On this 2nd submit at the birds of Tan Phu Wooded area, let’s get the bulbuls out of the way in which first. 3 appear to be specifically commonplace right here.
The Ochraceous Bulbul seems very similar to the Puff-throated Bulbul, with which it stocks a genus – the similarity made one among my go back and forth partners doubt the entire framework of species distinctions.
Even for a bulbul, this is a “cumbersome, very noisy, conspicuous” chook (HBW).
The HBW additionally signifies that those bulbuls will also be hooligans: “Mates in unfastened noisy events of four–8 folks … regularly aggressively displaces smaller bulbuls”.
Possibly this contains the Gray-eyed Bulbul, a miles lighter chook additionally regularly observed at Tan Phu.
No longer a specifically revolutionary chook – in line with one paper essentially taking a look at molt, most effective feminine Gray-eyed Bulbuls construct the nest and incubate, whilst the men do conventional male issues akin to bringing meals and protecting the nest.
This conventional way of life suits neatly with its unexciting species identify of propinqua, that means one thing like “similar, an identical, neighboring” – the type of identify unimaginative scientists give to a brand new species that appears too uninteresting to advantage naming it after some well-known ornithologist or wealthy sponsor.
The molt of the Stripe-throated Bulbul is the topic of some other paper.
Curiously, the molt of the men takes about 20 days longer than that of the women folk – the authors speculate that that is on account of the other top time efforts in breeding, with the men being concerned previous (making a song, setting up territory) than the women folk (incubating, nestling care).
The Streak-eared Bulbul isn’t a favourite of the influential eBird crowd: a “boring brown bulbul”, now not precisely a ringing endorsement. The HBW turns out to agree, remarking that the species “has relatively nondescript olive-brown plumage”.
That will surely make for sour studying for Capt. Paul Conrad (1836-1885), a German naturalist within the East Indies, and then the species is called (Pycnonotus conradi).
However he may well be thrilled to find a paper in regards to the other vocalizations of 2 geographically distinct populations of the bulbul – although many of the paper (excluding for the summary) is written in Thai and thus stunning to take a look at however moderately unintelligible to maximum folks.
There appears to be virtually no knowledge on Paul Conrad excluding that he used his existence to get from Leonberg (the place he was once born) to Bremen (the place he died). “You reside all of your existence simply to go back and forth to where you?re gonna die” (Craig Finn, “Blankets”).
The Better Coucal spends maximum of its existence feeling awesome to the Lesser Coucal.
Alternatively, this provides no coverage in opposition to superstition. Better Coucal frame portions are used as conventional drugs by means of the Malays in Kuok Village in Indonesia (supply). Conventional knowledge from time to time is hugely hyped up.
On the other hand, smaller birds may call to mind this superstition when studying a paper on a Better Coucal feeding on a Not unusual Myna.
An summary of a systematic paper reads as follows (unabridged): “Exterior exam of loose vary deserted lifeless Better Coucal in a veterinary dispensary, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India published presence of a giant sized louse within the feathers and was once known as Laemobothrion most at the foundation of morphology and dimension of the louse.” Alternatively, if you wish to learn your entire article, the pdf document prices 40 Euros. I’m questioning what more information might be able to be in there. Perhaps some background at the colour of the veterinary dispensary, or the birthdays of the authors.
In a similar way, a tale titled “Name of the Better Coucal” printed by means of Middlebury School Publications may be inaccessible to me, so I can’t touch upon its literary or ornithological advantage. It begins with the sentence “Noomi wakes up early on Sunday morning as a result of her proper ear hurts with a lifeless, common pulse.” No longer certain if and when the coucal presentations up within the tale.
One in every of my cats – when approached by means of me – in most cases presentations one of the vital two following reactions – licking me or (play-)biting. Crimson Jungle Bird spend their energetic time additionally virtually completely on two issues, specifically floor pecking (60%) and floor scratching (34%) (supply).
The ones Crimson Jungle Bird lower than scratch are weeded out by means of evolution. Just a small collection of probably the most dominant cocks and hens produced many of the adults of succeeding generations. Consequently, the genetically efficient breeding dimension of the inhabitants was once most effective about 13% of the collection of grownup birds. Whilst this sounds unhealthy, the authors of this find out about declare it can be a good consider adaptive evolution (mainly, the inferior birds don’t get to reproduce a lot). When you suppose this sounds very Darwinian, then this is as a result of it’s Darwinian.
Who will get weeded out? For something, the ones birds sporting parasites – they’re much less horny as associates (supply).
And the ones roosters with much less crimson irises and smaller combs (supply).
By contrast, the courtship habits of the men didn’t make a lot of a distinction (supply). Given the lads some girls make a selection, it sort of feels those effects are without delay transferable to people as neatly.
That might not be true for the result of some other find out about taking a look at character characteristics of Crimson Jungle Bird over their existence. It seems that, those characteristics don’t seem to be very constant, so a chick having sure character traits will have slightly other ones as an grownup. Whilst that is slightly fascinating, the clinical phrases during which the authors describe their findings function a formidable deterrent to informal readers: “Rank-order consistencies of behavioral responses had been total low throughout independence and sexual maturation”.
To my unhappiness, eBird does now not spotlight how lovely the White-bellied Erpornis is, most effective describing it as a “small, crested, yuhina-like chook”.
A overlooked alternative.
For the Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, eBird a minimum of admits that it’s an “horny long-tailed flycatcher”
The feminine.
One of the Siberian Blue Robins observed at Tan Phu regarded remarkably shabby in comparison to those passing thru Shanghai on migration. Perhaps some pre-migration molt? Or simply dressed in shabby garments while you don’t seem to be on a date anyway?
In keeping with Wikipedia, “Bronze is a steel brown colour which resembles the steel alloy bronze”. This confirms my suspicion that whoever gave the identify to the Bronzed Drongo will have to had been colorblind.
The HBW admires their nest-building capacity: “noticed to function with nice precision, in very best collaboration [between the two birds]”.
Bronzed Drongos are excellent mimics with a large repertoire of species they may be able to imitate – the HBW provides Crested Serpent-eagle, Javan Cuckoo-shrike, and Orange-bellied Leafbird as examples.
The similar applies to Better Racket-tailed Drongos. They use mimicry to confuse predators and competition for meals, to draw associates, and to frustrate ornithologists and birders, despite the fact that it sort of feels I misplaced the hyperlink to a paper proving the latter.
Better Racket-tailed Drongos can mimic alarm calls of alternative birds that they have got discovered by means of interactions in mixed-species flocks. In keeping with Wikipedia, that is ordinary, as avian vocal mimicry was once believed to be blind to the unique context of the imitated vocalization.
The species will have to have made slightly an affect at the first Western observers – how else to provide an explanation for the clinical identify paradiseus? And no, there is not any Edward Paradiseus (1812-1853), however thank you for asking.
eBird calls Blyth’s Frogmouth a “cryptic, unusual nightbird”, and it was once thus a pleasant wonder to peer it at Tan Phu.
Its species identify affinis may be very generic and does now not do its curious look justice – in line with the HBW, over 85 bureaucracy proportion this phrase. It signifies a courting or similarity. As I stated, a moderately lame identify.
When you suppose those pictures don’t display Blyth’s Frogmouth, chances are you’ll simply be proper – the HBW access has the ominous sentence “A lot confusion over species limits with reference to this and its shut allies”.
Edward Blyth, the English zoologist the frogmouth is called after, is it sounds as if these days misused for instance of a creationist by means of doubtful establishments such because the Introduction Museum constructed by means of the Christian ministry Solutions in Genesis. A paper well describes those false claims and accurately summarizes “In spite of AiG’s claims of being a valid science group, it does now not observe science because it accepts no clinical proof that contradicts its core tenets of a six-day introduction and a tender earth”.
By the way, taking a look at pictures of Mr. Blyth, he does certainly resemble a frogmouth slightly bit. Perhaps it’s the beard.
For some explanation why, Tan Phu turns out to have kind of just one leaf warbler, the Light-legged Leaf Warbler. This makes figuring out the chook more uncomplicated, nevertheless it does now not make the species extra fascinating.
The HBW describes the mating machine of the Siamese Fireback as “it sounds as if polygamous, with dominant male in large part monopolizing proximity, and subsequently get right of entry to to the entire women folk in a bunch” – which sounds moderately tiring.
As well as, nesting most commonly fails – one find out about states that most effective 8% of those makes an attempt are a hit. Predation is the key explanation why for the failure, in spite of the species’ cautious collection of nesting websites ideally between the buttresses of enormous bushes.
The clinical species identify diardi is derived from French zoologist Pierre Médard Diard (1794-1863), who possibly additionally invented Diard’s Trogon.
Pour Mr. Diard it sounds as if were given cheated by means of Stamford Raffles, if I learn the Wikipedia access accurately: “In December 1818, Thomas Stamford Raffles invited them to accompany him on his trips and pursue their collections in puts … they left with him at the foundation that will similarly proportion the accumulated animals. … After their arrival at Bencoulen in August 1819, Raffles requisitioned maximum in their assortment and left them copies in their drawings, descriptions and notes.”
Researchers finding out those birds will have to be thankful for digicam traps – one find out about the use of such traps acquired 1.74 pictures according to 100 entice nights. Consider spending 100 nights in a single location and most effective seeing your goal on two nights …
The Black-naped Monarch has numerous subspecies – the HBW lists 23 (some other paper – with some beautiful pictures of nesting birds – provides the quantity 24). Out of interest, I requested ChatGPT for the chook with the absolute best collection of subspecies – ChatGPT expectantly and virtually surely wrongly claims it’s the Crimson-winged Blackbird with an estimated 20 to 24 subspecies.
Given the placement of girls in Iran, it was once most probably a foul thought for a feminine Black-naped Monarch to turn up within the nation, as described right here.
If you’re extra into virology than ornithology, you may well be following a unique weblog – or it’s good to take a look at this paper: “Detection of a unique astrovirus from a black-naped monarch (Hypothymis azurea) in Cambodia”.
