26-4-2015 MONTE CORONA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The White wagtail is a slender bird with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. There are a number of other subspecies, some of which may have arisen because of partial geographical isolation, such as the resident British and Irish form, the pied wagtail M. a. yarrellii, which now also breeds in adjacent areas of the neighbouring European mainland. The Pied wagtail exchanges the grey colour of the nominate form with black (or very dark grey in females), but is otherwise identical in its behaviour. Other subspecies, the validity of some of which is questionable, differ in the colour of the wings, back, and head, or other features. Some races show sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. As many as six subspecies may be present in the wintering ground in India or Southeast Asia and here they can be difficult to distinguish.

White wagtails breed throughout Eurasia, only being absent in the Arctic. They also breed in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. These birds are residents in the milder parts of their range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of their range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia. White wagtails occupy a wide range of habitats but are absent from deserts. They inhabit grasslands, seashores, rocky shorelines, sand beaches, tidepools, rivers, lakeshores, farmland, gardens, and parks. They are also often found in towns and villages.

29-3-2015 COCHIN, INDIA - INDIAN POND HERON (Ardeola grayii)

The Indian pond heron or paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Iran and east to the Indian subcontinent, Burma, and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost close to human habitations.

They are distinctive when they take off, with bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. Their camouflage is so excellent that they can be approached closely before they take to flight, a behaviour which has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.

Indian pond herons are stocky with short necks, short thick bills and buff-brown backs. In summer, adults have long neck feathers. Their appearance is transformed from dull colours when they take to flight and the white of the wings makes them very prominent. They are very similar to the squacco herons, Ardeola ralloides, but darker backed. To the east of their range, they are replaced by the Chinese pond herons, Ardeola bacchus.

During the breeding season, there are records of individuals with red legs. The numbers do not suggest that this is a normal change for adults during the breeding season and some have suggested the possibility of it being genetic variants.

Erythristic plumage has been noted. The race phillipsi has been suggested for the populations found in the Maldives, without much acceptance. It forms a superspecies with the closely related Chinese pond heron, Javan pond heron and the Madagascar pond heron.

They are usually silent but may make a harsh croak in alarm when flushed or near their nests.

This bird was first described by Colonel W. H. Sykes in 1832 and given its scientific name in honour of John Edward Gray. Karyology studies indicate that pond herons have 68 chromosomes. 

They are very common in India, and are usually solitary foragers but numbers of them may sometimes feed in close proximity during the dry seasons when small wetlands have a high concentration of prey. They are semi-colonial breeders. They may also forage at garbage heaps. During dry seasons, they sometimes take to foraging on well watered lawns or even dry grassland. When foraging, they allow close approach and flush only at close range. They sometimes form communal roosts, often in avenue trees over busy urban areas.

The Indian pond heron's feeding habitat is marshy wetlands. They usually feed at the edge of ponds but make extensive use of floating vegetation such as water hyacinth to access deeper water. They may also on occasion swim on water or fish from the air and land in deeper waters. They have also been observed to fly and capture fishes leaping out of water. Sometimes, they fly low over water to drive frogs and fishes towards the shore before settling along the shoreline. They have been noted to pick up crumbs of bread and drop them on the water surface to bait fishes.

The primary food of these birds includes crustaceans, aquatic insects, fishes, tadpoles and sometimes leeches (Herpobdelloides sp.). Outside wetlands, these herons feed on insects (including crickets, dragonflies and bees), fish (Barilius noted as important in a study in Chandigarh) and amphibians.

The breeding season begins with the onset of the monsoons. They nest in small colonies, often with other wading birds, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Most nests are built at a height of about 9 to 10 m in large leafy trees. The nest material is collected by the male while the female builds the nest. Three to five eggs are laid. The eggs hatch asynchronously, taking 18 to 24 days to hatch. Both parents feed the young. Fish are the main diet fed to young. Nest sites that are not disturbed may be reused year after year.

The habit of standing still and flushing only at the last moment has led to widespread folk beliefs that they are semi-blind and their name in many languages includes such suggestions. In Sri Lanka the bird is called kana koka which translates as "half-blind heron" in the Sinhala language. The Hindustani phrase "bagla bhagat" has been used to describe a "wolf in sheep's clothing" or a hypocrite appearing like a meditating saint and occurs in a Marathi proverb. The paddy-bird also appears as a character in the Hitopadesha where, in one story, it takes injury to itself to save a king. The bird was noted by Anglo-Indian naturalist-writers for the surprising transformation in colours. Phil Robinson described the bird as one that sits all dingy gray and flies all white. It is said to have been eaten by many in India in former times.

During the height of the plume trade, feathers were collected from the "paddy bird" and exported to Britain.

23-3-2015 PENANG, MALAYSIA - COMMON FLAMEBACK (Dinopium javanense)

The common flameback (Dinopium javanense), also referred to as the common goldenback, is a small (28–30 cm), three-toed woodpecker in the family Picidae, found throughout South and Southeast Asia.

As shy and secretive birds, common flamebacks are unlikely to be found in urban areas. They live in a variety of habitats, ranging from moist open forests, to scrubs, and mangroves. Although they generally enjoy lowlands, they can reach altitudes of 1700m above sea level in India and in those cases prefer living in pine forests.

Their distribution ranges across Southeast Asia, from the Western Ghats in India to the Indochinese peninsula and several of the Greater Sunda Islands.

 

19-3-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - AMERICAN FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus ruber)

The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies, northern South America (including the Galápagos Islands) and the Yucatan Peninsula. It is closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo, and 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.

It is a cultural icon for the U.S. state of Florida, where it was formerly abundant in the southernmost regions, although it was largely extirpated by 1900 and is now only an uncommon visitor with a few small, potential resident populations.

The American flamingo breeds in South America (in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, coastal Colombia and Venezuela, and northern Brazil), in the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), The Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands), and tropical and subtropical areas of continental North America (along the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, and formerly southern Florida in the United States). It is a vagrant to Puerto Rico, Anguilla, Barbados, Honduras, and (following its extirpation) Florida, although some Florida populations are now thought to be year-round residents. The population in the Galápagos Islands differs genetically from that in the Caribbean; the Galápagos flamingos are significantly smaller, exhibit sexual dimorphism in body shape, and lay smaller eggs. They are sometimes separated as Phoenicopterus ruber glyphorhynchus.

Its preferred habitats are similar to those of its relatives: saline lagoons, mudflats, and shallow, brackish coastal or inland lakes. An example habitat is the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán.

Like other flamingo species, American flamingos will migrate short distances to ensure that they get enough food or because their current habitat has been disturbed in some way. One habitat disturbance that has been observed to cause flamingos to leave their feeding grounds is elevated water levels. These conditions make it difficult for Phoenicopterus ruber to wade, hindering their ability to access food. The flamingos will then abandon their feeding grounds in search of an alternate food source. While the flights are not as long as other migratory birds, flamingos still fly for periods without eating.

Mating and bonding behaviors of P. ruber individuals have been extensively studied in captivity. The American flamingo is usually monogamous when selecting a nest site, and incubating and raising young; however, extra-pair copulations are frequent.

While males usually initiate courtship, females control the process. If interest is mutual, a female walks by the male, and if the male is receptive, he walks with her. Both parties make synchronized movements until one member aborts this process. For low-intensity courtships, males and females walk in unison with their heads raised. In high-intensity courtships, males and females walk at a quick pace with their heads dropped in a false feeding posture. This high-intensity courtship stops at any point if either bird turns and the other does not follow, the heads are raised, unison movements are stopped, or the pace of movement is slowed. If the female is ultimately receptive to copulation, she stops walking and presents for the male. Long-term pairs do not frequently engage in courtship behaviors or in-group display. Pairs often stand, sleep, and eat in close proximity.

Courtship is most often seen among individuals that change partners often or are promiscuous. A spectrum of pairing relationships is seen. Some birds have a long-term partner throughout the year; others form pairs during periods of courtship and nest attendance. How long a relationship lasts is affected by many factors, including addition and removal of adults, maturation of juveniles, and occurrence of trios and quartets. In most pairs, both individuals usually construct and defend the nest site. In rare cases, one individual undertakes both duties. Within trios, the dominant pair begins the nesting process by choosing and then defending the site.

20-3-2015 BOTANICAL GARDENS, SINGAPORE - YELLOW VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus goiavier)

The yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier), or eastern yellow-vented bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in southeastern Asia from Indochina to the Philippines. It is found in a wide variety of open habitats but not the deep forest. It is one of the most common birds in cultivated areas. They appear to be nomadic and roam from place to place regularly.

The yellow-vented bulbul was originally classified in the genus Muscicapa.

19-3-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SILVER EARED MESIA (Leiothrix argentauris)

                              

The silver-eared mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) is a species of bird from South East Asia.

The species is generally resident although it has been reported as a winter migrant to Nameri National Park in Assam, India, which implies that the species may be an altitudinal migrant. The species has been introduced to Hong Kong from captive stock derived from caged birds.

15-3-2015 MONTE CORONA - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

15-3-2015 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - ANGLE MOTH (Itame vincularia)

Itame vincularia is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in France, Portugal, Spain, North Africa and Turkey.

The wingspan is about 28–32 mm.

The larvae feed on Rhamnus infectoria and Frangula alnus.

14-3-2012 CORDOBA, ANDALUCIA - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

10-3-2015 MONTE CORONA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

24-7-2012 DANUBE DELTA, ROMANIA - HOODED CROW (Corvus cornix)

1984 MASAI MARA, KENYA - MARABOU STORK (Leptoptilos crumenifer)

2-3-2015 GATA DE GORGOS - IBERIAN SCARCE SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Iphiclides feisthamelii)

Iphiclides feisthamelii, the southern scarce swallowtail, southern swallowtail or Iberian scarce swallowtail, is a butterfly found in Italy, Slovenia, southern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of I. podalirius.

The larva feeds on Prunus amygdalus (almond), P. persica (peach), P. insititia (a kind of plum), P. longipes, Pyrus communis (common pear), Malus domesticus (apple) and Crataegus oxyacantha.

The Southern Scarce Swallowtail is a large butterfly that can look either white or pale yellow with prominent vertical black stripes and long tail streamers, from where it gained the common name. When feeding on a flower the blue crescents and red markings on the hindwings are visible. The under wing pattern is a little paler.

Once classed as Iphiclides podalirius podalirius (Central and Southern Europe), The Southern Scarce swallowtail – Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii (North Africa, Iberia and southwest France) is now recognised as a subspecies due to their geographic location and differences in size and coloration.

The caterpillars can be up to 4.5cm long. They are green with fine yellow lines and orange spots. The shape is deeper in the first third and tapers off sharply. They have a glandular defense system against predation. On their necks is hidden a fork of brightly coloured retractable flesh, when raised this emits a foul smell to deter predators.

25-2-2015 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is a large duck native to the Americas. Although it is a tropical bird, it adapts well to cooler climates, thriving in weather as cold as −12 °C (10 °F) and able to survive even colder conditions.

Muscovy ducks are large birds. They are predominantly black and white, with the back feathers being iridescent and glossy in males, while the females are more drab. The amount of white on the neck and head is variable, as well as the bill, which can be yellow, pink, black, or any mixture of these. They may have white patches or bars on the wings, which become more noticeable during flight. Both, the males and the females of this species have pink or red wattles around the bill, those of the male being larger and more brightly colored.

Muscovy ducks are found in Mexico and Central and South America. Small wild and feral breeding populations occur in the United States, particularly in Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada. Feral Muscovy ducks are also found in New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe. These birds usually inhabit wet forests, forested swamps, wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams, and nearby grassland and farm crops.

Muscovy ducks are agile and speedy birds. They are non-migratory and are active during the day; at night birds often roost in trees. Days are spent feeding by grazing on the ground or dabbling in shallow water. Muscovy ducks are social birds; they are often seen in pairs or small groups. They are aggressive ducks; males often fight over food, territory, or mates. The females fight with each other less often. Some adults will even peck at the ducklings if they are eating at the same food source. In order to communicate with each other, Muscovy ducks wag their tails, raise and lower their heads and use various vocalizations including hisses and quacks. Males have a low breathy call, and females produce a quiet trilling coo.

21-2-2015 RIVER JUCAR, VALENCIA - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Great Cormorant is a beautiful bird, widespread throughout the world. Its fishing ability may be as turned to man’s advantage in the Far East, or considered as fish competitor in several other countries and persecuted.

On the head, the chin is black, but cheeks and throat are covered with bare white skin. Head is black with more or less white feathers on the loosely crested nape which is formed by elongated feathers. According to each bird, we can see white short feathers extending broadly on the rear neck and ending in narrower collar on the foreneck.

The thin, straight bill is horn-coloured, with yellow to orange-red gape and hooked tip. The eyes are emerald. The short legs and the webbed feet are black.

Outside breeding season, Great Cormorant looses most of its white feathers and has duller plumage.

Both sexes are similar. Male is slightly larger than female, with larger bill.

Juvenile has brownish neck and white belly, and sometimes mottled pale brown breast, neck and flanks.

Second year resembles adult, but browner.

Young reaches its sexual maturity at 3-5 years.

27-11-2014 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SARDINIAN WARBLER (MALE) (Sylvia melanocephala)

16-3-2015 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)

A rare sighting of a wild Mute Swan quite far south in Europe near Pego in Valencia.

2-4-2014 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)

2-2-2015 VILLALONGA SERPIS, VALENCIA - MUSKOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata)

Found at scattered locations across England, and less often in Wales and Scotland, Muscovy Ducks are usually found close to human habitation, prompting they are semi-domesticated or feral.

Very small numbers have been found in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. Records usually relate to single birds or a handful of individuals, but larger groups (in excess of 20 birds) have been reported.

16-1-2015 CARTAGENA, MURCIA - GREEN PEAFOWL (Pavo muticus)

The Green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is a peafowl species native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Due to their natural beauty, these birds are still sometimes targeted by the pet trade, feather collectors, and even by hunters for meat. They are a much-desired bird for private and home aviculturists, despite their rather high-maintenance care requirements.

The sexes of Green peafowl are quite similar in appearance, especially in the wild. Both males and females have long upper-tail coverts (which cover the tail itself, underneath). In the male, this extends up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and is decorated with eyespots; in the female, the coverts are green and much shorter, just covering the tail. Outside of the breeding season, however, the male's train is moulted; distinguishing the sexes during this period can be difficult unless they are observed quite up close. The neck and breast feathers (of both sexes) are highly iridescent green and resemble dragon scales. In the male, the scapular, median, and greater wing coverts are blue; the lesser coverts are green and form a triangle of scaly shoulder feathers (when the wing is closed). The secondaries are black and, in some subspecies, the tertials are brown and/or barred with a faint pattern. The female has blue lesser coverts and lacks the triangle at the wing-shoulder. Females also have neck scales fringed with copper, as well as more barring on the back, the primaries and alula. Both sexes have shafted crests, are long-legged, heavy-winged, and long-tailed in silhouette. The crest of the female has slightly wider plumes, while those of the male are thinner but taller. The facial skin is double-striped with a whitish-blue; beside the ear is a yellow-orange crescent. The dark triangle below the eye (towards the eyebrow) is bluish-green in the male, and brown in the female. Seen from a distance, they are generally dark-coloured birds with pale vermillion- or buff-coloured primaries, which are quite visible in their peculiar flight; this action has been described as a true "flapping" flight, lacking the gliding that one associates with many birds.

Green peafowl were widely distributed in Southeast Asia in the past but are now only patchily distributed in China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Viet Nam. These birds are found in a wide range of habitats, including primary and secondary forests, both tropical and subtropical, as well as evergreen and deciduous. They may also be found amongst bamboo, on grasslands, savannas, scrub, and farmland edges. In Vietnam, their preferred habitat is dry, deciduous forest close to the water, and away from human disturbance.

Green peafowl are forest birds that usually spend time on or near the ground in tall grasses and sedges. At night family units roost in trees at a height of 10-15 m (33-49 ft). During the day they can be found in small groups spending their time foraging on the ground, drinking, preening, and resting in the shade. They look for their food by scratching around in leaf litter either early in the morning or at dusk. Green peafowl are generally silent. The males usually call from their roost sites every morning and at dawn and dusk and have a loud call of 'ki-wao'. The females' call is a loud 'aow-aa' ” repeated at short intervals; males, however, may also make a similar call.

Green peafowl are believed to be polygynous; this means that one male can mate with more than one female. However, males are solitary and do not display in leks; they are highly territorial and form harems with no pair bonds. In captivity, these birds have been observed to be strongly monogamous (one male to one female). Breeding occurs between April and June and during this time males perform courtship displays to attract the female. When the pair is formed, the birds will nest on the ground in a very protected site laying 3 to 6 eggs. Incubation usually lasts during 26-28 days by the female alone. Chicks are precocial; they are hatched with their eyes open and are able to leave the nest very soon after hatching. The young can fly 2 weeks after hatching but usually remain in the family group until the next breeding season.

Green peafowl are threatened due to loss of habitat and hunting for their beautiful feathers as well as for food. Although there is no natural range overlap with the Indian peafowl, hybridization is still another threat where the Indian peafowl is introduced as they produce fertile hybrids. In captivity, hybrids are called "Spalding" peafowl and are used by breeders to create different breeds. Through backcrossing, some hybrids become almost indistinguishable from pure Green peafowl. As the species as a whole is sometimes called "Java peafowl" in aviculture, the subspecies of Green peafowl are also mixed in captivity and there are many captive birds of unknown provenance. In some areas of their native range, captive Green peafowl have sometimes been released in the vicinity of a breeding station even though their true origins remain unknown. Wild Green peafowl also suffer from poisoning in some areas as they are regarded as a crop pest by farmers.

Population numberAccording to the IUCN Red List, the total Green peafowl population size is around 15,000-30,000 individuals. This includes 10,000-19,999 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.