Owls And Other Birds - Sighted In C.Rai Area?

[toybits]

HMJ, you are brilliant! Yes, my photo does seem to show that the bird has somewhat red eyes and there is a white spot visible at the tip of the bird's tail. Thanks. I have never seen this bird before. Is this a relatively difficult bird to spot?

[brianmarinus]

Last year when we visit Mae Fahluang Gardens(Doi Tung)-at the view point just before the top,we got a cup og coffee and a cigarret-that is first and only time here in Thailand I have seen an eagle.

I dont know what kind it was as I did not get a picture of the bird.

[sceadugenga]

It appears that at least one species is quite common but like you I have never seen one locally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Thailand#Eagles.2C_kites_and_allies

The gardens at Doi Tung are a good spot for nature watchers, I saw my only flying squirrel up there once.

[T_Dog]

Was in deep forest yesterday and heard the alarm cries of a group of birds. They were some of the most beautiful I have seen and were just a bit smaller than a Greater Caucol. Head had a white hood and dark around the eyes. I tried to get a photo but they would alarm like puppies caught by the tail and stay just ahead of camera range as I stalked them. A very noisy group and I wish I had a photo to try to determine what they were.

Edit: Behavior was similar to Blue Jays in the northern latitudes of the US. Haven't found anything that looks like what I saw in the field guides though.

[hmj]

T_Dog #34

Identification of a bird becomes easy when you have the answer on the following questions.

# What does the bird look like? Size and shape, plumage, bare parts.

# What is the bird doing and how is it doing it? Behaviour, voice.

# Where is the bird? Habitat.

# What is the time of the year? Seasonal status of a bird and moulting (the cycle of plumage changes).

A detailed observation.

# Size and shape. Compare with a known species or give an approximate size in cm. Observe the shape and size of:

bill, head, neck, body, wings, tail, legs, feet.

# Plumage (feathers). Observe the general colour. Observe marks or patches, their colour and position on the bird. Any special feathers?

# Bare parts. Bill, legs, feet, eyes and any area of bare skin are bare parts. Observe shape, size and colour of the bare parts.

# Behaviour (as an identification aid). Behaviour is about action and the character of this action. How is the bird flying, walking,

sitting, swimming, diving, feeding, etc.?

# Voice. Call notes or song.

# Habitat. The habitat is the natural home of a bird species.

Because you have given a detailed observation it has been easy to identify this bird as a White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus).

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) can be found in open forests in large groups and is very vocal as well.

Under forest conditions it is more favourable to use a camera than binoculars for birdwatching. An image gives you a second change at identification. I use a Canon SX30 camera in sports mode: the sensor will follow a moving object. In video mode you can capture sound. With a computer sound application, e.g. Audacity, noise can be removed and an MP3 file created.

[T_Dog]

T_Dog #34

Identification of a bird becomes easy when you have the answer on the following questions.

# What does the bird look like? Size and shape, plumage, bare parts.

# What is the bird doing and how is it doing it? Behaviour, voice.

# Where is the bird? Habitat.

# What is the time of the year? Seasonal status of a bird and moulting (the cycle of plumage changes).

A detailed observation.

# Size and shape. Compare with a known species or give an approximate size in cm. Observe the shape and size of:

bill, head, neck, body, wings, tail, legs, feet.

# Plumage (feathers). Observe the general colour. Observe marks or patches, their colour and position on the bird. Any special feathers?

# Bare parts. Bill, legs, feet, eyes and any area of bare skin are bare parts. Observe shape, size and colour of the bare parts.

# Behaviour (as an identification aid). Behaviour is about action and the character of this action. How is the bird flying, walking,

sitting, swimming, diving, feeding, etc.?

# Voice. Call notes or song.

# Habitat. The habitat is the natural home of a bird species.

Because you have given a detailed observation it has been easy to identify this bird as a White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus).

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) can be found in open forests in large groups and is very vocal as well.

Under forest conditions it is more favourable to use a camera than binoculars for birdwatching. An image gives you a second change at identification. I use a Canon SX30 camera in sports mode: the sensor will follow a moving object. In video mode you can capture sound. With a computer sound application, e.g. Audacity, noise can be removed and an MP3 file created.

And that is exactly the bird, HMJ! The bird is quite aptly named, isn't it? One of the noisier birds I have run into and "laughing" is a good description of the calls. Thank You again!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crested_Laughingthrush

[T_Dog]

The Laughing Thrush must be territorial as I saw the group again in the same area as before. Every bird seemed to have something to say. (Photo attached is not mine.)

[villagefarang]

Here is a little Kingfisher our cat almost had for breakfast the other day.

[villagefarang]

Here is something you don't see everyday in Thailand but he lives in the next village on one of my routes.

[sceadugenga]

Many years ago I lived in Vientiane and was at some Lao friends' house on Christmas Day and they asked me what I'd normally doing in my own country.

I said something like "eating roast turkey, but there wouldn't be any chance of getting one here".

Within half an hour one of the neighbors turned up with one trotting along on a lead and my friends offered to cook this splendid specimen with all the trimmings the following day if I could see my way clear to purchasing him.

I looked at turkey.

Turkey looked at me.

He was delicious.

[T_Dog]

Have seen two kinds of Kingfishers here but not that version, VF. No need for the telephoto when the cats are helping you out. Did it finally fly away?

Sceaduenga, I hope you had cranberries! Some folks we know have turkeys here as well and I am always trying to get one to follow me home. No luck so far so I guess I have to look more hungry.

[maidu]

Who is this little dark man with white hair and mustache, with his hands poised like a boxer?

you'll never guess. Answer in next post.........

[maidu]

here we go......

[villagefarang]

With a bird in one hand and an iPhone in the other, my wife came to the rescue and captured these images. As far as I know the little fellow is stealing fish from our pond as we speak.

[hmj]

#44 villagefarang

Your jewel is an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. This species is the smallest of the Thai kingfishers and it has two colour forms:

the northern "black-backed" and the peninsular "red-backed". Your images show the "black-backed" form.

The fish in your pond are not on the menu, it will eat insects mostly.

#41 T_Dog

Have seen two kinds of Kingfishers here but not that version...

The following is a list of the common kingfisher species found in northern Thailand and some notes on them.

Pied Kingfisher: is found near large bodies of water and it is a local bird. Local means that it does not stray from its habitat.

Common Kingfisher: can be found anywhere near water but not in dense forest. In dense forest a similar looking species the Blue-eared Kingfisher can be found. As the name suggests this species has blue ear coverts. The Common Kingfisher has red ear coverts.

The ear coverts are the areas around the ear opening, directly behind the eye.

White-throated Kingfisher: is a resident species found anywhere in open country. Resident means that it is present year round in the area.

This is the most commonly seen kingfisher because it likes an exposed perch, e.g. on the electricity lines along the roads.

This species does not catch fish but feeds on insects, lizards, etc.

Black-capped Kingfisher: is a passage migrant in northern Thailand.

Crested Kingfisher and Stork-billed Kingfisher are large birds, they are local and very rare.

#40 sceadugenga

Getting your hands on your neighbours fat turkey should not be a problem. Unfortunately forum rules forbid me to post the 'how to'. Read about the good soldier Schweik, in the novel by Jaroslav Hasek, getting hold of a dog for his lieutenant and you will know what to do. The Good Soldier Schweik, Book One, Chapter14: Schweik Becomes Batman to Lieutenant Lukash. To stay on the safe side, to make you reconsider your actions, also read the next chapter.

[villagefarang]

This is the kind of Kingfisher I normally see stealing fish from the pond so I assumed the other guy would do the same. I was amazed the first time I saw the size of the fish compared to the size of his head.

[villagefarang]

These guys are more like an invasion as they perch on our roof in the early morning. Love to watch their arial acrobatics though.

[hmj]

#46 villagefarang

This is the Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, with the red (rufous) ear coverts. This species feeds on fish only. For details have a look on the link below.

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

The image in post #47 shows the Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica. The middle bird at the top is a juvenile, a young bird from this year's brood. It will moult into adult plumage next spring. These swallows are now in the moulting, non-breeding, migration period of the annual cycle.

The Barn Swallow is a cosmopolitan bird. It breeds from northern Thailand to Siberia, from Mexico to Alaska and from North Africa to northern Scandinavia. On migration masses of these birds can be found as far South as Cape Town and in Uruguay, India, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea.

Some notes on moulting, the cycle of plumage changes and the annual breeding cycle of birds.

Twice annually most birds moult all or part of their feathers. Some species acquire a different looking plumage outside the breeding period.

Moulting happens gradually and this can make identification difficult. Bare parts can also change colour.

Many species moult at the start and the end of the breeding period.

During the breeding period birds are territorial. Also they are more active and easily observed.

A territory is an area defended against other birds of the same species.

The annual breeding cycle of birds and the plumage sequence.

# Preliminary breeding period .

## MOULT: plumage sequence of adult birds = BREEDING.

## Arrival on breeding site.

## Territory choice and defence.

## Pair forming (courtship behaviour).

# Breeding period.

## Nest building.

## Actual mating takes place.

## The eggs are laid.

## Incubation of the eggs.

## The eggs hatch.

## The young are raised to independence.

## Territory defence stops.

## The family breaks up.

## MOULT: plumage sequence of adult birds = NON-BREEDING, plumage sequence young birds = JUVENILE (JUV).

# Non-breeding period.

## Migration, wandering.

[villagefarang]

hmj

I love reading your posts. You are an encyclopedia of ornithological insights. Thanks for helping the rest of us understand our feathered friends who share our space here in Chiang Rai.

[T_Dog]

hmj

I love reading your posts. You are an encyclopedia of ornithological insights. Thanks for helping the rest of us understand our feathered friends who share our space here in Chiang Rai.

Agreed here for a +1! Only 73 posts adding proof that "still waters run deep!"

[villagefarang]

hmj

I love reading your posts. You are an encyclopedia of ornithological insights. Thanks for helping the rest of us understand our feathered friends who share our space here in Chiang Rai.

Agreed here for a +1! Only 73 posts adding proof that "still waters run deep!"

A well used saying but so applicable to our quiet but deep hmj. Sure hope he/she? continues his posts and I would even like to see a topic started here by hmj.

[krobert6]

I have noticed a sudden influx of birds around the commercial fish ponds - is this the start of the migratory season?

[villagefarang]

I believe they call this little fellow a Wagtail (or Wag-tongue?), not sure which.

[villagefarang]

I saw my first two male Pied Harriers of the year, flying low past the pond this morning. They are such strikingly beautiful birds and I love watching their dynamic low-level acrobatics just above the rice fields.

[sceadugenga]

Gallus gallus domesticus.

[toybits]

Took these photos a few days ago. Probably some kind of Teal. Sad thing is that the pond is about to disappear as a housing project is being developed right at the edge of the pond. Kind of feel sad that the wildlife will be pushed aside again...

[hmj]

toybits #56

The correct name for your birds is Lesser Whistling-Duck or Lesser Treeduck.
They are the only resident duck species in the North of Thailand; all other duck
species seen here are are winter visitors.

Lesser Whistling-Ducks belong to the group of perching ducks: they can perch
in trees and build nests in hollow trees. Lack of suitable trees makes them nest
in waterside vegetation.

Based on their behaviour other duck species belong to the dabbling ducks and
the diving ducks

[toybits]

Thanks for info HMJ.

[maidu]

'dabbling ducks' sounds like some of our species I see hanging out in places lit by pink florescent lamps.

Took these photos a few days ago. Probably some kind of Teal. Sad thing is that the pond is about to disappear as a housing project is being developed right at the edge of the pond. Kind of feel sad that the wildlife will be pushed aside again...

large parcels getting scraped of all things green - are endemic proportions around Chiang Rai. It's as though someone/group is going around with some cash in their pockets and buying up every flat piece of unimproved property larger than 2 rai. What tiny bits of wildlife which may still be holding on around here - will be long gone in a few years. In their place; cement apartment blocks as far as the eye can see, from horizon to horizon.

[hmj]

The 'things green' are reduced not only in quantity but also in quality. This is
a world wide problem.

The fire/smoke problem stretches around the world: Central Africa, Central and
South America. Remember the smoke from fires in the peat swamp forests of Borneo
which created problems as far North as Phuket?

Apart from clear cutting and bulldozing entire forests, degradation by annual fires
reduces the biodiversity.

Older people tell that 30-40 years ago forest fires in Chiang Rai were minimal
as the forests never dried out. The streams kept flowing year round. Villages get
their household water from these streams but less is available now.

Soon the rains will come and the flooding starts. The first defense against flooding
is a healthy forest with a leaf litter/humus layer on its floor. The layer prevents
run off and allows water to percolate into the ground.

The attached images have been made at the same location: forest before the fire has
been made in early March, forest after the fire has been made in early April.