Cherish the moment seeing the Black-bellied Malkoha

Black-bellied Malkoha at Botanic Island Two

Just the other day, I spent an hour or so birding in between two botanic islands in the park. At Botanic Island Two I encountered a small party of Black Magpie. Unnoticed at first, I was pleasantly surprised later to watch at a nearby tree what seemed to be a malkoha among the leaves and branches. Its greenish and glossy back attracted my attention as it moved quietly among the branches of the tall trees. Once I got a good angle, free from obstacles I just simply click on my camera to get some images. It was early morning and the light conditions were far from perfect. When I uploaded the images in the computer I was amazed at the image because it was not the familiar Chestnut-breasted Malkoha which are a frequent visitor to the park. The Black-bellied Malkoha is a lifer for me. What attracted me was its grey neck and breast. Its tails have white tipped feathers. Iris are of pale blue with a red skin patch around the eyes. It is interesting to note that according to the literature, this bird is uncommonly seen in the lowland areas of Sarawak or Borneo for that matter. My encounter with this bird is therefore a rare moment to be cherished.

A moment to be cherished upon seeing this uncommon bird.