AjarnNorth

We live in Udon Thani province and yesterday an Asian Koei (นกกาเหว่า) nohk gaa wao was in the yard. I'd heard them at a distance before but up close the cry was exceptionally shrill. I tried to get a photo but due to the foliage in the tree couldn't manage a clear shot.

Quite often I hear a bird that I have yet to see. It makes a call that sounds to me like the little rubber bulb horns that one sees on children's tricycles or the horn that push cart vendors sometimes toot as they make their rounds. It is a continuous "toot toot" and may last for several minutes. As was listening to it, I asked my wife what was making the sound and she said it was a bird. She doesn't know the name of the bird though. I realize that my description of the call is rather feeble but I am wondering if anyone might know what this bird could be? I looked back through this thread and didn't come across any posts that I thought answered my question. If I missed it, I apologize. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am guessing tour tooting bird is a Coppersmith Barbet. Here is a link to some call recordings you can compare to.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/search?media_collection=1&taxon_id=12008484&taxon_rank_id=67&q=Coppersmith+Barbet

Just an owl update. The CSO's are still present and doing fine thus far. They make a regular appearance each evening around 6:30 and then fly off, one first, the other a couple minutes later.They are also sometimes present in the very early AM, neither a good time for pics with the low-end gear I use. The two pics here from yesterday evening.

Or a monkey-baffle like they use on the TV aerials in Lopburi. This is just an inverted cone of metal which the monkeys (allegedly) can't climb over.

I may try something like this, IB and Jack, but the tree is very tall and nestled in with a number of other trees which have branches that either touch or come very near to the dead palm much higher up than I would even be able to get. A monitor or python could easily cross from one of those trees to the palm.

I used to have a Collared Scops around until about 3 or 4 months back. Since then it hasn't been heard anymore and I fear for its well-being. My neighbours tell me they don't like owls as they are a bad omen and to have an owl perch in one's yard and calling demands immediate action-usually taken down or driven away with sling-shots.

That one that hung around here didn't sport ear tufts like yours. I find it quite amazing this same bird can look so different physically. OBC has many images and with as many 'variations' in plumage.

Perhaps fitting a cone shaped funnel or net around this coconut trunk will stop further raiding by the water monitors.

Can't say for certain, Jack, but I am not sure you should be fearing for your CSO's well being because you haven't heard it in a while. I haven't heard one in a couple months either and it turns out there are two right next to my house! Philip Round's "The Bird of Bangkok Area" has their nesting season beginning in Feb. Maybe once they are paired up they tend to call less? Again, this just a guess. But as i said, I haven't heard a CSO call in quite some time and the two I have now have not made a sound.

Is that a collared scops?

Yes, Jack. That's what I have it as ... or them, I should say, as there are two. Almost five years ago, Isan Birder was staying with my wife and I when we lived in Surin and after a day of birding it was him who heard the diagnostic call and explained to me how to recognize it. Once you know the call, it's easy but I had never seen one so never knew it by call until IB pointed it out to me. I heard it there regularly thereafter until I left but all attempts to see one, much less photo one, were unsuccessful. Since I moved back to Chonburi three years ago I have heard it often right next to my house, but again in three years was unable to spot one until today. So having two - which I assume to be a breeding pair - right next to my house and observable from my yard was a nice way to end the day today. This has been an interesting tree to watch over the last three years. It seems to have been host to breeding Common Mynas, White-vented Mynas and Indian Rollers As well as parasitic Koel) , but it's commonly raided my monitors (or the same monitor) and so I have no documentation of any successful breeding in the tree. Below are three pics of a monitor raiding the same tree in 2013 (coincidentally also on 3 April). And since then I have twice seen monitors, perhaps the same individual, raiding he same tree. So we will have to see how this pair of owl fare.

Just for fun, fellow birders, what do you see here? Taken this evening at 6:45 PM from my yard in Bangsaen, Chonburi.

There is also the issue of "Lumpers" vs. "Splitters."

Perhaps someone here can be more articulate about this than I can, But as an example, take the Purple Swamphen now split the Black-backed. an Grey-headed. See an older copy of Robson as compared to the latest edition.

I spoke with one well-respected ornithologist about this some years ago and seem to remember him saying he didn't agree, but it was a lumper / splitter issue and he was clearly on the side of the lumpers. I may remember that not exactly clearly and again I don't know enough about the subject to be very articulate about it.

Of course there are some splits that all agree on, but it's my understanding that there are many splits that not all agree on.

I still call them Purple Swamphen.

Here's a wiki link that touches on the issue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpers_and_splitters

^ i've just seen this id query for the 1st time, & for what it's worth (and if anyone cares) . . . i can immediately 100% confirm that your raptor is a CSE Rob, they're a pretty regular sight around CM & the northern mountains . . . seen plenty of em over the past 11yrs. I've got some photo's somewhere . . . i'll dig em out & stick em on the tog forum.

What is "the tog forum"? Always looking for more places to compare notes and learn. If someone could point me there it would be appreciated. Below is a photo of the one and only CSE that I have seen at rest (I had one other in flight). Both were here in Bangsaen and right from my yard. The one pictured sat for some time and I got about 20 or so shots off before it flew off.

I forwarded this thread on to some Thai graffiti artists I know. Best of luck.

Just did a little more reading and looking at images. Compare this CSE from OBC images with your top pic, Robby. Hard to get a closer match than that. I think you can safely log this one as CSE.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=107&Bird_ID=838&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

I am fairly certain - stress on "fairly" - that Robby's Raptor above is a Crested Serpent-Eagle. The prominent yellow cere seems too prominent to me to suggest Changeable Hawk-Eagle. But the white bar across the tail, I think, rules out Greater Spotted (and again the yellow cere and facial skin seem just too prominent). Note that the the outer edges of the wing tips are white as is the very bottom edge of tail feathers, as they are in CSE. But really it's the prominent cere and "black tail with broad white central band" that nail it as a CSE, I think. That no crest is visible doesn't mean much as a quick look through OBC images of CSE will show.

I see them in Chonburi - Bang Phra Non-hunting area - but all likely escapes/feral from Khao Khieo Open Zoo and Bird breeding area at Bang Phra. The one pictured here was ringed so most certainly an escape.

And had Osprey pretty regularly in winter at Surin / Huai Saneng, but also including one midsummer record in June!

Not a clue, IB. I'm pretty good at fuzzy J-pegs and not too bad at written descriptions when they are what may be expected - for example a non-birder describing a Hoopoe or a Koel or a Coucal or a Jacana - but written descriptions of the unexpected, not so much.

I would have that as a Streak-eared Bulbul, Robby. Juv to Sub-Adult. I have never seen a grey morph BH, but all the images I have looked at show the striking yellow in the tail that one would expect in a black headed. These pics do not and the first pic shows what look to me like streaked ear-coverts.

Just to throw a wrench into the whole thing, what about pale morph Oriental Honey-Buzzard? This would accont for the general shape, pale sides of head, dark throat border and slight crest. (See Robson)

On the doves, could be but if I only had this pic to go on then I would err on the side of caution and have the pic as two Spotted.

On the flycatcher, I would have this one as a probable female Blue-throated.

IB, interesting on the Black vs. Black-eared. Eeeh Gads! Now I feel like I have sift through thousands of unedited photos from Huai Saneng!

Changeable Hawk Eagle? May be a possibility. Note the very long tail (or short primaries). This would point to a Hawk Eagle of some sort, I think.

1. I don't think it's a Black-eared Kite. There is too much white above and below the 'eyestripe', and, apparently, some black on the upper breast. What colour was the belly? I suspect one of the smaller eagles.

2. Very likely. I can't be sure because I can't see much of the wing markings.

3. The broad bill suggests that it is a flycatcher.... one of the larger blues.

Only aspect in about 10 photos I got of it unfortunately so no breast shot.

The narrow bands on the tail were what pointed me to B-e Kite.

Some more photos, there appears to be a hint of a crest on the back of the neck.

kite.JPG

kite1.JPG

kite2.JPG

I have this as Grey-faced Buzzard. I know the pics are terrible but I think good enough for input. Huai Saneng Reservoir in Surin two days ago. I had better looks with bins than these pics represent and am fairly sure but I'm open any input.

Case closed. Have this on very good authority that it's definitively not a GFB but a Harrier, probably Juv. Pied.

So now I question my suggestion above on Robby's raptor that i suggested might be a Juv. GFB.

Not easy stuff. But then that's the fun.

I have this as Grey-faced Buzzard. I know the pics are terrible but I think good enough for input. Huai Saneng Reservoir in Surin two days ago. I had better looks with bins than these pics represent and am fairly sure but I'm open any input.

Nice report, Robby.

The photos..... I have not much idea for the raptor, except that it seems to be one of the Besra/Sparrowhawk group.

The shrike is a young bird, possibly nominate cristatus.

What about Grey-faced Buzzard (Juv / subadult) on the raptor as a possibility. Might account for the prominent white patch (supercillium?) above the eye. Agreed on the shrike, though.

Somewhere I have pictures of what I thought was a rather unlikely "mobbing" in Surin. Ashy Woodswallows mobbing a kite! Black-eared if i remember correctly. If i can find the pics i will post them.

Nothing much to report from Chonburi as of late. Asian Paradise Flyctchers are in as of a a couple weeks ago in the same area I have seen them before. Had a pair of Spangled Drongos yesterday. The usual suspects otherwise...

Here's one from my garden in December 2012. Not a great pic, though.

It doesn't exist, Jack!

I was going to suggest Racquet-tailed Treepie.... but it doesn't have this hood (nothing seems to !), But it does have the spatulate tail.

How about this fella? http://orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?p=5&action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=2236&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

If it is, I get at least half a tick due to poor views.

You get the full tick. Yep. Spangled Drongo. Can't be anything else. I see them here in Chonburi a few times a year. Just had one a few days ago. The coloring can look very different depending on what light you have them in. If these pictures were clearer you'd be able to see the upturned tail.

I used to see them pretty regularly when I was in Surin on Huai Saneng Reservoir, but only in one particular area of forest. .

I was at this little known wildlife sanctuary about 30km NW of Kamphaeng Phet, elevation approx 150m and found what appears to be a Sunbird but going through C.Robson's guidebook didn't yield any match. The slender bill should rule out Flowerpecker too I think. Any ideas? Thanks.

Female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, I think.

Eastern Marsh-Harrier would be my best guess based on these photos, Robby.

Interesting thing about Snipe (and a lot of other waders) is that it's easier to get close to them if you're on a motorbike rather than on foot. I don't know why this is... perhaps they mistake you for a buffalo which they are quite used to. But a lot of my better pics of Snipe were taken from a motorbike. Here is an OK pic of a Pintail... not my best, but one that is available to me right now. From Surin a few years ago.