Birds in your garden

[AjarnNorth]

20 hours ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

 

This is not a Cuckoo, but an Asian Koel, common throughout Thailand. 

 

One of the most common Cuckoos is the Plainitive Cuckoo and I heard them often when i lived in Surin and now hear them in Chonburi. 

 

[Skeptic7]

20 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

Are there cuckoo's in Thailand ?

I live outside a small town 45km south of Khon Kaen.

I have lived here 4 years.

Today, Tuesday 6th December at 3.30pm I heard a sound like a cuckoo and what may have been a reply from another bird further away.

First time I have ever heard this sound here.

Would be grateful if anyone could provide a name and picture of what this bird may be.

 In answer to your query...yes there are a numerous species of cuckoos found in Thailand. That said, most don't make the typical "coo-coo" call. Probably only the Eurasian (Common) Cuckoo mentioned by Isanbirder above, but don't think they are found in your area. A few possible non-cuckoo species that come to mind that you may have heard are Lesser or Greater Coucal or Coppersmith Barbet. Others here may come up with other/better possibilities.

[Speedo1968]

3 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

 In answer to your query...yes there are a numerous species of cuckoos found in Thailand. That said, most don't make the typical "coo-coo" call. Probably only the Eurasian (Common) Cuckoo mentioned by Isanbirder above, but don't think they are found in your area. A few possible non-cuckoo species that come to mind that you may have heard are Lesser or Greater Coucal or Coppersmith Barbet. Others here may come up with other/better possibilities.

 

Thank you Skeptic7 for your comments.

The sounds I heard were a distinct "coo-coo" but softer than the bird I have heard in the UK.

I have been listening again this afternoon, Wednesday, but have not heard again.

I will try to find the calls of the birds you mentioned on-line to see if they match what I heard.

[AjarnNorth]

Ah, now I understand the question. You thought you heard a Common Cuckoo, as opposed to just a cuckoo, or one of many possible cuckoo species. Tryy and get an audio recording and post that. All smart phones have decent recorders on them now. 

[Speedo1968]

17 hours ago, AjarnNorth said:

Ah, now I understand the question. You thought you heard a Common Cuckoo, as opposed to just a cuckoo, or one of many possible cuckoo species. Tryy and get an audio recording and post that. All smart phones have decent recorders on them now. 

 

Hello AjarnNorth

I am interested in nature in general.    I also have acute hearing, perhaps due to my occupation..    I don't have a smart phone, the sounds I heard - the call nearby 50 - 100 metres and response perhaps 200 metres or more away; would probably not have been picked p anyway.

What I heard sounded like a cuckcoo ( common if it is like the ones in the UK cuc - coo sound ).   Not like the dove calls etc.

I have listed  to some of the cuckcoo sounds available on line - not what I heard.

If compared to the UK bird the sound I heard was softer, more rounded, not harsh, not having the almost rolling sound at the beginning of the call, not having the almost echo like ending to the call.   Both sounds I heard were a clear cuc - coo, the more distant one was different, meaning not one single bird making the call.

 

Unfortunately i only heard the sounds yesterday, I have not heard them again since. 

 

Don't want to bother you with such a one off question but, I am genuinely interested in all I hear and see in Nature.

[thetefldon]

Have you tried xeno-canto.com great for all bird calls

Here are a couple of Cuckoo pics of birds I have seen never heard either bird call

1. Believed to be Common Cuckoo

2. Believed to be Violet Cuckoo(juv)

Hope that helps.

Edited December 8, 2016 by thetefldon

[thetefldon]

On 12/6/2016 at 3:40 PM, SaintLouisBlues said:

As others have said Asian Koel,  male and female different looking

Here are pics of both sexes. First is female eating my papaya!!

 

 

[isanbirder]

• Something that seems to be being overlooked in this discussion is that a bird which sounds like a Eurasian Cuckoo may not be a cuckoo at all .  I wondered if a Koel (which actually is a kind of cuckoo) was making this two-note call.  Koels have an enormous variety of calls.

[Skeptic7]

48 minutes ago, isanbirder said:

• Something that seems to be being overlooked in this discussion is that a bird which sounds like a Eurasian Cuckoo may not be a cuckoo at all .  I wondered if a Koel (which actually is a kind of cuckoo) was making this two-note call.  Koels have an enormous variety of calls.

Well actually this has not been overlooked at all. I specifically said this very thing just 7 posts up about "non-cuckoo" species and suggested a few possibilities AND solicited for others to suggest different possibilities. Other members have even suggested Koel and there have been replies! 

[Skeptic7]

SERIOUS HELP NEEDED ASAP! I know this is a long shot but there is a presumed Falconer's escaped Black-shouldered Kite tangled in a tree here in BKK. The bird had previously been flying freely but is now entangled in a treetop about 5-10 meters up by the bright orange shackle connecting his talons. This bird will die if nothing is done. Any suggestions??? or Bird Rescue? I have not been able to find anything.

[Skeptic7]

Semi-happy ending to the Kite drama. As the Kite flies, the bird was about 100+ meters away. Walking there was about 1 km along a klong and down & around some nearby sois. Fortunately the tree the bird was stuck in was up against a huge old BKK estate. With the help of the resident groundskeeper and a 20 foot bamboo pole, we were able to pull the limbs the bird was lit on down far enough to free it. It flew away but still has the neon orange 2 foot long looped tether hanging from and connecting it's talons. Haven't seen the bird since liberating it, but it's been around here for the past 2 days. Have some pix of this magnificent bird which I will post sometime soon.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Skeptic7

[kgpr]

Nice head shot of a streak eared Bulbul

[Skeptic7]

Finally #56 for the yard. Beautiful male Kestrel early yesterday evening using the up drafts between buildings to put on an aerial display and terrorize the Tree Sparrows and other small birds. 

[thetefldon]

Thanks Skeptic7 reminded me what the thread started out as.

Now on 69 with additions of:

 

1. Yellow-browed Warbler

 

2. Asian Palm Swift

 

3.Oriental White-Eye

[Speedo1968]

I live in Banphai, small town south of Khon Kaen.    

Seen for the first time in my 3 years here, Sunday early evening, a large bird of prey circling over a part of the town where

pigeons had come home to roost.

The different groups of pigeons kept panicking and taking off as the predator continued to circle in the updrafts.

Obviously the pigeons would eventually tire, a chance for the encircling bird to catch a meal.

I do not know what the bird of prey was nor can I estimate height above ground, it looked black to blackish brown and wing span of at least 150 to 200cms.

 

The only other birds of prey ( ? ) I have seen here were two beautiful grey owls ( one looked "ancient" the other younger ) caught up during the night in a very fine net by bird hunters.  The hunters go to a roosting tree, put up a 3 - 4 metre high fine mesh net then let off a firework.   The people took what they wanted and left the others, owls, hoopoes, smaller birds to die.    I could only save one out of the 20 or so that were left in the net.    Reported it and showed photos to main govt officer in charge, he did genuinely look sad but said there was nothing they could really do.

 

In general, this year there seems to be a major change in all things in Nature, bees, snakes, birds etc.

On 12/7/2016 at 0:27 PM, Skeptic7 said:

 In answer to your query...yes there are a numerous species of cuckoos found in Thailand. That said, most don't make the typical "coo-coo" call. Probably only the Eurasian (Common) Cuckoo mentioned by Isanbirder above, but don't think they are found in your area. A few possible non-cuckoo species that come to mind that you may have heard are Lesser or Greater Coucal or Coppersmith Barbet. Others here may come up with other/better possibilities.

 

To Skeptic7, I have followed up all the various cuckoo like sounds I can find on the net, the nearest is the Eurasian Cuckoo but the end part of the call on the Eurasian is still harder and clipped off, the birds call I heard was smoother.

Never mind, I am suprised and grateful for all the responses I have had.

I did here just once more, 2 days later in the same area but not since. 

[Speedo1968]

Thank you to all and everyone for so many responses / replies to my question about Cuckoos.

I very grateful and have learned a lot.

 

[Skeptic7]

35 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

I live in Banphai, small town south of Khon Kaen.    

Seen for the first time in my 3 years here, Sunday early evening, a large bird of prey circling over a part of the town where

pigeons had come home to roost.

The different groups of pigeons kept panicking and taking off as the predator continued to circle in the updrafts.

Obviously the pigeons would eventually tire, a chance for the encircling bird to catch a meal.

I do not know what the bird of prey was nor can I estimate height above ground, it looked black to blackish brown and wing span of at least 150 to 200cms.

 

The only other birds of prey ( ? ) I have seen here were two beautiful grey owls ( one looked "ancient" the other younger ) caught up during the night in a very fine net by bird hunters.  The hunters go to a roosting tree, put up a 3 - 4 metre high fine mesh net then let off a firework.   The people took what they wanted and left the others, owls, hoopoes, smaller birds to die.    I could only save one out of the 20 or so that were left in the net.    Reported it and showed photos to main govt officer in charge, he did genuinely look sad but said there was nothing they could really do.

Really sad, shitty...but typical...Thailand tale.  

 

I'm glad we were able to free the Kite, but with those shackles on, it surely will meet a crappy and premature demise. At least we didn't have to witness it hobbled to that treetop.

[isanbirder]

I posted almost three months ago about the first black drongo of the autumn, and hopefully looked  forward to these birds flying to roost across my garden.   Well, they didn't come.  I haven't been able to get out much, but even on routine trips from my house 20+ kms to Buriram, I have seen very few.  Presumably this is due to massive use of pesticides on the rice, but I'm surprised that the results should be aso clear in a single year.  In my garden in the evenings I have hardly seen a single bird.

 

Has anybody noticed this decline?

[meatboy]

we have a grey heron who's made home in our mooban,its eaten over 6tubs of fantails,its chancing its luck as our boy sam nearly had it yesterday.

[thetefldon]

On 12/24/2016 at 4:31 PM, isanbirder said:

I posted almost three months ago about the first black drongo of the autumn, and hopefully looked  forward to these birds flying to roost across my garden.   Well, they didn't come.  I haven't been able to get out much, but even on routine trips from my house 20+ kms to Buriram, I have seen very few.  Presumably this is due to massive use of pesticides on the rice, but I'm surprised that the results should be aso clear in a single year.  In my garden in the evenings I have hardly seen a single bird.

 

Has anybody noticed this decline?

Decline? No, if anything the opposite. Currently 8 birds sat in large tree just outside garden! Been a good year for migrants here although no Asian Brown Flycatcher or Stonechat seen at the new house. Can't complain though 71 species recorded from home this year, mostly in or near garden + flyovers.

Black Drongo for you :-)

 

[isanbirder]

4 hours ago, thetefldon said:

Decline? No, if anything the opposite. Currently 8 birds sat in large tree just outside garden! Been a good year for migrants here although no Asian Brown Flycatcher or Stonechat seen at the new house. Can't complain though 71 species recorded from home this year, mostly in or near garden + flyovers.

Black Drongo for you :-)

 

 

 

Glad to hear it. Whereabouts are you?  (Sorry if you've answered this before)

[Skeptic7]

On 12/24/2016 at 4:31 AM, isanbirder said:

I posted almost three months ago about the first black drongo of the autumn, and hopefully looked  forward to these birds flying to roost across my garden.   Well, they didn't come.  I haven't been able to get out much, but even on routine trips from my house 20+ kms to Buriram, I have seen very few.  Presumably this is due to massive use of pesticides on the rice, but I'm surprised that the results should be aso clear in a single year.  In my garden in the evenings I have hardly seen a single bird.

 

Has anybody noticed this decline?

 

12 hours ago, thetefldon said:

Decline? No, if anything the opposite. Currently 8 birds sat in large tree just outside garden! Been a good year for migrants here although no Asian Brown Flycatcher or Stonechat seen at the new house. Can't complain though 71 species recorded from home this year, mostly in or near garden + flyovers.

Happy to report it's been good here in BKK as well...

[Skeptic7]

Pink-necked Pigeon from my patch in BKK earlier this month...

[thetefldon]

16 hours ago, isanbirder said:

 

Glad to hear it. Whereabouts are you?  (Sorry if you've answered this before)

11 km north of Phetchabun(city) just off Highway 21. It is a rice growing area at the top end of Central Plain sandwiched between Phetchabun Mountains to East and West.

Edited December 30, 2016 by thetefldon

[kgpr]

A great egret and black winged stilts from Phayao. I know that they are not great but very far away.

[AjarnNorth]

On 29/12/2559 at 11:42 AM, thetefldon said:

Decline? No, if anything the opposite. Currently 8 birds sat in large tree just outside garden! Been a good year for migrants here although no Asian Brown Flycatcher or Stonechat seen at the new house. Can't complain though 71 species recorded from home this year, mostly in or near garden + flyovers.

Black Drongo for you :-)

 

 

71! You are creeping up on my thread record. At least I think I have the highest count of folks in this thread. I'm at 87 for my house here in Bangsaen where I live now, but I am getting ready to move back to Bangkok, or somewhere on the outskirts anyway. My yard list from my house in Surin stood at 109 when I left five years ago. 111 if you're a little liberal with the rules, as I had Verditer Flycatcher and Siberian Rubythroat literally just a few steps off my property (but rules are rules,I reckon). Anyway, good luck. I am guessing you'll surpass by Bangsaen 87 fairly soon. 

[Skeptic7]

Pink-necked Pigeon

 

[thetefldon]

On 1/1/2017 at 11:24 PM, AjarnNorth said:

 

71! You are creeping up on my thread record. At least I think I have the highest count of folks in this thread. I'm at 87 for my house here in Bangsaen where I live now, but I am getting ready to move back to Bangkok, or somewhere on the outskirts anyway. My yard list from my house in Surin stood at 109 when I left five years ago. 111 if you're a little liberal with the rules, as I had Verditer Flycatcher and Siberian Rubythroat literally just a few steps off my property (but rules are rules,I reckon). Anyway, good luck. I am guessing you'll surpass by Bangsaen 87 fairly soon. 

Things have slowed down a bit here so I reckon your 87 is safe!! Haven't seen Taiga Flycatcher or Yellow-browed Warbler for a few days but now getting regular visits from a small flock of Oriental White-eye.

Edited January 5, 2017 by thetefldon

[Skeptic7]

Daily winter visitor here in BKK. Yellow-browed (Inornate) Warbler. Send some White-eyes my way!

[Skeptic7]

So here's the pix of the escaped Black-shouldered Kite I mentioned a few weeks ago. The falconer's orange tether is clearly visible and hanging loosely before the bird got tangled, stuck and unable to fly. In the last pic, it can clearly be seen how entangled it was. Though we were able to free the bird with the help of a nearby residence groundskeeper and a 20 foot bamboo pole, it's fate was probably sealed regardless, with those shackles on...but at least we did not have to witness it's certain, slow demise tethered to that

treetop.

.