Birds, mammals & reptiles from the highlands to the coastline - August to November 2024

The tropical forest over here is like a huge emporium or maybe also like a jungle 'Toys"R"Us'. There are so many things to see for so many people - from scientists, educationist, young children, adventure seekers to common apeks and aunties. There's literally everything for everyone here. This post is about the more common birds, mammals and some reptiles that you would encounter in the jungles over here. As a start, I shall cover some birds from the sub-montane area. I noticed that a lot of uncommon / rare birds are harder to find nowadays and you would probably need to go deeper into the forest to see them. 

Mountain Fulvetta 

Alcippe peracensis 

This is probably the most common bird you will see in the hill stations and montane regions over here. I saw almost 20 of them along Lady Maxwell road in November 2024. At lowlands, this bird could be quite uncommon/difficult to find I believe.

Mountain Fulvetta 

Alcippe peracensis 

They are quite small and they feed in a group. They would hop from one bush to the other in search for insects etc.

Mountain Fulvetta 

Alcippe peracensis 

Moths and butterflies seem to be their favourite meals.

Mountain Fulvetta 

Alcippe peracensis 

I guess we don't have Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (A. morrisonia) over here otherwise it would be quite difficult to differentiate them.

Black-throated Sunbird 

Aethopyga saturata

This is one of the most common sunbirds you can ever find in the hilly/montane regions. In my initial birding days, I thought this is a disease bird, only to be told that it is actually a bird in molt. FYI, if you are also a butterfly enthusiast, you will noticed that there is a butterfly called 'Malayan Plum Judy' which also has a scientific name as 'saturata' (i.e Abisara saturata).

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

Garullax mitratus

A common laughingthrush. It doesn't laugh at you but it can sing though.

Golden Babbler

Stachyris chrysaea

A small babbler which likes to move very fast behind the bushes and vines.

     

                                                                                    
 Golden Babbler

                                        Stachyris chrysaea                                         

Ask any birders and they will tell you that this bird is not so easy to be photographed

Mountain Bulbul

Hypsipetes mcclellandii

As its name suggest, you won't see this bulbul in lowlands. This time I missed quite a few other common iconic birds such as the Silver-eared Mesia.

Mountain Bulbul

Hypsipetes mcclellandii

With a prey (a beetle)

Grey Wagtail

Motacillia cinerea

This is supposed to be a migrant bird. They are the first and best indicator on the arrival of migrant birds in this region and you will hardly see them on the trees. Their favourite places would be on the road or on the top of some boulders in the forest.

Okay, we now moved down to the lowlands.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

First time seeing such a fluffy looking back

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

This is a male.

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Cacomantis sonneratii

This is a resident cuckoo I believe.

Blue-tailed Bee Eater

Most of the time you can see them near your house, or near the forest edge, coastal regions and some times up in the mountains when they are migrating.

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Hemiprocne longipennis

You can see them flying more often near hilly areas and not near your housing parks.

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Hemiprocne longipennis

Note: There's also a butterfly species which is called 'Pithauria stramineipennis' (Light Straw Ace).

Plume-toed Swiftlet

Collocalia affinis

Identified by expert from its whitish belly.

Now we move slightly further down to the coastal region.

Brahminy Kite

Adult bird. Sometimes you can also see them in town areas but they are more common in the coastline. 

Brahminy Kite

A juvenile bird

White-bellied Sea Eagle

A huge bird. Occasionally you can also see them in the forest region.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

This is also a juvenile bird.

I saw this swift at Kuala Selangor.

My guess would be a Germain's Swiftlet (Collocalia germani).

Oriental Honey Buzzard.

It was heading towards inland from the sea.

Pacific Swallow 

Hirundo javanica

Common in both coastal and forest regions.

Mountain Imperial Pigeons

Ducula badia 

For the first time I saw this pigeons so low in the coastline.

Lesser Adjutant aka Burung Botak

I saw 10 of them in just one trip. Their population seem to be quite stable if not increasing which should be some good news for the conservationists.

Lesser Adjutant

They only seem to do well at the Kuala Selangor regions. Elsewhere they might be quite scarce.

A popular stork that are also doing well.

Painted Stork aka Burung Zoo

They have also make Kuala Selangor as their second home.

Painted Stork

Notice how small is their tongue.

Painted Stork

It's such a gentle flyer.

Scene from a fishing village at Kuala Selangor.

An anchovy boat going out to sea. One day I hope to join them to see pelagic birds if possible.

Now we move to the mammals column. This time I have made two amazing discoveries.

Smooth-coated Otter

I saw five of them actually. They were seen near a river mouth in Kuala Selangor.

Here are the two amazing discoveries I have made.

             The above two photos show a gibbon and this is not an ordinary gibbon. It's a Lar Gibbon                     (Hylobates lar) or commonly known as "White-handed Gibbon'.  What's is so special /                         significant about this discovery is that this gibbon species was seen in a forest near my house                which is near to an urban area. Their actual habitat should be inside some pristine forest.               

                                 

          

This image of its hand confirmed that it's a Lar Gibbon. There were two of them. A member of the Malaysian Primate Society has confirmed that they are aware of the gibbon presence near my area.

The next mammal I saw was even more astonishing (at least for me).

Yep ! its a Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) or local name is 'Tenuk Malaysia'

It was also seen close to human settlements in Hulu Langat, Selangor. It was silent but due to its big size, it made quite a scene when it dashes through the thick undergrowth just like the T-rex in Jurassic Park. 

Malayan Tapir

I took this image in between two small trees and it was just about 10 meters away from me. Here you can see that it is still munching some leaves as it makes it way through the denser jungle. 

Dusky Leaf Monkey

Trachypithecus obscurus

I often seen this primates near many forest edges but now hardly seen them. Nevertheless I believe they are not so critically endangered like the above two mammals.

This is a White-bellied Rat Snake (Pytas pusca)

It was actually resting just above our heads. Luckily a friend spotted it first. Imagine if it's a viper hanging just above our heads. So sometimes it's good to have several friends along any jungle trips. It's eyes when shine looks like an airplane AI gyro.

White-bellied Rat Snake (Pytas pusca)

Apparently this snake is non-venomous.

SO THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS !

Waders and other shore birds in April 2024

 Waders continue to be presence in month of April albeit with slightly less numbers. 

Terek Sandpiper 

Xenus cinereus

Wonder why they called them a 'Xenus' and not a 'Calidris' or a 'Tringa'?

Terek Sandpiper 

Xenus cinereus

Yep ! that's what I am expecting to see at this time of the year - waders in breeding colours.

Tibetan Sand Plover 

Looks like a Charadrius mongolus (solid black mask without broad white patches)

Tibetan Sand Plover 

Most likely a male too.

Another breeding looking wader.

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea 

Common Greenshank 

Tringa nebularia

Looks like it hasn't fully developed into its full breeding plumage or perhaps it's a female.

This is probably the best shot I ever had on this wader in full breeding plumage !

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

We all yearn to see them in this breeding plumage.

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Consuming as much protein and fat before their long journey to their respective breeding grounds.

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

They don't have much underwing patterns as compared to Bar-tailed Godwits.

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Another wader in breeding plumage.

 

Red-necked Stint 

Calidris ruficollis 

This stint is not yet done with its breeding plumage I guess.

Is this a Red-necked Stint or something else?

Note: A local expert confirmed that it was just a RNS after all.

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Not sure whether those are breeding plumage or not ? 

Whimbrel 

Here's another interesting one.

Common Redshank 

I wonder whether it's a Ssp craggi or perhaps a terrignotae?

Terns are also changing into their breeding plumage.

Whiskered Tern

Burung Botak ! as locals called them.

Lesser Adjutant 

Leptoptilos javanicus

They have become more common in the Selangor coastline but uncommon elsewhere.

All Egrets are Herons but not all Herons are Egrets !

Grey Heron

A typical sunning pose by this Heron.

This is a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. 

They are so adapted to human presence that you can approach them quite close. Maybe one day I will try to hand feed them.

Another large bird hanging out at our coastal shore. More frequent now in the Selangor coastline.

Painted Stork 

Locals called them 'Burung Zoo' cause many of them probably originated from our National Zoo.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS ! 

THE UP COMING POST WILL BE WADERS DURING THEIR WINTER BREAK.