Birdwatchers............

[The Vulcan]

Could one of you keen bird spotters please tell me what species of bird this is please?

If you also happen to know the latin that would be great.

Incidental note:- it's nesting in a small bush right by my front door and absolutely oblivious to all our comings and going! As I open my front door it's within arms length and shoulder height.

For sure it ain't shy!

p.s. technical details - Canon 5D - 100 asa- 100mm macro - ringflash - 1/60th @ F8

Edited May 4, 2009 by The Vulcan

[Goshawk]

nice pic Vulcan..

it's a Streak-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi) - a common resident throughout the country

[The Vulcan]

Thanks for that "Goshawk" - I figured you'd know.

Not much of a wildlife bod myself.

Is it a bird of (say) the Thrush or Starling type "family" of birds?

Once again - thanks

V

Edited May 4, 2009 by The Vulcan

[Goshawk]

Is it a bird of (say) the Thrush or Starling type "family" of birds?

sort of.. out of the 130 different species of 'bulbuls' worldwide, 36 of these do occur in Thailand & yours is one of the most frequently seen in gardens/suburbia..

They can be described as true 'songbirds' so yes they are very similar to the thrushes.

[hanno]

& yours is one of the most frequently seen in gardens/suburbia

Doesn't sing, doesn't look much = not desirable as a cage bird

[Goshawk]

Doesn't sing, doesn't look much = not desirable as a cage bird

lucky & good for him that he lacks what most vain folks desire in a 'pet'.. i think you mean 'doesn't sing beautifully' ? in your viability for exploitation assesment equation

wish i could say the same for the Red Whiskered Bulbul.. if i had 100 baht for every one i've seen in a tiny cage in Thailand, well.... rich ?!?

whats the most common caged wild bird you've come across in Vietnam Hanno. Mynah.. Oriole... bulbul.... ?

[The Vulcan]

"Hanno" - what kind of a bird is that on your Avatar. It looks similar to a few that visit our garden frequently.

Just curious

[BigSnake]

Could one of you keen bird spotters please tell me what species of bird this is please?

If you also happen to know the latin that would be great.

Incidental note:- it's nesting in a small bush right by my front door and absolutely oblivious to all our comings and going! As I open my front door it's within arms length and shoulder height.

For sure it ain't shy!

p.s. technical details - Canon 5D - 100 asa- 100mm macro - ringflash - 1/60th @ F8

Don't know either but a cute little fellow, think for sharing. See them all the time around my place.

[T_Dog]

One of the biggest surprises to me on moving to Thailand was how many species of birds there are here. A very pleasant surprise too.

Can any of you resident experts comment on the nesting seasons for birds in Thailand? It was all pretty obvious where I came from.... The snow leaves the ground and nesting starts. Here in Thailand I don't know what seasons the birds nest... or.... do they nest all year long?

[The Vulcan]

There's also this enormous owl type bird that visits us at night - big white thing. We've started placing chunks of meat for it and it's slowly but surely "relaxing" in our company.

Bit early yet (I think) too attempt portraiture but I'll get there eventually

The rabbit ain't too amused though !

[hanno]

Goshawk, Red-whiskered Bulbuls are very common cage birds here in Vietnam as well; as a matter of fact they have been wiped out in South Vietnam as a result. Other common birds are Laughing-thrushes (including the Vietnamese endemics), White-rumped Shamas, Spotted Doves, and on and on.

There's also this enormous owl type bird that visits us at night - big white thing

Do try and get a photo, I am intrigued.

T_Dog, there are indeed a lot of birds in Thailand, 920+ species depending on which authority you follow there are . Breeding is generally in relation to the rainy season. Many birds are breeding now, as a matter of fact. Onset of rains mean that there is plenty of food around. However, some birds will also breed year-round and some will breed during the dry season.

My avatar is a Banded Kingfisher, female to be exact, and to those of you that see it in the garden all the time: you are very lucky. They are not uncommon but not really all that easy to see as they will sit very still for long periods.

[T_Dog]

Hanno, Thanks for the info on breeding seasons. And regarding kingfishers, we were up in the mountains at about 1000 meters MSL the other day and had a large kingfisher-like bird fly along our motorcycle for a bit. It was beautiful, and had about the brightest blue color I have ever seen on a bird. No time to get a good ID or a photo, but a nice treat.

[tw25rw]

I often see caged red whiskered bulbuls around Bangkok and would love to free them. They are a familiar garden bird to me.

[desi]

Could one of you keen bird spotters please tell me what species of bird this is please?

I have the same one (I posted here)

Several days back one of the eggs hatched. The second egg disappeared from the nest yesterday.

How are yours doing? You are weeks ahead of mine so I thought I'd be nosy.

Btw - I just picked up The Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand by Craig Robson. I chose it partly because it has Thai names.

I also grabbed A Photographic Guide to Birds of Thailand. And while is has 11 Bulbuls listed, it does not have the Steak-eared Bulbul.

[The Vulcan]

Could one of you keen bird spotters please tell me what species of bird this is please?

I have the same one (I posted here)

Several days back one of the eggs hatched. The second egg disappeared from the nest yesterday.

How are yours doing? You are weeks ahead of mine so I thought I'd be nosy.

Btw - I just picked up The Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand by Craig Robson. I chose it partly because it has Thai names.

I also grabbed A Photographic Guide to Birds of Thailand. And while is has 11 Bulbuls listed, it does not have the Steak-eared Bulbul.

I'm sorry to say that nature at its cruellest (a jungle cat) ended mine shortly after the shot was taken

[desi]

Oh no! That is so awful :-(

And you have such a beautiful photograph of the bird too. I was hoping to up my photography skills by watching your photos on the same subject. I now know that taking photos of a little naked thing in all those twigs is not as easy as I thought it would be.

My nest is safe from cats because it is on a protected balcony, tucked into palms. Birds can get in, but I doubt they'd see it. And the squirrels can't reach it either (I don't believe) as my patio stops, then starts up again around the corner.

PS: And I did manage to clean the window. The mother bird is not as easy going as yours, so I could only get out there to clean the window when she was gone. So only a small part of the window is clean (but it's enough).

[Tywais]

I only just saw this topic. I posted a question about the below guy and was told it was a red whiskered bulbul. Seems they come in different models. This was on a property next door to me and I wasn't happy seeing it caught but couldn't reach the cage.

Canon Powershot S5 IS - 1/60 sec - F3.5 - ISO 200 - 58.7mm

[desi]

I don't understand why they'd cage it. From the book I have, it is not a song bird.

Edited June 2, 2009 by desi

[Tywais]

I don't understand why they'd cage it. From the book I have, it is not a song bird.

The cage was up for only a short time just to capture it.

It is a very loud bird and apparently some consider it a song bird. My topic on it in the Pets forum

[desi]

Sad. I ran into that on Borneo but they would string nets across areas where birds flew.

While reading your post I ran across this comment:

They also make extremely small nests, usually produce 2 chicks which can just about squeeze into this nest. Not unknown for one to fall out.

There is NO WAY that the remaining chick in my nest won't fall out. The nest is built on a palm, not a tree, at a dangerous angle. Every time the mother lands, it dips down further. I've thought about it and I believe I'll jerryrigg a plastic box under it for support.

[hanno]

Red-whiskered Bulbuls are popular as cage birds all over SE Asia. Here in South Vietnam they have become extinct as a result (luckily still numerous in North Vietnam).

[desi]

The South Vietnamese must be pretty proficient to catch that many birds.

Compared to the UK, I found the lack of wild birds and rabbits in France disconcerting.

And then I looked on the menu...

As I was worried about the chick falling out, I've stacked pots underneath the nest to support the weak palm.

And while the mother bird won't stick around if I'm out there, she's back, so all is good.

Later, I'll slip in another tier, sort of a baby bird balcony.

So that way, if it does fall off, it'll be more suicide than accident.

I know, I know, birds have been having babies forever without my help.

But I don't want a dead baby bird on my hands.

[hanno]

The South Vietnamese must be pretty proficient to catch that many birds

Well, they are and there are many of them.

I found the lack of wild birds and rabbits in France disconcerting

You have been to the wrong places, I have done some great bird watching in France.

[desi]

Or maybe they were just absent for the entire two years I lived in Southern France?

[desi]

Btw - I was comparing two countries...

Compared to the UK, I found the lack of wild birds and rabbits in France disconcerting.

The UK had rabbits hopping around under hedges, playing free on roundabouts.

The only rabbits I saw in France were on the dinner table or in cages.

In the UK there were birds everywhere (heard as well as seen).

I did not find the same abundance in France (and I toured quite a bit during my two years there).

For my two years in France I lived on a hillside, overlooking the Pyrenees.

I have friends and family in the UK.

During that time I noticed the differences between the two.

[Goshawk]

I did not find the same abundance in France

i bet you didn't see many Ortolan Buntings flying around while there..

the french have a very special relationship with this small finch like species..

[desi]

I like to think that I have an open mind when it comes to eating different foods from around the world.

I draw the line at small birds and their prey, andouille, and a long shellfish found in Thailand that has an unfortunate resemblance to a male body part.

[hanno]

Desi, I wasn't knocking you. I have a problem with all the hunting going on in France (OK, I won't mention fox hunting in the UK ), but nevertheless there are places with plenty of birds. I made annual trips to the Camarque and the Grau just for the birds; both places have birds that have been extinct in the UK for ages.

[desi]

Desi, I wasn't knocking you. I have a problem with all the hunting going on in France (OK, I won't mention fox hunting in the UK ), but nevertheless there are places with plenty of birds. I made annual trips to the Camarque and the Grau just for the birds; both places have birds that have been extinct in the UK for ages.

Hi hanno, I wasn't taking it as a knock. I know how easy it is to get differing opinions, at times when standing in the same spot. Btw - my haunt in the UK is Devon, which is loaded down with birds.

Ah, while I have you here... I lived in Scotland for awhile. In the winter time there would be birds twittering at 3 and 4am. Now, I'm an insomniac so it drove me crazy. So what birds get up at night in the winter? Ok, it was during the time when there was less night, but 3 and 4am? Twittering loud outside my window? They'd arrive, create a commotion, wake me up if I wasn't already awake, twitter for an hour or so, then leave. Leave me to lay there wide awake.

Edited June 4, 2009 by desi

[desi]

Since this is the photography forum... I thought I'd share the chick.

I have tons of photos now, but they are not as interesting hairless. Pretty gross even.

The eggs (as far as I know) arrived the Wednesday before last. One hatched. The other disappeared.

Every day the baby chick has more and more feathers. Today the eyes opened. It has two modes. Open mouth and butt in the air. Nothing else.

The mother bird has been dipping the nest vertical. I've been jerry rigging what I can. This is the latest, with a bird balcony. If the chick does manage to roll all the way out, it'll end up in a clay tray at the bottom. The lip on the tray should keep it safe.