RAPTORS - Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba).

Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba). It is the most widely distributed owl in the world. Because of its diet of small rodents it is widely used as the biological agent to control the rat population in padi fields and oil palm plantations. It is not uncommon to see small owl houses perched on top of high poles among the padi fields and plantations.

RAPTORS - Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus).

The Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) is a medium size raptor found in India, South China, S.E.Asia and Australia. Usually found living and breeding in mangrove forests along the coasts. It can also be found further inland , like padi fields, ex-mining lands and wetland areas. Their food consist of fish and other small prey. Scavenging is also part of their daily activities.

A Juvenile.

Terns of Malaysia.

Terns are a type of sea or water birds of the family Sternidae. Many are migrants that travel long distances. They have slender bodies and pointed wings. The tails are mostly forked. thus many of them dive into the water to get their food fish. Some will hover above to pick up small food fish when they come to the surface. other will feed on insects too. They are generally long life birds that can live up to and in excess of 25-30 years.

In Malaysia there are 17 species which I will add here as and when I get to photograph them.

A) LITTLE TERN (Sternula albifrons). Small tern with forked tail. Breeding birds have black crown, nape and eye stripe and yellow bill while non breeding have white crown, black legs and bills. Usually in small groups along coastal water, rivers and inland ponds and lakes. Usually hover above water to pick up fish.



B) WHITE WINGED TERN (Childonias leucopterus). Breeding birds have black head, chest, upper and lower

Flock of White-winged Terns.

White-winged Tern.

 part. The bills are yellow with black tips. Can be seen in groups. Sometime hover over water to pick up fish.

Whiskered Tern

C) WHISKERED TERN (Clidonias hybrida). Non breeding birds have greyish and white forehead, black bill and streaks in the eyes. Skim low over water or plunging in to get their food.

Whiskered Tern

A flying tern looking for food.

A hovering tern picking up a morsel.

D) BLACK-NAPED TERN (Sterna sumatrana). Except for black nape, it is mostly white in clour. It has a deeply forked tail and narrow black bill.

RAPTORS - Barred Eagle-owl (Bubo sumaranus).

c).  Barred Eagle-owl (Bubo sumaranus). Distributed from parts of Thailand, Malay Peninsiular, Borneo, Java and Sumatra. Lives among the lower or upper parts of the lowland forest. A solitary bird that rarely lives higher than 900 meter.

Adult.

Juvenile.

RAPTORS - Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus).

  Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus). Found in India, S. China, S.E.Asia, and New Guinea. A bird of opened country like padi fields, grassland and oil palm plantations. Feeds mainly on rodents.

RAPTORS - Crested Serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela).

The term Raptor  is given to identify 'Birds of prey'. . It is infact derived from the Latin word 'rapere' meaning 'taking by force'. Many of the birds shown here are migrants as well as residents of Malaysia. The migatory birds came here from the Northern Hemisphere during their winter month because of scarcity of food and to breed in our wormer climate.

a)  Crested Serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela). A resident in Malaysia and Singapore. This bird is widely distributed in India, South China, S.E.Asia and the Sundas. Mostly found in mangrove forests, oil palm plantations and other wooded areas. Its main diet is snake, hence the name.

BUTTERFLY LIZARD OF MALAYSIA.

A beautiful healthy Malayan Butterfly Lizard.

The butterfly lizard is an agamid native of Thailand, Myanmar, Malay Peninsular and Sumatra. There are eight species and they breed by normal sexual reproduction. But four species are parthenogernetic and has only one sex. They reproduced by cloning. The Malayan Butterfly Lizard (Leiolepis beliana beliana) is one of them.

Its paterns and markings are colourful.

These lizards prefer open, dry, sandy areas where they live in burrows. At the slightest sign of danger they will dart back into their burrows, but will re-emerge about five minutes later.

Vegetations and small insects, constitute to their main diet. They are monogamous and will care for their youngs for some months before the youngs leave to build their own burrow.

A Butterfly Lizard
 feeding on a cricket.

They are quite territorial and can be seen to drive away intruders from nearby burrows. I have seen some of them living quite close together. In a radius of 15 meters, I have counted three burrows.

Peeping out of its burrow
before coming out to forage.