The Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

The Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) was once placed in the large Old World babbler family Timaliidae. However this family has been split with this species being placed with the laughingthrushes in the new family Leiothrichidae. There’re 7 described subspecies, with considerable variation in plumage between them. Hence, more research is required to establish if this represents a single species or not. Though, this species is sometimes placed in its own genus Mesia, or in the genus Leiothrix with the red-billed leiothrix. The bird is usually resident although it has been reported as a winter migrant to Nameri National Park in Assam, India, which implies that the species may be an altitudinal migrant.

The species has been introduced to Hong Kong from captive stock derived from caged birds. The bird’s upper part has a multicolor, but dull olive back wings in red and Silver. There is the black head and large silver patch on the ear. The under part is yellow. Moreover, throat and the patch behind the head is orange yellow followed by a grey back ending in bright orange red before the tail. The prominent colors are orange-yellow flight feathers with a red base. The silver-eared Mesia is a seasonal breeder, lasting from Nov to Aug. Both male and female are participate in building the nest, takes about 4 days to build and is placed near ground level or up to 2m up in a bush. The two to five eggs normally are white with light but rich madder-brown spots. Both parents incubate the eggs, with the female incubating the eggs during the night. In fact the eggs are incubated for 13 to 14 days and both male and female feed the chicks, which fledge after 12 days, and parental care lasts for a further 22 days after fledging.

The eye-catching Silver-eared Mesia is a local resident in the foothills of the Himalayas. The birds like cool climate, but it is also a resident of the sub-montane forest of Peninsula Malaysia. Nevertheless the Silver-eared Mesia is the icon for the Frasers Hills. Like the residents in all other countries of Western China, Indochina and Sumatra. The beautiful multicolor Mesia live in bushes of forest edge. The Mesia food is insect but it does wait for definite berries of the under growth. Moreover, the bird like to travels in group together with bird waves or just by themselves.

Their presence in the area is alerted by the loud call of the male otherwise most times, soft murmuring whispers as long as they are around. In most of the hill stations in Malaysia, you need not search or wait long; the bird will make its appearance. Therefore, in a certain season, the birds are more readily available in large numbers. However, in other times, frequency of meeting up is further apart and also less birds seen. So far Silver-eared Mesia in a large numbers in the wild and plenty of it, let's enjoy watching the birds in freedom. In Malaysia, you need not search or wait long; the bird will make its appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Crested Kingfisher (Megaceryle lugubris) Male

The Crested Kingfisher is (Megaceryle Lugubris, Other common names: Himalayan Pied Kingfisher) a very large kingfisher that is mostly native to Southern Asia and Japan.  The Crested Kingfisher is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family. This bird is mainly found in Mountain Rivers and larger rivers in the foothills of mountains. The bird is forms a species complex with the other three Megaceryle species. It is resident in the Himalayas and mountain foothills of northern India, Bangladesh, northern Indochina, Southeast Asia, Japan and Russia. This eye-catching kingfisher is easily recognized from its shaggy crest when at rest. The upper body is barred black and white and has a white collar. The distinctive large kingfisher has long crest feathers and average size is 41-43, 230-280 g.

The large black and white kingfisher with evenly barred wings and tail, and lacks a supercilium and has a spotted breast, which is sometimes mixed with rufous. This kingfisher has loud “ket ket” in flight, also loud “ping”, deep croaks between paired birds, and raucous grating. The kingfisher likes to eat fish, and crayfish, and perches on an overhanging branch, partly submerged log or rock, occasionally bobbing head. A notable decline has been observed in China, due to habitat destruction. Moreover, it is not globally threatened. Although widespread and common in some areas, but numbers have declined sharply during 20th century in Hokkaido, and also in Hong Kong. Whether traveling by wing or by wheel, this attractive kingfisher is pleased to perch anywhere in your home. Therefore, lifelike markings are meticulously painted with latex enamel on poplar wood that has been carved with a band saw. Each is unique and will vary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Schalow's turaco (Tauraco schalowi)

The Schalow's turaco (Tauraco schalowi) is a frugivorous bird in the Musophagidae family. The bird is named after Herman Schalow, actually a mature birds have, on average, the longest crests of any turaco species. The attractive colors that pattern the plumage of Schalow’s turaco are derived from two unique copper pigments within its feathers, unidentified in any other bird family. This bird's common name and Latin binomial commemorate the German banker and amateur ornithologist Hermann Schalow. The Schalow’s turaco is found in the forested uplands and wooded inland plateaus of south central Africa. The bird is replaced in the eastern lowlands by Livingstone's turaco, which is similar in appearance and behavior. Like other turacos, it is a medium-sized bird, with short, rounded wings, a long tail, and a stout, curved bill.

An extremely prominent, white-tipped crest adorns the head, while a ring of bare red skin surrounds the eye, delicately bordered with fine, black and white stripes. The upperparts are largely green, but noticeably darker over the mantle and wings. Moreover the bird size is 41-44 cm, an average weight of 208 – 267 g. In spite of being poor fliers, the forest turacos seldom descend to the ground. Instead, these shy but gregarious birds utilize their extraordinary climbing skills to navigate the tree canopy, skipping nimbly from branch to branch. When unassailable gaps do eventually necessitate flight, they take to the air with a few earnest flaps to the next tree, before clambering back up into the leafy crown.

It is mainly distributed in Zambia, central Angola, the southern DRC, and the uplands of southern Kenya, northern and western Tanzania and western Malawi. The bird occurs very locally in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, where it frequents riparian habitats of the Zambezi and Cuando Rivers.  Moreover during flight its feathers are crimson, and the tail is deep, bluish black to violet. In common with all turacos, the feet have a distinct joint that lets the outer toe to move either forward or backward, an attribute that enables this bird to move dextrously through vegetation. Schalow’s turaco was formerly believed to be a subspecies of Tauraco persa, along with T. livingstonii and T. corythaix.

Furthermore, just like other turacos species, it feed mainly on fruit, though the young are perhaps fed a protein rich diet of invertebrates. Nevertheless turacos generally forage in groups; breeding is a solitary affair, with monogamous pairs fiercely defending their territories. The bird courtship includes much calling, chasing and general exhibition, with spreading their wings to display the striking crimson patches. The bird nest is mostly flimsy is a shallow platform of loose twigs, positioned 3-10 metres above the ground in thick foliage. Moreover, a clutch size of two is typical, and the downy chicks hatch after an incubation period of 20 to 22 days, devotedly taken care by both sexes. The precocious chicks do not linger long in the nest, and within 2 to 3 weeks, are clambering through the branches of the nest tree, a full week or two before they learn to fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Red-naped Trogon (Harpactes kasumba)

The Red-naped Trogon (Harpactes kasumba) is a species of bird belongs to Trogonidae family. The bird is mostly found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Currently, tt is threatened by habitat loss. The male red-naped trogon is actually defined by a black head and upper breast, blue bill and eye ring with a bright blue colored face. The bird has yellow-brown upperparts and upper tail with black outlines, a white breast-line, bright red underparts and the under-tail is black and white. The most defining physical characteristic of the red-naped trogon is a band of bright red feathers around the back of the head, which gives the species its name. The red-naped trogon is a sturdily sexually dimorphic species, with the females usually being duller than the males. Both male and female have a life span of approximately 7.3 years. The females are blander in color than the males, containing of a grey-brown head and upper breast with yellow underparts.

Both the male and female grow in height up to 32 centimeters, or 12.5 inches. However, their legs and feet are short and feeble which makes them inept to walk; in its place they are limited to the occasional shuffle along a branch. The ratio of leg muscle to body weight in all Trogonidae species is only 3%, the lowest known ratio of any bird. Moreover, the arrangement of the toes on Trogonidae species feet is very rare among birds and is arranged with the third and fourth toes projecting forward and the first and second toes projecting backwards, an arrangement recognized as heterodactylous. Because of this arrangement, the red-naped trogon is unable to turn around on a branch if its wings are not aiding the movement.

Both sexes have compact bodies, short wings and a long tail. However the wings are short, they’re quite strong, with the wing muscle ratio being approximately 22% of the body weight. In spite of their strength of flight, red-naped trogons do not fly great distances, generally flying no more than a few hundred metres at a time. The red-naped trogon's song voice is very sluggish, sad-sounding 5 to 8 note “pau pau pau pau pau.” Each short note slightly down slurred (1.5-1.2 kHz) and delivered at a rate of c.1 note/s. Moreover, to the territorial and breeding calls given by males and females during the breeding seasons, though, red-naped trogons have also been recorded as having aggression and alarm calls.

Red-naped trogons are usually inactive outside of their consistent feeding patterns. Because of this, birdwatchers and biologists have observed that apart from their overall attractiveness, they’re infamous for their lack of other immediately engaging qualities. Their lack of activity has been considered a defence against predation. Moreover, high rates of deforestation in the Sundaic lowlands have been very fast, owing to the escalation of illegal logging and land conversion that targets all remaining stands of valuable timber. Furthermore, another impact has also been forest fires that have had a serious damaging effect. Because of these threats, the red-naped trogon has been ranked by Birdlife as a near threatened species (NT). As with other Trogonidae species, red-naped trogons have been reported to shift along branches to retain their dull colored backs turned towards observers, while their heads, which can rotate at 180 degrees similar to owls, are turned to keep watch on any possible predators. They’re preyed upon by hawks and predatory mammals.