Photographic Guide to the Birds of Malaysia & Singapore - Morten Strange

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F: Podicipedidae

      Description: Unmistakable, Note yellow spot near bill in breeding plumage; non-breeding plumage is duller, breast and hind neck pale brown.

      Voice: A sharp ke-ke-ke-ke.

      Habits: Like all grebes, a strictly aquatic bird rarely seen flying. Swims in ponds and lakes near or among reeds and dives when disturbed. Feeds on fish and aquatic invertebrates. Disperses outside breeding season, small flocks sometimes gather at prime locations.

      SPOT-BILLED PELICAN

      Pelecanus philippensis 140 cm F: Pelecanidae

      Description: Distinguished from other pelicans by spotted upper mandible on bill; also grey-tinged to white plumage.

      Voice: Generally quiet.

      Habits: Frequents a variety of shallow wetlands, from inland marshes and lakes, to brackish estuaries near the coast. Swims on surface and dives for fish, often in flocks with other water birds. Formerly widespread, numerous and locally abundant, with millions of birds in Myanmar atone. During the last few decades has declined drastically; now scarce throughout its range and vulnerable to global extinction.

      MASKED BOOBY

      Sula dactylatra 86 cm F: Sulidae

      Description: Distinguished from other boobies by black facial mask contrasting with yellow bill; distinguished from Brown Booby also by large size and white (not brown) neck and wing coverts.

      Voice: Quiet during migration; honks and whistles near nest.

      Habits: A pelagic bird, sometimes found 1,000 km from nearest land. Only visits remote offshore islets to breed, however even these sites are not too remote for fishermen who collect eggs and young. Populations have been greatly reduced in Southeast Asia, but are still sizable in other regions such as the Pacific Ocean. Makes spectacular dives into the sea for large fish.

      RED-FOOTED BOOBY

      Sula sula 71 cm F: Sulidae

      Description: Note diagnostic white tail. Also distinguished from previous species by smaller size, yellowish head and lack of mask.

      Voice: Quiet during migration; honks and whistles near nest.

      Habits: A pelagic bird that flies up to 150 km from breeding colony to forage on small flying fish and squid; never seen near the mainland. Mostly reduced in numbers in Southeast Asia, but over a million individuals are still found in the Pacific Ocean region, the Caribbean and off Australia.

      BROWN BOOBY

      Sula leucogaster 74 cm F: Sulidae

      Description: Note diagnostic chocolate-brown upper parts and neck contrasting with white belly.

      Voice: Quiet during migration; quacking calls near nest.

      Habits: The most widespread member of its family in Southeast Asia, Occasionally seen near the mainland coast flying low, with characteristic shallow wing beats. Although no longer a resident in Thailand and other areas, still locally numerous on islands in the Malacca Strait, South China Sea and off the Philippines. A large colony is located on the Layang-Layang Islands, where this photograph was taken. Can be reached by direct flight from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

      GREAT CORMORANT (Cormorant)

      Phalacrocorax carbo 81 cm F: Phalacrocoracidae

      Description: Large size is diagnostic, Note whitish cheeks and throat.

      Voice: Generally silent, although it grunts and groans at breeding sites.

      Habits: Like other cormorants, it swims low in the water, diving for fish; between dives it often sits near water's edge drying off. A strong flyer, this species is trained to assist fishermen in China.

      LITTLE CORMORANT

      Phalacrocorax niger 52 cm F: Phalacrocoracidae.

      Description: Distinguished with some difficulty from the generally less common Indian Shag, P. fuscicollis (64 cm), by its smaller size and shorter bill.

      Voice: Usually silent, although it grunts and groans at breeding sites.

      Habits: Lives around ponds, swamps and flooded fields, often near the coast, extending into tidal mangroves. Locally abundant in prime habitat, such as the wetlands south of Bangkok; often seen flying between its feeding grounds and its breeding colonies, located in low trees surrounded by water. Also perches in the open to dry out plumage after diving for fish.

      DARTER (Oriental Darter)

      Anhinga melanogaster 91 cm F: Anhingidae

      Description: Unmistakable. Mote the long, thin neck and pale streaks in plumage. A unique species; an American species is the only other member of this family.

      Voice: Usually silent.

      Habits: Found in inland swamps, overgrown reservoirs and rivers, often with wooded surroundings. Swims low in the water with only the head and neck above surface. Dives for fish as well as aquatic amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. Suns itself like a cormorant, see photo.

      GREAT FRIGATEBIRD

      Fregata minor 94 cm F: Fregatidae

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