The Kingfishers of Borneo

I was going through my external hard drive yesterday and found some old photo collections of Kingfishers that i have kept. A majority of this photos were taken with my previous Nikon D80 and ever trusted 70-300mm VR lens. Location wise - the photos were shot in the Sepilok Forest Reserve and also my favourite 'hunting' ground which is at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Kingfishers have always attracted me because of thier beautiful plumage's and strikingly bright colours and this is very much evident in species such as the large stork billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis). It is always a great joy to see one flying past by with great speed, only managing to catch sight of a lightning tinge of bright blue or red. Thier shy and elusive behaviors have made them a difficult bird to photograph in the wild, with the best bet of photographing them is to have an intimate knowledge of thier daily movements and the patience to approach them silently. So far, i have only managed to photograph 6 of the 12 kingfishers found in Borneo. Hopefully i will be able to slowly document the rest.

Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis). Largest of all Kingfishers in Borneo. Distinctive large reddish bill with an approximate body size of 35 cm long. Found quite commonly along Borneo's major rivers, mangroves and coastline. Status: Least Concerned (IUCN 2010). Photographed in Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus borneana) - Male. Distinctive sexual dimorphism between Male and Female as seen on this two photos. Body size approximately 23 cm long. Found mainly in dense lowland rainforest and sometimes at secondary forest generally far away from water sources. Status: Near Threatened (IUCN 2010). Photographed in Sepilok Forest Reserve.

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus) - Female. 

Ruddy Kingfisher (Halycon coromanda). A medium sized kingfisher reaching approximately 25cm long. Has very large bright red bill with equally red legs. Body generally rufous red but turning violet at the tail end. It is a migratory species of kingfisher - with birds from the Northern Range (South Korea and Japan) migrating southwards to Borneo during the winter. Some might have taken resident in the Northeastern part of Sabah. Rarely found too far away from the sea although they have also been recorded in forested areas. Status: Least Concerned (IUCN 2010). Photographed at Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in October 2008.

Banded Kingfisher (Lacedo pulchella melanops) - Male. Approximately 20 cm long in body size. Disinctive sexual dimorphism between male and females - with females generally brownish with black bands and white chest. Found mainly in forested area - ranging from lowland up to sub montane forest. Status: Least Concerned (IUCN 2010). Photographed in Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting). A very small kingfisher with an approximate length of 16 cm. This bird is frequently sighted along Borneo's major rivers, streams and lakes where it perches hunting for small fishes. Status: Least Concerned (IUCN 2010). Photographed in Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Borneo Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca or rufidorsa?) - sub species motleyi. Another very small but bright and colourful kingfisher. Found in lowland rainforest up to 1,500 metres a.s.l. This species was photographed in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. I am very much intrigued but at the same time confused on the exact name of this kingfisher. There is i believe still an on going debate on the exact taxonomy of this species, as based on the new borneo bird field guide - one by Susan Myers and one by Quentin Phillips - both seem to treat the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher quite differently but one recognizing the presence of both species, Black-backed Kingfisher (Cexy erithaca) and Rufous-backed Kingfisher (Ceyx rufidorsa) in Borneo. A debate i read on bird forum (http://www.birdforum.net/archive/index.php/t-166649.html) suggested by James Eaton is that :

erithaca - is an Indochinese breeder which winter down to the Malaysian Peninsula and Sumatra

rufidorsa - is a Sundaic breeder (Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Flores, Kalimantan, Sarawak and Palawan)

ssp motleyi  - found in Sabah only and edging into Sarawak and Labuan

Would like to have more info on this if anyone have an opinion? 

Borneo Bird Photography Competition 2010

The hunt for the best bird photo at the 2nd Borneo Bird Festival 2010 has started since 4 days ago. Avid bird photographers and wildlife enthusiast will hope to 'Nail" thier best wild bird photo shot taken throughout Sabah before the dateline on the 17th of October 2010. With the lucrative prize money that is being offered to the best wild bird photo shot this year,  it will certainly add to the excitement of all that is participating. But, wild bird photography is not easy. In order to get the best shot, a photo with a 'WOW' factor in it - you will have to spend a lot of time and effort on the field and hope that the bird might give you a dose of luck such as at least a pose and also hope that the weather and other factors might play in your hands right as you release the shutter of your camera.

My only hope is that all photographers should respect the birds and not go to the extreme to disturb thier nest or use to much excessive repeated flash just to get the shot that they want. I believe that the right moment will come if we learn to understand the birds behaviour and respect their right of space whenever we are photographing them on the field.

This are the two Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) photos that i submitted for the bird photo competition last year albeit a very last minute entry. The first photo won me a consolation prize. Hopefully- finger crossed, i will fare better this year. Wish me Luck!

The Flight of the Rhinoceros Hornbill on the moment of landing as it approaches a fruiting Fig tree

The Rhinoceros Hornbill perching on a dead stump looking for insects and termites

All photos taken with a Nikon D300 + 70 - 300mm VR lens with iso 500, f 5.6 at 280mm at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on the 10 of November 2009. (N 05. 27' 401" E 118. 13' 904")

Flat-headed Cat

I just came back from an amazing 10 day volunteering trip in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and was lucky to sight a Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) on one of my night excursions on the river. This nocturnal feline was observed hunting (in a sit and wait position) very close to the river edge most likely waiting patiently for either fishes or frogs. Its webbed feet and streamlined head allows for speed of movement in the water - a perfect adaptation for life in the river.

Sightings of this species is generally considered to be rare and this is not surprising as its habitat is slowly diminishing especially the important riverine habitats. According to the IUCN, Flat-headed Cats is an endangered species with only about 2500 of them left within its range. This clearly reinforced the need to continue protecting and expanding current wetland and rainforest area to protect this endangered feline.

I managed to take a couple of photos of this beautiful feline for about less than 60 seconds before it retreated back into the forest. Here, i would like to share with all of you one of my shots. Enjoy!

Photo taken with a Nikon D 300 + 70-300mm VR lens shot at 300mm f 5.6 iso 800 with rear flash. Photo taken on the banks of the Menanggol river on the 12th of September 2010 at 10pm. (N 05 29' 48.4" ,  E 118 14' 53.0")