BIRDWALKERMONDAY

Monday, 5 February 2018

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ROSE RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri)

The Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is one of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonized a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets are also capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is not threatened, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.

The Rose-ringed parakeet is a medium-sized parrot. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green color in the wild, and captive-bred ringnecks have multiple color mutations including blue, violet, and yellow.

Rose-ringed parakeets are native to Africa and South Asia. They don't migrate and live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in grasslands, savanna, shrubland, rainforests, mangroves, and wetlands. These birds also occur in rural gardens and agricultural areas.

Rose-ringed parakeets are social birds. They are active during the day spending their time, foraging, flying about, and resting in the shades of tree canopy during midday hours. They often gather in flocks that fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards. Rose-ringed parakeets are very noisy and have an unmistakable squawking call.

Rose-ringed parakeets are herbivores and usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds. In India, they eat cereal grains, and during winter also pigeon peas. In Egypt during the spring, they feed on mulberry, and in summer they feed on dates and eat from sunflower and corn fields.

Rose-ringed parakeets are serially monogamous; they do not have life mates and often breed with another partner during the following breeding season. In northwest India, Rose-ringed parakeets form pairs from September to December. During this cold season, they select and defend nest sites, thus avoiding competition for sites with other birds. The female lays 1 to 7 eggs and incubates them alone for about 3 weeks. The chick hatch altricial meaning they are helpless and depend on their parents for feeding and protection. The young fledge at 7 weeks of age and become independent when they are 2 years old. Reproductive maturity is usually reached at the age of 3 years.

28-11-2016 SINGAPORE - HAIRY WATER LILY (Nymphaea pubescens)

This plant is common in shallow lakes and ponds throughout temperate and tropical Asia: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Yunnan, Taiwan, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is the national flower of Bangladesh.

It is also found in northeastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The hairy water lily is found both as a cultivated plant as well as in the wild. It prefers non-acidic waters and it does not tolerate temperatures below 15 °C.

The hairy water lily is known kokaa in Hindi and Kumuda in Sanskrit. The leaves of this plant have fuzzy or hairy undersides and the stems are covered by the same hairs as well, hence the name "pubescens" or "hairy" of the species. This is not a characteristic that is apparent when looking at the plant from above the water though.

This species of water lily has quite a few artificially raised varieties, in addition to many natural hybrids.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - EURASIAN BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - BLUE RUMPED PARROT (Psittinus cyanurus)

The blue-rumped parrot (Psittinus cyanurus) is a parrot found in the very southern tip of Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and nearby islands. It is a small parrot (18 cm) and is primarily green with bright red underwing coverts, a reddish shoulder patch, and yellowish margins on the wing coverts. It is sexually dimorphic. The female has a grey-brown head. The male has a black mantle, red upper mandible, and blue head and rump.

It was formerly considered the only member of the genus Psittinus, but BirdLife International recognised the subspecies abbottii as a separate species, the Simeulue parrot, and the IOC later followed suit, supporting it as a distinct species.

There are two subspecies:

P. c. cyanurus: Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra.

P. c. pontius: Mentawi Islands southwards from Siberut. Larger than the nominate subspecies.

It is found in lowland forests, generally below 700 m, in forest, open woodland, orchards and plantations, mangroves, dense scrub, and coconut groves. It occurs in flocks up to 20 birds. They eat seeds, fruit and blossoms.

5-2-2018 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - EURASIAN KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus)

Sunday, 4 February 2018

23-3-2017 TARCOLES RIVER, COSTA RICA - LONG TAILED MANAKIN (Chiroxiphia linearis)

The long-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) is a species of bird in the family Pipridae native to Central America where it inhabits both wet and dry tropical and subtropical forests. It is a small, plump bird about 10 centimetres (4 in) long. Males have black plumage with a blue back and a red crown, and the two central tail feathers are greatly elongated. Females and juveniles are olive-green with paler underparts. At breeding time, males are involved in a cooperative lekking behaviour with a complex coordinated courtship dance. This is a fairly common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - 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.

Red-vented bulbuls have an omnivorous diet. They feed on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar, and insects and occasionally will even hunt house geckos.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - NICOBAR PIGEON (Caloenas nicobarica)

The Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is a large beautiful bird found mainly in South East Asia and Oceania. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas alongside the extinct Spotted green pigeon and is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire.

Nicobar pigeons have developed a bright plumage; their head is grey, like the upper neck plumage, which turns into green and copper hackles. The tail is very short and pure white. The rest of their plumage is metallic green. The cere of the dark bill forms a small blackish knob; the strong legs and feet are dull red. Females are slightly smaller than males; they have a smaller bill knob, shorter hackles, and browner underparts. Immature birds have a black tail and lack almost all iridescence.

Nicobar pigeons are found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. They inhabit rainforests, dry forests, mangroves, and shrubland.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - LACED WOODPECKER (MALE) (Picus vittatus)

The laced woodpecker (Picus vittatus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae.

It is found throughout Southeast Asia in the countries of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A sole specimen recorded for Bangladesh has since been reidentified as a streak-breasted woodpecker.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Typical green woodpecker, with a tea-green back, gray face, and solid black moustache stripe. Male has a bright red crown while female has a dull black one. Strikingly striped wings most readily seen in flight. Gives sharp, loud “kip” calls and more strident two-note calls during confrontations. In southwestern Thailand and southern Myanmar, look out for the similar Streak-breasted Woodpecker, which has a faded, indistinct moustache stripe in both sexes. Also compare with Streak-throated Woodpecker, which, as the name suggests, has noticeable streaking on the throat, as well as a more indistinct moustache stripe.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)

The Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world. These birds have a stocky appearance as if hunched over, the head tucked down into the shoulders, and they are usually seen with this posture. They are most active at dusk or at night when their ghostly forms fly from their daytime roosts to the wetlands where they forage.

Adult birds have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. They have pale gray 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.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SADDLE BILLED STORK (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)

The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis ) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa. It is considered endangered in South Africa.

It is a close relative of the widespread Asian and Australian black-necked stork, the only other member of the genus Ephippiorhynchus.

This is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 145 to 150 cm (4 ft 9 in to 4 ft 11 in), a length of 142 cm (4 ft 8 in) and a 2.4 to 2.7 m (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in) wingspan. While heights published have been in the aforementioned narrow range, reportedly adult saddle-billed storks in captivity can attain a height of up to 150 to 180 cm (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in). The male of the species is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of 5.1–7.52 kg (11.2–16.6 lb), with a mean mass of 6.38 kg (14.1 lb). The female is usually between 5 and 6.84 kg (11.0 and 15.1 lb), with a mean mass of 5.95 kg (13.1 lb). Among the large storks, the saddle-billed broadly overlap in size with the two larger Leptoptilos and the Jabiru stork but possesses a longer, more slender neck and slightly longer legs than the other largest storks, so the saddle-billed is likely to be the tallest extant species of the family. Its extremely long legs measure up to 36.5 cm (14.4 in)) in tarsus length. The long bill measures from 27.3 to 36 cm (10.7 to 14.2 in). The sexes can be readily distinguished by the golden yellow irises of the female and the brown irises and dangling yellow wattles of the male. It is therefore one of the few storks to display sexual dimorphism in colour.

4-2-2018 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EGYPTIAN LOCUST (Anacridium aegyptium)

23-3-2017 MEDELLIN, COLUMBIA - MILITARY MACAW (Ara militaris)

The military macaw (Ara militaris) is a medium-sized macaw that gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform. It is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though considered vulnerable in the wild, it is still commonly found in the pet trade industry.

10-11-2015 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - GREEN SANDPIPER (Tringa ochropus)

1-6-2015 VAL D'EBO, VALENCIA - SPANISH GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY (Pyronia bathseba)

Pyronia bathseba, the Spanish gatekeeper, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found on the Iberian Peninsula and in France, Morocco, and Algeria. A similar gatekeeper species is Pyronia tithonus, which is found in northern Europe.

The wingspan is 18–19 mm. The butterfly is on wing from May to July depending on the location.

The larvae feed on Poaceae species, mainly Brachypodium species.

1-6-2015 VAL D'EBO, VALENCIA - KNAPWEED FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY (MALE) (Melitaea phoebe ssp. occitanica)

Melitaea phoebe, the knapweed fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm, except the northernmost locations. It used to include Melitaea telona, recently revalidated as a distinct cryptic species.

The wingspan is 34–50 mm. M. phoebe. The largest Melitaea of the Old World, at least certain of its forms. The forewing much more pointed than in the previous species; equally variable in colour as well as the distinctness of the markings. The black markings are usually united, in some cases even covering nearly the whole wings, but in other cases may be strongly reduced. It is characteristic for this species that the reddish yellow submarginal lunate spot situated between the two median veins reaches with its vertex considerably farther into the disc than the other yellow lunate spots. This is especially the case on the forewing, but also on the hindwing the submarginal lunule between the 1. and 2. median veins projects farther basad than the others of the same row. Wheeler (1903) gives a short description.

The butterfly flies from April to September depending on the location. The larvae feed on Plantago and Centaurea species (including Centaurea jacea).

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE THROATED TOUCAN (Ramphastos tucanus)

The white-throated toucan (Ramphastos tucanus) is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae found in South America throughout the Amazon Basin including the adjacent Tocantins and Araguaia River drainage. It prefers tropical humid forest, but also occurs in woodland and locally in riverine forest within cerrado.

The white-throated toucan was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other toucans in the genus Ramphastos and coined the binomial name Ramphastos tucanus. Linnaeus specified the "habitat" as South America. The type locality was restricted to Suriname by the American ornithologists Ludlow Griscom and James Greenway in 1937. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ῥαμφηστης/rhamphēstēs meaning "snouted" (from ῥαμφη/rhampē meaning "bill"). The specific epithet tucanus is from the Guarani language and may mean "bonenose".

Like other toucans, the white-throated toucan is brightly marked and has a huge bill. It has a total length of 50–61 cm (19.5–24 in). Body weight is somewhat variable, ranging in adult birds from 425 to 830 g (0.937 to 1.830 lb). The male averages slightly larger, at a mass of 642 g (1.415 lb), while the female averages 580 g (1.28 lb). However, the subspecies R. t. cuvieri is larger, with males averaging 702 g (1.548 lb) and females averaging 687 g (1.515 lb).[13] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 20.4 to 26.5 cm (8.0 to 10.4 in), the bill is 12.2 to 22 cm (4.8 to 8.7 in), the tail is 13.3 to 16.8 cm (5.2 to 6.6 in), and the tarsus is 4.5 to 5.6 cm (1.8 to 2.2 in). The only species of toucan that surpasses the white-throated in size is the toco toucan, however the R. t. cuvieri subspecies of white-throated toucan appears to perhaps be even heavier than the Toco species.

It has black plumage with a white throat and breast bordered below with a narrow red line. The rump is bright yellow and the crissum (the area around the cloaca) is red. The bare skin around the eye is blue. The bill has a yellow tip, upper ridge and base of the upper mandible, and the base of the lower mandible is blue. The rest of the bill is mainly black in R. t. cuvieri and mainly reddish-brown in R. t. tucanus, with intergrades showing a mixed coloration. Males are larger and longer-billed than females, but otherwise the sexes are alike.

Juveniles are noticeably shorter-billed, more sooty-black, and have duller plumage.

The white-throated toucan of the race cuvieri is virtually identical to the related channel-billed toucan of the race culminatus, but the latter is smaller and has a proportionally shorter bill with a more strongly keeled culmen. The call is often the best distinction between the species. White-throated has a yelping eeoo, hue hue, whereas channel-billed has a croaking song.

Small flocks or more commonly pairs of birds move through the forest with a heavy, rather weak, undulating flight, rarely flying more than 100 m (330 ft) at a time. This species is primarily an arboreal fruit-eater, but will also take insects, lizards, eggs, and small birds.

The 2–4 white eggs are laid in an unlined cavity high in a decayed section of a living tree, or in an old woodpecker nest in a dead tree.

Both sexes incubate the eggs for at 14–15 days, and the toucan chicks remain in the nest after hatching. They are blind and naked at birth, with short bills, and have specialised pads on their heels to protect them from the rough floor of the nest. They are fed by both parents, and fledge after about 6 weeks. The parents continue feeding the juveniles for several weeks after they have left the nest.