Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is said to be an uncommon winter visitor in West Peninsular Malaysia. It can also be found in Europe, Africa, India, South East Asia right to Australia. Its from the same family group of Accipitridae just like the black shouldered kite but much bigger (55-60cm) as compared to black shouldered kite (31cm - 35cm).

I had the opportunity to see some Black Kites in the recent trip to Ulu Dedap and here are some of its photos:

This could be a sub-adult as its still has whithish streaks at its belly.

Looks like this bird's primary feathers (left side) and its tails have been ripped off.

Here you can see the slightly forked tail frequently associated with this kite.

View from below.

Its feathers certaintly look black from the top.

Lang Bahu Hitam (Black-Shouldered Kite / Black-Winged Kite)

Lang Bahu Hitam ataupun nama saintifiknya, Elanus caeruleus daripada keluarga Accipitridae adalah satu-satu helang yang boleh ditemui di kawasan pinggir hutan dan tanah lapang khususnya berhampiran dengan sawah padi/bendang (kalau ikut loghat utara) sehingga ke 500 meter dari aras laut. Lang Bahu Hitam boleh di jumpai di negara Afrika sehingga ke Australia termasuk Malaysia. Jadi distribusi helang ini agak luas. Saiz burung dewasa adalah antara 31cm - 35cm dan makanan kegemarannya adalah tikus. Atas sebab ini kadang kala helang ini juga dipanggil sebagai Lang Tikus !

Bahagian atas badan lang ini berwarna kelabu pudar manakala bahagian sayap sekundernya berwarna hitam. Matanya berwarna merah dan bahagian bawah badannya berwarna putih.

Burung betina akan bertelur sebanyak 3-5 biji di mana sarangnya dibina atas pokok yang tidak setinggi seperti helang-helang yang lain. Musim pembiakannya dikatakan sepanjang tahun.

Salah satu ciri istimewa burung pemangsa ini ialah tabiatnya yang memerhati mangsa dari atas sambil mengipas-gipas sayapnya sebelum menjunam ke arah mangsa. Tabiat ini tidak ditonjolkan oleh mana-mana helang yang lain.

Lang Bahu Hitam juga mencari mangsanya dari tempat yang statik seperti dari tiang kayu atau dawai telepon. Lang Bahu Hitam adalah satu-satunya burung lindungan di negara Malaysia di bawah akta 76/72. Kalau senang jom pi memburung!

Birds @ Chikus

While on the way back from Ulu Dedap, Mr Rafi was kind enough to show me the roosting site of the uncommon Grey-Headed Lapwings which is located at a place called Chikus.

Here is a Grey-Headed Lapwing foraging at a patch of land covered with some kind of white substance discarded by the villages. The birds don't seem to be bothered about it.

A flock of Grey Headed Lapwings about to land.

This was one of a few Red-Wattled Lapwings spotted at this place.

We also saw a lone Purple Swamphen.

This place has a lot more birds then seen here. It was probably due to the fact that we reached the place close to 10.00am. Nevertheless i have managed to tick one more lifer here.

Other Birds of Ulu Dedap Rice Fields

In between the harrier surveys, we also took the opportunity to do bird watching. You will be amazed to find out that there were more than harriers in this huge rice field. Here are some of them:

There were probably hundreds of these egrets - mostly cattle and little egrets

There were also plenty of this Barn Swallow

A Grey Heron was also presence in this rice field

A juvenile Brahminy Kite.

This Black Kite was also presence here.

A lone Common Sandpiper was also sighted.

Pond Herons can also be found here though not in abundance.

This is a juvenile Lesser Coucal

It took less than a minute for Yang Chong to id this White-Winged Tern. He explained that all you need to look out for is the "headphones"

A common bird at this rice field, a Water Cock.

A Yellow-bellied Prinia singing in the morning sun.

A common Paddyfield Pipit living to its name sake.

A recent post by Dave Bakewell on pipits in his blog has got eveyone excited. So i decided to post more pictures of the pipits here:

I believe these are Paddyfield Pipits. 

This White-breasted Waterhen can also be found here.

This is a Zitting Cisticola - a common bird at rice fields.

According to Yang Chong, the cotton like thing in this Z. Cisticola's beak was actually a display for attracting females ! 

Yang Chong pointed to Mr Rafi to look for his lifer amongst this group of swallows...after searching he found his Sand Martin ! (second bird from the left, showing a brown breast band)

A closer look at the Sand Martin

Another Sand Martin? (or a juv Barn Swallow?).

Before the sun sets in this rice field, we managed to see a few more birds such as lesser adjutant, stonechat, purple swamphen, purple herons etc. This place is certaintly worth to be considered the next IBA.

Harrier Survey at Ulu Dedap - Part 2

At Ulu Dedap ricefields, the Eastern Marsh Harriers (EMH) were plenty and very much closer. For two continuous days (7-8 January 2012), we were up as early as 5.00am and was on the road by 6.00am in order to reach the ricefields by 6.30am.

Here are some interesting info and facts obtained from the site:

i) There were on average about 130 EMHs seen at this place alone. The highest count observed was 145 while the lowest was 108.

ii) The earliest EMH to leave the roost was recorded at 0700hrs and the last to return was at 1950hrs.

iii) 90% of the raptors observed at Ulu Dedap ricefields were EMHs and about 8% were Pied Harriers with the remaining 2% consisted of other raptors eg Peregrine Falcon, Brahminy, Black Kite and Black Shouldered Kite.

iv) There were more males (EMHs) than females (EMHs) and a few juveniles.

v) There were more female Pied Harriers than male Pied Harriers as well as a few juveniles.

vi) Most of the Harriers would leave their roosting site at Ulu Dedap at dawn and returned at dusk. Only one or two would remained in Ulu Dedap to search for food.

vii) There were not a single Eastern Imperial Eagles nor Greater Spotted Eagles seen during our 2 days at Ulu Dedap ricefields.

There are several quick and simple ways to id EMHs and Pied Harriers which i have learnt from the experts. I will try to id some of them here:

Features: not so white body, streaked near chest area and whithish thighs = female Pied Harrier ?

Expert's comment (Yang Chong): "Your educated guess of the 1st pic is correct, a Pied Harrier female with clearly shown diagnostic white thighs, broad trailing edge on underwings and barrings on primary wing bases and flight feathers"

Note: Other features which you could look for on Pied Harriers are: pale face and smaller heads as compared to EMHs (info adopted from Rafi Kudus - "Identifying Harriers" talk at MNS on 31 Jan 2013)

Features: brown body, rufous thighs, and with breast band = 3rd year female EMH?

Expert's comment (Yang Chong): "2nd pic definitely Eastern Marsh juv., primary bases unmarked but this is not I think a very young bird because of somewhat worn feathers, also moult in tail"

Features: head brown, body brown, with supercilium, white patch on the nape and no streaked on throat = juvenile Pied Harrier?

Expert's comment (Yang Chong): "The 3rd pic appears to be an Easterm Marsh Harrier juv. showing all brown underparts, alas the unmarked primary bases cannot be seen in the pic. Pied Harrier juv. would  show pale areas above eyes and on ear-coverts and barred primary bases"

Features: white body, lesser brown streaks near chest area and brown upper parts = 3rd Year EMH

Features: white body, lesser streaked neck and breast = Male Eastern Marsh Harrier

Expert's coment (Yang Chong): "Your photo actually shows a juv male Eastern Marsh Harrier"!

Note: Other feature which to id a male EMHs is to see its scales like feathers on top of its wings. (info adopted from Rafi Kudus - "Identifying Harriers" talk at MNS on 31 Jan 2013).

My score: 2 correct, 1 half correct  & 1 wrong - boleh tahan lah !

Features: underparts like a disease bird, rufous thigh, head light brown and with a rat on its talons = female Pied Harrier ?)

Note: oh dear all this while i thought this bird is a Pied Harrier but it is actually a Juv EMH - according to Rafi Kudus it has blotchy marks, no barrings on its primaries although a juv EMH also has whithish facial colors.

(FOR ADDITIONAL INFO - KINDLY READ DAVE BAKEWELL'S INPUT IN THE REPLY SECTION BELOW)

An EMH taking off at first light. On top of the gravel mount was a Peregrine Falcon (japonensis sp).

The remains of a Cinnamon Bittern after the Peregrine Falcon flew off.

At times EMH would approach and search its prey at low level.

Then they would rise above again. 

...and kept scanning below.

Then the EMH will turn around once they have spotted something on the ground.

Then the EMH would dive bomb the prey like this one.