26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SUPERB STARLING (Lamprotornis superbus)

The breeding season lasts from October to February in Ethiopia, from March to June in Somalia. Superb starlings have been observed running on the ground, jumping with drooping wing and outstretched heads, indicating what is thought to be a form of nuptial display.

Free-standing nests are constructed in thorn trees bushes, although there have been reports of nests in tree holes and even cliffs or rock crevices. The nests in the thorn trees are positioned at 1.5–6 metres (4.9–19.7 ft) above the ground and are well guarded by the thorns. They also sometimes nest at the base of raptor nests for protection. The superb starlings make their own nests, and both sex help with the nests, which are large structures made of twigs lined with dry grass, featuring an entrance on one side. On occasion, they can take over nests belonging to White-headed Buffalo Weavers (Dinemellia dinemelli), sometimes rejecting the existing eggs.

Superb starlings’ eggs are uniformly dark blue, measuring 24–26 millimetres (0.94–1.02 in) x 18–19 millimetres (0.71–0.75 in) and weighting 4.5 g. Females lay 3-4 eggs. Based on captive breeding, the incubation period lasts 12-13 days, and the surprisingly short nestling period ranges from 18-24 days. Only the females incubate. Nestlings are fed insects, primarily caterpillars and grasshoppers. Superb starlings form large social groups in which both breeding parents and 1-14 alloparents contribute to the care of the offspring. It appears that both members of the breeding pair are involved in raising the young until they achieve independence. The individuals who’s provisioned or nestled has been observed carrying food in their bills and did not seem to regurgitate. Starlings lack a crop and may lack a mechanism to prevent digestion of food items in transit. Consequently, they might be compelled to transport insects in their bills to avoid damaging such easily digested prey.

In superb starlings, individuals of both sexes can either choose to forego dispersal (remaining residents of their birth group) or become immigrants (leaving their birth group). Immigrants, being unrelated to the resident individuals of the group they join, may experience ongoing conflict with the residents throughout their lives. Resident females never breed within their natal groups. Both resident and immigrant males have to opportunity to attain breeding status within the same social group during a breeding season. Indeed, despite the presence of reproductively capable resident males and unrelated potential mates, immigrant males often seize breeding opportunities within their new social groups. Apart from the potential inclusive fitness benefit gained by assisting in raising their offspring, superb starlings also benefit from being social on the group and individual levels. Living in larger social groups enhances an individual’s chances of survival and reduces reproductive variance within the group. This is likely because larger predators are actively confronted by the group, with a greater resource availability in the territories inhabited by larger groups.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - RED WINGED STARLING (Onychognathus morio)

The red-winged starling (Onychognathus morio) is a bird of the starling family Sturnidae native to eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa. An omnivorous, generalist species, it prefers cliffs and mountainous areas for nesting, and has moved into cities and towns due to similarity to its original habitat.

The male of this 27–30-centimetre (11–12 in) long starling has mainly iridescent black plumage, with chestnut flight feathers, which are particularly noticeable in flight. The female has an ash-grey head and upper breast. The juvenile resembles the male, but is less glossy than the adults, and has brown rather than dark red eyes. The Ethiopian subspecies O. m. rupellii is longer-tailed than the nominate form and intergrades with it.

This species has a number of whistled calls, but the most familiar is the contact call, cher-leeeoo.

This starling may be confused with other similar starling species, such as its sister species the pale-winged starling. The difference between the two is that the red-winged has rufous primaries while the pale-winged has whitish primaries edged with orange. The pale-winged has a bright red or orange eye, while the red-winged's is dark, almost black. Only the female of the red-winged has a grey head.

The range runs down eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng in South Africa. This species has a wide habitat tolerance. It may be found in forest, savannah, grassland, wetlands, fynbos, farmlands and commercial plantations, as well as urban centres. It is now common in many urban areas, due to the similarity between the structure of tall buildings and houses as nest sites with the cliffs of its original habitat. It may also nest in residential areas, breeding in roofs and apertures and up house eaves.

Like other starlings, the red-winged starling is an omnivore, taking a wide range of seeds, berries, nectar from plants such as Aloe and Schotia brachypetala, and invertebrates, such as the beetle species Pachnoda sinuata. They may take nestlings and adults of certain bird species, such as the African palm swift. It will also scavenge on carrion and human food scrap.

The red-winged starling will obviously only perch on plant structures that will be able to support its weight; therefore when taking nectar it will choose certain species with strong, robust racemes with easily accessible flowers, such as that of Aloe ferox and Aloe marlothii, and not Aloe arborescens. Large flowers that can support the bird's weight, such as that of Strelitzia nicolai and certain Protea species, are also chosen.

Fruit species that this species may feed on include figs, such as the sycamore fig and others, marulas, date palm fruit, berries from species such as wild olive Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata and Euphorbia, and commercial fruit such as apples, grapes, citruses and others.

In rural areas, red-winged starlings are often spotted perching on livestock and game, such as cattle, klipspringers and giraffes, a trait shared by the pale-winged starling, and may take insects and ectoparasites such as ticks, much in the manner of oxpeckers.

The red-winged starling is territorial, aggressive and intolerant when nesting, and will attack other species, including domestic animals and humans. When not breeding, red-winged starlings are highly gregarious and will associate with other members of their species in large flocks.

This starling is a cliff nester, breeding on rocky cliffs, outcrops and gorges. The red-winged starling builds a lined nest of grass and twigs, and with a mud base, on a natural or structural ledge. It lays two to four, usually three, blue eggs, spotted with red-brown. The female incubates the eggs for 13–14 days, with another 22–28 days to fledge. This starling is commonly double-brooded. It may be parasitised by the great spotted cuckoo.

26-11-2015 SINGAPORE - GIANT SHIELD BUG (Pycanum alternatum)

Pycanum rubens is a species of giant stink bug in the family Tessaratomidae. The species is widespread, and has been recorded in Borneo, Burma, China (Yunnan), India (Hindustan), Indonesia, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Moluccas, Philippines, Sumatra, and Vietnam.

The name originally given to this species by Fabricius was Cimex rubens, a name earlier used in 1780 for a different, unrelated species, making Fabricius' name a junior homonym. However, since neither of the two taxa so named have been considered to belong to the genus Cimex after 1899, the senior homonym is no longer used as a valid name (it is a junior synonym of Deraeocoris ruber (Linnaeus, 1758)), and the name Pycanum rubens is still in use by some sources, under Article 23.9 of the ICZN. Fabricius' name rubens remains the valid name for this species, despite numerous sources using the junior name, Pycanum alternatum.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - EURASIAN GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo)

The great cormorant is a large black bird, but there is a wide variation in size in the species' wide range. Weight is reported to vary from 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) to 5.3 kg (11 lb 11 oz). Males are typically larger and heavier than females, with the nominate race (P. c. carbo) averaging about 10% larger in linear measurements than the smallest race in Europe (P. c. sinensis). The lightest average weights cited are in Germany (P. c. sinensis), where 36 males averaged 2.28 kg (5 lb 1⁄2 oz) and 17 females averaged 1.94 kg (4 lb 4+1⁄2 oz). The highest come from Prince Edward Island in Canada (P. c. carbo), where 11 males averaged 3.68 kg (8 lb 2 oz) and 11 females averaged 2.94 kg (6 lb 7+1⁄2 oz).[11][12] Length can vary from 70 to 102 cm (27+1⁄2 to 40 in) and wingspan from 121 to 160 cm (47+1⁄2 to 63 in). They are tied as the second largest extant species of cormorant after the flightless cormorant, with the Japanese cormorant averaging at a similar size. In bulk if not in linear dimensions, the blue-eyed shag species complex of the Southern Oceans are scarcely smaller at average. It has a longish tail and yellow throat-patch. Adults have white patches on the thighs and on the throat in the breeding season. In European waters it can be distinguished from the common shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest and plumage without any green tinge. In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than double-crested cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill and lack the white thigh patches frequently seen on great cormorants. Great cormorants are mostly silent, but they make various guttural noises at their breeding colonies.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - ROSEATE SPOONBILL (Platalea ajaja)

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo.

The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its own genus – Ajaia. A 2010 study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills by Chesser and colleagues found that the roseate and yellow-billed spoonbills were each other's closest relatives, and the two were descended from an early offshoot from the ancestors of the other four spoonbill species. They felt the genetic evidence meant it was equally valid to consider all six to be classified within the genus Platalea or alternatively the two placed in the monotypic genera Platibis and Ajaia, respectively. However, as the six species were so similar morphologically, keeping them within the one genus made more sense.

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo.

The roseate spoonbill is 71–86 cm (28–34 in) long, with a 120–133 cm (47–52 in) wingspan and a body mass of 1.2–1.8 kg (2.6–4.0 lb).[3] The tarsus measures 9.7–12.4 cm (3.8–4.9 in), the culmen measures 14.5–18 cm (5.7–7.1 in) and the wing measures 32.3–37.5 cm (12.7–14.8 in) and thus the legs, bill, neck and spatulate bill all appear elongated.[4] Adults have a bare greenish head ("golden buff" when breeding[5]) and a white neck, back and breast (with a tuft of pink feathers in the center when breeding), and are otherwise a deep pink. The bill is grey. There is no significant sexual dimorphism.

Like the American flamingo, their pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin. Another carotenoid, astaxanthin, can also be found deposited in flight and body feathers. The colors can range from pale pink to bright magenta, depending on age, whether breeding or not, and location. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. They alternate groups of stiff, shallow wingbeats with glides.

In the United States, the species is locally common in Texas, Florida, and southwest Louisiana. Generally, the species occurs in South America mostly east of the Andes, and in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States, and from central Florida's Atlantic coast at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, adjoined with NASA Kennedy Space Center at least as far north as South Carolina's Myrtle Beach.

Plume hunting in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries almost drove the roseate spoonbill to extinction. However, following decades of conservation efforts, and the effects of climate change, the range of the roseate spoonbill has expanded considerably in the 21st century. For instance, the species was recorded breeding in the state of Georgia for the first time in 2011. Moreover, its presence in South Carolina has expanded significantly since the 1970s, as well as a single sighting of the bird in both Michigan and Wisconsin. The last known recorded log of the bird in the state of Wisconsin was of a deceased specimen in 1845 in Rock County. It made an historic reappearance 178 years later when a specimen was sighted by a crew that was doing birding surveys on the restricted-access Cat Island Causeway on July 27, 2023.

In the summer of 2021, sightings of the bird were reported well outside its typical range, including in Washington, D.C., upstate New York, and even New Hampshire. A large flock was spotted in Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, drawing a large crowd of spectators.

In Florida Bay, roseate spoonbills are an ecological and scientific indicator species. The number of nests varies with both the amount of fresh water and the depth of seawater there, as wetlands turn into open ocean. The birds are choosing to nest further north and inland in Florida, with sharp changes in nest locations noted in the years 2006–2020.

Little is known about the roseate spoonbill's behavior outside of their foraging habits. This species feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters by swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the water, often in groups. Moreover, the spoon-shaped bill allows it to sift easily through mud.

The bird feeds on crustaceans, bits of plant material, aquatic insects, mollusks, frogs, newts and very small fish (such as minnows) ignored by larger waders. In Brazil, researchers found roseate spoonbill diets to consist of fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and seeds, all foraged from limnetic/freshwater habitats. This habitat specialization, combined with the relative plasticity of great egret foraging behavior, allows the two species to minimize competition during the breeding season. Roseate spoonbills must compete for food with other freshwater birds, such as snowy egrets, great egrets, tricolored herons and American white pelicans.[citation needed] Roseate spoonbills are often trailed by egrets when foraging in a commensal "beater-follower" relationship, as the spoonbill's disturbance of the sediment makes prey more available to the egret (follower).

30-11-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - ASIAN COMMON TOAD (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

Duttaphrynus melanostictus is commonly called Asian common toad, Asian black-spined toad, Asian toad, black-spectacled toad, common Sunda toad, and Javanese toad. It is probably a complex of more than one true toad species that is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia.

The species grows to about 20 cm (8 in) long. Asian common toads breed during the monsoon, and their tadpoles are black. Young toads may be seen in large numbers after monsoon rains finish.

The wart patterns of the toads are unique and have been used for individual identification in studies.

The top of the head has several bony ridges, along the edge of the snout (canthal ridge), in front of the eye (preorbital), above the eye (supraorbital), behind the eye (postorbital), and a short one between the eye and ear (orbitotympanic). The snout is short and blunt, and the space between the eyes is broader than the upper eyelid width. The ear drum or tympanum is very distinct and is at least as wide as two-thirds the diameter of the eye. The first finger is often longer than the second and the toes are at least half webbed. A warty tubercle is found just before the junction of the thigh and shank (subarticular tubercle) and two moderate ones are on the shank (metatarsus). No skin fold occurs along the tarsus. The “knee” (tarsometatarsal articulation) reaches the tympanum or the eye when the hind leg is held parallel along the side of the body. The dorsal side is covered with spiny warts. The parotoids are prominent, kidney-shaped, or elliptical and elongated, and secrete milky white Bufotoxin. The dorsal side is yellowish or brownish and the spines and ridges are black. The underside is unmarked or spotted. Males have a subgular vocal sac and black pads on the inner fingers that help in holding the female during copulation.

Asian common toads breed in still and slow-flowing rivers and temporary and permanent ponds and pools. Adults are terrestrial and may be found under ground cover such as rocks, leaf litter, and logs, and are also associated with human habitations. The larvae are found in still and slow-moving waterbodies. They are often seen at night under street lamps, especially when winged termites swarm. They have been noted to feed on a wide range of invertebrates, including scorpions. Tadpoles grown in sibling groups metamorphosed faster than those that were kept in mixed groups. Tadpoles have been shown to be able to recognize kin. The 96h LC50 of commercial grade malathion for the tadpoles is 7.5 mg/L and sublethal levels of exposure can impair swimming.

Asian common toads occur widely from northern Pakistan through Nepal, Bangladesh, India including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to Malaysia, Singapore, and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Anambas and Natuna Islands. They have been recorded from sea level up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft) altitude, and live mostly in disturbed lowland habitats, from upper beaches and riverbanks to human-dominated agricultural and urban areas. They are uncommon in closed forests.

The Asian common toad has been detected in Australia at least four times since 2000.

The Asian common toad has been described as one of Australia's “10 most unwanted” species, and “potentially more damaging than the cane toad”. It may cause serious ecological problems due to “competition with native species, its potential to spread exotic parasites and pathogens and its toxicity”. Like cane toads, the Asian common toad secretes toxins from glands in their backs to deter predators. These toxins would beyond reasonable doubt severely affect native predators, such as snakes, goannas and quolls.

The recent rate of incursions suggests a high likelihood of establishment in Australia. So, experts are calling for the Australian government to develop a “high-priority contingency plan” that includes stronger environmental quarantine and surveillance strategies.

27-11-2015 SINGAPORE - BROWN SHRIKE (Lanius cristatus)

The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the red-backed shrike (L. collurio) and isabelline shrike (L. isabellinus). The genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. The specific cristatus is Latin for "crested", used in a broader sense than in English. The common English name "shrike" is from Old English scríc, "shriek", referring to the shrill call.

Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye and is found mainly in open scrub habitats, where it perches on the tops of thorny bushes in search of prey. Several populations of this widespread species form distinctive subspecies which breed in temperate Asia and migrate to their winter quarters in tropical Asia. They are sometimes found as vagrants in Europe and North America.

30-11-2015 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - FALSE TIGER MOTH (Dysphania militaris)

Dysphania militaris is a species of moth of the family Geometridae that is found from in the tropical regions of South and Southeast Asian countries such as China, India, Myanmar, Andaman Islands, Sumatra, Philippines and Java. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Its wingspan is about 80–96 mm. Forewings of male produced, long and narrow. The fovea strongly developed. Head, thorax and abdomen golden yellowish with purplish bands. Forewings with golden-yellow basal half, the outer half deep purplish with its inner edge irregularly sinuous. Two oblique basal purple fascia, where the lower fascia sometimes having a spot detached from it. Two spots found on costa near base. There is an oblique antemedial series of three spots often conjoined. The outer area with two pale blue maculate bands, where the outer ending found at vein 3. Hindwings golden yellow, with a large purple discocellular spot and a spot below the cell. A postmedial lunulate band excurved between veins 3 and 5. A submarginal spot series becoming large conjoined lunulate patches at apex. The spots on the yellow area are very variable.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE BREASTED WATERHEN (Amaurornis phoenicurus)

The white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls.

Their breeding habitat is marshes across tropical Asia from Pakistan east to Indonesia. They are mainly seen in the plains but have been known from the higher hills such as in Nainital (1300m) and the High Range (1500m) in Kerala. These large 32 cm (13 in) long rails are permanent residents throughout their range. They make short distance movements and are known to colonize new areas. They have been noted as some of the early colonizers on the volcanic island of Rakata. Although most often found near freshwater, they are also found near brackish water and even the seashore when there is no freshwater as on the volcanic Barren Island in the Andamans.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - LONG TAILED GLOSSY STARLING (Lamprotornis caudatus)

The long-tailed glossy starling (Lamprotornis caudatus) is a member of the starling family of birds. It is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Senegal east to Sudan.

This common passerine is typically found in open woodland and cultivation. The long-tailed glossy starling builds a nest in a hole. The normal clutch is two to four eggs.

This ubiquitous bird is gregarious and noisy, with a harsh grating call.

The adults of these 54 cm (21 in) long birds have metallic green upperparts, violet underparts and a 34 cm (13 in) long purple tail. The face is black with a yellow eye. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller, with a brownish tone to the plumage.

Like most starlings, the long-tailed glossy starling is an omnivore, eating fruit and insects.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GUINEA TURACO (Tauraco Persian)

The Guinea turaco ( Tauraco Persian ) or green turaco 2 is a species of Musophagiformes bird in the family Musophagidae that populates the tropical forests of equatorial Africa from Angola to Senegal .

The Guinea turaco is approximately 40–43 cm long, including a long tail. Weight can reach 225–290 g. The plumage is largely bright green and blue; and the tail and wings are dark purple, except for the crimson primary feathers which are very distinctive during flight. An erectile semicircular green crest is present on the head. There are white spots in the eyes and the eye ring is red. The beak is thick and red.

In the westernmost subspecies, (Tauraco persa buffoni), which is sometimes known as Buffon's turaco, there is a white line above the eye and a black line below. In the nominate subspecies (Tauraco persa persa) from the central part of its range and in the subspecies (Tauraca persa zenkeri) from the southeast there is also a second white line in the eye below the black line. This species lacks the white edge on the crest, unlike similar turacos with red beaks, which helps distinguish this species from another.

The Guinea turaco has an extremely large range and a stable population. It can be found in the forests of western and central Africa, ranging from eastern Senegal to the DR Congo and south to northern Angola.

This species mainly inhabits tropical forests up to 1,100 m in altitude . It can also venture into savannas and bushlands in some areas, although these are not its preferred biomes.

The Guinea turaco is a normally sedentary and territorial species that lives in pairs or small groups. It spends most of its time in the treetops foraging, resting and socializing. It descends to the ground on rare occasions, usually to feed or drink. It does not usually fly long distances and only uses flight to move between trees or branches, although it prefers to move by running and jumping between branches.

These birds feed on a wide variety of wild and cultivated tropical fruits but also flowers and buds, and sometimes insects.

The breeding season varies depending on the area but usually coincides with the rainy season. Guinea turacos are monogamous and both parents participate in incubating and rearing the chicks. They build nests in the upper part of trees and they are not very firm structures made with sticks and other plant matter. The female will lay two eggs that will incubate for around 20 days. The chicks are born with their eyes open and covered in brown down. They will remain for the first 2-3 weeks clumsily exploring the surroundings of the nest. At 4 or 5 weeks they will be able to fly and will leave the nest although they will continue under parental care.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - GREATER BLUE EARED STARLING (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)

The greater blue-eared starling or greater blue-eared glossy-starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus) is a bird that breeds from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola. It is a very common species of open woodland bird, and undertakes some seasonal migration.

The greater blue-eared starling is a 22 cm long, short tailed bird. This starling is glossy blue-green with a purple-blue belly and blue ear patch. Its iris is bright yellow or orange. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is duller and has blackish brown underparts.

The populations from southern Kenya southwards are smaller than northern birds and are sometimes considered to be a separate subspecies, L. c. sycobius.

The lesser blue-eared starling is similar to this species, but the blue of the belly does not extend forward of the legs.

The greater blue-eared starling has a range of musical or grating calls, but the most familiar is a nasal squee-ar.

The greater blue-eared starling nests in holes in trees, either natural or excavated by woodpeckers or barbets. It will also nest inside the large stick nests of the sacred ibis or Abdim's stork. A nest will include three to five eggs, which are usually greenish-blue with brown or purple spots, and hatch in 13–14 days. The chicks leave the nest roughly 23 days after hatching.

This species is parasitised by the great spotted cuckoo and occasionally by the greater honeyguide.

The greater blue-eared starling is highly gregarious and will form large flocks, often with other starlings. Its roosts, in reedbed, thorn bushes, or acacia, may also be shared.

Like other starlings, the greater blue-eared starling is an omnivore, taking a wide range of invertebrates, seeds, and berries, especially figs, but is diet is mainly insects taken from the ground.

It will perch on livestock, feeding on insects disturbed by the animals and occasionally removing ectoparasites.

26-11-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - VILLAGE WEAVER (Ploceus cucullatus)

23-11-2015 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula)

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.

It is about 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length; the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly.

The distinctive orange breast of both sexes contributed to the European robin's original name of "redbreast", orange as a colour name being unknown in English until the 16th century, by which time the fruit had been introduced. The Dutch roodborstje, French rouge-gorge, Swedish rödhake, German Rotkehlchen, Italian pettirosso, Spanish petirrojo and Portuguese pisco-de-peito-ruivo all refer to the distinctively coloured front.

In the 15th century, when it became popular to give human names to familiar species, the bird came to be known as robin redbreast, which was eventually shortened to robin. As a given name, Robin is originally a smaller form of the name Robert. The term robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin (Turdus migratorius, a thrush) and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae, the relationships of which are unclear.

Other older English names for the bird include ruddock and robinet. In American literature of the late 19th century, this robin was frequently called the English robin.

25-11-2015 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - RED LEGGED CRAKE (Rallina fasciata)

The red-legged crake (Rallina fasciata) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae.

It is a medium-large crake (length 24 cm). Its head, neck and breast red-brown, paler on throat. Its upper parts are grey-brown. Underparts and underwings are barred black and white. Its bill is green and its legs are red.

Found in far north-eastern India, eastern Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indonesia. It is recorded as a vagrant to north-western Australia. It is located in dense vegetation close to permanent wetlands.

Its clutch consists of 3-6 dull-white eggs.

Series of descending croaks, screams and grunts.

With a large range and no evidence of significant decline, this species is assessed as being of least concern.

 

21-11-2015 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

White wagtails are usually seen alone or in pairs, but during migration, they often gather in flocks at good feeding areas or roost at night. These birds feed by day on the ground or on the wing. They may also forage in shallow water catching prey in the mud or may hover over water. The most conspicuous habit of White wagtails is a near-constant tail wagging, a trait that has given the birds their common name. The reasons for this behavior are poorly understood but it has been suggested that wagtails may flush prey, or signal submissiveness to other wagtails. The call of these birds is a sharp 'chisick' and their song consists of twittering phrases; the males use a series of contact calls to attract the female.

White wagtails are monogamous; they form pairs and defend their breeding territories. The breeding season for most is from April to August, with the season starting later further north. Both sexes build the nest; the male initiates the nest building and the female finishes the process. The nest is a rough cup assembled from twigs, grass, leaves, and other plant matter. It is lined with soft materials, including animal hair. The nest is set into a crevice or hole - traditionally in a bank next to a river or ditch - but White wagtails have also adapted to nesting in walls, bridges, and buildings. The female lays 3 to 8 cream-colored eggs, often with a faint bluish-green or turquoise tint, and heavily spotted with reddish-brown. Both parents incubate the eggs, although the female generally does so for longer and incubates at night. The eggs begin to hatch after 12-16 days. Both parents feed the chicks until they fledge after between 12 and 15 days, and then continue to feed them for another week after fledging.

12-11-2015 SANTA POLA SALINAS, ALICANTE - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

The Little egret (Egretta garzetta) is small elegant heron in the family Ardeidae. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. At one time common in Western Europe, the Little heron was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in Northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase.

The plumage of the Little egret is normally entirely white, although there are dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage. In the breeding season, the adult has two long plumes on the nape that form a crest. These plumes are about 150 mm (6 in) and are pointed and very narrow. There are similar feathers on the breast, but the barbs are more widely spread. There are also several elongated scapular feathers that have long loose barbs and may be 200 mm (8 in) long. During the winter the plumage is similar but the scapulars are shorter and more normal in appearance. The bill is long and slender and it and the lores are black. There is an area of greenish-grey bare skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye which has a yellow iris. The legs are black and the feet yellow. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet, and may have a certain proportion of greyish or brownish feathers. The subspecies nigripes differs in having yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet. During the height of courtship, the lores turn red and the feet of the yellow-footed races turn red.

10-11-2015 MONTE CORONA - BLACK REDSTART (JUVENILE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)

9-11-2015 VALL D'EBO, ALICANTE - BATH WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pontia daplidice)

Pontia daplidice, the Bath white, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, the yellows and whites, which occurs in the Palearctic region. It is common in central and southern Europe, migrating northwards every summer, often reaching southern Scandinavia and sometimes southern England.

The Bath white is a small white butterfly with a wingspan of 45 to 50 mm. The underside of the hindwing has a pattern of greenish blotches, which is characteristic of the Bath whites and easily identifies it from other pierids.

Sexes can be differentiated by markings on the forewing. The male is differentiated from the female by the markings on the upperside of the forewing. The apex of the forewing is black with white spots and lines. There is a black spot at the end of the cell. In the case of the female, there is an additional discal spot in 1b. The female also has an obscure row of terminal and marginal spots on the upper hindwing.

8-11-2015 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLACK REDSTART (FEMALE) (Phoenicurus ochruros)