25-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MASKED LAPWING (Vanellus miles)

The masked lapwing (Vanellus miles) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia (particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent), New Zealand and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms, and has several distinctive calls. It is common in Australian fields and open land, and is known for its defensive swooping behaviour during the nesting season.

Despite the species being also known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range, lapwings are classified to their own subfamily, Vanellinae, and not to the closely related plover subfamily, Charadriinae. There are two subspecies: the nominate subspecies and the southern novaehollandiae. The latter has distinctive black markings on the shoulder and side of the chest, and is sometimes recognized as a separate species: the black-shouldered lapwing (Vanellus novaehollandiae).

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON (Ducula aenea)

The adult male of nominate race has iridescent green upperparts tinged bluish or bronzy. The primary and outer secondary flight feathers and the rectrices are grey with slight greenish gloss.

Head and neck, upper mantle, breast and belly are pale pinkish-grey. The undertail-coverts are dark chestnut.

On the grey head, we can see some white feathers around the eyes and at bill base.

The bill is bluish-grey. The eyes are deep red. Legs and feet are reddish.

Both sexes are similar with the female slightly duller than male.

The juvenile is duller than adults, with less pink on head and underparts.

The Green Imperial-Pigeon is a vocal species. It utters single deep, loud “oom” while lowering the head, and a growling “kr-r-r-r-r”. The most often heard is a deep disyllabic “curr-hoo” or “koo koooo”. Actually, all these sounds are variations of the same call according to the situation.

The birds of Sulawesi utter a questioning “woohoo woo”, whereas in India, they give longer call, a deep, resonant “wuck-wuck-woor” or “wuck-woor-woor-woor-woor”. 

The Green Imperial-Pigeon is a forested species. It frequents both primary and secondary forests, mangroves and also open country with scattered trees.

This species usually occurs in lowlands, but in India, it can be seen up to 300-600 metres of elevation, and in Sulawesi Islands, up to 1000 metres.

The Green Imperial-Pigeon is found in tropical southern Asia, from India E to Indonesia.

The Green Imperial-Pigeon is frugivorous, eating numerous fruits and berries. Those from Ficus and Myristica are greatly appreciated.

It is usually seen alone, in pairs or in small groups of 3-5 birds. But occasionally, flocks of up to 60 birds can be seen at fruiting trees and at roost.

The Green Imperial-Pigeon uses nighttimes’ roosts in some areas, and year after year, the same roosts are occupied, and the same routes are used to reach them.

This arboreal pigeon forages mainly in the upper canopy, plucking small and large fruits from the branches. It is not aggressive towards other pigeons when feeding. It may come to the ground, first for drinking, and then, to lick salt-soils.

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - LESSER WHISTLING DUCK (Dendrocygna javanica)

The lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica ), also known as Indian whistling duck or lesser whistling teal, is a species of whistling duck that breeds in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders that during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call. It has a chestnut rump, differentiating it from its larger relative, the fulvous whistling duck, which has a creamy white rump.

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON (Goura victoria)

The Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests,

maroon breast and red irises. It is part of a genus (Goura) of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to the New Guinea region. The bird may be easily recognized by the unique white tips on its crests and by its deep 'whooping' sounds made while calling. Its name commemorates the British monarch Queen Victoria.

The Victoria crowned pigeon is a deep blue-grey colour with a small, black mask. Its feather crest (the signature feature of crowned pigeons other than their size) is conspicuously white-tipped. On the wing coverts is a row of feathers that are a paler blue-gray with maroon tips. These form a distinct wing bar. The chest is a deep purple-maroon color. As in all crowned pigeons, melanism has been observed. The other two crowned pigeons are somewhat superficially similar, but only the western crowned pigeon overlaps in range with the Victoria species. The Scheepmaker's crowned pigeon does not. In the western species, the crown is more scraggly and hair-like, the chest is a uniform blue-gray and not maroon, and a less distinct wing-bar is present. Both sexes are similar.

The Victoria crowned pigeon is distributed in the lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea and surrounding islands. It usually occurs on areas that were former alluvial plains, including sago forests. Though typically found at or near sea level, occasionally birds of this species may venture up in the hills to an elevation up to about 3,000 feet.

Like other crowned pigeons, the Victoria crowned pigeon is a gregarious species. They usually travel in pairs or small parties as they search for food. They walk with an unhurried gait along the forest floor. Their food typically consists of fallen fruit. Birds of this species in captivity are particularly fond of eating figs. Seeds and invertebrates may occasionally supplement the diet. When disturbed, these birds fly straight up into the canopy or a large horizontal branch of a large forest tree. After being disturbed, they may remain on their perch for a considerable time engaging in contact calls and flicking their tails. In the wild, this species tends to be shier than the western crowned pigeon, but can still occasionally be quietly approached. The males regularly engage in aggressive displays to establish dominance. In these interactions, the pigeons puff up their chests and repeatedly raise their wings as if preparing to strike their opponent. They also make short dashes at each other and may actually hit one another, but rarely make contact and can be completely peaceful towards other males outside of the early mating season.

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ASIAN GLOSSY STARLING (JUVENILE) (Aplonis panayensis)

The Asian glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis) is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan (introduced) and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest. There is also a huge number of this species inhabiting towns and cities, where they take refuge in abandoned buildings and trees. They often move in large groups and are considered one of the noisiest species of birds. In the Philippines, it is known as kulansiyang, galansiyang, or kuling-dagat.

The Asian Glossy Starling often appears black, but the conspicuous bright red eyes light up the glossy plumage of this beautiful bird.

Both sexes are similar.

The adult has black plumage with greenish gloss overall, except on vent which is matt black.

On the head, we can see a small black mask on the lores and around the eye. Nape and neck exhibit more elongated feathers which are fluffed up according to the situation and the mood of the bird.

The strong bill, legs and feet are black. The eyes are bright red.

3-3-2018 GANDIA RIO SERPIS, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MANDARIN DUCK (FEMALE) (Aix galericulata),

The beautiful mandarin duck was introduced from the Far East, where it can still be found in China, Japan, Korea and parts of Russia. It escaped, or was deliberately released, from captivity in the UK. Mandarin ducks are actually quite shy birds, often hiding beneath overhanging willows and usually only forming small flocks.

 

A beautiful, unmistakable duck: male mandarins have elaborate plumage with orange plumes on their cheeks, orange 'sails' on their back, and pale orange sides; females are dull in comparison, with grey heads, brown backs and white eyestripe.

 

Introduced from China and now found on park lakes and other wetlands with overhanging trees, mainly in South East England, but also in North England, Wales and Scotland. 

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - RUDDY HEADED GOOSE (Chloephaga rubidiceps)

The ruddy-headed goose (Chloephaga rubidiceps) is a species of waterfowl in tribe Tadornini of subfamily Anserinae. It is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.

The ruddy-headed goose is monotypic.

The ruddy-headed goose is 45 to 52.5 cm (18 to 21 in) long. Males weigh 1.65 to 2.02 kg (3.6 to 4.5 lb) and females 1.20 to 1.50 kg (2.6 to 3.3 lb). Adults have the same plumage. Their heads and necks are red-brown, their back, breast, and flanks gray and buff with brown barring, their belly cinnamon, and their tail black. Their wing's upperside is gray and the underside gray, black, and white. Their bill is black and the legs and feet orange with black markings. Juveniles are similar to adults but duller overall.

The ruddy-headed goose is found in the eastern Chilean and Argentinian parts of Tierra del Fuego and north from there to Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is also found on the Falkland Islands. It inhabits open landscapes such as meadows, Pampas wetlands, the borders of ponds, and coastal grasslands.

Ruddy-headed geese are year-round residents of the Falkland Islands, though they make local movements there. The species nests in Tierra del Fuego and far southern mainland Argentina and for the winter migrates north from there as far as Argentina's Buenos Aires Province.

The ruddy-headed goose is almost entirely vegetarian and feeds mostly on the ground rather than in water. On the breeding grounds its diet is small berries and the roots, leaves, stems, and seeds of grasses and sedges. During winter it feeds on young wheat and in harvested fields of maize, sunflower, and sorghum.

The ruddy-headed goose's breeding season begins as early as September on the Falkland Islands and in mid-October on the mainland. It nests singly or in small loose groups. Nests are placed in long grass or amid boulders and are lined with down. The clutch size is three to eight eggs. Males guard females during the incubation period of about 30 days. The time to fledging is not known.

Male and female ruddy-headed geese have different vocalizations: Males make a "short, whistled 'seep'" and females a "short rasping quack".

The IUCN has assessed the ruddy-headed goose as being of Least Concern, though its population size is unknown and believed to be decreasing. The population in the Falklands appears robust but that in Tierra del Fuego and mainland South America may be only a few hundred birds after major decline in the 20th century. A major cause of the crash is predation by the South American gray fox, which was introduced to Tierra del Fuego in the 1950s to control rabbits. A Memorandum of Understanding was negotiated in 2006 with Argentina and Chile under the Bonn Convention in an attempt to safeguard the remaining migratory Tierra del Fuego/mainland population.

3-12-2015 SINGAPORE - WHITE WINGED DUCK (Asarcornis scutulata)

The white-winged duck or white-winged wood duck (Asarcornis scutulata ) is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus Cairina with the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata ) and allied with the dabbling ducks. However, mtDNA cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequence analysis indicate that the anatomical similarity to the Muscovy duck is deceiving and that the species is appropriately placed in a monotypic genus, as Asarcornis scutulata, which is evolutionarily closer to the redhead (Aythya americana, one of the diving ducks).

White-winged ducks are among the world’s most endangered birds and are one of the biggest species of duck. In Assamese it is known as ‘Deo Hans’ or spirit duck because of its ghostly call. Its body is black and its head is white and thickly spotted with black, it has conspicuous white patches on its wings and orange or red eyes. The male and female look alike, the male having glossier feathers and being much larger and heavier.

The White-winged duck used to be widely distributed in north-east India, Bangladesh, South East Asia, Java and Sumatra. Now it is extinct in Java. It is found in India only in the northeast, with the main populations in eastern Assam the nearby areas of Arunachal Pradesh. The key protected areas in this country are Dihing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Namdapha National Park and Nameri National Park. This duck inhabits dense evergreen tropical forests, near swamps and rivers.

3-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MASKED LAPWING (Vanellus miles)

The Masked Lapwing is sometimes referred to as the Spur-winged Plover because each of its wings is armed with a yellow spur at the ‘elbow’ (or carpal joint) — Indigenous people used to say that the birds were carrying yellow spears. Lapwings use these spurs when diving at potential predators or intruders during breeding season, while chicks are running around or when the eggs are just about to hatch. While these attacks are quite unnerving, the birds seldom actually strike their ‘victims’, preferring a close approach to scare them away.

Masked Lapwings are ground-dwelling birds that are closely related to the waders. The Masked Lapwing is mainly white below, with brown wings and back and a black crown. Birds have large yellow wattles covering the face, and are equipped with a thorny spur that projects from the wrist on each wing. The spur is yellow with a black tip. The Masked Lapwing has two subspecies resident in Australia. The southern subspecies has black on the hind neck and sides of breast, and has smaller facial wattles. Northern birds are smaller, without the partial black collar, but have a much larger wattle, which covers most of the side of the face. The sexes are similar in both subspecies, although the male tends to have a larger spur. Young Masked Lapwings are similar to the adult birds, but may have a darker back. The wing spur and facial wattles are either absent or smaller in size.

4-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - MANDARIN DUCK (MALE) (Aix galericulata)

The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is sexually dimorphic, males showing a dramatic difference from the females. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. 'Aix' is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and 'galericulata' is the Latin for a wig, derived from galerum, a cap or bonnet. Outside of its native range, the mandarin duck has a large introduced population in the British Isles and Western Europe, with additional smaller introductions in North America.

The mandarin duck is among the more diminutive types of waterfowl, with a shorter height and smaller overall body size than the dabbling ducks, and is slightly smaller than its American wood duck relatives. The adult male has a petite, red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The male's breast is purple with two vertical white bars, the flanks ruddy, and he has two orange feathers at the back (large feathers that stick up similar to boat sails). The female is similar to the female wood duck, with a grayish-lavender tone to her plumage, and a white eye-ring and stripe running back from the eye. The female is paler on the underside, has a small white flank stripe, and a pale tip to its bill.

Both the males and females have crests, but the purple crest is more pronounced on the male.

Like many other species of ducks, the male undergoes a moult after the mating season into eclipse plumage. When in eclipse plumage, the male looks similar to the female but can be distinguished by its bright yellow-orange or red beak, lack of any crest, and a less-pronounced eye-stripe.

Mandarin ducklings are almost identical in appearance to wood ducklings, and very similar to mallard ducklings. The ducklings can be distinguished from mallard ducklings because the eye-stripe of mandarin ducklings (and wood ducklings) stops at the eye, while in mallard ducklings it reaches all the way to the bill.

The species was once widespread in East Asia, but large-scale exports and the destruction of its forest habitat have reduced populations in eastern Russia and in China to below 1,000 pairs in each country; Japan, however, is thought to still hold some 5,000 pairs. The Asian populations are migratory, overwintering in lowland eastern China and southern Japan.

Specimens frequently escape from collections, and in the 20th century, a large, feral population was established in Great Britain; more recently, small numbers have bred in Ireland, concentrated in the parks of Dublin. Now, about 7,000 are in Britain with other populations on the European continent, the largest of which is in the region of Berlin. Isolated populations exist in the United States. The town of Black Mountain, North Carolina, has a limited population, and a free-flying feral population of several hundred mandarins exist in Sonoma County, California. This population is the result of several ducks escaping from captivity, then reproducing in the wild. In 2018, a single bird, dubbed Mandarin Patinkin, was seen in New York City's Central Park.

The habitats it prefers in its breeding range are the dense, shrubby forested edges of rivers and lakes. It mostly occurs in low-lying areas, but it may breed in valleys at altitudes of up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). In winter, it additionally occurs in marshes, flooded fields, and open rivers. While it prefers fresh water, it may also be seen wintering in coastal lagoons and estuaries. In its introduced European range, it lives in more open habitat than in its native range, around the edges of lakes, water meadows, and cultivated areas with woods nearby.

1-12-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - CHOCOLATE ALBATROSS BUTTERFLY (Appias lyncida)

1-12-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - LEOPARD LACEWING BUTTERFLY (Cethosia cyane)

Cethosia cyane, the leopard lacewing, is a species of heliconiine butterfly found from India to southern China (southern Yunnan), and Indochina. Its range has expanded in the last few decades, and its arrival in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, including Singapore, is relatively recent.

Upperside tawny, in fresh specimens a rich reddish tawny. Forewing: anterior and apical two-thirds black, the margin of this colour waved and irregular, following a line dividing the cell longitudinally and circling round to near the posterior angle; a short, broad, oblique, white bar beyond apex of cell, the veins crossing it and a spot in interspaces 3 and 4 black; a transverse indistinct row of small spots and a terminal series of V-shaped lunules white.

Hindwing: three or four spots just beyond apex of cell, a subterminal row of spots and the termen broadly black, the last with a series of white lunules as on the forewing. Underside variegated with red, white, pale blue, ochraceous and black; the terminal margins of both wings broadly black with white lunules as on the upperside; in the middle of each lunule a short white streak from the margin; cilia alternately black and white. Forewing: the cell with transverse bands of red, blue and black; the base and disc below the cell red spotted with black, followed by pale blue, ochraceous and black; the white oblique band as on upperside, beyond it a transverse incomplete row of lanceolate white marks, with three black spots in each, followed by a subterminal ochraceous band paling inwardly. Hindwing: the base and cell pale blue and red, crossed by several broken incomplete black lines, then alternate bands of white and ochraceous, two of each; the outer white band narrow and marked in each interspace with three black spots arranged as a triangle. Antennae, head and thorax dusky brown; abdomen above tawny, beneath white.

Similar to the male in markings, but the tawny ground colour replaced by pale greenish white, somewhat brownish on the upperside of forewing, the extent of black on this wing larger. Underside with all the markings paler than in the male the red at the base of the wings replaced by brownish yellow on the fore, white on the hindwing. Antennae, head and thorax dusky brown; abdomen dusky above, white beneath.

Larva:

"Cylindrical, purplish-black segments with alternate yellow and crimson bands. Head armed with two long spines, segments with dorsal and lateral rows of fine spines. Feeds on Passiflora, July. (Described from drawing by Major C. H. E. Adamson.).

1-12-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - GOLDEN BIRDWING BUTTERFLY (Troides aeacus)

Troides aeacus, the golden birdwing, is a large tropical butterfly belonging to the swallowtail family, Papilionidae.

Troides aeacus has a wingspan of about 150–170 millimetres (5.9–6.7 in) but can be as large as 194 mm. In the males the forewings are black, with veins bordered by whitish colour, while the hindwings are bright yellow. The underside of the wings is quite similar to the upside. The females are larger than the males and have dark-brown or black wings. Head, thorax and abdomen of this butterfly are mainly black, with small red patches on the thorax and a yellow underside of the abdomen. Caterpillars are pale brown, with long protrusions resembling thorns. They mainly feed on Aristolochia and Thottea species (Aristolochiaceae).

It is found in northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, peninsular Malaysia, and Taiwan.

Although it is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, it may require protection in peninsular Malaya.

5-12-2015 SHANGHAI, CHINA - SWEET OLIVE (Osmanthus fragrans)

Osmanthus fragrans (lit. 'fragrant osmanthus'), variously known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive, is a species native to Asia from the Himalayas through the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan in Mainland China, Taiwan, southern Japan and Southeast Asia as far south as Cambodia and Thailand.

In China, it is the "city flower" of the cities of Hangzhou, Zhejiang; Suzhou, Jiangsu; and Guilin, Guangxi. In Japan, it is the "city tree" of Kitanagoya, Aichi Prefecture; Kashima, Saga Prefecture; Beppu, Ōita Prefecture; and the "town tree" of Yoshitomi, Fukuoka Prefecture.

1-12-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - ASIAN HOUSE GECKO (Hemidactylus frenatus)

The common house gecko is by no means a misnomer, displaying a clear preference for urban environments. The synanthropic gecko displays a tendency to hunt for insects in close proximity to urban lights. They have been found in bushland, but the current evidence seems to suggest they have a preference for urban environments, with their distribution being mostly defined by areas within or in close proximity to city bounds[failed verification]

The common house gecko appears to prefer areas in the light which are proximal to cracks, or places to escape. Geckos without an immediate opportunity to escape potential danger display behavioural modifications to compensate for this fact, emerging later in the night and retreating earlier in the morning. Without access to the urban landscape, they appear to prefer habitat which is composed of comparatively dense forest or eucalypt woodland which is proximal to closed forest.

The selection of primarily urban habitats makes available the preferred foods of the common house gecko. The bulk of the diet of the gecko is made up of invertebrates, primarily hunted around urban structures. Primary invertebrate food sources include cockroaches, termites, some bees and wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, spiders, and several beetle groupings. There is limited evidence that cannibalism can occur in laboratory conditions, but this is yet to be observed in the wild.

30-11-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - TAWNY COSTER BUTTERFLY (Acraea terpsicore)

Acraea terpsicore, the tawny coster, is a small, 53–64 millimetres (2.1–2.5 in), leathery-winged butterfly common in grassland and scrub habitats. It belongs to the Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterfly family. It has a weak fluttery flight. It is avoided by most insect predators. This species and the yellow coster (Acraea issoria) are the only two Indian representatives of the predominantly African tribe Acraeini. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Singapore, and recently Australia.

This species does not fly high, but seems to keep within 3 m of the ground and tends to rest on vegetation in the regions of a meter off the ground. Acraea terpsicore can be seen in abundance wherever its larval food plant (Passiflora species) is found. The adult tends to avoid dense undergrowth and shady areas, instead keeping to open spaces in all types of vegetation.

The adult flies slowly with weak seemingly unsteady wing beats. It is one of the boldest butterflies, protected as it is from predators by a nauseous chemical. When attacked it plays dead and exudes a noxious yellowish fluid from glands in the joints of the legs. Like all butterflies protected in this manner, Acraea terpsicore has a tough exoskeleton which enables the adult to survive a few pecks of a bird or even the bites of a lizard. Once left alone the adult immediately takes off and resumes its uncaring flight.

When feeding on flowers, this butterfly is unhurried, often spending a long time sitting on the same flower. When sitting it either spreads its wings or closes them over its back the hindwings covering the forewings to a large extent. Sometimes the butterfly will not sit, but rest gently on the flower while feeding, while doing this, to maintain balance, it beats only its forewings while keeping the hindwings completely steady.

1-12-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - GAUDY GRASSHOPPER (Genus Atractomorpha)

Atractomorpha is a genus in the Pyrgomorphidae, a family of grasshoppers, found in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Not much is written about the biology of the Atractomorpha, but they are herbivores typical of the Orthoptera, so it is understandable that some species seem to be minor pests in gardens  and that some, such as Atractomorpha psittacina and Atractomorpha bedeli, are significant pests in rice.

As with many grasshoppers in various families, the males are smaller than the females and ride on them long before copulation. They remain there during the period in which the female achieves sexual receptiveness. Similar strategies are common in vertebrates such as some amphibians, as well as various invertebrates, where the males attempt to keep rivals from mating with the female.

At least some Atractomorpha species also share a habit with various generally sedentary Orthoptera such as some Pamphagidae, of producing their excreta in the form of relatively few, large, elongated faecal pellets, one at a time. As each pellet emerges, they kick it a considerable distance away, using the tibia of one rear leg. This apparently is a strategy for avoiding the attentions of parasitoids and predators that otherwise might have been attracted to the smell of a host midden.

Atractomorpha are active during the day, and their usual habitat is reeds and grasses close to rivers or streams.

1-12-2015 ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA - SHIKRA (Accipiter badius)

The shikra (Accipiter badius) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the shikra. The shikra is very similar in appearance to other sparrowhawk species including the Chinese goshawk (Accipiter soloensis) and Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). They have a sharp two note call and have the typical flap and glide flight. Their calls are imitated by drongos and the common hawk-cuckoo resembles it in plumage.

The shikra was formally described in 1788/1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the eagles, hawks and relatives in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco badius. Gmelin description was based on the "brown hawk" from Ceylon that had been described and illustrated in 1776 by the English naturalist Peter Brown. The shikra is now one of 49 species placed in the genus Accipiter that was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The genus name is Latin for "hawk", from accipere, "to grasp". The specific epithet badius is Latin for "chestnut-coloured" or "brown".

The shikra is a small raptor (26–30 cm long) and like most other Accipiter hawks, this species has short rounded wings and a narrow and somewhat long tail. Adults are whitish on the underside with fine rufous bars while the upperparts are grey. The lower belly is less barred and the thighs are whitish. Males have a red iris while the females have a less red (yellowish orange) iris and brownish upperparts apart from heavier barring on the underparts. The females are slightly larger. The mesial stripe on the throat is dark but narrow. In flight the male seen from below shows a light wing lining (underwing coverts) and has blackish wing tips. When seen from above the tail bands are faintly marked on the lateral tail feathers and not as strongly marked as in the Eurasian sparrowhawk. The central tail feathers are unbanded and only have a dark terminal band. Juveniles have dark streaks and spots on the upper breast and the wing is narrowly barred while the tail has dark but narrow bands. A post juvenile transitional plumage is found with very strong barring on the contour feathers of the underside. The call is pee-wee, the first note being higher and the second being longer. In flight the calls are shorter and sharper kik-ki ... kik-ki. The Chinese sparrowhawk is somewhat similar in appearance but has swollen bright orange ceres and yellow legs with the wing tips entirely black.

Subspecies cenchroides is larger and paler and found in Turkestan, Afghanistan and eastern Iran. The Indian population dussumieri is resident on the plains and lower hills (up to 1400 m in the Himalayas). The nominate form is found in Sri Lanka and has somewhat darker grey upperparts. The Burmese shikra A. b. poliopsis may represent a distinct species. The population on the island of Car Nicobar, earlier treated as a subspecies butleri and that on Katchal Island, obsoletus are now treated as a sub-species within a full species, the Nicobar sparrowhawk (Accipiter butleri). The west African population A. b. sphenurus is migratory while the southern African A. b. polyzonoides is more nomadic in its movements. In Asia only A. b. cenchroides is migratory.

Six subspecies are recognised:

A. b. sphenurus (Rüppell, 1836) – Senegal and Gambia to southwest Arabia south to north Tanzania and north DR Congo

A. b. polyzonoides Smith, A, 1838 – south DR Congo and south Tanzania to South Africa

A. b. cenchroides (Severtsov, 1873) – Caucasus to central Asia and northwest India

A. b. dussumieri (Temminck, 1824) – central India and Bangladesh

A. b. poliopsis (Hume, 1874) – north India to south China, Indochina and north Sumatra

A. b. badius (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – southwest India and Sri Lanka

The shikra is found in a range of habitats including forests, farmland and urban areas. They are usually seen singly or in pairs. The flight is typical with flaps and glides. During the breeding season pairs will soar on thermals and stoop at each other. Their flight usually draws alarms among smaller birds and squirrels. They feed on rodents (including Meriones hurrianae, squirrels, small birds, small reptiles (mainly lizards but sometimes small snakes and insects. Small birds usually dive through foliage to avoid a shikra and a Small Blue Kingfisher has been observed diving into water to escape. Babblers have been observed to rally together to drive away a shikra. They will descend to the ground to feast on emerging winged termites, hunt at dusk for small bats (such as Cynopterus sphinx and in rare instances they may even resort to feed on carrion. In one instance a male was found feeding on a dead chick at the nest. Their calls are mimicked by drongos and this behaviour is thought to aid in stealing food by alarming other birds that the drongos associate with.

1-12-2015 ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA - COMMON BIRDWING BUTTERFLY (Troides helena)

Troides helena, the common birdwing, is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is often found in the wildlife trade due to its popularity with butterfly collectors. The butterfly has seventeen subspecies.

The description of the commonest subspecies of the butterfly in India, T. h. cerberus Felder, is given below:[3]

Male

Upperside of forewings are rich velvety black with adnervular pale streaks on either side of the veins beyond the cell. The cilia is short, black, alternated with pale buffy white in the middle of the interspaces.

Hindwing: the abdominal fold, the apical half obliquely of interspace 1, the termen broadly, the base of the cell and the costal area up to and including the basal half of interspace 7 velvety black, the rest of the wing rich silky yellow; the veins prominently but narrowly black; the inner margin of the terminal black border produced inwards into prominent cone-shaped markings in the interspaces.

All specimens have one or more postdiscal black spots in the interspaces, but never a complete series; in interspace 2 and sometimes also in interspace 3 these spots coalesce with the cone-shaped projections of the terminal black border. Underneath the abdominal fold is a dense mass of buffy-white scented cottony pubescence. Underside similar, the adnervular pale streaks on the forewing broader and more prominent.

Hindwing: dorsal margin broadly black, with an edging of long soft black hairs; interspace 1 with a large oval postdiscal and a terminal black spot; interspace 2 with the postdiscal black spot generally separate from the cone-shaped projection of the black terminal border; the apical and lateral margins of interspaces 2-6 pale yellow irrorated (sprinkled) with black scales.

Antenna, head and thorax black, the collar narrowly crimson; abdomen yellow, shaded above with black; beneath: the thorax with a large lateral patch of crimson, the anal segment prominently buff coloured.

Female

Upper and under sides of the female is similar to those in the male, but with the following differences:

Forewing: the adnervular pale streaks broader and more prominent.

Hindwing: the black at base and along the costal margin broader, occupying fully one-third of the cell, the area above it and above vein 7, interrupted however, in interspace 7 near the apex of wing, by a transverse yellow mark which is sometimes subobsolete; a postdiscal series of large oval black spots, those in interspaces 2 and 3 often joined on the upperside to the cone-shaped terminal black marks; dorsal margin also more broadly black, without the fringe of black hairs and or course of the abdominal fold. Antenna, head and thorax as in the male; abdomen dark brownish black above.

30-11-2015 ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA - REEVE'S LEAF LITTER SKINK (Scincella reevesii)

Scincella reevesii (common name: Reeves's smooth skink) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

The specific name, reevesii, is in honor of English naturalist John Reeves.

S. reevesii is found in southern China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong), Indochina (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam) and south to Western Malaysia, Myanmar, India, and Nepal. There is also a questionable record from Korea. Reports from Bangladesh represent Sphenomorphus maculatus.

Total length up to 13 cm; snout-vent length 6 cm.

Body slim and bronze brown in colour, with a black dorsolateral stripe, extending from eye to tail;the stripe heavily speckled with tan along its entire length.

Males have a red patch on lower flanks, behind the forelegs, with a greenish tinge behind it.

Head rather small, with a somewhat pointed snout.

Labials and side of neck pale, with a few black speckles and flecks.

Underside of belly bright yellow in males; white in females.

Tail long and slim. Tail underside orange-yellow in males; greyish blue in females. Scales smooth.

Occurs in a wide variety of habitats such as cultivation, suburban gardens, grassland, shrubland, plantation woodland and edges of secondary forest.

Often very abundant in cultivated lowlands and shrubby hillsides.

Diurnal. Usually seen scampering through leaf litter or found underneath debris such as old boards, where several individuals may be found at one time. Darts swiftly away when approached.

Feeds mainly on tiny crickets, termites, beetle larvae, woodlice and other small arthropods.

Ovoviviparous. Breeds in spring. Gravid females frequently found in May.Bearing 2-3 young, which are approximately 2.5 cm in total length.

Very widely distributed throughout the New Territories and all major islands.

Recorded from southern China and Southeast Asia.

1-12-2015 TON LE SAP, CAMBODIA - COMMON IMPERIAL BUTTERFLY (Cheritra freja)

Cheritra freja, the common imperial, is a small butterfly found in India, Myanmar, Malaysia and Sri Lanka that belongs to the gossamer-winged butterflies family (Lycaenidae).

The butterfly has a brown upperside with white bands. The hindwings consist of a tail. It is coloured from pale yellow to white on the lower side with black margins.

Above, the male is purplish brown and the female is dark brown. Both sexes have large quadrate tornal spots in spaces 1b and 2 of the hindwing. These spots are outlined in white, more broadly so in the female than in the male. Underneath, both sexes are mostly white and have orange brown shadings on nearly the entire forewing and just the apical area of the hindwing. There is a narrow, indistinct ochreous brown post-discal line on the forewing. On the hindwing, the post-discal line occurs in short stripes and becomes darker and bolder towards the lower half of the wing. In addition, there is an interrupted dark submarginal line, a series of tornal spots on the tornal lobe and spaces 1b, 2 and 3. Metallic bluish green scalings overlay these spots. A long filamentous tail, up to 25mm, occurs at the end of vein 2. In contrast, a much shorter tail occurs at the end of vein 1b.

30-11-2015 ANGKOR WAT - SACRED LOTUS (Nelumbo nucifera)

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

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae.

Lotus plants are adapted to grow in the flood plains of slow-moving rivers and delta areas. Stands of lotus drop hundreds of thousands of seeds every year to the bottom of the pond. While some sprout immediately and most are eaten by wildlife, the remaining seeds can remain dormant for an extensive period of time as the pond silts in and dries out. During flood conditions, sediments containing these seeds are broken open, and the dormant seeds rehydrate and begin a new lotus colony.

Under favorable circumstances, the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. Therefore, the Chinese regard the plant as a symbol of longevity.

It has a very wide native distribution, ranging from central and northern India (at altitudes up to 1,400 m or 4,600 ft in the southern Himalayas), through northern Indochina and East Asia (north to the Amur region; the Russian populations have sometimes been referred to as "Nelumbo komarovii"), with isolated locations at the Caspian Sea. Today, the species also occurs in southern India, Sri Lanka, virtually all of Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia, but this is probably the result of human translocations. It has a very long history (c. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds and is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is the national flower of India and Vietnam.