Land of the Apes and other Primates - Aug 2019

While waiting for migrant birds to return to our shores (some of them are already here in small batches for example the waders), i took the opportunity to explore a forest reserve in a northern state of Peninsular Malaysia recently. The place looks a bit like the location of Chongkak, Selangor but the jungles here are more pristine. There were however more mammals than birds in this forest. The absence of sharma and other song birds here are a cause for concern in this forest. They have probably been wiped out for the bird trade. Nevertheless the primates here seem to strive pretty well. 

The first great ape to greet me was this "White-Handed Gibbon" (Hylobates lar). 

I believe this is a female. She came down quite low to observe me for a moment before scrambling back to the tree top. Note: local primate researchers Dr Susan Lappan and Dr Nadine confirmed that the above gibbon is an adult female.

She is a lifer to me in terms of the great apes. This gibbon is currently listed as an endangered species and it is rightly so because i have never come across this species so far in my many birding trips across the peninsular. I think its population here is doing quite well as i saw at least 5 different individuals. Unfortunately no juveniles were seen. Here are a few more of them:

The one above is much browner and has kept its distance from me. Despite their big size they can swing easily among the tree branches just like the ones in the music video from the song "Adventure of a Lifetime". Notice the white color of its hand !

The one below was however quite aggressive. From the wider whitish outline around its face, i think it could be an alpha male. He was calling out loud and at the same time shaking the branches around him - probably trying to scare me off! Their calls are not as booming as the Siamangs but they are on a higher pitch.

All the above gibbons were seen from different trees about 50 meters apart.

Swinging nearby (about 100 meters away) were a few Dusky Langur (Trachypithecus obscurus). They are probably the 3rd most commonest primate you can encounter in the jungles over in this region after the naughty "Long-tailed Macaque" and the "Pig-tailed Macaque".

Dusky Langur (as observed) are also quite agile but hardly make any sound.

There were only two of them seen but could be more.


Parental guidance and viewers discretion are required for the next photo.

Shame ! Shame ! Forget to wear your nappy?

There was a troop of about 10 Pig-tailed Macaques seen. The one above was the alpha male who stopped at a tree trunk to observe me while the rest ran deep into the forest. They are not canopy dwellers as compared to the above two primates as they were seen foraging on the ground before my presence. If you are a primatologist, this would be an ideal place for your research and conservation works as there were 3 different species of primates seen within a radius of 500 meters..

There were also other mammals seen here for example Giant Squirrels (Ratufa bicolor and R. affinis).

R.affinis

I think the above should be R. bicolor as its overall color is darker.

Most of the birds seen here can also be seen at your usual birding spots such as Black headed Bulbul, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Sooty Barbet, Abbott's Babbler etc. Here are just a few decent photos of them:

Spectacle Spiderhunter

Green Iora

Crested Serpent Eagle

Red-throated Sunbird

Thank you for watching !

My 20 Most Memorable Avian Photos (1st Half of 2019)

When i was a kid, i used to have many hobbies. Since my house was just a bicycle ride away from rubber estates, paddyfields and jungle streams, catching spiders & bugs, jungle trekking, and catching fish (puyu & sepat benua) were the norms. As we grow older some hobbies will just fade away but one hobby has remained till todate i.e bird watching. Although birders come and go just like the mist at dawn, i guess bird watching is a sustainable hobby. This is due to the fact that we can find birds in every continents.  One can find birds even in Antarctica (penguins are considered as birds too) or in the deserts (road runners, some hawks, owls, sand larks etc).

Here are my twenty (20) most memorable avian photos taken in the 1st half of 2019. Enjoy the feast:

Pacific Swallow

Hirundo tahitica

A friendly bird. Photo was taken at a river jetty.

According to the American Birding Association and i believe most birding rules too, a bird must be "Alive, Wild and Unrestrained" in order to be officially considered in a birder's list of sightings. Apparently hybrids don't count either ! This starling seen below was described by some literature as a possible escapee in this region (M'sia) but i reckoned its not.

Black-Collared Starling

Gracula nigricollis

Since the above starling was spotted near the border of a neighbouring country, there is a chance that it could be a wild and unrestrained bird. This starling was my first lifer for this year and its a monotypic species, endemic to this region. It was silent throughout but appears weary of its surroundings. It only gave me two photos before flying further away. Some of its photos (in the Web) show a darker plumage at the back and mantle areas while some were more brownish like the one above. Bird experts should be able to explain the reasons. 

Ashy Drongo

This drongo has a few sub species but the most prominent ones over here are the Dicrurus nigrescens which is reported to be darker and D. leucogenis - pale grey (Robson, 2017).

Note: the blotchy black patches on its body. I believe the feathers could have molted from black to grey and not the other way round since the grey color is more dominant here. Note: some may  argue that the above drongo could also be D. nigrescens.

Jungle myna

A. fuscus

The one in the foreground (more brownish) is most likely an eclipse adult which had just experienced some molting to its feathers. A full grown adult Jungle Myna is shown below:

Jungle myna

From afar i thought the above bird could have been a grass bird.

But as it flew across the long and tall grasses of Chuping, i realise that it was just a Lesser Coucal in non-breeding colors.

Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis)

According to some experts here, stonechats in this region are represented mainly by the Ssp S. maurus. But after careful readings, i believe there are two established Ssp of Stonechats in this region which is S. maurus and S. stejneger's where some books have refered them as "Eastern Stonechats". To differentiate between a maurus and stejneger, it would require some careful and detail observations. But both can be differentiated from the "Common/European Stonechat" (S. torquatus) by their larger white patch at the neck area and a smaller orange patch on its chest.

Siberian or Stejneger's Stonechat?

Plain-backed Sparrow

Passer flaveolus

Many authors have painted this sparrow as a small and stocky bird just like the common tree sparrow but in actual fact their body is slimmer and its tail is much more longer as shown by the above photo. This species of sparrow is monotypic and they can only be found in this region.

Purple-backed Starling / Daurian Starling

Sturnus sturninus / Agropsar sturninus

Another monotypic starling but unlike the above starling, this Daurian starling (as they are commonly known now) are more abundant. Sometimes you can see a flock close to 50 birds congregating on a single fig tree. Fortunately both of them can't sing well otherwise they too are destined for the bird trade.

Baya Weaver

Ploceus philippinus (Male)

Its intense colors show that he is in full breeding mood. In some countryside, you can still see their nests although their numbers are reducing rapidly.

Cinnamon Bittern

I. cinnamomeus

Another monotypic species and a paddyfield specialist. You can only see it when it makes short flights among the paddyfields otherwise it will remained cryptic throughout the day.

Grey-headed Lapwing

Vanellus cinereus

A common winter visitor in this region.

A Grey-headed Lapwing with an Apple Snail

This was the first time i have seen this species carrying an apple snail. Each time i approached this bird it would fly further away. Otherwise it would be interesting to see how it prise the hard shell of the snail with its bills.

Asian Openbill in flight

Its favourite dish is apple snails served raw.

Here are three different types of egrets flying in unison.

Have you ever seen a lady with some long legs and black stockings strolling along the beach?

Great Egret

Another lady competing nearby but with a slightly shorter legs 

Little Egret

Mangrove Pitta

Nowadays this pitta is getting bolder as he would just skip a few feet away from you on its way back to its mangrove residence.

Oriental praticole

Initially i thought the above bird might be a "Collared Praticole" (elongated body, long wings profile, greenish grey color as opposed to brownish and a more rounded head structure). However without any 'hard' evidence like its thin white trailing edge on its secondaries or its extended tail over wings while stationary, i would not dare to argue with the protagonist of the rare birds record committee.

Purple Swamphen / Grey-headed Swamphen

P.p poliocephalus

According to experts here if its head is darker it would be a juvenile bird

They look like spoilers used by airplanes to control air speed and rolling.

Hill Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis banyumas

Unlike the above monotypic birds, this flycatcher along with many other birds will soon experience massive changes in their taxonomy and English names. Unlike an earthquake, this seismic changes are expected to happen sometime in August 2019. Well at least i have warned you.

Banded Kingfisher

From afar i thought it was a sooty barbet. As i approached nearer and to my surprise it was a female banded kingfisher which i have not seen one for quite awhile. This kingfisher species can be seen in pristine forest as well as up to 1,500 meters asl like the one above.

Like human beings, birds do look at us in many different ways.

Here is a typical side way look

and here is an upside down look.

The guardian of the rainforest. Looking proud and authoritative.

Garden Fence Lizard (male)

We are all the sons and daughters of the soil and one day we shall all return to the soil !

Buddhism teaches us that our suffering has its origins in these three negative elements: Ignorance, Hate and Greed.

Can Geographical Distance influenced the Differences in Birds Features ?

We may all appear different from the outside but deep inside i believe we are all the same - ever compassionate and merciful. In the avian world, geographical distance may have some effect on some birds plumage thus creating more subspecies. This can only be determined / confirmed if the subtle differences occur over a period of time. Recently i came across some birds from different states which show some differences in their outlook despite been from the same species.

I start with Mr Abbott's Babbler (M. abbotti):

The photo below of an Abbott's Babbler was taken in Kedah. Its flank appear more buffy while the orbital ring around its eyes were less prominent as compared with the one i saw in Penang mainland.

Below are those from Penang mainland

Despite the above differences, i would also not discount that they could be from different gender or age group. More observations are required.

Next is the Mangrove Flycatcher (C. rufigastra):

The photo below depicts a Mangrove Flycatcher taken at Penang mainland.

and this one below was taken in Kedah recently

Again although both the above flycatchers were male but the differences (color of its legs, throat and forehead) could be due to age variation or the different timing of moulting (of their feathers).

Here is the very common "White-throated Kingfisher" (H. smyrnensis):

The above photo was taken in KL. It looks like your typical white-throated kingfisher.

This one below was taken in Perlis. It appears darker and with a brighter turquoise above and on wing coverts.

Could it be from a different Ssp?

Science and birds are inextricable just like a lady and her lipstick but when you use Science against humanity its no longer a science !