Urban animal life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is derived from the Latin accipiter (‘hawk’), from accipere (‘to grasp’), naturally alluding to the sharp talons.

 

 

The subspecific name alludes to the Hindu god Krishna, an avatar (incarnation) of the mighty god Vishnu. It is told that Krishna persuaded people who lived beneath the mountain Govardhana to worship the mountain instead of the rain god Indra, as he was of the opinion that the mountain, rather than the rain god, provided them with nourishment. Indra got furious, when the people no longer worshipped him and, as a punishment, sent torrential rain in order to drown people and cattle. However, Krishna protected them by raising the mountain, so that they could seek shelter beneath it. Indra acknowledged the superiority of Krishna, giving him the name Govinda, meaning ‘protector of cattle’.

More about Krishna and other Hindu gods is found on the page Religion: Hinduism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are divided into three subfamilies: river kingfishers (Alcedininae), tree kingfishers (Halcyoninae), and water kingfishers (Cerylinae). One species of the former subfamily is presented below, whereas members of the other two subfamilies are dealt with on the page Animals: Himalayan animals.

 

The generic name is the Latin word for kingfisher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drake is a gorgeous bird in breeding plumage, with grey sides, purple breast, and glossy-green head, with a blue shine from certain angles. The female is a uniform speckled brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic geese are descended from the greylag goose. In some places, including North America and Australia, domestic geese have escaped to form feral populations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized form of brandgás (‘burnt goose’), the Old Norse name of the brent goose (Branta bernicla), referring to the mainly black plumage of this species. In English, ‘burnt’ became ‘brent’.

 

The Canada goose is very bold and has been able to establish populations in urban areas, where it has no natural predators. In many areas, it has been declared a pest because of its noise, droppings, and aggressive behaviour.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a Latinized form of the Greek kyknos (‘swan’).

 

In his fairy tale The Ugly Duckling, Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen relates the fate of a cygnet, which is ostracized by its fellow fowl in a farmyard, where it has been hatched together with ducklings. It has to undergo much suffering, before it realizes that it has matured into a beautiful swan. In reality, this story is about the fate of Andersen himself.

The mute swan is native to northern Europe, from southern Norway and southern Finland, southwards to southern France and Romania, and from Ireland eastwards to western Russia and Ukraine, and with patchy breeding occurrence in the Balkans, Turkey, and Central Asia, eastwards to southern Siberia, Mongolia, and northern China. It has also been introduced elsewhere, including North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

As opposed to the other northern European swans, the whooper swan (C. cygnus) and Bewick’s swan (C. columbianus ssp. bewickii), the mute swan is not very vocal, hence the appellation mute. The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘swan’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name refers to Nepal. Presumably, the type specimen was collected there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘white’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other pictures, depicting grey herons, are shown on the pages Fishing, and Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, whereas the great blue heron is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

However, in the late 1800s it began expanding its range into southern Africa, and in 1877 it was observed in northern South America, having apparently flown across the Atlantic Ocean. By the 1930s, it had become established as a breeding bird in this area, rapidly spreading to North America, where it is now found as far north as southern Canada. In later years, it has also spread northwards in Europe.

As its name implies, it often follows cattle to snap grasshoppers and other small animals, flushed by the grazers. It is also often observed in newly ploughed fields. The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘cowherd’. The specific name is the Ancient Greek term for ibises. Why it was applied to the cattle egret is not clear.

Today, some authorities split the cattle egret into two species, the western (B. ibis) and the eastern (B. coromandus). Apart from minor differences, they are identical, so why this split was made, is incomprehensible. I prefer to regard all cattle egrets as a single species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Provençal French aigrette, a diminutive of aigron (‘heron’).

 

The specific name is the Italian name for the bird.

A close relative, the snowy egret (E. thula), is presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the United States and Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main habitats of this species are forest and marshy areas, but in Taiwan it is fairly common in cities and city parks, where it can become remarkably confiding.

The pictures below are from the city of Taichung, Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In historic times, 4 other species of the genus, which were all restricted to small islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, have gone extinct.

The generic name is derived from the Greek nyktos (‘night’) and korax (‘raven’), referring to the mainly nocturnal feeding habits of these birds, and to their hoarse, raven-like call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the old days, these birds were often called goatsuckers, as it was believed that they would suck milk from goats at night. This belief dates back to Roman philosopher and naturalist Pliny the Elder (c. 23-79 A.D.), who called these birds caprimulgus, derived from capra (‘she-goat’) and mulgere (‘to milk’). He wrote: “Those called goat-suckers, which resemble a rather large blackbird, are night thieves. They enter the shepherds’ stalls and fly to the goats’ udders in order to suck their milk, which injures the udder and makes it perish, and the goats they have milked in this way gradually go blind.”

In 1758, the name caprimulgus was adopted by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), when he named the European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus. In German, nightjars are still called Ziegenmelker (‘goat-milkers’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘related to’ or ‘similar to’ – presumably to another nightjar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic and common names allude to the brilliant red plumage of the northern cardinal (below), which resembles the red robes of cardinals. Originally, cardinalis is Latin, meaning ‘principal’ or ‘chief’, short for cardinalis ecclesiae Romanae, that is ‘presbyters of the cardinal (chief) churches of Rome’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the Latin word for a yellowish bird, mentioned in Biblia Vulgata, a Latin translation of the Bible from the late 4th Century. The word was derived from Ancient Greek kharadrios, a bird found in river valleys, from kharadra (‘ravine’).

 

The specific name means ‘doubtful’ in Latin, so named in 1776 by French naturalist and explorer Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814), as he thought that the specimen, which he described the species from, might be a variant of the common ringed plover (C. hiaticula), whose plumage had been altered by climatic influence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek orthotomeo (‘to cut straight’), which, like the common name, alludes to the way the nest of these birds is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced with the bill and then ‘sewn’ together with plant fibre or spider silk, forming a ‘sack’, in which the actual grass nest is built.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of a shoemaker’, derived from suere (‘to stitch’ or ‘to sew’).

The tailorbird plays a significant role in the delightful short story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, which relates how a valiant young grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii) rids a garden of dangerous cobras (Naja naja). This story is included in the famous The Jungle Book (1894), by English author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). In the story, the tailorbird is named Darzee, which refers to one of the calls of the bird, rendered as whee-whee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Latin, meaning ‘dove’, the feminine form of columbus (‘male dove’), a Latinized version of the Greek kolumbos (‘diver’). This name was applied by Greek comic-writer Aristophanes (c. 446-386 B.C.) to the common rock pigeons, due to the ‘swimming’ motion made by their wings in flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek spilos (‘spot’) and peleia (‘dove’), referring to the spots on the neck of the spotted dove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other names include palm dove and Senegal dove, and in India it is known as little brown dove. The name laughing dove stems from its characteristic cooing, a low, drawn-out croo-doo-doo-doo-doo, somewhat reminiscent of a laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek streptos, which literally means ‘twisted’, but in this connection ‘wearing a torque’ (a twisted necklace), alluding to the semi-collar of many members of the genus; and peleia (‘dove’).

Other species, which were formerly placed in this genus, have been moved to the genera Spilopelia (above) and Nesoenas.

 

The cooing of this bird is a rather monotonous, continuously repeated “cuh-coooor-cuh”, which can at times be rather annoying. When I was young and prepared for high school examinations, it was quite hot, so I had to leave a window open. A favourite cooing place of a collared dove was our neighbour’s flag pole, situated about 15 m from my window. Its cooing got so annoying that I had to go out and chase it away, but five minutes later it was back on the pole. Well, I did pass my exams anyway.

Various legends are connected with the specific name, which means eighteen in the Greek, from deka (ten) and okto (eight). One legend relates that when Christ was carrying his cross towards Golgotha, a Roman soldier took pity on him, noticing that he was exhausted. By the side of the road, an old woman was selling milk, and the Roman soldier went to her and asked her how much she wanted for a cup of milk. She replied that it would cost eighteen coins. However, the soldier only had seventeen, so he pleaded with her to sell a cupful for seventeen, but the woman refused, and the soldier had to leave without the milk.

When Christ was crucified, the woman was turned into a collared dove and condemned to go around the rest of her days, repeating dekaokto, dekaokto (‘eighteen, eighteen’). If ever she agrees to say dekaepta (‘seventeen’) she will regain her human form, but if she, out of obstination, says dekaenea (‘nineteen’) the world will come to an end.

I wonder how the Greeks managed to make a three-toned call resemble a four-syllable word. But maybe it is pronounced ‘dekokto’?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The male is quite distinct, having grey head, black collar on the hind neck, red wings, and reddish breast, which has given rise to the name of the species. The female is brownish, also with a black collar.

The specific name means ‘from Tranquebar’, a former Danish colony on the east coast of South India, in present-day Tamil Nadu. Presumably, the type specimen of this species was collected here. – Tranquebar is described on the page Culture: Entrances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to persecution, most members of the family are very shy. However, many corvids have now adapted to a life in cities, where they are generally left in peace.

Numerous members of this family are described on the page Animals – Birds: Corvids.

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin moneta (‘coin’), thus named by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), allegedly because this bird often picks up coins and other shining items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the last 30 to 40 years, many rooks have been moving from rural areas into towns and cities, where they are secure from hunters. However, they are also persecuted in many of these new breeding areas, as they are noisy and make a mess. As a result, the rook is diminishing in many areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Greek dendron (‘tree’) and kissa, which was the classical Greek name of the common jay (Garrulus glandarius), but also refers to magpies in general. The word pie is of Indo-European origin, meaning ‘pointed’, referring to the long, pointed tail of these birds.

 

Other pictures, depicting this species, may be seen on the pages Animals – Birds: Corvids, and Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, following recent genetic research it has been suggested that the former black-billed magpie should be split into a number of separate species, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), the Maghreb magpie (P. mauritanica) of North Africa, the Asir magpie (P. asirensis) of south-western Saudi Arabia, the Oriental magpie (P. serica) of eastern and southern China, Taiwan, and northern Indochina, the black-rumped magpie (P. bottanensis) of west-central China and the north-eastern Himalaya, and the black-billed magpie (P. hudsonia) of western North America. They are all very much alike, so why this split was made is a mystery to me, and I prefer to regards these magpies as subspecies of a single species.

The generic name is the classical Latin name of the magpie, derived from the Latin picata, which, strictly speaking, means ‘smeared with tar’, but in a wider sense ‘black-and-white’.

The word pie is of Indo-European origin, meaning ‘pointed’, in this case no doubt referring to the long, pointed tail of these birds. The prefix mag– dates from the 16th Century, a short form of the name Margaret, which was a term used for women in general. The call of the bird was likened to the chattering of women, and so it was called mag-pie. (Source: etymonline.com/word/magpie)

 

As described above, some subspecies have been upgraded to separate species by some authorities.

Like the hooded crow, the magpie was formerly a shy bird, fleeing from people at a long distance. Today, however, it is a common breeding bird in cities, where, under normal circumstances, people do not constitute a danger to the birds.

The role of the magpie in folklore is described on the page Animals – Birds: Corvids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several species are excellent imitators, one example described on the page Quotes on Nature.

 

The black drongo lives in open areas, where it catches flying insects from a prominent perch, such as an electric wire or a bare branch. As its name implies, the plumage of this species is jet-black, with very little sheen. Previously, it was regarded as con-specific with the African fork-tailed drongo, which is today treated as a separate species, named D. adsimilis.

 

 

 

 

 

In Europe, the term swallow is mainly used for species with forked tails, martin mainly for species with squarish tails. In America, however, the term martin is reserved for members of the genus Progne.

 

The generic name is an anagram of chelidon, a Latinized version of Ancient Greek khelidon (‘swallow’).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘living in towns’.

Previously, populations further east in Asia were regarded as belonging to this species, but have since been split to form two other species, Asian house martin (D. dasypus) and Siberian house martin (D. lagopodum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subspecies gutturalis is a common summer visitor in Taiwanese cities, and some birds are resident. The pictures below all show this subspecies, photographed in the city of Taichung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may be told from the barn swallow (above) by its shorter outer tail feathers, the greyish, checkered vent, and lack of black breast band.

Previously, birds in southern India and Sri Lanka were included in this species, but are now regarded as a separate species, called hill swallow (H. domicola).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, the family was much larger, encompassing bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, boubous, and helmetshrikes. However, genetic research has shown that these groups are not closely related to shrikes. As a consequence, bushshrikes, puffbacks, tchagras, and boubous have been moved to the family Malaconotidae, helmetshrikes to the family Vangidae.

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin lanio (‘butcher’), referring to the habit of some species of impaling their prey on thorns to be consumed later. The English name stems from Old English scric, alluding to their call. African species are known as fiscals, derived from Afrikaans fiskaal (a public official, especially a hangman), likewise alluding to the food-storing habit.

 

In Taiwan, subspecies lucionensis is a common migrant and winter visitor. The pictures below are all from Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously, the majority of gulls were breeding in wetlands, and they were rather shy of people. During the last 50 years, however, many species have readily adapted to a life in cities, feeding mainly on garbage and often breeding on house roofs.

 

 

The specific name is from the Latin ridere (‘to laugh’), referring to one of its calls, ke-ke-ke, mostly heard in the breeding colonies.

In former days, this species was very common in most of Europe, but it has declined drastically during the last 30 to 40 years. It does not breed on house roofs, but often on islands, constructed in ponds in city parks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following birds, which are now regarded as full species, were formerly treated as subspecies of the herring gull: western yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis) (below), Caspian gull (L. cachinnans), Armenian gull (L. armenicus), Vega gull (L. vegae) (below), and American herring gull (L. smithsonianus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘brown’. It may refer to immature birds, which sometimes have a brownish tinge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These colourful, small to medium-sized birds were formerly placed in the family Capitonidae, which also included New World barbets and African barbets, but the Asian species have been found to be distinctive and now constitute a separate family, with African barbets (Lybiidae) and toucans (Ramphastidae) as sister groups.

The generic name Psilopogon is derived from Ancient Greek psilos (‘bare’) and pogon (‘beard’).

The name barbet is derived from French barbe (‘beard’ or ‘long hair of certain animals’), alluding to the bristles around the bill of these birds.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘of the nape’. It is not clear what it refers to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is the classical Latin word for the white wagtail (below). It is derived from motare (‘to move’ or ‘to shake’), and the diminutive suffix illa, thus ‘the little shaker’, alluding to the tail of the white wagtail always bobbing up and down. However, some time during the Middle Ages the erroneous belief arose that cilla meant ‘tail’. (Source: J.A. Jobling 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm, London)

 

The nominate race alba is found in eastern Greenland, Iceland, and the entire Europe, apart from the British Isles, and further east, almost to the Ural Mountains. In the British Isles, it is replaced by the race yarrellii, in Morocco by subpersonata, and from the Ural Mountains southwards to the Caspian Sea by dukhunensis. In Siberia and western Alaska, the race ocularis is breeding, in Iran persica, in the western part of Central Asia personata, in Central Asia baicalensis, in the Himalaya alboides, in China, Korea and Taiwan leucopsis, and in Japan, Sakhalin and Kamchatka lugens. Many of the northern races are migratory, whereas the southernmost are resident.

The white wagtail is confiding, often breeding in buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the family includes about 51 genera with c. 324 species, widely distributed in Africa and Eurasia. The family name is derived from the Latin musca (‘a fly’) and capere (‘to catch’).

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kopsykhos, meaning ‘blackbird’ (Turdus merula).

 

It lives in open forest, secondary growth, and gardens, found in the major part of the Indian Subcontinent, from Indochina eastwards to central and eastern China, and thence southwards to Indonesia. It is the national bird of Bangladesh.

In his 3-volmue work A natural history of birds : illustrated with a hundred and one copper plates, curiously engraven from the life (1731-1738), English naturalist and illustrator Eleazar Albin (c. 1690-1742) calls this bird Dial Bird or Bengall Magpie. The former name alludes to the Hindi name of the bird, dayal. Some authorities have suggested that when Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) included it in his Systema Naturæ in 1758, he named it Gracula saularis, misunderstanding Albin’s name, thinking it had something to do with a sun dial. He then meant to call it Gracula solaris (solaris, ‘of the sun’), but by mistake wrote saularis instead.

A number of pictures, depicting this bird, are shown on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in the Himalaya, and Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek phoinix (‘crimson’) and oura (‘tail’), like the English name referring to the red tail of these birds. Start is an old word for tail.

 

Like most other redstarts, the Daurian redstart is strongly sexually dimorphic, males having red breast, belly, and tail, black face, throat, and back, greyish crown and nape, and a prominent white wing-patch, whereas females are pale brown with an orange-red tail, and, like the male, a prominent white wing-patch.

The specific name is a modification of the Latin aurora (‘dawn’), in this connection meaning ‘eastern’.

Other pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The name titmouse can be traced back to the 14th Century, composed of the words tit, which denotes something small, and the Old English name for these birds, mase, from Proto-Germanic maison, which is also the source of the German name Meise, the Danish and Norwegian mejse, and the Swedish mes.

The word chickadee refers to the alarm call of the black-capped chickadee (below), a distinctive chick-a-dee-dee-dee.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek baios (‘small’) and lophοs (‘crest’), thus ‘with a small crest’.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘with two colours’.

 

 

 

 

 

The blue tits of northern Africa and the Canary Islands, which were formerly included in C. caeruleus, are now regarded as a separate species, the African blue tit (C. teneriffae), divided into 6 or 7 subspecies.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek kyanos, meaning ‘dark-blue’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, P. major ranges from Europe and northern Africa across the Middle East and Central Asia to south-eastern Siberia and north-eastern China, overlapping a bit with P. minor.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from poikilis, the Ancient Greek name of an unknown small bird.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin ater (‘black’) and capillus (‘hair of the head’), like the common name referring to the black cap of this bird.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite their name, snowfinches of the genera Montifringilla, Onychostruthus, and Pyrgilauda are not finches, but members of the sparrow family.

 

 

However, they only catch insects when feeding their young, whereas the rest of the year they eat the very crops they were supposed to protect. However, as early as the 1880s, the sparrow itself was regarded as a pest in New Zealand, and in North America, it is considered a serious crop raider in large parts of the continent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Taiwan, the house sparrow does not occur at all, and the tree sparrow has taken over its role as a city bird. This is also the case in several Far Eastern cities, for example Hanoi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is described in depth on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub-Saharan members of the family, called greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills, are mainly forest birds, whereas the majority of North African and Asian species live in open areas.

 

Formerly, the black bulbuls of Asia were regarded as subspecies of the Malagasy bulbul (H. madagascariensis), but most authorities now recognize two separate Asian species, the Asian black bulbul (below), which is widely distributed, from north-eastern Afghanistan along the Himalaya to Indochina, China, and Taiwan, and the square-tailed bulbul (H. ganeesa), which is restricted to montane areas of South India and Sri Lanka.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek hypsi (‘high’) and petes (‘flyer’), thus ‘the one that flies high’.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and kephale (‘head’), so the species must have been described from a white-headed specimen.

Other pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek pyknos (‘thick’ or ‘compact’) and noton (‘back’), applied in 1826 by German zoologist and lawyer Friedrich Boie (1789-1870), who described many new species and several new genera of birds. Presumably, Boie found that these birds were quite compact. He and his brother Heinrich also described about 50 new species of reptiles.

Several species of bulbul are described on the pages Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan, and Animals: Himalayan animals.

 

It is one of the commonest birds in Taiwan, living in a wide variety of habitats, such as secondary forest, farmland, parks, gardens, and even city areas with scant vegetation. The pictures below are all from the city of Taichung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is Latin for ‘little hen’.

 

In the Americas, this species is replaced by the similar common gallinule (G. galeata), which was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the moorhen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is from Ancient Greek aktites (‘living on the coast’), derived from akte (‘coast’).

 

The specific name is from the Greek hypo (‘beneath’), and leukos (‘white’), referring to the whitish belly of this species.

In the Nukumanu Islands of Papua New Guinea, the common sandpiper is called matakakoni, meaning ‘the bird that walks a little, then copulates’, referring to the habit of this bird of pumping its hind body up and down while foraging. (Source: D.W. Hadden, 2004. Birds of the northern atolls of the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea. Notornis. 51 (2): 91-102)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek akridos (‘locust’) and theras (‘hunter’). When locusts or grasshoppers are abundant, starlings and mynas gorge themselves on these insects. An example is described on the page People: Pehr Forsskål – brilliant Swedish scientist.

 

The bank myna is similar to the common myna (below), but is a bit smaller, its plumage is more greyish, and the bare skin around the eye is orange rather than yellow.

The pictures below were all taken on the banks of the Ganges River, Varanasi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the Javan myna is very common in Taiwan, where it outcompetes local bird species, especially the native crested myna (A. cristatellus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The common myna was originally a woodland bird, but has adapted very well to agricultural as well as urban environments. In many places, it has become a pest, which expels native birds, especially in Australia, where it has been called “a most important problem”. The IUCN Species Survival Commission has declared it one of the world’s most invasive species and a threat to “biodiversity, agriculture, and human interests”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek haplo-os (‘simple’ or ‘plain’) and ornis (‘bird’). The genus was instigated by British ornithologist and bird artist John Gould (1804-1881) in 1836, but he made a spelling mistake. Later, he suggested the name Aplornis, but according to the rules of nomenclature, the first instigated name has priority. The name refers to the simple structure of these birds, and Gould also wrote: “It may also be distinguished by the want of the splendid colouring so remarkable in Lamprotornis.” (A genus of African starlings, presented on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Africa).

 

The plumages of adult and immature birds are strikingly different, adults being glossy greenish-blue, whereas young birds are dark-grey with brownish-white, heavily streaked underside. Both adults and immatures have bright reddish-brown eyes.

The specific name refers to Panay Island in the Philippines, where the type specimen was collected.

A selection of pictures, showing this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from graculus, the Latin word for the jackdaw, and pica, the Latin word for the magpie, originally from picata, which, strictly speaking, means ‘smeared with tar’, but in a wider sense ‘black-and-white’, thus ‘the jackdaw-like, black-and-white bird’, alluding to the pied plumage of these birds.

Some authorities include them in the genus Sturnus, others in the genus Sturnia.

 

It lives mainly in lowlands, but may be found up to altitudes around 700 m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (‘black’) and collum (‘neck’).

Other pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

The word thrush is derived from Old English throstle, from Proto-Germanic þrustlō, an ancient name for the song thrush (Turdus philomelos). In Old Saxon, þrustlō became throsla, in German Drossel. The latter name was adopted by the Danes, whereas the Swedes use the name trast for these birds, and the Norwegians trost.

A number of thrush species are dealt with on the page Animals – Birds: Thrushes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The American robin is regarded as a symbol of spring. The poem The First Robin, by Canadian poet William Henry Drummond (1854-1907), is based on a Quebec superstition that whoever sees the first robin of spring will have good luck.

This bird was named robin by early settlers, as its reddish-orange breast reminded them of the European robin (Erithacus rubecula).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Hinduism, Rama is the seventh incarnation of the supreme god Vishnu, and main character in the great epic Ramayana. One day, his fiancée, Sita, is abducted by Ravana, a demon king from Sri Lanka. Hanuman, who is the leader of the monkey army, is a great help to Rama in his struggle to liberate Sita. As a reward for his services, Hanuman was raised to become a Hindu deity.

Due to the great deeds performed by the monkey army in the Ramayana, monkeys are considered sacred among Hindus, and troops of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), bonnet macaques (M. radiata), or grey langurs (Semnopithecus) often live around temples, where part of their diet consists of rice, sweets, or other edibles, brought as offerings by devout Hindus. They also roam the cities in search of food, often being a pest to street vendors, who sell vegetables and fruit.

These monkeys, and numerous other species of monkeys and apes, as well as a more detailed account of the role of Hanuman in the Ramayana, are presented in depth on the page Animals – Mammals: Monkeys and apes.

 

The generic name stems from the word makaku, plural of kaku, a West African Bantu name for a species of mangabey. In Portuguese, makaku became macaco, and in French macaque, the latter adopted by the British. In 1798, French taxonomist Bernard Germain de Lacépède (1756-1825) applied this word of African origin, in the form Macaca, to an almost exclusively Asian group of monkeys, presumably because he was familiar with the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) – the only species of the group outside Asia, living in north-western Africa and on the Rock of Gibraltar, southern Spain. (Source: itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003458.html)

 

The rhesus monkey has become well-known through its usage in medical research, which detected the rhesus factor, an inherited antigen in the blood of humans. Its fur is mainly brown, with an orange tinge on the hind parts, and the tail is rather short, 20-30 cm. This monkey lives in very diverse habitats, from semi-desert via various forest types to temple groves and cities, from the lowland up to about 2,500 m altitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is from the Greek semnos (‘sacred’) and pithekos (‘monkey’), alluding to the sanctity of monkeys to Hindus.

 

The northern plains langur is quite common, living in a variety of habitats, including forests, scrubland, temple groves, gardens, and towns, up to an altitude of c. 1,700 m. It is locally threatened by habitat loss due to intensified agriculture and fires, and by hunting for food by newly settled people in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Previously, western and southern populations of this species were regarded as a separate species, the southern plains langur (S. dussumieri), but recent genetic research has declared this species invalid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is derived from the Latin mus (genitive muris), meaning ‘mouse’.

 

 

Formerly, the black rat was a serious pest, consuming huge amounts of cereals and other food items. Furthermore, it spread various diseases among humans. During the Middle Ages, rat fleas were carrying bubonic plague, which in some places reduced the human population by 50 to 75%. This much feared disease was aptly named The Black Death.

The brown rat (R. norvegicus) spread throughout the world at a later stage than the black rat. It is a much stronger and more adaptable species, and the black rat has now been expelled from many of its former strongholds by its more aggressive sister species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word squirrel, which has been in use as early as 1327, is from the Anglo-Norman name esquirel, which is again from the Old French escurel, a corruption of the Latin sciurus, which is derived from Ancient Greek skiuros, ultimately from skia (‘shadow’) and oura (‘tail’), thus ‘shadow-tailed’, alluding to the large, bushy tail of many squirrels. Some species have a habit of flicking their tail over their back, and in this way tropical species are able to use their tail as a protection against the fierce sunshine.

In city parks, where squirrels are regularly fed, these otherwise rather shy animals often become remarkably tame.

A selection of squirrel species is presented on the page Animals – Mammals: Squirrels.

 

The first part of the generic name is derived from the Greek kallos (‘beautiful’) – although many of the species are of a rather plain brown colour.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek erythros (‘red’), alluding to the belly, which is often – but not always – reddish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An extensive genetic study from 2020 (Abreu et al. 2020) concludes that the genus is paraphyletic and should be split into 11 or 12 genera, leaving only 3 species in Sciurus. However, this suggestion has not been widely accepted, and for the time being I retain the older concept of the genus.

 

These animals are active throughout the year, and in autumn they store nuts and fruits in underground caches. They are not able to remember where the food was buried, but find it by smelling it under the snow. Grey squirrels are often a nuisance on bird feeders, where they consume most of the food that was intended for birds. In parks and other places, where people regularly feed grey squirrels, they become very tame indeed.

The eastern grey squirrel has been successfully introduced to South Africa, Britain, and other places. In Britain, it is regarded as a pest, as it outcompetes the native Eurasian red squirrel (S. vulgaris), which is now scarce south of Scotland. Extermination campaigns of grey squirrels have been initiated in the U.K., causing the red squirrel to increase in several places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Chinese medicine, tokay geckos are used for various ailments and diseases, including stroke, paralysis, arthritis, impotence, premature ejaculation, frequent urination, nocturnal urination, and emaciation. New research has shown that it has a positive effect on malignant tumours, especially in the digestive system. Today, the species is threatened due to over-collection and habitat loss.

Formerly, in China, a number of superstitions were related to the tokay gecko. It was believed that its urine was deadly poisonous. If a pregnant woman consumed it, she was certain to deliver a boy. As tokay geckos mate for a very long time, it was believed that consuming them would cure impotency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is of Semitic origin, meaning ‘dragon’ or ‘lizard beast’. The English name is explained in various ways. Some say it has its origin due to the occasional habit of these animals to stand on their two hind legs, seemingly ‘monitoring’ something. Others say that it arose from an old superstitious belief that they would warn people of the approach of venomous animals.

Some authorities include the earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) in the family, others place it in a separate family, Lanthanotidae.

 

Usually, people chase these animals away, as they are notorious plunderers of chicken yards, but where left in peace, they often become confiding.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘saviour’. Its origin is unexplained, but possibly indicates a religious connection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin pomum (‘apple’) and aceus, a suffix forming adjectives.

 

Being highly adaptive, they thrived and soon spread beyond control. Rice shoot are a favourite food of these snails, and, having no natural predators in Taiwan, they have become a huge menace in rice fields. Bright pink masses of snails’ eggs are often seen on concrete surfaces along river and ditches, and also on the rice plants themselves. (Source: culture.teldap.tw)

The golden apple snail is considered to be among the world’s one hundred worst invasive species. (Source: Lowe et al., 2000. 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Species: A Selection from the Global Invasive Species Database. The Invasive Species Specialist Group, IUCN)

The specific name is derived from the Latin canalis (‘channel’ or ‘pipe’). What it refers to is not clear.

 

 

 

 

 

This cosmopolitan family, comprising more than 3,000 species, is well-known to most people, as many of these spiders are quite colourful, and their webs are often found in gardens and along roads. Initially, araneid spiders make a framework of non-sticky threads, before adding final spirals of threads, covered in sticky drops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many species of cockroaches have adapted to a life in cities, where they are often an immense nuisance. In traditional Chinese medicine, these animals are used against a number of ailments, such as abdominal problems, stroke, and bone fractions, and also as an anti-ageing agent. An ethnic minority in the Yunnan Province used cockroaches to treat open wounds. New research has shown that these animals contain at least nine different antibacterial substances, and one substance is able to kill AIDS virus.

For hundreds of years, cockroaches have been utilized as food in northern China. A cream, containing intestines of cockroaches and other ingredients, is applied by Chinese women to their skin to keep it young. A booming industry is producing skin cream and medicine from millions of cockroaches, kept in captivity.

 

 

 

 

 

The name skull spider alludes to Pholcus phalangioides, whose front part of the body slightly resembles a human skull. The body of adult females is about 8 mm long, males a bit smaller, whereas the legs are 4 or 5 cm long. Originally, it was native to warmer parts of Asia, but has been spread by people to all continents, except Antarctica. It has spread considerably in northern Europe in later years. It is completely harmless to humans.