Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

OTHER NAMES: White-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher

Latin Etymology: Todiramphus ("Small bird, bill") chloris ("green")

Adult Collared Kingfisher (subspecies T. c. humii) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Todiramphus chloris humii 
Weight: 51-90g  /  Length: 24cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

I must admit that when I first saw this bird on a dead tree looking at me face on, it looked slightly like a bedraggled fledgling house crow and it wasn't until I continued along the route I was walking I realised that in fact it was a new species of Kingfisher for me.  As you can probably guess from my mistake, this is another kingfisher that is substantially larger than the Eurasian Kingfisher.  Unlike the white-throated however, this is a bird specialized to the coast and mangroves in particular.  However, this bird (and indeed, it's partner I saw together with it a few minutes later) had a slightly different habitat - under a massive road-bridge across the mouth at the river at Malacca at the side of what was essentially brownfield site.  However, even so it posed for me very nicely and made a great final new bird of the trip.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes  
Family: Alcedinidae  
Genus: Todiramphus
SUBSPECIES: T. c. abyssinicus, T. c. kalbaensis, T. c. humii, T. c. vidali, T. c. armstrongi, T. c. davisoni, T. c. occipitalis, T. c. chloropterus, T. c. azelus, T. c. palmeri, T. c. laubmannianus, T. c. collaris, T. c. chloris, T. c. teraokai

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Pekaka Bakau ("Mangrove Kingfisher") 

A locally common resident.  

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A pair near the river mouth in Malacca

SINGAPORE - A locally common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Numerous at Sungei Buloh, a pair at Lower Pierce Reservoir

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Crested Goshawk (Lophospiza trivirgatus)

OTHER NAMES: Asian Crested Goshawk, Ceylon Crested Goshawk

Latin Etymology: Accipiter ("to grasp") lophospiza ("crest hawk")

Adult Female Crested Goshawk (subspecies L. t. indicus) at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Accipiter trivirgatus indicus
Weight: 224-450g  /  Length: 30-46cm  /  Wingspan: 65-85cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Crested Goshawk is a medium sized species of raptor that I came across entirely unexpectedly - we were walking along the road from our Kuala Lumpur hotel as we did every day but just as we crossed an overpass, there was a large amount of squawking from house crows around - clearly something they didn't like was around.  Upon looking into the tree above me, my initial impression was of a huge thrush - the bold streaking on it's chest certainly very reminiscent of a song thrush.  However, it quickly became apparent that it was this impressive raptor species. As is usual with raptors, the female is the larger of the two.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Lophospiza
SUBSPECIES: A. t. indicus, A. t. peninsulae, A. t. layardi, A. t. formosae, A. t. trvirgatus, A. t. niasensis, A. t. javanicus, A. t. microstictus, A. t. palawanus, A. t. extimus, A. t. castroi

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Sewah Besar ("Large Sparrow-hawk Eagle")

A widespread resident

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single bird in Kuala Lumpur

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto   .

Blyth's Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus alboniger)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Nisaetus ("hawk-eagle") alboniger ("white black")

Adult Blyth's Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus alboniger) at Genting Highlands, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 830g  /  Length: 51-58cm  /  Wingspan: 56-70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A distinctive black and white raptor of the lower reaches of mountainous rainforest, this species is in many ways little known due to it's rainforest habitat - it's diet includes lizards and bats, but possibly more, it's population size is unknown but has a large enough range that it is not currently believed to be in danger.  However, it is tolerant of some human activity - as demonstrated by the fact I saw it at Genting.  It is named after the English Zoologist Edward Blyth - a man who was the curator of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal and a correspondent of Darwin who first described this species to Western Science.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Nisaetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Hindek Gunung ("Hindek Mountain Eagle")

A widespread but local resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single bird Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto     .

Orange-bellied Leafbird (Chloropsis hardwickii)

OTHER NAMES: Hardwicke's Leafbird, Orange-belled Chloropsis

Latin Etymology: Chloropsis ("green-like") hardwickii ("Hardwick's")

Female Orange-bellied Leafbird (subspecies C. h. malayana) at Genting Highlands, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Chloropsis hardwickii malayensis
Weight: 25-40g  /  Length: 19-21cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The leafbirds are a family of birds unique to the "Indomalayan Ecozone" - an area which stretches from Afghanistan to New Guinea and the Philippines, and the Orange-bellied is a fairly typical example of the group: a bird of approximately thrush like proportions and bright leafy green upperparts.  The male, as is often the cast, is the more spectacularly coloured of the sexes with a much more distinctive orange-yellow belly of the namesake, plus indigo and electric blue feathering. Their curved beak is specialised for feeding on insects, spiders and nectar.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Chloropseidae
GENUS: Chloropsis
SUBSPECIES: C. h. hardwickii, C. h. malayana, C. h. melliana, C. h. lazuliana 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Burung Daun Perut Oren ("Orange-stomach Leaf Bird")

A locally common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single bird at Genting Highlands 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto   .

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

OTHER NAMES: White-Bellied Fish Eagle, White-breasted Fish Eagle

Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("Sea Eagle") leucogaster ("white abdomen")

Adult White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 4.5kg  /  Length: 75-85cm  /  Wingspan: 2.2m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The White-Bellied Sea Eagle was actually one of the very first bird species I encountered on the Malaysia/Singapore trip - on the night we arrived I spent about 30 minutes standing in the driveway just to see what would turn up, and a pair of these huge birds circled high overhead.  This is perhaps indicative of something I haven't really encountered in other eagles - the are far happier to live near humans than all the other species.  Unlike the other species I have encountered, I found them right in the middle of Cities - either flying over Central Singapore or a family perched right in the middle of central Malacca. The bird pictured is a juvenile, and so lacks the distinctive mostly white plumage of the adults, which I did see (indeed, on the same perch) but more more distantly at the time.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Siput ("Snail Eagle")

A locally common resident on the coast.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: At least three seen in Central Malacca

SINGAPORE - A fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Two birds seen circling high above Lower Peirce Reservoir.
 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Several seen at Gardens by the Bay

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)

OTHER NAMES: Eastern Black-naped Oriole

Latin Etymology: Oriolus ("Golden") chinensis ("Chinese")

Adult Male Black-naped Oriole (subspecies O. c. diffusus) at Kuala Lumpur - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Oriolus chinensis diffusus
Weight: 65-100g  /  Length: 23-28cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While the Golden Oriole of Europe is a shy bird in much of it's range, in Malaysia the Black-naped Oriole is a common sight and sound.  I first encountered them as a bright yellow flash between trees and subsequently encountered them on most days of the trip - still not keen on being exposed much of the time, but found in any notably green space we visited.  It has a typical oriole song - high pitched and perhaps a little shrill, but very fluid and distinctive - it will often be the first thing to alert you to the bird's presence.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Oriolidae
GENUS: Oriolus
SUBSPECIES: O. c. diffusus, O. c. andamanensis, O. c. macrourus, O. c. chinensis, O. c. suluensis, O. c. melanisticus, O. c. sanghirensis, O. c. formosus, O. c. celebensis, O. c. frontalis, O. c. oscillans, O. c. boneratensis, O. c. mundus, O. c. sipora, O. c. richmondi, O. c. insularis, O. c. broderipii, O. c. maculatus 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ចេកទុំ ("Ripe banana")

A fairly common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen at Angkor Wat

MALAYSIA - Malay: Burung Kunyit Besar ("Great Tumeric Bird")

 A common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Seen multiple times daily in Kuala Lumpur and a few birds in Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus)

OTHER NAMES: Oriental Pipit

Latin Etymology: Anthus ("flower") rufulus ("red-headed")

Adult Paddyfield Pipit (subspecies A. r. malayensis) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Anthus rufulus malayensis
Weight: ?  /  Length: 16cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The paddyfield pipit is a very widespread Asian species of pipit - one of the very few found in the region.  It was one of a number of species formerly considered part of Richard's Pipit, but that group was subsequently split off into African, Mountain and Australasian Pipits.  It seems to have fairly specific habitat requirements in Malaysia - I only encountered them at one sandy-grassland site on reclaimed land on Malacca, and as with meadow pipits in the UK, stuck to open spaces.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae
Genus: Anthus
SUBSPECIES: A. r. rufulus, A. r. waitei, A. r. malayensis, A. r. lugubris, A. r. albidus, A. r. medius

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ក្រូចអុិនវាលស្រែ ("Orange field")

 A fairly common resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - Some seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

MALAYSIA - Malay - Ciak Bendang ("Field Cheep")
A locally common resident

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several pairs seen near the shorefront in Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto .

Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans)

OTHER NAMES: Pink-necked Pigeon

Latin Etymology: Treron ("timid/dove") vernans ("blossoming")

Four Adult Male Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 105-160g  /  Length: 25cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A fairly common species found throughout much of South East Asia, the Pink-necked Pigeon is an arboreal species best found in the tops of trees.   They are the only green pigeon in much of its range to be found in urban environments, including as in this case, the centers of fairly large cities.  The colouration is distinctive in the males though can be confused with the similar Orange-breasted Pigeon while the females are a much more uniform green which requires a closer inspection to be sure of.

Related Species:
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Treron
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic* 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Punai Gading ("Ivory Pigeon")

A locally common resident

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single flock of around 15-20 birds feeding in central Malacca

SINGAPORE - A common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen around Ang Mo Kio

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

*This is an unusual case - there are up to eight subspecies of the Pink-necked Green Pigeon described, but none have been accepted by the usual major authorities. .

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)

OTHER NAMES: Common Indian Bee-eater

Latin Etymology: Merops ("bee-eater") viridis ("green")

Adult Blue-throated Bee-eater (subspecies M. v. viridis) in Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Merops viridis viridis
Weight: 34-41g  /  Length: 21cm +9cm for tail streamers  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a fairly typical member of it's family in many ways, but unlike Europe with it's single species, it shares Malaysia with two others.  Most notably, perhaps is how it alternates with another species of Bee-eater - the Blue-tailed - in it's migration pattern - the Blue-tail arrives as the Blue-throated leaves and vise versa.  It is also unusual in that they are one of the few migrants to breed in Malaysia - normally it destination for species travelling to warmer climes away from their breeding grounds.  I found them to be a bit less gregarious and a lot quieter than European Bee-eater, making them a bit trickier to locate.

Related Species:
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
SUBSPECIES: M. v. viridis, M. v. americanus 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Beberek Leher Biru ("Blue-neck Bee-eater")
A fairly common Summer migrant

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Seen in small numbers on several days in both Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Ornate Sunbird (Cinnyris ornatus)

OTHER NAMES: Yellow-bellied Sunbird

Latin Etymology: Cinnyris (a bird named by Hesychius of Alexandria) ornatus ("ornate")

Adult female Olive-backed Sunbird (subspecies C. j. ornatus) at Malacca, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Cinnyris orantus ornatus
Weight: 7-8g  /  Length: 11cm  /  Wingspan: 14-17cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The sunbirds fill the same niche in the Old-World as the Hummingbirds do in the New - a group of nectar feeding specialists with long curved beaks, though some also eat insects and spiders.  The Ornate Sunbird is one of the more common and widespread species of the family within its range - being found in even urban settings like parks.  Though the female here is a very drab bird which looks broadly similar to females of several other sunbirds, the male has an iridescent dark blue mask and bib that make it a lot more distinctive

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Nectariniidae
GENUS: Cinnyris
SUBSPECIES: C. o. andamanicus, C. o. klossi, C.o. proselius, C. o. flammaxillaris, C.o. ornatus, C. o. rhizopharae, C. o. polyclystus

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ចាបកន្លង់

 A common resident

 - Seen at Ta Prohm

MALAYSIA - Malay - Kelicap Bukit ("Hill Hummingbird")

A widespread and fairly common species.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single female seen in Malacca, a male seen briefly in KLCC Park in Kuala Lumpur

SINGAPORE - A very common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One at Sungei Buloh and common at Ang Mo Kio

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto  .

Mountain Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii)

OTHER NAMES: Green-winged Bulbul, McClelland's Bulbul, Mountain Streaked Bulbul

Latin Etymology: Ixos (derived from "mistletoe") mcclellandii ("McClelland's")

Adult Mountain Bulbul (subspecies I. m. peracensis) at Genting Highlands - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Ixos mcclellandii peracensis 
Weight: 27-41g  /  Length: 24cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Mountain Bulbul initially gave me the impression of a woodpecker - a long thin beak and a fairly stiff looking tail along with colours vaguely reminiscent of green woodpeckers.  As the name suggests they are a species of upland forest and is found in this habitat throughout most of continental South East Asia.  It was also probably the least shy bird I encountered in Genting Highlands and was much more willing to allow me to see it clearly than other species.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Ixos
SUBSPECIES: I. m. mcclellandii, I. m. ventralis, I. m. tickelli, I. m. similis. I. m. holtii, I. m. loquax, I. m. griseiventer, I. m. canescens. I. m. peracensis

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Bebarau Bukit ("Hill Bulbul")

A locally common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several individuals seen in Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto .

Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus)

OTHER NAMES: Chinese Pond-Heron

Latin Etymology: Ardeola ("small heron") bacchus (after Bacchus - for wine coloured breeding plumage)

Adult non-breeding plumage Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) at Ang Mo Kio, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: ?  /  Length: 46cm  /  Wingspan: 75-90cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

This is a fairly average sized small heron species found broadly over continetal East-Asia, but perhaps notable most for the identification headache it causes - it is part of a group of three species, the other two being Javan Pond Heron and Indian Pond Heron that while in the non-breeding plumage appear functionally identical to each other, though distinct when breeding.  Fortunately for me, this bird isn't *quite* in full on non-breeding plumage and the identification can just about be made by the hint of maroon plumage around the face.  All three species can be found in Malaysia though, so care must be taken.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae 
Genus: Ardeola 
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - កុកក្រកក្បាលត្នោតចាស់ ("Cinnamon, old brown head")

A locally abundant resident

 - Abundant at Prek Toal

MALAYSIA - Malay - Pucung Cina ("China Heron")
A fairly common non-breeding migrant.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single individual in Kuala Lumpur in the central gardens.

SINGAPORE - Common

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen around the Lower Pierce Reservoir area

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto    .

Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutoris)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Orthotomus ("straight piece") sutoris ("fasten together")

Adult Common Tailorbird (subspecies O. s. maculicollis) at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Orthotomus sutoris maculicollis
Weight: 6-10g  /  Length: 12cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small active bird, I first encountered this species not far from where I got off the taxi at Genting Highlands, but spent longer that I would have ideally liked to trying to photograph them.  I'd encountered a small flock which unfortunately didn't want to sit still long enough for me to photograph them, and took a number of attempts for me to get something identifiable. The individuals I saw appeared to be young birds - the adults gain a distinctive rust coloured cap and a long tail as they mature.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Cisticolidae
GENUS: Orthotomus
SUBSPECIES: O.s. guzuratus, O. s. patia, O. s. luteus, O. s. fernandonis, O. s. inexpectatus, O. s. longicauda, O. s. maculicollis, O. s. edela

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Perenjak Pisang ("Banana Warbler")

A fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A small group seen in Genting Highlands

SINGAPORE - A common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen around Ang Mo Kio and Gardens by the Bay

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)

OTHER NAMES: Striped-throated Bulbul, Steak-throated Bulbul

Latin Etymology: Pycnonotus ("strong back") finlaysoni (for George Finlayson)

Adult Stripe-throated Bulbul (subspecies P. f. finlaysoni) at Genting Highlands - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Pycnonotus finlaysoni finlaysoni
Weight: 24-32g  /  Length: 19cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

This is very much one of those species where I have no idea where the common name comes from: while there is certainly some vague stripes or streaking going on, the fact this species has a bright yellow face would have seemed to me a more notable feature.  I first saw this species from underneath, and thought it was likely another yellow-vented bulbul - this species also has a yellow rump - but when it moved position I was able to confirm it as this species, which isn't quite as ubiquitous - favouring forests.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Pycnonotus
SUBSPECIES: P. f. davisoni, P. f. eous, P. f. finlaysoni

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Merbah Luris Leher ("Strait Neck Bulbul")

A locally fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single individual seen in Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto   .