26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or stalking its prey through the shallows.

Standing up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown.

The birds breed colonially in spring in heronries, usually building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both birds incubate the eggs for around 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when 7-8 weeks old. Many juveniles do not survive their first winter, but if they do, they can expect to live for about 5 years.

In Ancient Egypt, the deity Bennu was depicted as a heron in New Kingdom artwork. In Ancient Rome, the heron was a bird of divination. Roast heron was once a specially prized dish; when George Neville became Archbishop of York in 1465, 400 herons were served to the guests.

The grey heron is a large bird, standing up to 100 cm (40 in) tall and measuring 84–102 cm (33–40 in) long with a 155–195 cm (61–77 in) wingspan.[10] The body weight can range from 1.02–2.08 kg (2 lb 4 oz – 4 lb 9+1⁄4 oz).[11] The plumage is largely ashy-grey above, and greyish-white below, with some black on the flanks. Adults have a white head and neck with a broad black supercilium that terminates in the slender, dangling crest, and bluish-black streaks on the front of the neck. The scapular feathers and the feathers at the base of the neck are somewhat elongated. Immature birds lack the dark stripe on the head and are generally duller in appearance than adults, with a grey head and neck, and a small, dark grey crest. The pinkish-yellow beak is long, straight, and powerful, and is brighter in color in breeding adults. The iris is yellow and the legs are brown and very long.

The main call is a loud croaking "fraaank", but a variety of guttural and raucous noises are heard at the breeding colony. The male uses an advertisement call to encourage a female to join him at the nest, and both sexes use various greeting calls after a pair bond has been established. A loud, harsh "schaah" is used by the male in driving other birds from the vicinity of the nest and a soft "gogogo" expresses anxiety, as when a predator is nearby or a human walks past the colony. The chicks utter loud chattering or ticking noises.

The grey heron has an extensive range throughout most of the Palearctic realm. The range of the nominate subspecies A. c. cinerea extends to 70° N in Norway and 66°N in Sweden, but its northerly limit is around 60°N across the rest of Europe and Asia, as far eastwards as the Ural Mountains. To the south, its range extends to northern Spain, France, central Italy, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iraq, Iran, India, The Maldives and Myanmar (Burma). It is also present in Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and many of the Mediterranean Islands. It is replaced by A. c. jouyi in eastern Siberia, Mongolia, eastern China, Hainan, Japan, and Taiwan. In Madagascar and the Aldabra Islands, the subspecies A. c. firasa is found, while the subspecies A. c. monicae is restricted to Mauritania and offshore islands.

Over much of its range, the grey heron is resident, but birds from the more northerly parts of Europe migrate southwards, some remaining in Central and Southern Europe, others travelling on to Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

The grey heron is also known to be vagrant in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Iceland, Greenland, the Aleutian Islands, and Newfoundland, with a few confirmed sightings in other parts of North America including Nova Scotia and Nantucket.

Within its range, the grey heron can be found anywhere with suitable watery habitat that can supply its food. The water body must be either shallow enough, or have a shelving margin in it, so that it can wade. Although most common in the lowlands, it also occurs in mountain tarns, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, marshes, ponds, ditches, flooded areas, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and the sea shore. It sometimes forages away from water in pasture, and it has been recorded in desert areas, hunting for beetles and lizards. Breeding colonies are usually near feeding areas, but exceptionally may be up to eight kilometres (five miles) away, and birds sometimes forage as much as 20 km (12 mi) from the nesting site.

The grey heron has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted in an S-shape. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, and spoonbills, which extend their necks. It flies with slow wing-beats and sometimes glides for short distances. It sometimes soars, circling to considerable heights, but not as often as the stork. In spring, and occasionally in autumn, birds may soar high above the heronry and chase each other, undertake aerial manoeuvres or swoop down towards the ground. The birds often perch in trees, but spend much time on the ground, striding about or standing still for long periods with an upright stance, often on a single leg.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREY CROWNED CRANE (Balearica regulorum)

The grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum), also known as the African crowned crane, golden crested crane, golden crowned crane, East African crane, East African crowned crane, African crane, Eastern crowned crane, Kavirondo crane, South African crane, and crested crane, is a bird in the crane family, Gruidae. It is found in nearly all of Africa, especially in eastern and southern Africa, and it is the national bird of Uganda.

The grey crowned crane is closely related to the black crowned crane, and the two species have sometimes been treated as the same species. The two are separable on the basis of genetic evidence, calls, plumage, and bare parts, and all authorities treat them as different species today.

There are two subspecies. The East African B. r. gibbericeps (crested crane) occurs in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda, of which it is the national bird represented in its national flag, and Kenya to eastern South Africa. It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch than the smaller nominate species, B. r. regulorum (South African crowned crane), which breeds from Angola south to South Africa.

The grey crowned crane is approximately 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall, weighs 3.5 kg (7.7 lb), and has a wingspan of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). Its body plumage is mainly grey. The wings are predominantly white but contain feathers with a range of colours, with a distinctive black patch at the very top. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white, and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch. The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black. They have long legs for wading through the grasses. The feet are large, yet slender, adapted for balance rather than defence or grasping. The sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger. Younger cranes are greyer than adults, with a feathered buff face.

This species and the black crowned crane are the only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. This trait is assumed to be an ancestral trait among the cranes, which has been lost in the other subfamily. Crowned cranes also lack a coiled trachea and have loose plumage compared to the other cranes.

The grey crowned crane occurs in dry savannah in Sub-Saharan Africa, although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats. They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in Uganda and Kenya and as far south as South Africa. This animal does not have set migration patterns, and birds nearer the tropics are typically sedentary. Birds in more arid areas, particularly Namibia, make localised seasonal movements during drier periods.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ASIAN EMERALD DOVE (Chalcophaps indica)

The emerald dove or common emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The dove is also known by the names of green dove and green-winged pigeon. The common emerald dove is the state bird of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pacific emerald dove and Stephan's emerald dove were both considered conspecific.

The common emerald dove is a stocky, medium-sized pigeon, typically 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in) in length. The back and wings are bright emerald green. The flight feathers and tail are blackish, and broad black and white bars show on the lower back in flight. The head and underparts are dark vinous pink, fading to greyish on the lower belly. The eyes are dark brown, the bill bright red and legs and feet rufous. The male has a white patch on the edge of the shoulders and a grey crown, which the female lacks. Females will tend to have a browner complexion with a grey mark on the shoulder. Immature birds resemble females but have brown scallops on their body and wing plumage.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GOLDEN PHEASANT (MALE) (Chrysolophus pictus)

The golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant, is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The genus name is from Ancient Greek khrusolophos, "with golden crest", and pictus is Latin for "painted" from pingere, "to paint".

The adult male is approximately 100 cm (39 in) in length, with its tail accounting for two-thirds of the total length, and around 500–700 g (1–2 lb) in weight. Its coloration is characterized by a golden crest and rump and by a bright red body. It possess an orange ruff or "cape" on the beck that can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except for the eyes. The eye is bright yellow, with a pinpoint black pupil. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both yellow. The upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow. The tertiary feathers on the wings are blue, whereas the scapulars are dark red. The central tail feathers are black spotted with cinnamon, while the tip of the tail is a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same colour as the central tail feathers. The male also has a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut flanks and underparts. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.[3]

The adult female (hen) is 60–80 cm (24–31 in) in length and weights around 350 g (1 lb). Her tail is proportionally longer, and makes up roughly half of her total length. She is much less showy than the male, with a duller mottled brown plumage similar to that of the female common pheasant, but is darker and more slender. The female's breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Some abnormal females may later in their lifetime develop some male plumage. Both males and females have yellow legs and yellow bills.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ZENAIDA DOVE ZENAIDA DOVE (Zenaida aurita)

                                             https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3438-Zenaida

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - DALMATIAN PELICAN (Pelecanus crispus)

Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) – more than a pink pelican, distinguished by the absence of pink tones in the plumage. On the head and the upper side of the neck are long and twisted curly feathers which form the likeness of a mane. It takes off fairly easily, pushing the water with both feet, but when it has a catch in its throat bag, gets up with difficulty.

The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the largest member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans rivaling those of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. With a range spanning across much of Central Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the West to the Taiwan Strait in the East, and from the Persian Gulf in the South to Siberia in the North, it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, P. c. palaeocrispus, has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan.

As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguishing features, and the wings appear solid grey in flight. The adults acquire a drabber plumage in winter, however, when they may be mistaken for great white pelicans. Their harsh vocalizations become more pronounced during the mating season. They breed across the Palearctic from southeastern Europe to Russia, India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. They usually return to traditional breeding sites, where they are less social than other pelican species. Their nests are crude heaps of vegetation, which are placed on islands or on dense mats of vegetation.

The species' numbers underwent a dramatic decline during the 20th century, partly due to land use, disturbance and poaching activities. The core population survives in Russia, but in its Mongolian range it is critically endangered. Removal of power lines to prevent collisions or electrocution and construction of nesting platforms or rafts have reversed declines locally.

This huge bird is by a slight margin the largest of the pelican species and one of the largest living flying bird species. It measures 160 to 183 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 0 in) in length, 7.25–15 kg (16.0–33.1 lb) in weight and 245 to 351 cm (8 ft 0 in to 11 ft 6 in) in wingspan. Its median weight is around 11.5 kg (25 lb), which makes it perhaps the world's heaviest flying bird species, although the largest individuals among male bustards and swans may be heavier than the largest individual Dalmatian pelican. More recently, six male Dalmatians were found to average 10.4 kg (23 lb) and four females 8.7 kg (19 lb), around the same average weight as the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and slightly lighter than mean body masses from other huge birds such as the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) or Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).] A mean estimated body mass for the Dalmatian pelican of 10.9 kg (24 lb) was also published, around the same mass as the aforementioned largest swan and condor. It is either the heaviest or one of the heaviest birds native to Europe, its closest rival in mass being mute swans (Cygnus olor), which weighs on average around 10.1 kg (22 lb), followed closely by the cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) (whose average weight is not known) and the whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus), averaging at just shy of 9.5 kg (21 lb), and the great white pelican. These same five species are probably rank as the largest flying birds in Asia as well, alongside the Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis). It also appears to have one of the largest wingspans of any living bird, rivaling those of the great albatrosses (Diomedea ssp., in particular the two largest species, the wandering albatross and southern royal albatross) and the great white pelican. These four species are the only modern birds with verified wingspans that range over 350 cm (11 ft 6 in).

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.