a field guide to the planet - by Damon Ramsey
INDO-MALAYAN Tropical & Subtropical Dry (Deciduous) Forest
birds
The beautiful and increasingly rare birds of the dry seasonal monsoonal deciduous forest of India and south-east Asia...
Family Anatidae: Ducks, Geese, Swans
Family Phasianidae
Francolinus pintadeanus, 'Chinese/Burmese Francolin', (Tmatboey Lodge, Cambodia). Distribution is south-east Asian mainland into southern China.
Pavo cristatus, Indian Peafowl. This is the male peacock, obviously. (Sri Lanka). Endemic to India and Sri Lanka, but introduced to many other places around the world.
Family Columbidae: Doves & Pigeons
Family Cuculidae: Cuckoos
? Cacomantis sonneratii, 'Banded Bay Cuckoo', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Family Caprimulgidae: Nightjars, Nighthawks
Caprimulgus affinis, 'Savanna Nightjar', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Family Charadriidae: Plovers, Dotterels
Vanellus indicus, 'Red-wattled Lapwing', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Family Glareolidae: Coursers, Pratincoles
Family Threskiornithidae: Ibises, Spoonbills
Thaumatibis gigantea, 'Giant Ibis', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). Only found regularly in northern Cambodia.
Pseudibis davisoni, 'White-shouldered Ibis' (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). Rare. Restricted to small ranges within Borneo and mainland south-east Asia.
Family Accipitridae: Hawks, Kites, Eagles
? Nisaetus cirrhatus, 'Changeable Hawk-eagle' (Tmatboey Lodge, Cambodia).
Spilornis cheela, 'Crested Serpent Eagle' (Lunugamvehera National Park, Sri Lanka). Usually found on edge of forest, often near water, across tropical Asia.
Haliaeetus ichthyaetus, 'Grey-headed Fish Eagle' , (Lunugamvehera National Park, Sri Lanka). Found in open habitats neat water across tropical Asia.
Family Strigidae: Typical Owls
Athene brama, 'Spotted Owlet' (Florican Grasslands, Cambodia).
Glaucidium cuculoides, 'Barred Owlet' (Tmatboey Lodge, Cambodia). Distributed from Nepal across south-east Asian mainland and north into southern China.
Family Meropidae: Bee-eaters
Merops philippinus, 'Blue-tailed Bee-eater', (Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand).
Family Coraciidae: Rollers
Coracias benghalensis, 'Indian Roller', (Bunadala, Sri Lanka). Found from the middle east, across India, to tropical south-east Asia.
Family Megalaimidae: Asian Barbets
Psilopogon lineatus, 'Lineated Barbet', Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Family Picidae: Woodpeckers
The open woodlands of tropical Asia have a high diversity of woodpeckers. They range in shape, colour, size and ecological niche.
Dendrocopos hyperythrus, 'Rufous-bellied Woodpecker', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). Found in closed and open forest across tropical Asia.
Leiopicus mahrattensis, 'Yellow-crowned Woodpecker', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). Mostly found in India, but also patchily distibuted in some parts of mainland south-east Asia.
Micropternus brachyurus, 'Rufous Woodpecker', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Picus erythropygius, 'Black-headed Woodpecker', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). Almost looks like an old-world Oriole. Restricted to south-east Asian mainland.
Mulleripicus pulverulentus, 'Great Slaty Woodpecker' (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia). The largest woodpecker in the world. Found in undisturbed open and closed habitats. Distribution from north-east India, across mainland south-east Asia and south to Java.
Family Falconidae
Polihierax insignis, 'White-rumped Pygmy Falcon', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Family Psittaculidae: Old World Parrots
Psittacula krameric, 'Rose-ringed/Ring-necked Parakeet', (Bundala, Sri Lanka).
Psittacula alexandri,'Red-breasted Parakeet', (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Psittacula roseata, 'Blossom-headed Parakeet' (female), (Kulen Prontemp, Cambodia).
Continued on next page: Passerine birds
Thinking of travelling again after everything settles down? One of the first expeditions I am booked to work on is the NZ sub-Antarctics with Silversea Expeditions and Australia with Coral Expeditions. And here is a shortened version of one of my lectures in a warmer part of the world.