Rare birds such as the Oriental darter
and white-winged duck live in the secluded wetlands found in this
forest.
Other birds include hornbill, osprey, black baza, blue pitta,
Siamese Fireback, plus loads of babblers, flycatchers,
barbets, kingfishers and other forest birds. The very rare purple
cochoa has been sighted and photographed here..
Bueng Boraphet is the largest freshwater swamp and lake in central
Thailand. It covers an area of 224 km² east of Nakhon
Sawan, south of the Nan River close to its confluence with the
Ping River. Most pictures in this page are from that area.
The size of the lake is 18 km by 6 km. The lake lies close to
the western margin of the huge Central Plains area of Thailand
and is surrounded by rice paddies. Originally the area was covered
by a large swamp, which was flooded in 1930 with the
building of a dam to improve fishing.
106 km² of lake have been declared as a non-hunting area
in 1975. In 2000 it was also declared as a wetland of
international importance by the Thai government.
Breeding area in Beung Boraphet, Central Plains
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
Beung Boraphet is the most important known site for wintering
ducks in Thailand, with yearly maxima of at least 16,000
Dendrocygna javanica and 30,000 Anas querquedula,
smaller numbers of Anas acuta (2,500) and Aythya baeri
(maximum 426), and a few Anas penelope, Anas falcaza, Anas
crecca, Anas clypeata, Ayshya nyroca Anas fuligula.
One or two Sarkidiornis melanotos may occur from time to
time. Nettapus coromandelianus is present throughout the
year (100-1,000 birds), and up to 430 Fulica atra have
been recorded in winter.
Other wintering species include Ardeola bacchus, Bubulcus ibis,
Egretta garzetta, Egretta intermedia, Egretta alba,
Ardea cinerea, A. purpurea, Anastomus oscitans (400 in January
1988), Circus aeruginosus spilonotus, Circus melanoleucos and,
occasionally, Aquila clanga. There is one record of Haliaeetus
albicilla in trade, said to have been
taken from the vicinity of Nakhon Sawan. There are also large
roosts of wagtails, Motacilla spp and weavers, Ploceus
spp
together with Yellow-breasted Buntings Emberiza aureola
and Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica. The White-eyed River-Martin
Pseudochelidon sirintarae is known only from this site;
nine specimens were netted amongst Hirundo rustica in January-February
1968, and there have been two subsequent sight records
Text mostly from http://www.arcbc.org.ph/wetlands/thailand/tha_beubor.htm
Oriental
Darter, Anhinga melanogaster
Oriental
darter in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary,
Chaiyaphum province, Northeast Thailand
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
Order:
Pelecaniformes, Family:
Anhingidae,
Genus: Anhinga. Species: Anhinga melanogaster
|
The Oriental Darter or Indian Darter, Anhinga melanogaster,
sometimes called Snakebird, is a water bird of tropical South
Asia and Southeast Asia.
It is a cormorant-like species that has a very long neck.
The Oriental Darter differs in appearance from American darters
most recognisably by its white lateral neck stripe.
It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 3-6 eggs.
Common Crane, Grus grus
Common crane male in rice fields near Nong Bong Khai
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
Tremendous excitement prevailed when a common crane showed up
for the first time in Thailand during November 2000.
Experts had predicted the species would eventually be seen in
the Kingdom but the arrival of the crane was nonetheless
big news for bird lovers. It was one of the greatest thrills in
the photographers life to be the first person to sight this solitary
bird. Undoubtedly, local farmers saw the crane first but took
no notice
Common
crane flying sequence in Nong Bong Kai Non-hunting Area,
Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Common Crane, Grus grus, also known as the Eurasian Crane,
is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.
It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130
cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight
of 4.5–6 kg. It is grey with a white facial streak and
a bunch of black wing plumes. Adults have a red crown patch.
It has a loud trumpeting call, given in flight and display.
It has a dancing display, leaping with wings uplifted.
It breeds in wetlands in northern parts of Europe and Asia.
The global population is in the region of 210,000-250,000,
with the vast majority nesting in Russia and Scandinavia.
In Great Britain the Common Crane became extirpated in the
17th century, but a tiny population now breeds again in the
Norfolk Broads[citation needed] and is slowly increasing and
a
reintroduction is planned for the Somerset levels. In Ireland,
it died out as a breeding species in the 18th century,
but a flock of about 20 appeared in County Cork in November
2011.
Yes,
we do have Common Cranes in Scandinavia, too.
From Lake Hornborga, Sweden.
© www.vulkaner.no |
It is a long distance migrant wintering in Africa (south to
Morocco and Ethiopia), southern Europe, and southern Asia
(south to northern Pakistan and eastern China). Migrating
flocks fly in a V formation.
It is a rare visitor to western North America, where birds are
occasionally seen with flocks of migrating
Sandhill
Cranes.
It is omnivorous, eating leaves, roots, berries (including notably
the cranberry, which is probably named after the species), insects,
small birds and mammals.
The Banded Kingfisher,
Lacedo pulchella
Banded Kingfisher by the campgrounds
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Banded Kingfisher, Lacedo pulchella, is a tree kingfisher
found in the lowland tropical forests of Myanmar,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos. Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and
Brunei. It is extinct in Singapore.
It is the only member of the genus Lacedo.
The Banded Kingfisher is a 20 cm long kingfisher with a sturdy
red bill and a short crest which is slowly raised and lowered.
It shows striking sexual dimorphism compared to most of its relatives.
The adult male has a chestnut forehead, cheeks and
nape, and a bright blue cap. The rest of the upperparts, wings
and tail are black with blue bands. The breast, flanks and
undertail are rufous, and the central belly is white.
Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella amabilis - Female
at nest
©
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=390 |
The adult female is equally striking, with black-and-rufous-banded
upperparts, and white underparts with some black bars
on the chest and flanks. Young birds are duller than the adult
of the same sex, have a brown and orange bill, and dusky
barring on the underparts.
The call is a long whistled wheeeoo followed by 15 repetitions
of chiwiu in 17 seconds, the second syllable gradually
fading away. The Banded Kingfisher will respond to imitations
of its call.
Great Hornbill, Buceros
bicornis
Great hornbill a its nest by the road
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Great Hornbill, Buceros bicornis, also known as Great
Indian Hornbill or Great Pied Hornbill, is one of the larger
members of the hornbill family. Great Hornbills are found in the
forests of Nepal, India, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra,
Indonesia. Their impressive size and colour have made them important
in many tribal cultures and rituals.
The Great Hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in
captivity. They are predominantly frugivorous although they
are opportunists and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and
birds.
Great horbill in Mesua tree in Valparai, South India.
January 2009
Photo:
Kalyanvarma, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Great-Hornbill.jpg |
The Great Hornbill is a large bird, 95–120 cm long, with
a 152 cm wingspan and a weight of 2.15–4 kg. It is the heaviest,
but not the longest, Asian hornbill. The most prominent feature
of the hornbill is the bright yellow and black casque on top
of its massive bill. The casque appears U-shaped when viewed from
the front and the top is concave with two ridges along
the sides that form points in the front, a reference to which
is made in the Latin species epithet bicornis.
The casque is hollow and serves no known purpose ................
as far as scientists know to day.....
Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus
Asian golden weaver making a nest
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus, is a species
of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats
are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded
lowland grassland, swamps, and arable land. It is threatened by
habitat loss.
The Asian golden weaver lives in wetlands and as a result of the
general decline in this type of habitat, the population of this
species is decreasing. It is currently listed as near threatened
on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated wild population of less
than 20 000 birds, spread over limited locations in several South
East Asian countries. In addition to the threat of habitat loss,
the beauty of these birds results in many of them being caught
in traps and sold to dealers in the caged-bird trade. *)
Asian golden weavers build their dome-shaped nests in reeds
or grasses beside bodies of fresh water. They eat seeds and
grain and have thick, strong bills suited to this type of diet.
During the breeding season, males display beautiful yellow
plumage with a black bib and brown patterning on the wings.
These birds nest together in groups, and might have 12-15
nests at the same place.. *
*) Source: http://www.earth-touch.com/result.php?i=Asian-golden-weaver-birds-feed-their-young
Cotton Pygmy Goose, Nettapus
coromandelianus
Cotton pygmy goose – two males and a female
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Cotton Pygmy Goose or the Cotton Teal, Nettapus coromandelianus
is a small perching duck which breeds in Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, southeast Asia and south to northern Australia.
Small examples are the smallest waterfowl on earth, at as little
as 160 g and 26 cm. White predominates in this bird's plumage.
Bill short, deep at base, and goose-like.
Male in breeding plumage is glossy blackish green crown, with
white head, neck, and underparts; a prominent black collar
and white wing-bar. Rounded head and short legs. In flight, the
wings are green with a white band, making the male
conspicuous even amongst the huge flying flocks of the Lesser
Whistling Duck, which share the habitat. Female paler,
without either black collar and only a narrow or nonexistent strip
of white wing-bar. In non-breeding plumage (eclipse)
male resembles female except for his white wing-bar. Call: A peculiar
clucking, uttered in flight
Nettapus coromandelianus male
Bueng Boraphet.jpg
Photo: JJ
Harrison |
Nettapus coromandelianus female
Bueng Boraphet.jpg
Photo: JJ
Harrison
|
Source
for the two pictures above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nettapus_coromandelianus_female_-_Bueng_Boraphet.jpg
It is largely resident, apart from dispersion in the wet season,
but Chinese birds winter further south. This is an abundant
species in Asia, although the slightly larger Australian race
appears to be declining in numbers. Found on all still freshwater
lakes, rain-filled ditches, inundated paddy fields, irrigation
tanks, etc.
Becomes very tame on village tanks wherever it is unmolested and
has become inured to human proximity.
Swift on the wing, and can dive creditably on occasion.
Its food is chiefly seeds and vegetable matter, especially water
lilies; also insects, crustaceans, etc.
Its nest is a natural hollow in a tree-trunk standing in or near
water, sometimes lined with grass, rubbish and feathers.
It lays 6 to 12 eggs, which are ivory white.
Pheasant-tailed Jacana,
Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Pheasant-tailed jacana and reflection
There are only about 20 nesting pheasant-tailed jacana
in the non-hunting area that is way down from a decade
ago.
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
The
Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus,
is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus.
Jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae
that are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which
enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow
lakes, their preferred habitat. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana
is capable of swimming, although it usually walks on the
vegetation. The females are more colourful than
the males and are polyandrous.
One day old pheasant-tailed jacana
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
The
Pheasant-tailed Jacana breeds in India, southeast Asia,
and Indonesia. It is sedentary in much of its range,
but northern breeders from south China and the Himalayas
migrate into peninsular India and southeast
Asia.
It is also resident in Taiwan, where it is considered
endangered. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Australia.
This is the only jacana to have a different breeding plumage.
The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is a conspicuous and
unmistakable bird. They are around 39–58 cm in length,
about 25 cm of which is comprised by the pheasant-like
tail. Body mass is reportedly 113–135 g in males
and 205–260 g the larger females. The outermost primaries
have a spatulate extension of 2 cm and the seventh primary
has a broad protrusion.
|
Water lillies at the breeding area
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
Greater Adjutant, Leptoptilos
dubius
Greater adjutant in Beung Boraphet
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
Order: Ciconiiformes Family:
Ciconiidae
Genus: Leptoptilos Species: Leptoptilos dubius |
The Greater Adjutant, Leptoptilos dubius, is a member of
the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the
Lesser Adjutant of Asia and the Marabou Stork of Africa. Once
found widely across southern Asia, mainly in India but
extending east to Borneo, the Greater Adjutant is now restricted
to a much smaller range with only two small breeding
populations; in India with the largest colony in Assam and the
other in Cambodia. Populations disperse after the breeding
season.
This large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head
and a distinctive neck pouch. During the day, they soar in
thermals along with vultures with whom they share the habit of
scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal; however,
they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates.
Greater
adjutant - overview
Video © Allan Michaud. Audio © BBC Natural
History Unit, © Natural FX
www.arkive.org
|
The English name is derived from their stiff "military"
gait when walking on the ground. Large numbers once lived in Asia,
but have declined greatly, possibly due to improved sanitation,
to the point of being endangered.
The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a thousand
individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially
common in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as
the "Calcutta Adjutant".
Known locally as Hargila (derived from the Sanskrit word for "bone-swallower")
and considered to be unclean birds, they
were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use
of their meat in folk medicine.
The Greater Adjutant is a huge bird, standing tall at 145-150
cm. The average length is 136 cm and average wingspan
is 250 cm. While no weights have been published for wild birds,
the Greater Adjutant is certainly amongst the largest storks,
with published measurements that broadly overlap with those Jabiru,
Saddle-billed Stork and Marabou Stork.
The average bill length is over 32 cm , which is the largest bill
for an extant bird outside of the pelican family.
The record wingspan was reportedly 3.28 m . Juvenile storks of
this species in captivity weighed from 8 to 11 kg .
The huge bill is wedge-like and is pale grey with a darker base
Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio
porphyrio
Purple swamphen in Beung Boraphet
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio, also known as
the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen,
Purple Gallinule, Pukeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the
family Rallidae (rails). From its name in French, talève
sultane,
it is also known as the Sultana Bird. This chicken-sized bird,
with its huge feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield
is easily-recognisable in its native range. It should not be confused
with the American Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinica.
Purple
Coot or Sultana Bird Porphyrio porphyrio at/ near Hodal,
Faridabad, Haryana, India.
Photo: J.M.Garg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Purple_Swamphen_(Porphyrio_porphyrio)_near_Hodal_W_IMG_6626.jpg |
The species has a very loud explosive call described as a "raucous
high-pitched screech, with a subdued musical tuk-tuk".
It is particularly noisy during the breeding season. Despite being
clumsy in flight it can fly long distances, and it is a good
swimmer, especially for a bird without webbed feet.
Purple Heron, Ardea
purpurea
Purple heron in flight
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea is a wading bird in the
heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern
Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations
are
migratory,
wintering in tropical Africa; the more
northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within
Asia. It is a rare but regular wanderer north of its breeding
range.
The Purple Heron is a large bird, 78–90 cm in length with
a standing height of up to 94 cm and a 120–152 cm wingspan.
However, it is slender for its size, weighing only 0.5–1.35
kg It is somewhat smaller than the Grey Heron, from which it
can be distinguished by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and,
in adults, darker grey back. It has a narrower yellow bill,
which is brighter in breeding adults.
Purple
Heron, Ardea purpurea, in Kolleru, Andhra Pradesh,
India.
Photo: J.M.Garg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Purple_Heron_(Ardea_purpurea)_in_Kolleru,_AP_W3_IMG_4052.jpg |
The Purple Heron breeds in colonies in reed beds or trees close
to large lakes or other extensive wetlands.
It builds a bulky stick nest. It feeds in shallow water, spearing
fish, frogs, insects and small mammals.
It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim.
It tends to keep within reedbeds more than
the Grey
Heron, and is often inconspicuous, despite its size.
It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic
of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks,
cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The long neck
of Purple Heron looks particularly snake-like, with more
of an S-shape in flight. The call is a loud croaking "krek".
Spot-billed pelican,
Pelecanus philippensis
Spot-billed pelican flying in Beung Boraphet, Central
Thailand
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican, Pelecanus philippensis,
is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern
Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia. It
is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large
lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from
other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close
range
the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and
the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these
birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations.
Spot-billed
Pelican Pelecanus philippensis at Garapadu, Andhra
Pradesh, India.
Photo: J.M.Garg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spot-billed_Pelican_(Pelecanus_philippensis)-
_Adult_with_Immatures_at_nest_in_Garapadu,_AP_W_IMG_5283.jpg |
The Spot-billed Pelican is a relatively small pelican but still
a large bird. It measures 127–140 cm long and a weight of
4.1–6 kg. It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck
and a brownish tail. The feathers on the hind neck are curly and
form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish and has
large pale spots, and is also spotted on the sides of
the upper mandible.
The tip of the bill (or nail) is yellow to orange. In breeding
plumage, the skin at the base of the beak is dark and the orbital
patch is pink. In flight they look not unlike the Dalmatian Pelican
but the tertials and inner secondaries are darker and a pale
band runs along the greater coverts. The tail is rounder.
Spot-billed
pelican - overview
Video © BBC Natural
History Unit, Audio © BBC Natural History Unit &
© Natural FX
www.arkive.org
|
The newly hatched young are covered in white down. They then moult
into a greyish speckled plumage.
The spots on the bill appear only after a year. The full adult
breeding plumage appears in their third year.
The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka
and in Cambodia. A few birds from India are known
to winter in the Gangetic plains but reports of its presence in
many other parts of the region such as the Maldives,
Pakistan and Bangladesh has been questioned. The main habitat
is in shallow lowland freshwaters. The Spot-billed Pelican
is not migratory but are known to make local movements and are
more widely distributed in the non-breeding season.
This species is a colonial breeder, often breeding in the company
of other waterbirds. The nests are on low trees near
wetlands and sometimes near human habitations. Many large breeding
colonies have been recorded and several have
disappeared over time.
Asian Openbill Stork,
Anastomus oscitans
Openbill flying in Beung Boraphet, Central Plains
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans,
is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India
and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia.
Asian Openbill Stork is a broad-winged soaring bird, which relies
on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. Like
all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is relatively
small for a stork at 68 cm length. They breed near inland
wetlands and build stick nest in trees, typically laying 2-6 eggs.
Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans
Photo:
Manvendra Bhangui, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Openbill_Storks_Flying_Away.jpg
|
Breeding adults are all white except for the black wing flight
feathers, red legs and dull yellow-grey bill. The mandibles do
not meet except at the tip, and this gives rise to the species'
name. Non-breeding adults have the white of the plumage
replaced by off-white. Young birds have brown tinge to the plumage.
The Asian Openbill Stork, like most of its relatives, walks slowly
and steadily on the ground, feeding on molluscs,
frogs and large insects.
Black-necked Grebe,
Podiceps nigricollis
Black-necked grebe migrant visitor
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, known in
North America as the Eared Grebe, is a member of the grebe family
of water birds. It occurs on every continent except Australia
and Antarctica.
The two common names for this species both refer to features visible
when the bird is in its breeding plumage; in such
plumage, it has an all-black neck and a spray of golden plumes
on each side of its head. The name "Eared Grebe" was
in usage nearly a century before the name "Black-necked Grebe".
The latter was first used in 1912 by Ernst Hartert,
in an effort to bring the common name of the species in line with
its scientific name.
The genus name of this species—Podiceps—comes from two
Latin words: podicis, meaning "vent" or "anus"
and pes
meaning "foot".[4] This is a reference to the attachment
point of the bird's legs—at the extreme back end of its body.
The specific epithet nigricollis is Latin for "black-necked":
niger means "black" and collis means "neck".
Black-necked
grebe in breeding plumage..
Photo Peter Steyn ©, http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/ |
The Black-necked Grebe is 28–34 centimetres long. The adult
is unmistakable in summer with a black head and neck and
yellow ear tufts. In winter, this small grebe is white with a
poorly defined black cap, which distinguishes it from the crisper-
looking Slavonian Grebe (Horned Grebe in America). In courtship
the male gives a mellow poo-ee-chk call to the female.
This species breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across
Europe, Asia, Africa, northern South America and the
southwest and western United States. The North American subspecies,
Podiceps nigricollis californicus is known as
the Eared Grebe (or "eared diver"). These birds migrate
in winter, mostly to the Pacific Coast where they range south
to
El Salvador on a regular basis; vagrants may occur as far as Costa
Rica.
See here for more about Black-necked Grebe.
Lesser Whistling
Duck, Dendrocygna javanica
Lesser whistling ducks
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Lesser Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna javanica, also known
as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which
breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia. It may also be called
the Lesser Whistling Teal (based on an older classification),
or the Tree Duck.
This is a largely resident species distributed unevenly from the
Pakistan lower river valleys eastwards across most of
peninsular India, Nepal terai, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand,
Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, south China,
to Vietnam. It is largely resident, apart from local movements
(often induced by drought or floods), but Chinese birds
winter further south.
Lesser-whistling
Duck, Dendrocygna javanica, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India
J.M.Garg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lesser_Whistling-ducks-_Landing_together_I2_IMG_1067.jpg |
Covering between 1 to 10 million km², it is estimated to
have a global population of between 2- and 20- million individuals.
Habitat: still freshwater lakes, with plentiful vegetation, where
this duck feeds on seeds and other vegetation.
Occasionally seeks refuge in the ocean just outside the surf area.
May be seen often perching on trees near water bodies, giving
rise to the alternate name Tree Duck.
Read
more about the Lesser Whistling duck here.
Siberian Rubythroat,
Luscinia calliope
Siberian rubythroat in Beung Boraphet, Central Plains
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
|
The Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope, is a small
passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush
family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to
be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.
It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.
It is a migratory
insectivorous species breeding in mixed coniferous forest with
undergrowth in Siberia. It nests near
the ground. It winters in India and Indonesia. It is an extremely
rare vagrant to Western Europe, having occurred on
a very few occasions as far west as Britain.
Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope - female
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luscinia_calliope_2.jpg |
The Siberian Rubythroat is slightly larger than the European Robin.
It is plain brown above except for the distinctive
black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium.
The male has a red throat edged with a narrow black and then
a broad white border. It has a strong white supercilium.
Females lack the brightly coloured throat and borders. The male
has a song like a harder version of the Garden Warbler.
White-eyed River
Martin, Pseudochelidon sirintarae
From "The Fifty Rarest Birds of the World"
a collection of artworks
in the form of a limted edition, collectible, leather-bound
book of timeless quality.
http://www.inventas.co.nz/50rarestbirds/ |
One of the saddest things about this place is the saga of a passerine
bird that is now probably extinct.
In 1968, the White-eyed River Martin, Pseudochelidon sirintarae,
was discovered by the late Thai ornithologist
Kitti Thonglongya, who obtained nine specimens netted by professional
bird-hunters as part of a migratory bird survey
at a nighttime roost. This large swallow, whose scientific name
commemorates Princess Sirindhorn Thepratanasuda,
was found wintering at the lake, but its breeding grounds are
unknown. The bird was again seen in 1972, 1977 and 1980,
and one unconfirmed sighting in 1986. It is classified as critically
endangered, which is the highest risk category assigned
by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) for wild species.
It is most likely now extinct, as this unique avian fauna has
not been seen since the last sightings.
The White-eyed River Martin, Pseudochelidon sirintarae,
sometimes Eurochelidon sirintarae is a passerine bird,
one of only two members of the river martin subfamily of the swallow
family Hirundinidae.
It is known only from a single wintering site in Thailand, and
may be extinct since it has not been seen since 1980.
As
a Thai endemic, this bird was featured on a 75 satang
postage
stamp in 1975 as one of a set of four depicting Thai birds
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The adult White-eyed River Martin is a medium-sized swallow, with
mainly glossy greenish-black plumage, a white rump,
and a tail which has two elongated slender central tail feathers
with long narrow racquets at the tips. It has a white eye
and a broad, bright greenish-yellow bill. The sexes are similar,
but the juvenile lacks the tail racquets and is generally
browner than the adult.
Little is known of the behaviour or breeding habitat of this species,
although like other swallows it feeds on insects
caught in flight, and roosts in reedbeds in winter.
Chiang Saen Lake at sunset, Nong Bong Kai Non-hunting
Area, Chiang Rai province, North Thailand
Courtesy:
http://brucekekule.com
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And that brings us to the end of birdlife in
Thailand - at least for now....
Don't
forget the first part - Kui Buri National Park, Wildlife. Click
here.
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