Natural History Notes

Whilst a seasoned birder may not have difficulty in determining whether a bird is a heron or egret, a novice may find those two waterbirds confusable. Like pigeon and dove, heron and egret belong to the same family but their name are based on superficial appearance instead of on biological basis. Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta ) Generally, egrets are white in colour with black legs and they are comparatively smaller than herons. On the other hand, herons are much colourful birds and larger than egrets. Take a look at the pictures of Little Egret (above) and Purple Heron (below) because they nicely depicted the typical egret and heron features.  Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea) Keep in mind, however, that some exceptions do occur; for example, a fairly small sized heron or an egret with a massive body size inhabits this region. Related Post Fishing Heron

Like other herons, the Little Heron ( Butorides striatus ) has its own preferred fishing method. Most of the times it is observed waiting at the water‘s margin for potential food.  The Little Heron in the pictures below stood and waited on a partially submerged stalk in the middle of the pool. It used stealth and speed to catch an unsuspecting fish. The Little Heron waits for a fish to venture inside its striking distance The heron seizes its prey using its sharp harpoon-like bill The Little Heron successfully caught a small fish

Peaceful Dove Spotted Dove Many different kinds of birds are found in Southeast Asia such as the  two species of doves shown in the above pictures. Taxonomically, the doves belong to the same family as pigeons - Columbidae, thus their close similarities. In general, the difference between doves and pigeons is that doves are slenderer with rather long graduated tails, and many have white outer tail feathers which are visible when the bird is taking off. The Spotted Dove and Peaceful Dove (also known as Zebra Dove) are popular pet birds because they have sweet cooing  call. In spite of being hunted and trapped, both dove bird are still commonly seen when birding in  open habitat like clearings, scrubby growth, parks and gardens. Their population seems to  thrive well partly  because such habitats  are expanding in the region due to development.

A leafbird is difficult to spot in the forest canopy True to its name, the leafbirds' plumage closely matches the green foliage of the rainforest trees. This is a female of one of several species found in the forest of Southeast Asia. Unlike the females, the males typically have distinct markings on throat and head.

The Cinnamon Bittern ( Ixobrychus cinnamomeus ) is a widespread species in damp places like ponds and marshes. However, it is a skulker and retiring species especially in broad daylight render it not easily observed. Usually the Cinnamon Bittern is seen sitting on top of reed late in the day especially after rain. Sometimes it can be quite vocal, uttering a series of kup, kup, kup.. notes that rings across the marsh. Like most bittern it has a hunched appearance, but when the neck is fully extended it is rather long for a bird of its size. The colour is fantastic, being cinnamon above, buff below with a darker streaks. A lucky observer might see it stands motionless within the damp reed, or walk stealthily in search of small prey.

Cattle Egret and Plumed Egret foraging in a field The white Egrets are easy to identify as a group, but it can be confusing to tell one species from another. The Cattle Egret is smaller than the Plumed Egret and it looks stocky with a shorter neck. Cattle Egret also have rufous neck and head during breeding. The Plumed Egret is larger with dark-tipped yellow bill, and plumes on breast in breeding plumage.

The Oriole is oblivious to the Agamid lizard clinging vertically on the tree trunk.

The Baya Weaver is one of a few species  of weaver bird represented in tropical Asia. Baya Weaver  nest is a remarkable structure made from long grasses. Based on my observation, some of Baya Weaver nests are larger than others, and some individuals take a longer time to complete a nest. They start nesting at the early part of the year. Partially completed Baya Weaver's nest The male Baya Weaver constructed the nest about halfway during which it resembles a helmet. At this stage  he will start displaying to the female by flapping its wings and gives a lot of chirping noises which are usually followed by wheezy notes of various length. The female will inspect the nest, and if she approves it they will pair up and the male will finish off the nest. A male Baya Weaver at its completed nest The completed Baya Weaver nest structure looks like an inverted flask with a tubular entrance beneath. By then the grasses used to weave it may already dried and ...

The very common White-breasted Waterhen is a shy creature, usually seen running for cover when encountered. But it is very common and the typical wek,wek call is frequently heard from within the marsh.

Brown Shrike prefer open perches. The Brown Shrike ( Lanius cristatus ) is a winter migrant in this region and their food comprises of large insects and small vertebrates. It habitually sits on open structures like fences, poles and wires from which it hunts its prey. This shrike has a distinctive voice which consist of harsh trills.