13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - GIANT PANDA (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

 Giant Pandas are fascinating animals. The Panda (a name which means eater of bamboo  in Nepali), was nothing more than a solitary wanderer in the Chinese mountains until 1869, when it was made known to the West by the naturalist and missionary Armand David. Giant Pandas are a symbol for those who campaign to protect nature and biodiversity.

They are very calm animals, and expert tree climbers. Females are lighter than males, although there are few visible differences between them. Its coat is hard, long and dense; sometimes the black has a brownish tinge, and the white can becomes more reddish and brown. It has vertical pupils, just like cats. This species has developed a sixth finger (pseudo-thumb) which is nothing more than an extension of a bone in the wrist that is used to pluck, grasp and eat bamboo.

13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - EURASIAN MAGPIE (Pica pica)

 The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (Pica pica) is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies. In Europe, "magpie" is used by English speakers as a synonym for the Eurasian magpie: the only other magpie in Europe is the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki), which is limited to the Iberian Peninsula.

The Eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds, and it is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all non-human animals. The expansion of its nidopallium is approximately the same in its relative size as the brain of chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans. It is the only bird known to pass the mirror test, along with very few other non-avian species.

13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - GUANACO (Lama guanaco)

The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.

Like all camels, Guanacos are herbivores, grazing on grasses, shrubs, herbs, lichens, fungi, cacti, and flowers. The food is swallowed with little chewing and first enters the forestomach to be digested finally after rumination. This process is similar to that of ruminants, to which camels are not zoologically related. The camels' digestive system is likely to have developed independently of ruminants, which is evidenced by the fact that the forestomachs are equipped with glands.

 

Guanacos are often found at high altitudes, up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level, except in Patagonia, where the southerly latitude means ice covers the vegetation at these altitudes. For guanacos to survive in the low oxygen levels found at these high altitudes, their blood is rich in red blood cells. A teaspoon of guanaco blood contains about 68 million red blood cells; four times that of a human.

Guanaco fiber is particularly prized for its soft, warm feel and is found in luxury fabric. In South America, the guanaco's soft wool is valued second only to that of vicuña wool. The pelts, particularly from the calves, are sometimes used as a substitute for red fox pelts, because the texture is difficult to differentiate. Like their domestic descendant, the llama, the guanaco is double-coated with coarse guard hairs and a soft undercoat, the hairs of which are about 16–18 µ in diameter and comparable to cashmere.

13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - ASIAN BLACK BEAR (Ursus thibetanus)

 The Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, southeastern Iran, the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, the Korean Peninsula, China, the Russian Far East, the islands of Honshū and Shikoku in Japan, and Taiwan. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is threatened by deforestation and poaching for its body parts, which are used in traditional medicine.

13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - WHITE STORK (Ciconia ciconia)

 The White Stork is a migratory bird that heralds the end of winter with its arrival (around February).

Very similar to the American Stork (also called "White Stork" or "Common Stork"), it neither one of the largest nor the smallest of its species. It can reach 115 centimeters in length, with a wing span of up to 195 centimeters.

Adults have orange and red beaks and legs (the beak measures between 14 and 19 centimeters). In young individuals, these parts are dark gray.

When it returns,  it always goes back to the nest it abandoned the previous year. Nests are usually built on top of towers and on churches: they are platforms of twigs up to two meters in diameter.

First the males arrive, then the females: first they rebuild their nest, then they pair up. The sound made by the stork to communicate with other storks is the  noisy clattering of its beak..

13-6-2023 MADRID ZOO PARK, ESPANA - EURASIAN WREN (Troglodytes troglodytes)

 The Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) or northern wren is a very small insectivorous bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia and Africa (Maghreb). In Anglophone Europe, it is commonly known simply as the wren. It has a very short tail which is often held erect, a short neck and a relatively long thin bill. It is russet brown above, paler buff-brown below and has a cream buff supercilium. The sexes are alike.

The species was once lumped with Troglodytes hiemalis of eastern North America and Troglodytes pacificus of western North America as the winter wren. The Eurasian wren occurs in Europe and across the Palearctic – including a belt of Asia from northern Iran and Afghanistan across to Japan. It is migratory in only the northern parts of its range. It is also highly polygynous, an unusual mating system for passerines.

31-5-2023 HANDARA GOLF COURSE, BALI - JAVAN GRAY THROATED WHITE-EYE (Heleia javanica)

Mees's white-eye (Heleia javanica), also known as the Javan grey-throated white-eye or grey-throated ibon, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Java and Bali.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - CHINESE HWAMEI (Garrulax canorus)

The Chinese hwamei or melodious laughingthrush (Garrulax canorus) is a passerine bird of eastern Asia in the family Leiothrichidae. The name "hwamei" comes from its Chinese name 畫眉 (huà méi), which means "painted eyebrow", referring to the distinctive marking around the bird's eyes. The species is a popular cagebird because of its attractive song.

 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - INDIAN PIED MYNA (Gracupica contra)

The Indian pied myna (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. It is often seen within cities and villages although it is not as bold as the common myna. It produces a range of calls made up of liquid notes.

The species is found mainly in the plains but in the foothills up to about 700m above sea level. They are found mainly in areas with access to open water. Their main distribution in India is from the Gangetic plains extending south to the Krishna River. Their range is increasing, with populations establishing more recently in Pakistan, Rajkot, and Bombay (since 1953), possibly aided by trade in caged birds and accidental escape. Their westerward spread in India particularly in parts of Rajasthan has been aided by changes in irrigation and farming patterns. The species has also established itself in Dubai, UAE.

The habitat is lowland open areas with scattered trees near water, often near human habitation. This species is often seen at sewage farms and refuse tips.

 

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - AMERICAN FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus ruber)

 The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large species of flamingo closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo native to the neotropics. It was formerly considered conspecific with the greater flamingo, but that treatment is now widely viewed (e.g. by the American and British Ornithologists' Unions) as incorrect due to a lack of evidence. It is also known as the Caribbean flamingo, although it is also present in the Galápagos Islands. It is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - LESSER ORIENTAL CHEVROTAIN (Tragulus kanchil)

Distribution

The lesser mouse-deer is found widely across Southeast Asia in Indochina, Myanmar (Kra Isthmus), Brunei, Cambodia, China (Southern Yunnan), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra and many other small islands), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and many other small islands), Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Description

It is one of the smallest known hoofed mammals, its mature size being as little as 45 cm (18 inches) and 2 kg (4.4 lb) and related to the even smaller Java mouse-deer. It is threatened by predation by feral dogs.

Through further research it is also discovered that the creatures who were initially believed to be nocturnal actually conduct their activities during the day. As discovered by Kusuda, the first being that though many births occur in May, November or December, the females are able to reproduce throughout the year (Kusuda et al).

 

In Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, the mouse-deer Sang Kancil is a cunning trickster similar to Br'er Rabbit from the Uncle Remus tales, even sharing some story plots. For instance, they both trick enemies pretending to be dead or inanimate] and both lose a race to slower opponents.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - COCONUT LORIKEET (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Distribution and habitat

Trichoglossus haematodus is found in eastern Indonesia, on Buru, Seram, Misool, Waigeo, Numfoor, Yapen and the Aru Islands, in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on New Guinea, in the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

The species occupies a wide range of lowland and wooded hill habitats, including mangroves, rainforest, nypa forest, swamps, savanna and woodland. It also occupies human-modified areas including coconut plantations, gardens, agricultural land and disturbed forest. It is found from sea level up to as high as 2,440 m (8,010 ft); this upper altitude level varies by location.

 Coconut lorikeets are monogamous birds, choosing only one partner for their whole life. They are diurnal birds living in very large bands. In the evening, they join their fellows in a dormitory tree. These birds may breed throughout most of year, depending on the region. Usually they breed in the spring, from July to December. They usually raise one brood a year, sometimes two.[citation needed]

Nests are usually located in holes in decaying wood, such as hollows of eucalyptus trees, at a height of 25 metres (82 ft) above the ground. Females lay two matte white, round eggs and incubate them for 23–25 days. Parents feed the chicks for 7–8 weeks, after which they leave the nest and after another 2–3 weeks they become completely independent.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - NICOBAR PIGEON (Caloenas nicobarica)

 The Nicobar pigeon or Nicobar dove (Caloenas nicobarica) is a bird 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. 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.

On the Nicobar Islands (which are referred to in its common and scientific names), the most significant colony of Nicobar pigeons in modern times was found on Batti Malv, a remote wildlife sanctuary between Car Nicobar and Teressa. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused massive damage on the Nicobar Islands, and to what extent Batti Malv was affected is still not clear. But while everything on some islets in the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve was destroyed, Batti Malv lighthouse – a skeletal tower a dozen metres high, standing a few metres ASL at the highest point of the low-lying island – was little-damaged and put back in operation by the survey ship INS Sandhayak less than one month after the disaster. An April 2007 survey by the Indian Coast Guard vessel ICGS Vikram found the lighthouse tower "totally covered" in vines, indicating rampant regeneration of vegetation – but perhaps also that damage to the island's forest was severe, as a cover of creeping plants is typical of early succession stages, while a photo of the lighthouse taken before the tsunami shows rather mature forest.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - STRAW NECKED IBIS (Threskiornis spinicollis)

The straw-necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their necks.

Distribution and habitat

Straw-necked ibises are commonly found throughout Australia, nesting at least occasionally in all mainland states and territories, except in the arid interior. They are most abundant on the east coast, and are vagrant to New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. They are less frequently seen in New Guinea, Indonesia, and occasionally in Tasmania and other islands of the Bass Strait.

Found around shallow freshwater wetlands, cultivated pastures, edges of swamps and lagoons, and wet or dry grasslands. They tend to avoid arid and saltwater areas, and coastal mudflats. They are extremely nomadic, and are constantly on the move searching for suitable habitats. They are frequently seen standing on high branches of bare trees, silhouetted against the sky.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - AUSTRALIAN WOOD DUCK (Chenonetta jubata)

 The Australian wood duck, maned duck or maned goose (Chenonetta jubata) is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. It is the only living species in the genus Chenonetta. Traditionally placed in the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ducks), it might belong to the subfamily Tadorninae (shelducks); the ringed teal may be its closest living relative.

Distribution and habitat

The Australian wood duck is widespread in Australia, including Tasmania. The Australian wood duck is found in grasslands, open woodlands, wetlands, flooded pastures and along the coast in inlets and bays. It is also common on farmland with dams, as well as around rice fields, sewage ponds and in urban parks. It will often be found around deeper lakes that may be unsuitable for other waterbirds' foraging, as it prefers to forage on land. It has been recorded as a vagrant in New Zealand, although in 2015 and 2016 a pair successfully bred there.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - FRECKLED DUCK (Stictonetta naevosa)

 

Endemic to Australia, the freckled duck is mainly situated throughout inland regions of the Eastern section of the country—including New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. This species also has known populations in South Australia and Western Australia. Due to habitat requirements, distribution of the freckled duck directly correlates to water flow and rainfall in river catchments and wetland systems. Because of this, main populations of this species are located within the Paroo-Warrego catchment (Currawinya Lakes), Eyre-Georgine-Mulligan catchment (Lake Torquinie), and potentially at Lake Galilee. High numbers have also been recorded at the Cooper's Creek catchment, wetlands within the Barkley Tablelands, the Bulloo River catchment and Lake Gregory in central north Western Australia.

10-6-2023 SINGAPORE GARDENS - COMMON LEOPARD BUTTERFLY (Phalanta phalantha),

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

Description

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

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

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - BANDED KINGFISHER (FEMALE) (Lacedo pulchella)

 

26-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - MALAYSIAN HAWK CUCKOO (Hierococcyx fugax)

The Malaysian hawk-cuckoo or Malay hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx fugax) is a bird in the family Cuculidae formerly considered conspecific with Hodgson's hawk-cuckoo and the rufous hawk-cuckoo. All three species were previously assigned as Cuculus fugax.

Hierococcyx fugax is found in far southern Burma, southern Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra and western Java.

The Malaysian hawk-cuckoo occurs in a variety of forest types from plains level up to 1700 metres on Sumatra. It can also be found in cocoa and rubber plantations.

Insects, mainly caterpillars, but also cicadas, beetles, small butterflies and locusts, in addition fruits and berries. Active in bushes and understorey, gleaning prey from foliage.

Hawk-cuckoos are brood parasites and recorded hosts include the white-rumped shama and the grey-headed canary flycatcher.

17-5-2023 PORING HOT SPRINGS, BORNEO - FERRUGINOUS FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa ferruginea)

The ferruginous flycatcher (Muscicapa ferruginea) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - RED CRESTED CARDINAL (Paroaria coronata)

The red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) is a songbird, the species belonging to the family of tanagers (Thraupidae). Notwithstanding its similar name, this bird is not closely related to the true cardinal family (Cardinalidae). It is sometimes known as the Brazilian cardinal.

This species can be found mainly in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, southern part of the Pantanal, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

It has also been introduced to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Chile. In Brazil, it has been introduced to various places outside its historical range, as in the Tietê Ecological Park in São Paulo.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and heavily degraded former forest, at an elevation up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level. It often occurs close to rivers, marshes and lakes.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - TAWNY FROGMOUTH (Podargus strigoides)

The tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird, often mistaken for an owl, due to its nocturnal habits and similar colouring, and sometimes, at least archaically, referred to as mopoke or mopawk, a name also used for the Australian boobook, the call of which is often confused with that of the tawny frogmouth.

Camouflage

Examples of cryptic plumage and mimicry in Australian birds is seen in the tawny frogmouth, which perch low on tree branches during the day camouflaged as part of the tree. Their silvery-grey plumage patterned with white, black and brown streaks and mottles allows them to freeze into the form of a broken tree branch and become practically invisible in broad daylight. The tawny frogmouth often chooses a broken part of a tree branch and perches upon it with its head thrust upwards at an acute angle using its very large, broad beak to emphasise the resemblance. Often, a pair sits together and points their heads upwards, only breaking cover if approached closely to take flight or warn off predators. When threatened, adult tawny frogmouths make an alarm call that signals to chicks to remain silent and immobile, ensuring that the natural camouflage provided by the plumage is not broken.

Distribution and habitat.

Tawny frogmouths are found throughout most of the Australian mainland except in far western Queensland, the central Northern Territory, and most of the Nullarbor Plain. In Tasmania, they are common throughout the northern and eastern parts of the state.

They can be found in almost any habitat type, including forests and woodlands, scrub and heathland vegetation, and savannahs. However, they are rarely seen in heavy rainforests and treeless deserts. They are seen in large numbers in areas populated with many river gums and casuarinas, and can be found along river courses if these areas are timbered. Tawny frogmouths are common in suburbs, having adapted to human presence. They have been reported nesting in parks and gardens with trees.

Behaviour and ecologyDiet and feeding

Tawny frogmouths are carnivorous and are considered to be among Australia's most effective pest-control birds, as their diet consists largely of species regarded as vermin or pests in houses, farms and gardens. The bulk of their diet is composed of large nocturnal insects, such as moths, as well as spiders, worms, slugs and snails, but also includes a variety of bugs, beetles, wasps, ants, centipedes, millipedes and scorpions. Large numbers of invertebrates are consumed to make up sufficient biomass. Small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds are also eaten.

During daylight hours, healthy tawny frogmouths generally do not actively look for food, though they may sit with their mouths open, snapping them shut when an insect enters. As dusk approaches, they begin actively searching for food. Tawny frogmouths feed mainly by pouncing from a tree or other elevated perch to take large insects or small vertebrates from the ground using their beaks with great precision. Some smaller prey, such as moths, can be caught in flight. Foraging flights consist of short, snatching flights to foliage, branches, or into the air.

Tawny frogmouths do not consume prey collected on the ground or in flight on the spot unless it is very small. The captured prey is held in the tip of the beak and taken to a nearby branch, where it is then processed. Insects are generally pulped at the rim of the beak before being swallowed, and larger prey such as lizards or mice are generally killed before consumption by being bashed against a branch with great force.

18-5-2023 SEPILOK, BORNEO - YELLOW RUMPED FLOWERPECKER (Prionochilus xanthopygius)

The yellow-rumped flowerpecker (Prionochilus xanthopygius) is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia on the island of Borneo, to which it is endemic. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

9-6-2023 MANDAI BIRD PARADISE, SINGAPORE - HYACINTH MACAW (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or hyacinthine macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length (from the top of its head to the tip of its long pointed tail) of about one meter it is longer than any other species of parrot. It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species; the flightless kākāpō of New Zealand outweighs it at up to 3.5 kg. While generally easily recognized, it could be confused with the smaller Lear's macaw. Habitat loss and the trapping of wild birds for the pet trade have taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild, so the species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. 

22-5-2023 RANAU, BORNEO - BLUE AND WHITE FLYCATCHER (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)

The blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The species is also known as the Japanese flycatcher. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of north eastern China and the Russian Far East. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo. This species has been recorded as a vagrant from the Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka in 2014.