Red-billed Malkoha

The Red-billed Malkoha is the second rarest malkoha in Borneo, after the Chestnut-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus)
Location : Botanic Island One

Red-billed Malkoha ( Zanclostomus javanicus) - "Cenok Api" - Malay
Under-tails are bluish grey, interspersed with white tips of graduated inner-tail feather.
Location : Botanic Island One, Zone D

This is a lifer for 2016.  The Red-billed Malkoha was heard uttering some distinctive sounds from Botanic Island One.  The calls sounded like a muted "oak, oak, oak, oak ,oak", repeated many times.  I wasn't sure what bird produces the repetitive calls though my best guess was a malkoha.  But surprise! it was a Red-billed Malkoha.  In 2013 and 2014 the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha have occasioned the park many times. This year it is another malkoha species and is the second rarest malkoha on this big island of Borneo.  What is appealing about the bird is its red bill and its rufous lores, chin, throat and breast.  The orangish colour is in striking contrast with the greenery of the jungle. Its long tail is dark bluish green.  All in all it is a lovely bird and I wish it will come to the park more often.

( Note: This is  re-posting from The Kambatik Park, Bintulu blog, accessed here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.my/2016/01/red-billed-malkoha-sighted-for-first.html

A lifer of a blue flycatcher

Eumyias indigo
Zone F

What makes my day today is the capture of the blue flycatcher.  It's a lifer for me and for the Kambatik park.  Today is the first time I stumbled upon a blue flycatcher.  I first met it at Zone F and then followed its movement to Zone D about 100 meters away before it disappeared into the surrounding forest.  Is it a  female of the species?  Is it the Indigo Flycatcher ( Eumyias indigo) that is a native to the island of Borneo and therefore Bintulu?  The literature mentions that the Indigo Flycatcher is a resident of the highlands and less frequently seen below 3000 ft above sea level, that is in the lowland dipterocarp hill forest where the park is situated.  At first sight I saw it jumping and hopping on the leaves-covered ground for insects and was not particularly scared of my presence.  Whats striking about the upperside of the bird was the deep blue colour of its crown right down to its back.  In most descriptions the throat and breast is blue but in this specimen it is white.  Does this mean that it is a female of the species?  I have yet to determine this and it is my fervent hope that it will drop by again at the park soon with a mate. to confirm my observation.  Hopefully that day is near.

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog 'The Kambatik Park' and the link is here.

Barn Swallow at Likau Beach, Bintulu.

Barn Swallow

I had only on two occasions managed to get a glimpse of the Barn Swallow, once in Kuching and another  at Likau Beach, Bintulu.
Here's a re-post of the visit to Likau where among the birds sighted in 2014 was the Barn Swallow.

Common Snipe

Common Snipe

The Common Snipe is as the name indicates 'common', but not so.  It is an elusive bird to catch a glimpse because it habitually moves among tall grasses.  One day I was lucky to have a glimpse of it when it decided to scavenge out in the more open areas...Check out the story here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search/label/Common%20snipe

Bird in hand - Large-tailed Nightjar

A young Large-tailed Nightjar ready for her first flight to freedom..

One of the rare experiences in my life is to see the coming into life of the Large-tailed Nightjar from egg to chick.  One day I held it my hand to release it into the air for its flight of freedom...Here's the full story..>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2013/09/birdwatch-album-large-tailed-nightjar.html

Brown Barbet

Brown Barbet
Calorhamphus fuliginosus

By a stroke of good luck I was able to have a glimpse of the Brown Barbet at the Kambatik Park in 2014.  Here's the full story and more pictures ....>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-brown-barbet.html

A company of birds on old Rambutan tree

Blue-throated Bee-eaters and the Yellow-vented Bulbuls sharing the top spot at the old Rambutan tree

Photoshoot 28 Feb'15
Note the company of bee-eaters and bulbuls on top of the Rambutan tree
Location: Zone C
The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

This morning the Blue-throated Bee-eaters and the Yellow-vented Bulbuls were having a fiesta of bees at the old Rambutan tree.  Check out the full stsory here ...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-company-of-birds-on-old-rambutan-tree.html

The Plaintive Cuckoo

Plaintive Cuckoo, photshoot on 19 Feb'15
The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

It was a new sighting at the Kambatik Park.  For year now I often heard the calls of the Plaintive Cuckoo but failed to catch a glimpse of it.  On the 19th of February'15, a rare opportunity arose when I made my first sighting that confirmed the calls that I hear every morning and evening before sunset came from the Plaintive Cuckoo.  It was seen on the Cempedak perch making its call...check out the full story here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search/label/Plaintive%20Cuckoo

Birds on the hill

On the 12th of October, I went for a brief walkabout at the Kambatik Park and managed to photoshoot a few of the feathered species.  The full story is here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/10/there-are-birds-on-hill.html

But-But Kecil or the Lesser Coucal

But-But Kecil (Malay) - Lesser Coucal ( Centropus bengalensis)

It is a large bird that sometimes drop by at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  Checkout the full story and images here

The Black Hornbill

Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus)

The Black Hornbill is a rare visitor to the park.  Here's one occasion when it dropped by.  Please follow the story in another blog of mine  here

The Black-headed Bulbul

Merbah Siam (Malay) - Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)

The Black-headed Bulbul is not a common visitor to the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  Checkout the story here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search?q=black+headed+bulbul

Perenjak Padi or the Yellow-bellied Prinia

Perenjak Padi (Malay) - Yellow-bellied Prinia

It is a shy bird and not easy to photograph because it is normally among the grasses.  But I got lucky one day and had a chance to come close and personal with the bird.  Checkout the full story and images here ....>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search?q=prinia

Emerald Dove

2

This is a rare sighting at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  The Emerald Dove or Punai Tanah is a beautiful bird but it is not easy to photograph it....This story is a re-post, please follow this link ...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-emerald-dove.html

Large-tailed Nightjar

Young of the Large-tailed Nightjar

 I have a lot of encounters with the Large-tailed Nightjar all of which I experienced at my own nature park in Bintulu.  I have stumbled upon its eggs on bare ground and saw its newly born chicks.  I managed to photograph them when they were tiny chicks till they flew away from my hands.  They gave me the experience of a lifetime.  This is a re-post of the stories of the Large-tailed Nightjar at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu....please follow this link ...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search/label/Large-tailed%20nightjar

Large-tailed Nightjar at Kambatik Park, Bintulu.