Jurong Bird Park

[kilkenny]

Hi all!

Finally exercised my trip to the birdpark from my 2-in-1 ticket bought @ the zoo. I was keeping my fingers crossed all the way as it was raining the whole week and looked a dreary Saturday mid-morning as i was making my way there, luckily there was no serious downpour and i still managed to get some nice clean shots though i would have loved more sun hahaha.

It must have been 20 years at least since my last visit hahaha and i must say it has changed a lot! But all in all i think i still prefer the zoo hahaha though our birdpark is definitely one i think we can be proud of =)

Some back ground on the birdpark :

Jurong Bird Park 裕廊飞禽公园

The idea of a permanent bird exhibit was first conceived by Dr Goh Keng Swee, the then Minister for Finance, in 1968. During a World Bank Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Dr Goh visited its zoological garden and was impressed with its free-flight aviary. He sought to see that Jurong would be more than an industrial zone that Singaporeans would have a place where they could escape from urban life, where people could relax with nature. On 3 January 1971, Jurong Bird Park, built at a cost of S$3.5 million, was opened to the public.

In 2006, the Jurong Bird Park completed its S$10-million makeover. With the upgrading, the park now boasts a new entrance plaza, an African wetlands exhibit, a park-owned and managed Bongo Burgers restaurant, a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlour, a gift shop and a bird hospital.

We have also successfully breed a lot of birds where other birdparks did not managed to =), anyway on to the pictures, C&C much appreciated.

My first stop was the World of Darkness, i was really pitch dark which made photography a bitch so i missed a few of the owls, but i think its cool so dun miss this if u are there.

#1 Buffy Fish Owl

#1.1 Buffy Fish Owl

#1.2 Buffy Fish Owl

Buffy Fish Owl

These beautiful, medium-sized owls are named for the yellowy beige (also known as “buff”) feathers on their heads and chests that are interspersed with dark, vertical streaks. Their large eyes are yellow and they have long ear tufts. They have rich brown feathers on their back. There is a white “V” on their forehead that begins from the tip of the bill and extends over each eye.

Buffy fish owls can be found in Malaysia, Thailand and the Indonesian Islands. They live in forested areas with a nearby water source so that they have access to fish. There is also a family in Singapore in Sentosa and Lower Pierce Reservoir according to web reports.

#2 Eurasian Eagle Owl

Eurasian Eagle Owl

The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl. It is sometimes titled the world's largest owl, but so is the Blakiston's Fish Owl, which is slightly bigger on average.The Eagle Owl has a wingspan of up to 138-200 cm (55-79 in) and measures 58-75 cm (23-30 in) long. Females weigh 1.75-4.2 kg (3.9-9.4 lbs) and males weigh 1.5-3.2 kg (3.3-7 lbs). In comparison, the common Barn Owl weighs about 500 grams (1.1 lbs). It mainly feeds on small mammals, but can kill prey up to the size of foxes and young deer (up to 10 kg/22 lb), if taken by surprise. Larger prey (over 3 kg/7 lb) is consumed on the ground which leaves the bird vulnerable (for example to foxes).

The call of the Eagle Owl is a deep resonant “ooh-hu” with emphasis on the first syllable for the male, and a more high-pitched uh-Hu for the female (in German and Hungarian, the name of this bird is "Uhu"). Each member of an Eagle Owl population can be identified by means of its vocalizations.

The size, ear tufts and orange eyes make this a distinctive species. It has a strong direct flight. The ear tufts of males are more upright than those of females.

The horned owls are a part of the larger grouping of owls known as the typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.

cheers,
kilkenny

 

[kilkenny]

Didn't manage to get a good shot of these lovely avians while at the zoo, hope these are pleasing enough =)

#3 Victoria Crown Pigeon

#3.1 Victoria Crown Pigeon

Victoria Crown Pigeon

I think this is the loveliest amongst the 3 kinds of crowned pigeons.

The Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Goura victoria, is a large, approximately 74cm (29 in) long and weighing up to 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast and red iris. The bird may be easily recognized by the unique white tips on its crests. Both sexes are similar.

One of three superficially similar species of crowned pigeons (the others being the Western Crowned Pigeon and the Southern Crowned Pigeon), the Victoria Crowned Pigeon is distributed in the lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea and surrounding islands. Its diet consists mainly of fruits, figs, seeds and invertebrates. The female usually lays a single white egg.

The name commemorates the British monarch, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

There are two subspecies of the Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Goura victoria victoria, the nominate race is the smaller of the two supspecies and can be found in Yapen, Biak & Supiori. Goura victoria beccarii is found on the mainland of New Guinea

Due to continuing habitat loss, being tame and easily hunted for its plumes and meat, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

#4 Common Crowned Pigeon

Common Crowned Pigeon

The Western Crowned Pigeon, also known as the Common Crowned Pigeon or Blue Crowned Pigeon, Goura cristata, is a large, turkey-sized, approximately 75cm long, blue-grey pigeon with blue lacy crests over the head and dark blue mask feathers around its eyes. Both sexes are almost similar but males are often larger than females.

Along with its close and very similar looking relatives the Victoria Crowned Pigeon and the Southern Crowned Pigeon, it is one of the largest and is considered one of the most beautiful members of the pigeon family. The Western Crowned Pigeon is found and endemic to the lowland rainforests of Papua, Indonesia section of New Guinea; the other species of crowned pigeon inhabit different regions of the island. The diet consists mainly of fruits and seeds.

Hunted for food and its plumes, it remains common only in remote areas. Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Western Crowned Pigeon is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

cheers,
kilkenny

 

[madmartian]

Hi all!

My first stop was the World of Darkness, i was really pitch dark which made photography a bitch so i missed a few of the owls, but i think its cool so dun miss this if u are there.

cheers,
kilkenny

Looks like a nice owl. No flash allowed? Did you shoot at max ISO of your camera?

 

[vincentry]

Good shot of the owl. From own experience, it's not easy to shoot in that dark condition. I don't know if flash is allowed but my instinct tells me that shooting night animals = no flash.

 

[kilkenny]

Good shot of the owl. From own experience, it's not easy to shoot in that dark condition. I don't know if flash is allowed but my instinct tells me that shooting night animals = no flash.

Hi vincentry,

Tks.

Totally agreed with you! Not just night animals but all animals for me....i was ever standin behind a counter sellin digital cameras before so i knows how it feels to be flashed at ;p

Looks like a nice owl. No flash allowed? Did you shoot at max ISO of your camera?

Hi madmartian,

All the owl shots were made @ ISO 3200, reckoned it would be better if you wait there for them to move to the brighter areas of the enclosure but i was rushin against the weather so did not linger in there hahaha.

Thanks for dropping by!

cheers,
kilkenny

 

[kilkenny]

DID YOU KNOW?

The Jurong Bird Park in Singapore has a collection of 82 individual hornbills comprising 19 species. Of these, 14 species are Asian and 5 species African.

The park has so far successfully bred 10 species since 1990. For breeding, artificial nesting boxes were used.

The hornbills collection in Jurong Birdpark is definitely worth a visit, pity that i only got decent shots of 1 of the hornbills

#5 Von der Decken's Hornbill

Von der Decken's Hornbill

Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni) is a hornbill. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in East Africa, especially to the east of the Rift Valley, from Ethiopia south to Tanzania. It is mainly found in thorn scrub and similar arid habitats. It often includes Jackson's Hornbill as a subspecies. It was named after the German explorer Baron Karl Klaus von der Decken (1833-1865).

This species is a small hornbill which has mainly whitish underparts and head and blackish upperparts. It has a long tail and a long curved bill which lacks a casque. It is similar to the Red-billed Hornbill except for the bill colour, and the lack of spotting on the wing coverts in both male and female.

The species shows sexual dimorphism; the female has a black bill, whereas the male has a red bill with a cream tip and a black cutting edge.

Von der Decken's Hornbill is omnivorous, taking insects, fruit and seeds. It feeds mainly on the ground and will form flocks outside the breeding season. In captivity the Von Der Decken Hornbill will eat the following readily; papaya, cantalope, blueberries, bananas, and apples. also live food such as crickets and mealworms should be offered daily. Small rodents are readily taken but should only be offered 2 to 3 times per week.

LORY LOFT

My next stop in Jurong Birdpark was the Lory Loft.

Lory Loft is 3,000 square metres large and about 9 storeys high and is the world's largest walk-in flight aviary for Lories and lorikeets, with over 1,000 free-flying lories. The entire ambience adheres to a rainforest vale of tropical Northern Australia. Visitors can offer the lories a special nectar mix and the birds will flock to them.

Just be careful though some of them are big and aggressive hahah you have been warned!

#5 Purple Naped Lorikeet

#5.1 Purple Naped Lorikeet

#6 Red Lory

#7 Yellow Bibbed Lory

Lory and Lorikeets

Lories and lorikeets are small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar and soft fruits. The species form a monophyletic group within the parrot family Psittacidae. Traditionally, they were considered one of the two subfamilies in that family (Loriinae), the other being the subfamily Psittacinae, but new insights show that it is placed in the middle of various other groups. To date, this issue has not been resolved scientifically. They are widely distributed throughout the Australasian region, including south-eastern Asia, Polynesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and the majority have very brightly colored plumage


Tongue of a LoryLories and lorikeets have specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar and soft fruits. They can feed from the flowers of about 5,000 species of plants and use their specialised tongues to take the nectar. The tip of their tongues have tufts of papillae (extremely fine hairs), which collect nectar and pollen.

Lorikeets have tapered wings and pointed tails that allow them to fly easily and display great agility.

Cheers,
kilkenny

 

[kilkenny]

Birds of Prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as any bird that hunts other animals. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh. In most cases, the females are considerably larger than the males. The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word "rapere" (meaning to seize or take by force) and may refer informally to all birds of prey, or specifically to the diurnal group.

- Eagles tend to be large birds with long, broad wings and massive feet. Booted eagles have legs and feet feathered to the toes and build very large stick nests.

- Ospreys -- a single species found worldwide -- specializes in fish, and builds large stick nests.

- Kites have long wings and relatively weak legs. They spend much of their time soaring. They will take live vertebrate prey but mostly feed on insects or even carrion.

- The true Hawks are medium-sized birds of prey that usually belong to the genus Accipiter (see below). They are mainly woodland birds that hunt by sudden dashes from a concealed perch. They usually have long tails for tight steering.

- Buzzards are medium-large raptors with robust bodies and broad wings, or, alternatively, any bird of the genus Buteo (also commonly known as "hawks" in North America).
Harriers are large, slender hawk-like birds with long tails and long thin legs. Most hunt small vertebrates with a combination of keen eyesight and hearing, gliding on their long broad wings and circling low over grasslands and marshes.

- Vultures are carrion-eating raptors of two distinct biological families, each occurring in only the Eastern Hemisphere (Accipitridae) or the Western (Cathartidae). Members of both groups have heads either partly or fully devoid of feathers.

- Falcons are small to medium-size birds of prey with long pointed wings. Unlike most other raptors, they belong to the Falconidae, rather than the Accipitridae. Many are particularly swift flyers. Instead of building their own nests, falcons appropriate old nests of other birds, but sometimes they lay their eggs on cliff ledges or in tree hollows. Caracaras are a distinct subgroup of the Falconidae unique to the New World, and most common in the Neotropics - their broad wings, naked faces and appetites of a generalist suggest some level of convergence with either the Buteos or the vulturine birds, or both.

- Owls are variable-sized, typically night-specialized hunting birds. They fly silently and have very acute senses of hearing and low-light vision.

# 8 Bald Eagle

#8.1 Bald Eagle

#8.2 Bald Eagle

#8.3 Bald Eagle

#8.4 Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America that is most recognizable as the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.

The adult Bald Eagle has a brown body with a white head and tail, and bright yellow irises, taloned feet, and a hooked beak; juveniles are completely brown except for the yellow feet. Males and females are identical in plumage coloration. Its diet consists mainly of fish, but it is an opportunistic feeder. It hunts fish by swooping down and snatching the fish out of the water with its talons. It is sexually mature at four years or five years of age. In the wild, Bald Eagles can live up to thirty years, and often survive longer in captivity.

This sea eagle gets both its common and scientific names from the distinctive appearance of the adult's head. Bald in the English name is derived from the word piebald, and refers to the white head and tail feathers and their contrast with the darker body.

cheers,
kilkenny

 

[madmartian]

Like the #8.1 Bald Eagles shot. Looks like there's eye contact. Good shot!

 

[kilkenny]

Like the #8.1 Bald Eagles sgot. Looks like there's eye contact. Good shot!

Hi madmartian,

Glad it works for you!

More on the raptors........ =)

#9 Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kite
The Brahminy Kite is distinctive and contrastingly coloured, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips. The juveniles are browner, but can be distinguished from both the resident and migratory races of Black Kite in Asia by the paler appearance, shorter wings and rounded tail. The pale patch on the underwing carpal region is of a squarish shape and separated from Buteo buzzards.

It is mainly a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland but occasionally hunts live prey such as hares and bats.

Young birds may indulge in play behaviour, dropping leaves and attempting to catch them in the air. When fishing over water, they may sometimes land in the water but manage to swim and take off without much trouble.

They roost communally on large and isolated trees and as many as 600 have been seen at just one location.

#10 Changeble Hawk Eagle

#10.1 Changeble Hawk Eagle

Changeble Hawk Eagle

The Crested Hawk-eagle or Changeable Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), is a bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. They were formerly placed in the genus Spizaetus but studies pointed to the group being paraphyletic resulting in the Old World members being placed in Nisaetus (Hodgson, 1836) and separated from the New World species.

Changeable Hawk Eagles breed in southern Asia in India and Sri Lanka and from the SE rim of the Himalaya across Southeast Asia to Indonesia and the Philippines. This is a bird occurring singly (outside mating season) in open woodland, although island forms prefer a higher tree density. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays a single egg.

Changeable Hawk Eagles eat mammals, birds and reptiles. They like to keep a sharp lookout perched bolt upright on a bough amongst the canopy foliage of some high tree standing near a forest clearing (see photos). There they wait for junglefowl, pheasants, hares and other small animals coming out into the open. The bird then swoops down forcefully, strikes, and bears the prey away in its talons (Ali & Daniel1983).

#11 White Bellied Sea Eagle

White Bellied Sea Eagle

The White-bellied Sea-eagle is one of the largest raptors in Southeast Asia, and the second largest bird of prey in Australia after the Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) which stands up to 1 m.

The sea eagle is white on the head, rump and underparts and dark grey on the back and wings. In flight the black flight feathers on the wings are easily seen when the bird is viewed from below. The large, hooked bill is a lead blue-grey with a darker tip, and the eye is dark brown. The cere is also lead grey. The legs and feet are yellow or grey, with long black talons (claws). The sexes are similar. Males are 70–80 cm (28–32 in) and weigh 1.8–3 kg (4–6.6 lb). Females are slightly larger, at 80–90 cm (32–36 in) and 2.5–4.5 kg (5.5–10 lb). The wingspan ranges from 1.8 to 2.2 m (6–7 ft).[4] They soar on thermals holding their wings in a 'V' shape, unlike other raptors who hold them horizontally.

They feed on fish and sea snakes, which they catch by skimming over the water and catching their prey with their talons.[4] They do not dive under water, however. They keep within 1 km of shores, as there are no thermals over water.

The White-bellied Sea-eagle hunts mainly aquatic animals, such as fish, turtles and sea snakes, but it takes birds, such as Little Penguins, coots and shearwaters, and mammals as well.In the Bismarck Archipelago it has been reported feeding on various species of possum.It is a skilled hunter, and will attack prey up to the size of a swan. They also feed on carrion such as dead sheep, birds and fish along the waterline, and may even raid fishing nets. They harass smaller birds such as Swamp Harriers, forcing them to drop any food that they are carrying.Sea-eagles feed alone, in pairs or in family groups.

cheers,
kilkenny