General Bird Guide to Panaga

Mark Hessels, from the Netherlands, in Brunei since
mid2004. PNHS committee member and later on
also secretary, but moreover passionate naturalist,
amateur nature photographer and bird watcher.

UCan’t miss
1. Yellow-vented bulbul
2. White-collared kingfisher (+ other kingfishers)
3. Pied Hornbill (+ other hornbills)
4. Olive backed sunbird
5. White breasted wood swallow
6. Eurasian tree sparrow
7. Chestnut munia
8. White breasted water hen
9. Philippine glossy starling
USmall and agile
10. Scarlet backed flower pecker
11. Common iora
12. Ashy tailorbird
UCommon, but which is which ?
13. Cattle egret (+ other egrets)
14. Magpie robin
15. Pied triller
16. Ashy minivet
17. Pied fantail
18. Green pigeons
19. Peaceful dove
20. Spotted dove
UPanaga Specials
21. Blue eared barbet
22. Common (greater) coucal
23. Chinese pond heron
24. Green imperial pigeon
25. Blue-throated bee-eater
26. Hill myna
27. Brahminy kite
UOutside Panaga
General description of Borneo’s riches only.

Introduction
Panaga is still a small paradise for birds. The presence of a lot of (old)
trees and fruit carrying bushes, the large variety in plants, the remains of
the sungai Seria mangroves and the relative safety against catching and
poaching makes it a logical habitat choice for many birds. Within Panaga
itself well over 30 different species can be observed, if you include the
close vicinity of the camp this number easily doubles.
A pair of binoculars is almost a prerequisite to really enjoy the birdlife,
even for the trained eye. Your first pair doesn’t need to be big and
expensive; a magnification of 7-9x and a lens opening of 20-30 mm is
already an enormous improvement compared to the naked eye. For your
first binoculars probably size and weight is the most important selection
criterion; it should be small enough to fit in your bag without bothering you.
This chapter will take you along 27 birds that can be observed in or close
to Panaga. The species are not categorized according scientific
conventions as you will find in most bird guides, but in a hopefully more
accessible manner to the untrained birdwatcher. In order of appearance
the following categories will be explored:
Can’t miss
Small and agile
Common, but which is which?
Panaga specials
As a general note of caution, please realize that a bird’s nest is always
very vulnerable when disturbed. The nest pictures incorporated in this
booklet were shot with a 500 mm lens from at least 5 meters distance.
Please resist the temptation and keep your distance in order not to
sacrifice the next bird generation. Binoculars provide a marvelous
alternative to peek into the undisturbed family life of the nest.
Note:
Bird sizes, if provided to assist identification, normally refer to the distance from the tip of the
bill till the tip of the tail.
The Latin names are provided to avoid any chance of mix-up. The Latin names are unique
and never subject to change, as opposed to some of the trivial names in modern languages.

UCan’t miss
There are a number of species that are so abundant, easy to recognize or
both, that they deserve the classification “Can’t miss”.
Yellow-vented bulbul (pycnonotus goiavier)
By far the most common appearance is
the yellow-vented bulbul; though never
officially confirmed, there is little doubt
that this bird outnumbers the human
population of Panaga by far. It is one of
the few birds that occasionally gets
registered as “annoyingly much” in
peoples’ fauna observations lists.
The large bulbul family consists of some 40 different species and yet this
is actually the only bulbul that you are likely to see in the camp. The bird
has been very successful in adapting to human company, but still has
hardly any interaction with humans. It does not really feed from our dinner
table leftovers or other waste; it just happens to feel comfortable in manmade
environment.
Though often seen in big groups, they essentially operate in pairs; there is
some minor mutual territorial behavior, but they can get really fanatic in
chasing of smaller birds from there favorite berry supply.
Identification:
App. 20 cm, has a clear dark line from its bill till the eye (like a kind of mask) and a
wider brown line over the top of its head. Once seen from below, the yellow “vent”
can’t be missed. Often nests in garden bushes around 1-2 meter above the
ground.

White-collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
This kingfisher is a common inhabitant
of coastal areas and mangrove forest
and is definitely the noisiest inhabitant
of the camp, be it in close competition
with the pied hornbills. It’s raucous call
when defending its territory is a
common sound around the camp. The
aggressive tone is not unintentionally.
It’s aggressive streak when nesting is
well known with monkeys, hornbills,
cats, dogs, squirrels and other birds; all
recorded as being attacked probably
for straying too close to a nesting site.
Not all kingfishers obey to their name and this is one of them. There is
hardly any fish on the menu for this bird and it predominantly feeds on
large insects and small lizards, though the occasional crab from the sungai
will not be rejected. At least 2 other kingfishers (common and blue-eared)
can be found in Panaga; both being much smaller with clear orange body
parts.
Identification:
App. 24-26 cm, large thick blackish/grey bill with light bottom, head and wing colour
varies from sea-green to electric blue depending on the sunlight intensity and
direction, very clear white collar.

Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
Absolute ornithological highlight of
Panaga and the only hornbill known to
live this close to humans. Why they
choose to stay here is still not fully
understood. The presence of mature
casuarine and fig trees for roosting,
nesting and feeding will play a role; so
may the relative safety with respect to
poaching. Other behavioral aspects are
still subject to scientific research.
Panaga is home to at least 2 larger
groups, the total population has been
estimated at 70-80 species (2006).
During breeding time couples leave the
group. After finding a suitable hollow in
a casuarine tree, the female cements
herself in from the inside, to lay and
incubate the eggs, safe from predators
like monkeys and snakes. In order to fit
into the narrow space she normally
pulls out her own tail feathers, thus
even becoming temporary flightless.
Meanwhile outside the male spends most of his time collecting food and
bringing it back to the nest. He feeds his partner through the narrow slit in
the nest opening; after the eggs have hatched the female redistributes part
of these “home delivered” goodies to the chicks. When not collecting food
the male can always be found nearby, guarding the nest from the outside.
Identification:
App. 70 cm. Unmistakable within the Panaga area. In the rare event that a black
hornbill would pass by, the absence of white belly and white wingtips (only visble
during flight) will prevent confusion with our resident hornbills.

Olive-backed sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis)
A common and colorful sight in many
gardens. Though also feeding on
small insects their long, curved bill
and long tongue are specialized for
nectar feeding from flowers.
Part of a family of at least ten
species (in Borneo), this is the only
sunbird that has reasonably adapted
to humans and even builds its nest
close to us. The nest is a bit untidy,
pendant shaped and hanging from
thin flexible tendrils to complicate
access for predators. To further
enhance the design it is fitted with a
porched entrance.
Note the chick’s very different bill
shape and the early phase of
development of yellow breast
feathers in the bottom right picture.
Identification:
App. 12 cm. Male is easy to recognize due to his iridescent dark blue throat and
upper breast. Female is purely olive green (back) and yellow (front) and difficult to
distinct from other female sunbirds.

White breasted wood swallow (Artamus leucorynchus)
Commonly found around the
Panaga club, cozily perching
high in the casuarina trees or
lighting poles, from where it
starts its smooth, seemingly
effortless flight, catching
insects on the wing. Around
sunset this feeding flight can
be nicely observed above and
around the Panaga swimming
pool.
Sometimes very noisy and
territorial; often attacking other
birds when approaching too
close, even including large
birds of prey like Brahminy kite
and changeable hawk eagle.
Identification:
App. 17.5-19.5 cm. Easiest recognized on the wing, showing clean white
underparts except for dark grey head and tail. Strong, blue-grey bill. Perching often
in small groups, cozily sitting as close together as possible.
Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
Another example of a very
successful, adaptive bird; originally
omnivorous (seeds, insects), this
species developed into a common
scavenger on our meal leftovers. In
this role frequently found in
gardens, but also around the
Panaga pool terrace. May look a
bit boring from a distance, but in
close up shows a surprisingly
colorful feather print. Mutually quite
hierarchical organized; the
dominant males can be easily
recognized from the black spot on
the throat, the larger the spot, the
higher his rank.
Identification:
App. 14 cm. Though no other sparrow species are known to Panaga the small
black patch on the cheek can be used to confirm identification.

Chestnut munia (Lonchura Malacca)
One of Panaga’s cutest; sometimes also referred
to as black-headed munia, for obvious reasons.
This finch like bird is a real seed specialist; the
strong bill is specifically designed to crack the
hard shells of the seeds. The wings seem almost
too small to carry the bird, resulting in high
frequency flittering, which can be clearly heard if
they are passing by. In the garden you may often
find them just as a (nesting) pair, but in the fields
and along the roadsides you more commonly see
small flocks of about a dozen flittering working
their way through the seeding grasses.
Identification:
App. 11 cm. By color unmistakable distinguished from other munias; chestnut
plumage, contrasting black hood and thick, bright blue-grey bill.
White-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
Not the most spectacular bird of Panaga,
but deserves definitely a place in this
category. Sometimes referred to as
“Panaga chicken” (though it is in no way
related), this bird can be found
wandering along the ditches picking for
insects and larvae. Its appearance may
suggest that it’s flightless, but this is not
true; though not very elegant they are
quite reasonable flyers and sometimes
even migrating.
Identification:
App. 30-36 cm. Dark olive brown back and
cap, white face and breast. Rest of under
parts chestnut, as can be easily seen when
tail flips up at almost every step.

Philippine glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis)
Along with the tree sparrow this is the most prolific scavenger of the
Panaga poolside leftovers. Normally mainly a fruit eater, it can’t resist the
easy pickings on the poolside tables. Also commonly seen in gardens and
often found nesting in the eaves of buildings.
On one occasion I observed a couple successfully chasing a full size
monitor lizard away from their nest, a truly impressive sight.
Identification:
App. 19-21 cm. Completely black plumage with some greenish shine on it
depending on sunlight. The red eye is diagnostic as it is not very common among
birds, even the immature ones (middle picture), with quite different plumage, can
be recognized in this way.

USmall and agile
There are numerous small birds that shoot like small rockets from tree to
tree, releasing short metallic tick sounds. Upon arrival they generally
disappear between the leaves to pursue their non-stop hunt for small
insects. The irregular movement of the leaves will prove their presence
and every now and then the may pop-out to survey the surroundings for a
brief moment.
It takes a bit of binocular skill to catch a view of these small creatures, but
it is definitely worth a try since they are among the most beautiful
inhabitants of Panaga.
Scarlet-backed flower pecker (Dicaeum cruentatum)
Colorful and hyperactive; feeds on insects, small berries and nectar. Calls
with a distinct hard metallic tick, often repeatedly.
Identification:
App. 8-9 cm. Beautiful tricolor male hardly needs further description (refer pictures
above). Female quite differently dull olive-grey with only the rump equally bright red
colored.

Common iora (Aegithina tiphia)
Identification:
App. 12-15 cm.
Ashy tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps)
Identification:
App. 11-12 cm.

UCommon, but which is which ?
Once you have worked your way through the “can’t miss” category and
even managed to spot some of the small ones of the second group, it is
time to have a go at this category.
This group comprises a number of birds which are fairly or some even very
common, but it is quite easy to mix them up with other (not necessarily
equally common) species. By grouping them together here you will
hopefully be able to tell the differences upon next encounter.
Egrets
Large groups of big white birds populate the wet grasslands and the
mudflats of the Sg. Seria in search for frogs, lizards and mud skippers.
The egrets, typical wetland birds, decided to stay when people took over
the mangrove areas along Belait’s coast.
The large groups predominantly consist of cattle egrets, but upon closer
look you will sometimes find other, more solitary, egrets mixed in. Most of
the egrets are migratory and breed in more north-eastern parts of Asia, but
there are increasing indications that parts of the population have become
resident and breed in Brunei.
The pictures below show the three most common egrets of Panaga and
surroundings, for mutual comparison.
For completeness; at least two other white egrets can be seen around
Panaga (Intermediate egret (Egretta intermedia) and the white morph of
the Pacific reef egret (Egretta sacra)), but I will spare you the details on
those less common visitors.

Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
App. 50 cm, the smallest of the white egrets. Relatively short thick neck and short
strong yellow bill. Normally completely white, but in breeding plumage patches on
head, neck, breast and back turn buff (picture top right).
Great egret (Egretta alba)
App. 90 cm, the largest of the white
egrets. When retracted, the long slender
neck is almost unnaturally kinked
halfway. The long sharply pointed yellow
bill sometimes has a dusky tip, but turns
completely black when breeding.
Blackish legs and feet.
Little egret (Egretta garzetta)
App. 60-65 cm, blackish bill and legs,
with contrasting yellow feet. In
breeding plumage develops plumes
on breast and neck (picture bottom
right).

Oriental magpie robin (Copsychus saularis)
Pied triller (Lalage nigra)
Ashy minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)
Pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica)
Green pigeons
Peaceful dove
Spotted dove

UPanaga Specials
Blue eared barbet (Megalaima australis)
Common (greater) coucal (Centropus sinensis)
Chinese pond heron (Ardeola bacchus)
Green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea)
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis)
Hill myna (Gracula religiosa)
Brahminy kite (Haliastur Indus)

UOutside Panaga
General description of Borneo’s riches only.