For The Birds !

[Skeptic7]

On 1/24/2017 at 1:45 PM, Ron19 said:

Could someone please tell me the correct name of this bird.

My wife tells me it is Nok Khun Thong and can be taught to speak.

 

 

Hill Myna. Yes she is correct...this species is adept at mimicking human speech.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Skeptic7

[Skeptic7]

On 1/4/2017 at 4:00 PM, kgpr said:

I think this is a Flycatcher but I'm not sure which one. I could be wrong about that,the position of the wing carriage lead's me to think of flycatchers

Tough one! Thrush methinks. By no means definitive, but my best is possible juvenile female Siberian Blue Robin. Noteworthy...plump build, long straight, sharp bill and obvious light colored legs. Sometimes using the process of elimination by field marks can narrow down the possibilities.

 

Anyone else agree or have differing thoughts? 

[jack2964]

1 hour ago, Skeptic7 said:

Tough one! Thrush methinks. By no means definitive, but my best is possible juvenile female Siberian Blue Robin. Noteworthy...plump build, long straight, sharp bill and obvious light colored legs. Sometimes using the process of elimination by field marks can narrow down the possibilities.

 

Anyone else agree or have differing thoughts? 

Looks to me like some kind of starling. Was this physically sized like a mynah? My guess is chestnut-tailed starling. 

Someone more knowledgeable would come along soon.

Oh btw., where's samuijimmy haven't seen him around for a while.

[thetefldon]

42 minutes ago, jack2964 said:

Looks to me like some kind of starling. Was this physically sized like a mynah? My guess is chestnut-tailed starling. 

Someone more knowledgeable would come along soon.

Oh btw., where's samuijimmy haven't seen him around for a while.

Reckon you are right Chestnut-tailed Starling

[Skeptic7]

44 minutes ago, jack2964 said:

Looks to me like some kind of starling. Was this physically sized like a mynah? My guess is chestnut-tailed starling. 

Someone more knowledgeable would come along soon.

Oh btw., where's samuijimmy haven't seen him around for a while.

Nice call Jack. Do believe it is spot on! On further inspection, the bill of this bird is yellow with a dark base. The bird does appear to have a wavy "hooded" appearance noticeable on the nape. And another thing that was really bothering me was the tiny "beady-eyed" look of the bird in question. Simply explained now that I know that that the iris of the Chestnut-tailed Starling is white! Thus it blends with the light head feathers and the tiny pupil stands out giving the beady-eyed look. 

 

Nicely done Jack! 

[kgpr]

Thanks for the id. Difficult to know how big it was because I saw a movement in a tree about 500 metres away and snapped it with a long lens.Thanks again I know I never would have been able to even make a stab at it.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, kgpr said:

Thanks for the id. Difficult to know how big it was because I saw a movement in a tree about 500 metres away and snapped it with a long lens.Thanks again I know I never would have been able to even make a stab at it.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Never say never and don't sell yourself short. You seem to be out in the field more than almost anyone and have made lots of fine contributions both here and the "Birds In Your Garden" thread. Hell, I've been birding more than 3 decades and still (obviously) make mistakes. Always new info to be gleaned and experience to be gained.

 

Bird hard and keep the pix coming! 

Edited April 11, 2018 by Skeptic7

[kgpr]

Thanks for the encouragement.
Now in Europe until November.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Skeptic7]

Pink-necked Pigeons from my patch in BKK...

 

 

 

 

[kgpr]

Nice bird . never see them around Chiang Mai. Maybe too far north.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Skeptic7]

7 hours ago, kgpr said:

Nice bird . never see them around Chiang Mai. Maybe too far north.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yes...CM out of their range. Lovely bird and never lights on a building! Strictly arboreal. 

[roodujardin]

[Smithson]

[jack2964]

I sighted this bird with a deformed leg on two different visits.

It likes to hunt near a gazebo where I shoot from.

Location: Sanambin non-hunting area Burirum.

 

 

[Briggsy]

According to what I have read, the Brahminy Kite feeds mainly on floating detritus such as dead fish. So, perhaps the injured leg is in that way less of a hindrance than it might be for an osprey, for example.

[jack2964]

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

According to what I have read, the Brahminy Kite feeds mainly on floating detritus such as dead fish. So, perhaps the injured leg is in that way less of a hindrance than it might be for an osprey, for example.

I did see it circle and then dived a couple of times amongst the reeds/vegetation but was unable to make out what it captured or maybe it failed on those occasions. 

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, jack2964 said:

I did see it circle and then dived a couple of times amongst the reeds/vegetation but was unable to make out what it captured or maybe it failed on those occasions. 

From the web:

Brahminy kites are known to be opportunistic scavengers that will eat just about anything, including food waste (from boats and rubbish dumps); carrion (dead animals), such as dead fish; and crabs.

They will also hunts live prey, such as small mammals (hares and bats), small birds, crustaceans (crabs), amphibians (frogs and snakes), small reptiles, fish and insects.

Their diet varies considerably between different populations and is influenced by what is readily available in their habitat.

[Skeptic7]

Brahminy Kites seem to be referred to as Red Hawks in Thailand. Here's a vid found on YouTube:

 

 

[jack2964]

That would be a great spot to capture some action images. Any idea the exact location in chanthaburi?

[Skeptic7]

16 minutes ago, jack2964 said:

That would be a great spot to capture some action images. Any idea the exact location in chanthaburi?

12. Visit the home of red hawks at Bang Chan Fishing Village

Things to do in Chanthaburi, Thailand: Red hawks at Bang Chan Fishing Village

Bang Chan is home to not only friendly fishermen but also red hawks. Let the locals take you on a rafting experience and watch hundreds of red hawks flying above the mangrove.   

The locals also open their homes to visitors, so Bang Chan Fishing Village is another homestay experience you can’t miss.

[Skeptic7]

Here's another one. Don't think the same place...

 

[jack2964]

Thanks for the heads up. Will surely pay a visit when next in the area.

[Doisaketdreamer]

I caught an injured Barn Owl yesterday. He appears to be an adult. His right wing is injured and missing about half of its feathers. Does anyone know of a Raptor Center of Wildlife Rehab center in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai area?

[Skeptic7]

4 hours ago, Doisaketdreamer said:

I caught an injured Barn Owl yesterday. He appears to be an adult. His right wing is injured and missing about half of its feathers. Does anyone know of a Raptor Center of Wildlife Rehab center in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai area?

Try this: 

1. Protective Wing: Bird sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand

https://www.lafargeholcim-foundation.org/projects/protective-wing

 

(not sure as couldn't find any contact info)

[jack2964]

Good to see this not in a cage.

 

[AjarnNorth]

20 hours ago, jack2964 said:

Good to see this not in a cage.

 

One of my favorites. And one of the birds that got me hooked on birding when i was up in Surin. I have actually never seen one in a cage. Were they caged pet birds or "merit releases"?

[jack2964]

51 minutes ago, AjarnNorth said:

One of my favorites. And one of the birds that got me hooked on birding when i was up in Surin. I have actually never seen one in a cage. Were they caged pet birds or "merit releases"?

They are frequently mixed with other munia species in cages at pet shops or flea markets. My guess they are bought for release to make merit since they don't sing.

[Curt1591]

Sunbirds

[Skeptic7]

Up close look at 3 Baya Weaver nests. The workmanship is superb. Notice how spectacularly woven the nest...and in the last pic how well and tightly wrapped around the branch the grasses & fronds are for supporting the dangling chamber. Obviously 2 of these are unfinished nests. Speculations on the purpose of these unfinished structures abound and they are always found in nesting colonies. Whether just deserted, or rejected nests by females or sheltered roosts called "canopies", the males have definitely been seen alighting inside on the sheltered perch while the female is incubating.

 

Whether the canopy is deliberately planned as a shelter for one or both birds, or whether it is only a partially built and deserted nest, there can be no doubt that the nonincubatlng male has been seen occupying the structure and using it as a perching convenience; and there is no doubt that, whatever the original purpose of these structures, the canopy does make an admirable refuge from wind, rain and hot sun. (C.A. Wood The Nest of the Baya Weaver Bird, 1926)

 

 

 

[jack2964]

Bronze-winged Jacana cooling off in the heat.