Birds in your garden

[ThaiBunny]

7 minutes ago, AjarnNorth said:

Found by a friend of a friend in some reeds near a pool in Bangkok. ID anyone?

Moses

[tutsiwarrior]

4 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Moses

yeah, some of them commandments are a bit 'flighty'...

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Was at the gym earlier, which is on the 3rd floor at tree top level so good view of the birdlife, next to a khlong with a large banana plantation opposite, in a bangkok residential suburb. Busy 6 lane road about 70 metres away. So quite a busy area.

 

Saw a bird I've never seen before. It made an aggressive appearance flying at and scareing off all the other birds in the tree tops. It was a big bird, crow-like, big beak, black markings around the eye, its body was in two colours, from front of the wings to head it was a lighter colour (grey-brown?) and from wings back and under body a dark colour, a very long thin tail, tail ended with a white tip, and underbody at the start of the tail had a light patch. Had a look online and it could be a Treepie? Thoughts?

[AjarnNorth]

5 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Was at the gym earlier, which is on the 3rd floor at tree top level so good view of the birdlife, next to a khlong with a large banana plantation opposite, in a bangkok residential suburb. Busy 6 lane road about 70 metres away. So quite a busy area.

 

Saw a bird I've never seen before. It made an aggressive appearance flying at and scareing off all the other birds in the tree tops. It was a big bird, crow-like, big beak, black markings around the eye, its body was in two colours, from front of the wings to head it was a lighter colour (grey-brown?) and from wings back and under body a dark colour, a very long thin tail, tail ended with a white tip, and underbody at the start of the tail had a light patch. Had a look online and it could be a Treepie? Thoughts?

Green-billed Malkoha or Rufous-winged treepie. Color of bill? Malkoha has a red spot around the eye but looks black in poor lighting. Neither species is particularly aggressive though.  

[Skeptic7]

2 hours ago, AjarnNorth said:

Found by a friend of a friend in some reeds near a pool in Bangkok. ID anyone? Fledglings are never easy to ID. Odd bill. 

This bird appears still a full nestling and not nearly ready to fledge. That bill is funky, but this bird is quite young, with alot of down and pin feathers...so still developing. My gut on this is Black-collared Starling. They are common in BKK and prone to nest predation by Asian Koel. Perhaps it was ejected by it's larger brood parasitic step-sibling?

 

No yellow around the eye is a bit troubling, but again this bird had some growing up to do before fledging. The cream and black coloring and long bill seem about right and the black collar comes later. Some pix of much older juveniles of Black-collared Starling found online. 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by Skeptic7

[Bredbury Blue]

On 6/8/2019 at 3:15 PM, AjarnNorth said:

Green-billed Malkoha or Rufous-winged treepie. Color of bill? Malkoha has a red spot around the eye but looks black in poor lighting. Neither species is particularly aggressive though.  

Thanks.

 

After viewing photos and videos i reckon it was a 

Green-billed Malkoha with one reservation: Some photos show multiple white areas on the tail but the one i saw only had on the tail tip and at start of the tail. 

[AjarnNorth]

18 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Thanks.

 

After viewing photos and videos i reckon it was a 

Green-billed Malkoha with one reservation: Some photos show multiple white areas on the tail but the one i saw only had on the tail tip and at start of the tail. 

Multiple white areas on underside but only tail tip when seen from above or upper side. 

[AjarnNorth]

On 6/8/2019 at 5:19 PM, Skeptic7 said:

This bird appears still a full nestling and not nearly ready to fledge. That bill is funky, but this bird is quite young, with alot of down and pin feathers...so still developing. My gut on this is Black-collared Starling. They are common in BKK and prone to nest predation by Asian Koel. Perhaps it was ejected by it's larger brood parasitic step-sibling?

 

No yellow around the eye is a bit troubling, but again this bird had some growing up to do before fledging. The cream and black coloring and long bill seem about right and the black collar comes later. Some pix of much older juveniles of Black-collared Starling found online. 

 

 

 

I considered it being ousted from a nest by a Koel. I posted the photo on BCST facebook site and ID was - wait for it - Rock Pigeon. Which actually makes sense when you look at the odd bulbous bill. 

 

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, AjarnNorth said:

I considered it being ousted from a nest by a Koel. I posted the photo on BCST facebook site and ID was - wait for it - Rock Pigeon. Which actually makes sense when you look at the odd bulbous bill. 

 

Well that's disappointing! Oh well, it was a good test. Won't miss that bill again! Funny we probably see more ROPIs than any other species, yet never really see them. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by Skeptic7

[jak2002003]

We get a lot of the Asian Pied Starlings and also those Black Collard Starlings.  Always mix them up unless see both together.  Try to remember the Asian Pied Starlings have red on their beaks and not really any yellow on their faces.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jak2002003]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 2:52 PM, AjarnNorth said:

Found by a friend of a friend in some reeds near a pool in Bangkok. ID anyone? Fledglings are never easy to ID. Odd bill. 

Think that is a dove, by the shape of it's beak. Has the typical pigeon / dove beak.

 

Probably a spotted dove squab.  

[jak2002003]

Question about crows, out of curiosity.  

 

In my bird ID guide it says the large billed crow is a common resident all over Thailand.  I have lived in Chiang Mai for 11 years and NEVER seen one here.  I have seen a lot of them in Phuket and Bangkok however.

 

Are these birds about in Chiang Mai?  If not, any ideas as to why not?  Do the farmers shoot them on sight or something?  

 

In the past I thought I heard one crowing, only to realise that was the call of the egrets!!!

 

 

[Skeptic7]

34 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Question about crows, out of curiosity.  

 

In my bird ID guide it says the large billed crow is a common resident all over Thailand.  I have lived in Chiang Mai for 11 years and NEVER seen one here.  I have seen a lot of them in Phuket and Bangkok however.

 

Are these birds about in Chiang Mai?  If not, any ideas as to why not?  Do the farmers shoot them on sight or something?  

 

In the past I thought I heard one crowing, only to realise that was the call of the egrets!!!

 

 

11 years is a long time, but they are surely there. Listed as "Resident" for CM in numerous sources and checklists I found.

 

I certainly don't see or hear them as often in Kanchanaburi as I do in BKK. When first started spending time in Kan, didn’t have them on my patch list for quite some time. Seemed very odd. But ultimately have heard and seen many...though not nearly as abundant there as in other areas.

 

Keep eyes and ears open! 

[jak2002003]

49 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

11 years is a long time, but they are surely there. Listed as "Resident" for CM in numerous sources and checklists I found.

 

I certainly don't see or hear them as often in Kanchanaburi as I do in BKK. When first started spending time in Kan, didn’t have them on my patch list for quite some time. Seemed very odd. But ultimately have heard and seen many...though not nearly as abundant there as in other areas.

 

Keep eyes and ears open! 

ha ha.  Now it's my mission to track one down.  I always take my binoculars with me when I go away anywhere.  I have stayed in some rather remote placed up in the mountains as well as villages and towns all around Chiang Mai, but never seen a crow.

 

I will look at some of those checklists and see any areas where they have been sighted.  

 

Birds of prey are also conspicuous by their absence around my area.  Only the occasional buzzard thing circling low (seem to come through on migration).  I often think the crows and birds of prey are persecuted a lot where I live.  

[Briggsy]

On 6/11/2019 at 2:42 PM, jak2002003 said:

Question about crows, out of curiosity.  

 

In my bird ID guide it says the large billed crow is a common resident all over Thailand.  I have lived in Chiang Mai for 11 years and NEVER seen one here.  I have seen a lot of them in Phuket and Bangkok however.

 

Are these birds about in Chiang Mai?  If not, any ideas as to why not?  Do the farmers shoot them on sight or something?  

 

In the past I thought I heard one crowing, only to realise that was the call of the egrets!!!

 

 

They sure are but they are locally resident in Chiang Mai. The best place to see a lot of them is an agricultural settlement (i.e. cleared) near forest. You will see them if you visit Huay Nam Dang. They will be flying over to and from the cleared areas. There are a lot of ethnic minority villages up there. Also, if you visit Mae Ping National Park, there is a lovely campsite called Thung Kik. The large-billed crows will steal any food if you turn your back for a minute.

 

Remember these birds have a preference for tall trees. Get rid of the tall trees and they may move on.

Edited June 28, 2019 by Briggsy

[Briggsy]

20 years of birding in Thailand and my first Malayan Night-Heron. Technically not in my garden but in my locale, the small forest of Khao Mai Kaeo in Chonburi. It is a lot chunkier than I imagined.

[jak2002003]

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

They sure are but they are locally resident in Chiang Mai. The best place to see a lot of them is an agricultural settlement (i.e. cleared) near forest. You will see them if you visit Huay Nam Dang. They will be flying over to and from the cleared areas. There are a lot of ethnic minority villages up there. Also, if you visit Mae Ping National Park, there is a lovely campsite called Thung Kik. The large-billed crows will steal any food if you turn your back for a minute.

 

Remember these birds have a preference for tall trees. Get rid of the tall trees and they may move on.

Thank you.  I am going to visit Mae Ping National Park today!!!  

 

 

[kokesaat]

We've had a pair of white rumped shamas in our yard for about 6 years (the original female died a year ago but was quickly replaced by another).  They've produced nearly 100 chicks.....usually 4 but sometimes 5 at a time.  A week or two after the off-spring fly off from nesting boxes that we place around the yard, the female begins building a new nest.  We leave a bowl of mealworms out for the birds......I'm sure we've bought a few thousand baht worth over the years.....100 Baht at a time.  Sometimes when I forget to put the bowl out, they'll land on my coffee cup and remind me it's time to eat.

When I mow the yard, the adults will often follow close by and pick out insects that are disturbed by the lawnmower.  Today, the female pulled out a medium size centipede and battled with it for over 8 minutes before it died.  The female then picked off pieces to feed to a new set of chicks.

It's times like this that remind me how vital birds are to the environment....keeping pests under control.  Too bad Mao Zedong had to learn the hard way that wiping out sparrows could be so devastating to farmers.

 

[Skeptic7]

This morning about 0400, heard what I think was Collared Scops Owl calling in my yard in Kanchanaburi. A repeated "WHeew" at regular intervals of what seemed like 15-20 sec. Couldn't locate with spotlight. Will try to capture a recording if heard again. 

[Bredbury Blue]

Not exactly in my backgarden here, but i was home in the north-west of England recently, and noticed Jackdaws in quite a few places - don't remember them locally when i used to live there decades ago.

 Could somebody id the bird in the foreground? An aggressive little bird, constantly chasing away other birds in its area.

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Bredbury Blue

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Could somebody id the bird in the foreground? An aggressive little bird, constantly chasing away other birds in its area.

In the bottom pic there are 2 Mallards (green heads), 2 Rock Pigeons, a Gull in the back and a Mandarin Duck (very colorful & beautiful introduced species in UK & parts of Europe). 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Skeptic7

[AjarnNorth]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

In the bottom pic there are 2 Mallards (green heads), 2 Rock Pigeons, a Gull in the back and a Mandarin Duck (very colorful & beautiful introduced species in UK & parts of Europe). 

Don't think that's a Gull. Looks like a white Rock Pigeon. 

[Skeptic7]

44 minutes ago, AjarnNorth said:

Don't think that's a Gull. Looks like a white Rock Pigeon. 

Haha...agreed! Make that 3 Rock Pigeons! ????

[Briggsy]

@Bredbury Blue

 

Yes, when I was a kid in the UK, jackdaws were mainly seen on farmer's fields. But now they seem to be very common in more urban settings. I have noticed the same thing in my town in the North West of England.

[Skeptic7]

5 hours ago, Briggsy said:

@Bredbury Blue

 

Yes, when I was a kid in the UK, jackdaws were mainly seen on farmer's fields. But now they seem to be very common in more urban settings. I have noticed the same thing in my town in the North West of England.

Spent considerable time in Amsterdam over the past 15 years and they are common there too. 

[Bredbury Blue]

Thanks, it was the Mandarin Duck i was enquiring  about. Mallards are common in my area all my life but I'd never seen (or heard of) a mandarin duck before. Very beautiful but feisty.

 

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/waterfowl/mandarin-duck

 

[AjarnNorth]

Khao Yai two weeks ago. A few new species for me - Black Baza (finally!), Green-eared Barbet, and Rufous-fronted Babbler... and then some of the usual suspects: Great Hornbll, Pied Hornbill, Black-crested Bulbul,  Greater Yellownape, Laced Woodpecker, white-rumped Shamma. Also three elephants and such like. 

[Skeptic7]

A pair of Blue-bearded Bee Eaters today. #61 for the yard in Kanchanaburi. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by Skeptic7

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

A pair of Blue-bearded Bee Eaters today. #61 for the yard in Kanchanaburi. 

 

 

 

 

 

very pretty birds.  

[Skeptic7]

Been great here in Kanchanaburi these past week or so! Added White-rumped Munia today for #63 for the patch and closing in on #700 species worldwide.

 

Also Butterfly and Moth lists are growing every day with some beautiful species and pix. I posted some pretty awesome Hawk Moth pix here awhile back, but they were promptly removed.