Aloha,
Just hired this fella. I think he is introducing centering error with his body weight! 😛
He did sing a beautiful song while perching here.
Shama
The magpie-robins or shamas (from shama, Hindi for C. malabaricus)[1] are medium-sized insectivorous birds (some also eat berries and other fruit) in the genera Copsychus and Trichixos. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The Seychelles magpie-robin is one of the most endangered birds in the world, with a population of less than 250, although this is a notable increase from just 16 in 1970.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie-robin
Beautiful bird! Interesting that its classification has changed...
Ahh, you're lucky to be serenaded while you work Yswami. I enjoyed seeing and listening to these guys while camping in the Kalalau Valley. Marvelous singers. I made a recording of them singing away with the sound of the surf in the back ground while swinging away in a hammock to transport me back to paradise for a few moments. 🙂
Being familiar with your area, would you agree with that article (that there is only 250 left)?
> Ahh, you're lucky to be serenaded while you work Yswami. I enjoyed seeing and listening to these guys while camping in the Kalalau Valley. Marvelous singers. I made a recording of them singing away with the sound of the surf in the back ground while swinging away in a hammock to transport me back to paradise for a few moments. 🙂
Aloha, Williwaw:
Indeed we are lucky. I actually recorded the birds singing yesterday. Played it back to it and got a bit of competition going. It sounded like they love to challenge each other who are the best singers. In this case, the bird didn't realize he is competing with himself;-)
You have a great day Will!
> Being familiar with your area, would you agree with that article (that there is only 250 left)?
Aloha, Imaudigger:
I had the same thought when I first read it. There are hundreds, if not thousands on the island here. But I think the article is most likely referring to a specific one as endangered and probably the count of 250--"Seychelles magpie-robin"
Aloha
I was wondering what the chances would be that you would have one land on your total station AND your back sight.
It has apparently taken on some of the traits of a robin, because our Magpies are not that friendly, they fly off cautiously -long before you get close.
> I was wondering what the chances would be that you would have one land on your total station AND your back sight.
>
> It has apparently taken on some of the traits of a robin, because our Magpies are not that friendly, they fly off cautiously -long before you get close.
Aloha, Imaudigger:
They are very friendly here. At least several of them are. I was about 3ft away from it yesterday. Sometimes, when we are working in the garden one will come and perch on the shovel handle that we are still holding. May be...it knows I am a vegan and will do no harm:-D:-D
Even we meat eaters treat robins as off-limits. They are such friendly/trusting birds. Many times they come back to the same area each year.
Wrens are also very trusting birds.
My dad said he was surveying one day and he sat down to take a break and a humming bird sat on his shoulder. He looked at it for a little bit then stuck his finger out and the hummingbird climbed on it and sat there for a minute before flying off. Pretty wild.
thanks for the taxonomy lesson; that makes the photos all the better
I love it when birds serenade us in the bush here.
At times it is a really impressive sound coming from all quarters.
I really enjoyed your birds over there, both Oahu and Kuaia.
Beautiful.
But then on way home I bought a birds of Hawaii book only to see many of those lovely specimens were imports. Sort of dampened my thoughts for a while when realised they weren't native or endemic.
Beautiful never the less.
Good post thanks Ysmami
> My dad said he was surveying one day and he sat down to take a break and a humming bird sat on his shoulder. He looked at it for a little bit then stuck his finger out and the hummingbird climbed on it and sat there for a minute before flying off. Pretty wild.
Aloha, Imaudigger:
That's pretty awesome! I've never seen a humming bird...hopefully I will one day.
> thanks for the taxonomy lesson; that makes the photos all the better
:good:
> I love it when birds serenade us in the bush here.
> At times it is a really impressive sound coming from all quarters.
>
> I really enjoyed your birds over there, both Oahu and Kuaia.
> Beautiful.
> But then on way home I bought a birds of Hawaii book only to see many of those lovely specimens were imports. Sort of dampened my thoughts for a while when realised they weren't native or endemic.
> Beautiful never the less.
> Good post thanks Ysmami
Aloha, Richard:
Yeah, many of the birds were introduced. I am glad you liked the post. Aloha!
What's left of the endemic birds on Kauai and the rest of the islands are found mostly in the highlands. Majority of the endemic species that inhabited the lowlands were wiped out I learned, by none other than another unintentional import, the mosquito, which carries avian malaria. The native birds had no resistance while the imports have some immunity. The tropical varieties of mosquitoes that found their way there don't flourish at the higher elevations. I read somewhere that since the first Polynesians set foot on the islands, 900+ species of birds have gone extinct on the islands. The worst nightmare for the island's birds is if the Brown Tree Snake makes it's way there. They've nearly wiped out the majority of endemic birds on Guam.
> Aloha, Imaudigger:
> That's pretty awesome! I've never seen a humming bird...hopefully I will one day.
Really! Around here, you can put up a hummingbird feeder, filled with sugar water and they will make your yard their home for the summer. They are fun to watch as they get very territorial and chase each other off. Come winter, you have to taper off the food supply otherwise they will stick around and freeze to death.
