

26-45

goz

g oz 

Length

20

cminch

cm inch 

11-11-2016 MANDALAY, MYANMAR - GREAT MYNA (Acridotheres grandis)

The great myna (Acridotheres grandis ), also known as the white-vented myna, is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Northeast India, through Bangladesh to Southeast Asia.

It is black with elongated forehead feathers, forming a frontal crest that may curl backwards. Its beak and feet are yellow. It has white from the vent to the tip of the tail and a white wing patch.

A black myna with a spiffy crest. Not actually significantly larger than other dark crested mynas, but the combination of the bright yellow bill, prominent spiky crest, and white vent serve to distinguish it from other similar mynas. Forages in flocks in open areas such as meadows, agricultural fields, and urban parks and gardens, often with other species of mynas and starlings.

16-2-2018 PALMA DE GANDIA, VALENCIA - COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus collybita)

16-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

16-2-2018 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops)

15-2-2018 ULLAL DE BOLDOVI, VALENCIA - COMMON CHAFFINCH (FEMALE) (Fringilla coelebs)

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovy_duck

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra)

EURA

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - 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.

Oriental magpie-robins are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and eastern Pakistan, eastern Indonesia, Thailand, south China, Malaysia, and Singapore. They inhabit open woodlands, mangroves, and cultivated areas often close to human habitations.

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis)

15-2-2018 MOROS MARJAL, VALENCIA - WHITE SPOTTED BLUETHROAT (MALE) (Luscinia svecica ssp. cyanecula)

15-2-2018 ALBORAYA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

25-11-2016 INLE LAKE, MYANMAR - COMMON LEOPARD BUTTERFLY (Phalanta phalantha)

Phalanta phalantha, the common leopard or spotted rustic, is a sun-loving butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed butterfly family.

The common leopard is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 50–55 mm with a tawny colour and marked with black spots. The underside of the butterfly is more glossy than the upper and both the male and female are similar looking. A more prominent purple gloss on the underside is found in the dry-season form of this butterfly.

Male aud female. Upperside bright yellowish-ochreous. Forewing with two black short slender sinuous bars across middle of the cell, a similar darker pair at its end, followed beyond by a short broad sinuous streak from the costa to the lower radial, and is then succeeded below the cell by an inwardly-oblique series of four irregular-shaped spots, and beyond by a medial-discal transverse row of similarly disposed narrow spots, an outer-discal row of round spots, then an inner submarginal sinuous line, confluent with an outer straight line, and a marginal row of triangular spots. Hindwing with a slightly-defined slender black lunule within the cell, two before its end, and two also above it; a transverse inner-discal irregular series of slender lunules which are slightly pale bordered externally; a medial-discal row of four larger black oval spots, two submarginal sinuous slightly confluent lines, and marginal triangular spots.

It is widely distributed and abundant; from the tops of hills in Sri Lanka and southern India and up to 3000 m in the Himalayas, as well as the whole of Subsaharan Africa.

Sun loving and avoids shade. Seen in the plains, gardens, and edges of clearings. Has active and sharp flight movements. Visits flowers regularly especially Lantana, Duranta, Meyenia laxiflora, Gymnosporia montana, and thistles. Often seen mudpuddling from damp patches in the ground, either alone or in groups. A regular basker with wings spread wide open. It is commonest in dry areas and dry weather and absent from the wetter parts of India during the monsoon. It often perches on edges of clearing with wings half open and has the habit of chasing away other butterflies and guarding its territory.

25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - JEWEL BEETLE (Genus Sternocera)

Sternocera is a genus of jewel beetles belonging to the Julodinae subfamily.

There are 26 species in this genus. Some species—S. aequisignata and S. aurosignata—are used for beetlewing craft because of their iridescent wings.

25-11-2016 NYAUNG OAK MONASTERY, MYANMAR - BLUE PIERROT BUTTERFLY (Genus Tarucus)

Tarucus is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as blue Pierrots or simply Pierrots. The latter name is often used for the closely related genus Castalius. The delimitation of Castalius versus Tarucus is not yet fully resolved, with some species, such as the dark Pierrot (T. ananda), having been moved between the two genera repeatedly. It may even be that they are eventually regarded as synonymous, and in that case the older name Castalius would supersede Tarucus by the Principle of Priority.

Several species formerly in Tarucus were moved to Leptotes, another closely related lineage (though not quite as close as Castalius).

The caterpillars of this genus typically feed on Ziziphus and are attended by ants.