WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see   332)            WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER            Halcyon smyrnensis

SINGAPORE           (20)

Also known the White-breasted Kingfisher and Smyrna Kingfisher. Ranges in Eurasia from Bulgaria, Turkey, West Asia east through the Indian subcontinent to Philippines. Can be found well away from water, feeding on small lizards, amphibians, crabs, and small rodents. 28 cm.

ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL

Subspecies convexus, photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see      857)              ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL            Anthracoceros albirostris 

SINGAPORE         (19)        

Also known as Asian Pied Hornbill. 70 cms. Found in secondary forests, old plantations and occasionally mangroves and parkland. 70 cm. Distribution: Himalayan foothills, E to India to South and Greater Sundas.

YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(812)                  YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL         Pycnonotidae goiavier

SINGAPORE         (18)

Found in secondary forests, forest edges, scrub, old plantations, mangroves, parkland, urban areas. 20 cm. Distribution: Parts of mainland Southeast Asia, Thai-Maly Peninsula, Greater Sundas, Philippines.

STRIATED HERON

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see   106)              STRIATED HERON                Butorides striatus 

SINGAPORE         (17)      

Also known as Little Heron. 45 cm. Adaptable and successful heron found in mangroves, coastal ponds, canals, rivers, reservoir fringes and even ponds in urban parkland. Distribution: widespread across much of the Americas, Eurasia, Africa and Australia.

ZEBRA DOVE

(see   32)            ZEBRA DOVE          Geopelia striata

SINGAPORE      (16)

Known in Australia as Peaceful Dove. 20 cms. Found in secondary scrub, mangrove edges, grassland, parkland and urban areas. Distribution: Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Philippines, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda.

YELLOW BITTERN

(see      866)              YELLOW BITTERN                    Ixobrychus sinensis  

SINGAPORE         (15)        

Found in mangroves, freshwater marshes and wet grassland, including small stands of reeds in parkland. 37 cm. Breeds in N Indian sub-continent and much of E Asia to as far north as Russian Far East and Southeast Asia, east to Philippines.

HOUSE CROW

(see    339)         HOUSE CROW           Corvus splendens

SINGAPORE        (14)

Also known as Indian Crow, Greynecked Crow, Ceylon Crow or Colombo Crow. Range India, Nepal and Bangladesh, but although Asian in origin it has now spread to many parts of the world. Introduced into Singapore but now one of only 6 species it is legal to kill.

FERAL PIGEON

(see   114)          FERAL PIGEON            Columba livia

SINGAPORE     (13)

Also known as Domestic or Homing pigeon or Rock Dove. 33-36 cm. Widespread across Europe, n Africa and w Asia, probably introduced to Australia with European settlement. Widespread in villages, towns, cities and farm homesteads. Found in urban areas, grain installations, roadsides, woodlands, paddocks.

COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see  508)              COMMON SANDPIPER                Actitis hypoleucos

SINGAPORE        (12)      

Highly adaptable migrant to sandy shores, coastal mudflats, freshwater marshes, wet grassland and concrete canals. 20 cm. Breeds across much of Eurasia, from W Europe to E Siberia and Japan, as far south as Middle East; winters Africa, Middle East and Indian sub-continent, east to S China, South-east Asia, Australia and SW Pacific.

SPOTTED DOVE

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see   50)              SPOTTED DOVE                Spilopelia chinensis

SINGAPORE        (11)      

Very common resident of secondary scrub, mangrove edges, old plantations, grasslands, parkland and urban areas. 30 cm. Distribution: Indian sub-continent, S and E China across mainland Southeast Asia, Thai-Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas and Palawan; widely introduced worldwide.

COMMON KINGFISHER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(885)              COMMON KINGFISHER                  Albedo atthis 

SINGAPORE        (10)        

Occurs in all kind of water bodies on migration, including open streams, canals, reservoir edges, ponds with reedy fringes and mangrove creeks, seldom in forest streams. 17 cm. Widespread across much of Eurasia with many races; occurs east to Soloman Islands; winter visitor to Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia.

GREY HERON

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see  370)              GREY HERON                   Ardea cinerea 

SINGAPORE        (9)        

Common resident and probable migrant, occurring in sandy beaches, reefs, mangroves, coastal mudflats, freshwater marshes, wet grassland and canals. 100 cm. Widespread across Eurasia and Africa, east to East and Southeast Asia.

BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(884)              BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER                   Merops viridis  

SINGAPORE        (8)        

Found in open country, borders of large rivers, cultivation, sometimes parks and gardens; also forest clearings and edges, and mangroves. 22.5-23.5 cm. Found in Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

PURPLE-BACKED STARLING

Photographed in Singapore November 2016 

(883)              PURPLE-BACKED STARLING                  Sternus sturninus  

SINGAPORE         (7)        

Also known as Daurian Starling. 17-19 cm. Found in secondary growth, forest edges, open areas, cultivation; lowlands. Range: breeds in SE Asia, Siberia, Ussuriland, Sakhalin, Mongolia, N,NE China, N Korea; winters Sumatra, Java.

ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see    84)     ORIENTAL DOLLARBIRD        Eurystomus orientalis

SINGAPORE        (6)

Common resident and migrant of secondary forests, forest edge, scrub, old plantations and parkland, occasionally in mangroves. 30 cm. Widespread across much of East India, E Asia to as far north as the Russian Far East, and Southeast Asia east to Australia and New Guinea.

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(see 506)              EURASIAN TREE SPARROW              Passer montanus

SINGAPORE         (5)

Found in urban areas, such as villages, towns and rural developments; not found in wild habitat. 15cm. Range: Eurasia; introduced into other regions, such as Australia and USA.

ASIAN KOEL

Photographed in Singapore November 2016. Female above, the male is black.

(882)          ASIAN KOEL            Eudynamys scolopacea

SINGAPORE          (4)

Found in open woodland, secondary growth, scrub, cultivated areas, parks and gardens. 40-44 cm. Found in the Indian Subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia.