Category: Birds
-
Monaco Is The Richest In Wealth, But The Poorest In Fauna?
I have a confession to make. I was not traveling to Monaco to find animals. Monaco is the richest country in wealth, but probably the poorest in fauna. To be honest, I didn’t expect to find wildlife before I came. While at the Monte Carlo Country Club, I encountered a barn owl (Tyto alba) unexpectedly…
-
Corvid Encounters In The Cleanest Place On Earth
The alpine chough is a species of corvid (name of the crow family) I met high up on the Top of Europe located in the Swiss canton of Valais. I was there in the coldest month of the year and it was -15°C. But that’s obviously easy for the birds. Right, most birds are homeothermic,…
-
I Worked With The Largest Parrot In The World, Hyacinthine Macaw
Showing one of the Hyacinthine Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) I used to work with on World Parrot Day makes sense to me — it is the largest flying parrot in the world!
-
What Animals Can Sing Besides Birds?
What Animals Can Sing Besides Birds? Although some birds don’t sing, such as vultures, storks, cedar waxwing, and the females of many species, birds are the best singers in the animal kingdom. Other than birds, many animals can sing. Mammals that can sing include whales, mice, Mexican free-tailed bats, and antelope squirrels. Cold-blooded animals that…
-
Red-whiskered Bulbul – Hong Kong Wildlife | 紅耳鵯 – 香港野生動物
Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), or also called Crested bulbul, is a passerine bird in Asia, a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. In Hong Kong, it is more common than most of other bulbuls such as the Sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster). Pycnonotus jocosus (Linnaeus, 1758)Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum:…
-
Yellow-crested Cockatoo – Hong Kong Wildlife | 小葵花鳳頭鸚鵡 – 香港野生動物
I would be in and around the Mid-levels almost every day when I’m in Hong Kong. You can easily find these beautiful white parrots in there. But did you know that they were rarer than the Black-faced spoonbills you always heard of? In Hong Kong, they are commonly seen in Mid-levels, Central, Wan Chai, Tai…
-
Sooty-headed Bulbul – Hong Kong Wildlife | 白喉紅臀鵯 – 香港野生動物
The Sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster) is a species of songbird in the Bulbul family. Other than Hong Kong, it is also found in most of south-eastern Asia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. In Hong Kong, it is far less common than its cousin the Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus). Pycnonotus aurigaster…
-
Red-billed Blue Magpie – Hong Kong Wildlife | 藍喜鵲 – 香港野生動物
Flying right outside my house comes these cheeky birds. They don’t only rob nests they also chow up snakes like sucking up noodles. Saw that. Nope. Didn’t “save” the snakes. Red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha) is a member of the crow family. Not the most popular bird in Hong Kong but its Taiwanese cousin, Formosan…
-
Eurasian Eagle-owl – Hong Kong Wildlife | 雕鴞 – 香港野生動物
The largest owl inhabits the smallest concrete jungle in Hong Kong. How intriguing! Birdwatching normally takes place during the day, except for owls. There are 9 species of owls you can possibly spot in Hong Kong. The most common species is the Collared scops owl (Otus lettia) which is a small one usually no bigger…
-
Face to Face with the Biggest Shoebill
No, it’s not the bill you pay for your Air Jordan. The shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) or whalehead, is a very large stork-like bird. This is one I’ve come across in Uganda. In front of such a prehistoric looking creature with a wingspan of over 8 feet, you better stay low like what I did in…