MYNA 1/6 - Common Myna

Common Myna

Common Myna is not really common. They are being overrun by the White-vented Myna in urban scapes and road fringes in KL.

It differentiate from the others by its yellow orbital skin. Omnivorous eats anything from fruits to insects. Adaptive and nest in building cervices than trees. Safer amongst humans but not rats...........

Juvenile Common Myna shot in USM Penang Aug2024

MAGPIE 2/2 - Black Magpie

Black Magpie

Black Magpie is a huge bird similar in size of a Crow and is more closer to a Treepie than a Jay or Magpie subspecies. It can be seen in lowland forest in Malaysia, Thailand, Mynammar and Indonesia. In Peninsula I have occassionly encounter the bird in Kemensah Selangor, Krau Pahang and Hulu Langat Selangor but no good photos.

It is gregarious and move around the middle storey of trees in pairs or more. It has a straight black body with a white patch on its wings and has red eyed. Like crow they eat about anything from berries, fruits to vertebrae, carcasses of small mammals and the likes. When ever they are present other birds keep their distance.

It has a variety of calls from croaking, chattering and hollow howling and crowing calls. For its size, it is a shy bird maybe hunted by the aborigines here as food.

MAGPIE 1/2 - Common Green Magpie

Common Green Magpie

 

The  Common Green Magpie can be seen occassionally in montane forest in peninsula of Malaysia besides Thailand  Sumatra & Borneo until lower Himalayas of India. So far my sightings are in Fraser's and Ulu Kali. Nothing yet in Brincang.                                                                  

Magpie is consider a member of the Crow family related to Jay in other continents. The other one is the Black Magpie.

It's  body is  vivid green in colour (Very interesting to note that if this Magpie is in captivity  it's color  can turn turquoise  - possibly change in diet). Lighter on the underside and has a thick black band from the bill (through the eyes) to the nape. Compared to the other members of its kind; GM's white-tipped tail is quite long. This all contrasts vividly with the red fleshy eye rims, bill and legs. The wings are brownish maroon.

This bird seeks food both on the ground and in trees, and takes a very high percentage of animal prey from countless invertebrates, small reptiles and small mammals and young birds and eggs. It will also take flesh from a recently killed carcass.

The nest is built in trees, large shrubs and often in tangles of various climbing vines. There are usually 4–6 eggs laid. Most of the time it is alone when not breeding in the months of April -June.

The voice is quite varied but often a harsh peep-peep. It also frequently whistles and chatters.

 

This shot taken in Hulu Kali Sept 2012

GROUND BIRD 1/16 - Red Junglefowl

Red Junglefowl

Red Junglefowl are wild birds which can be found even in suburbs like Petaling Jaya This one was taken at the open ground along Sprint highway across Kiara next to Universiti Malaya.

The bird is 2 feet in length and can fly short distances. Adapted for hunting in open ground at forest edges and undergrowth Very vigilant and territorial. Notice the white ear patch. This is gallus male in its full colorful splendor............

Their habitat is shrinking.... with the privatisation of housing development in MU it will be sad that you need to go further out to see them.

SHRIKE-BABBLER 2/2 - White-browed Shrike-babbler

White-browed Shrike-babbler

Black head with white supercillum, grey upperpart with slick black tail and wing, throat can be whitish to grey. The male has this orangy to chestnut tinge to its wing tertial. Very short and stout beak. Size about 6-7 inches.

A montane bird from 700m- 2000m. Common sighting at Fraser's Hill and Ulu Kali are easier to see this species. The call is loud and sweet,very close to the call of the Large Woodshrike.................a cross breed I wonder.

The peninsula's   specie is now called Blyth's Shrikebabbler which have also 4 different subspecies I saw the Borneo version in December 2017 while biridng at Kinabalu Park Bukit Ular Power Station  Road

SHRIKE-BABBLER 1/2 - Black-eared shrike-babbler

 

Black-eared Shrike-babbler

            The female

It is a sure see in Gng Brinchang Cameron Highlands& Hulu Kali Radar station.

This is a tiny colourful Babbler of 12cm. Very small indeed. A highland bird upto 2,200 metres. They usually keep to the higher storey unlike the ground Babblers. Have a lot of similiaritys to the Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler of Northern SEA of Thailand & Myanmar etc except for the black marking to ear covert. Female is a bit plainer without the reddish chest.

Caught in a bird wave amongst Sibias, Mesias and Fulvettas Fantails and a twosome Yellownape Woodies. There was a family of 3 hoping and very active amongst the branches searching for grubs and insects. They do feed on fruits and nectars.

BROADBILL 1/7 - Silver-breasted Broadbill

 Silver-breasted Broadbill

All the silver breasted from Awana have migrated to Bkt Tinggi where they are striving in the dozen. Living amongst human at arm length. Best time to see them is during April - May when they start to nest and breed.

The Silver breasted is one of the smaller Broadbill at only 17cm slightly bigger than the Green. Notice the silver neckline which the name derive from. Next is to find the Dusky Broadbill which is the largest of them all..............