Last Observed: December 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Paul Dunn
The black-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in forests in south-east Asia. It has a mainly olive-yellow plumage with a glossy bluish-black head. A grey morph where most of the olive-yellow is replaced by grey also exists. The distinctive taxon from the Andamans has most of the head olive, and is increasingly treated as a separate species, the Andaman bulbul, (P. fuscoflavescens). The black-headed bulbul resembles the black-crested bulbul, but has blue eyes (though not reliable in juveniles), a broad yellow tip to the tail, and never shows a crest (however, some subspecies of the black-crested are also essentially crestless, but they have red or yellow throats). The black-headed bulbul mainly feeds on small fruit and berries, but will also take insects. It commonly occurs in small flocks, comprising 6-8 individuals.
Don’t confuse the black-headed bulbul, which has a black head, with teh black-crested bulbul, which has a black head and a black crest, or ornithologists will scorn you.
Last Observed: December 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Paul Dunn
The black-capped kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) is a tree kingfisher which is widely distributed in tropical Asia from India east to China, Korea and Southeast Asia. This most northerly of the Halcyonidae is resident over much of its range, but northern populations are migratory and they wintering south of their range to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Borneo and Java. It is distinctive in having a black cap that contrasts with the whitish throat, purple blue wings and the coral red bill. The species is mainly found in coastal and mangrove habitats but can sometimes be found far inland.
It is a medium sized bird growing up to 28cm in length.
Last Observed: April 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Suthanai Krupanich
The Shikra is a small bird of prey with a wide distribution across Asia and Africa. It is also called the little banded goshawk – but frankly that’s a rubbish name and Shikra is way more enigmatic and appropriate for this tough little raptor. It grows up to 30 cm in length.
The shikra was a popular bird with falconers in India and Pakistan because it could be trained very easily and was able to capture much larger birds such as partridges, crows and peafowl.
The word Shikari may also be used in English in the sense of “hunter”. In “The return of Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes says: “I wonder that my very simple stratagem could deceive so old a shikari” (The Penguin complete Sherlock Holmes, 1981, pp. 492, 494).
Last Observed: May 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Suthanai Krupanich
The zebra dove, as you’d probably guess, has a striped pattern across its feathers. If it was spotted it would probably be a leopard dove I guess.
It is also known as the barred ground dove and is a bird of the dove family, Columbidae, which is native to Southeast Asia. They are small birds with a long tail and are predominantly brownish-grey in colour with black-and-white barring. They are known for their pleasant soft, staccato cooing calls.
Last Observed: March 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Suthanai Krupanich
The white-rumped shama is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. It is native to densely vegetated habitats in the Indian subcontinent and also Southeast Asia, its popularity as a cage-bird and songster has led to it being introduced elsewhere.
Who keeps birds in cages by the way? People who are jealous that they can’t fly?
The bird pictured is a male – the female is a greyish-brown colour and is smaller than the male.
The white-rumped shama is shy and mainly crepuscular (don’t worry, I had to look that up too – great word though!)
Last Observed: May 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Michael Erik Maria Finder
The scaly-breasted munia is a member of the finch family of birds that is native to tropical asia. It was formally described and named by the father of taxonomy Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
It is a small sparrow-sized bird that lives on mainly grass seeds, berries and insects. They forage in flocks and are more commonly found on tropical plains and grasslands than in the jungle environments of Koh Chang.
Last Observed: June 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Eric Maria Finder
The Hoopoe is found throughout almost all of the non-cold, non-desert parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. It is a splendidly coloured and decorated bird with a very distinct crest of orange and black feathers usually protruding out behind its head. The Hoopoe is a territorial and serially monogomous bird and fights between mals can be fierce. The crest is of course for display and is raised into full head-dress mode as required for showing who’s boss.
It’s cry is a very distinctive “oop-oop-oop” sound so keep an ear out.
Last Observed: March 2017 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Paul Dunn, Dave Hinchliffe
The greater racket-tailed drongo is a splendid Koh Chang resident bird that you will notice due to their two elongated tail feathers that are mainly bare and only feathered at the end (like rackets I guess if you’re naming animals whilst watching tennis, or on drugs).
They are noted for their loud calls and their ability to impersonate other bird calls.
I’ve seen them on two occasions fighting, whilst in flight, and succesfully driving away, the much larger white-bellied sea eagle for which they deserve immense respect.
You’d guess that this behavoir is to drive the bigger birds away from their young in their nests but Wikipedia says nothing on the subject so it might just be that they are really tough, or irritable, or short-sighted.
Update 28/3/2017: You usually only hear these birds at dawn but I’ve had one in the backyard all week presumably calling for a mate? It’s a great sound, click the link below to listen.
Last Observed: June 2016 – Koh Chang Last Observed By: Suthanai Krupanich, Dave Hinchliffe
The black-naped tern is a seabird found in tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Ocean.
Its characteristic black nape is band of black colour that runs from it’s eyes round the back of its head like some sort of cheap disguise. the rest of the bird is pale greay and white in colour and they are about 30cm in length.
Look out for them wheeling around the Koh Chang ferries.
