Pied Imperial Pigeon by Ck Leong

On a recent trip (with the Oundle School natural history trip to Borneo) to Lankayan Island off the north-east coast of Sabah, the Pied Imperial Pigeon Ducula bicolor was without doubt the standout of a rather short list of avian fauna there.  This island inhabitant displays a creamy white head and body with black flight feathers and uppertail.  It feeds on fruits and will migrate to other islands or coastal mainland in their search for food.  I also saw a small flock of them on the beach picking on small pieces of broken coral.

Thanks to Lyn Hunt.

While the debate goes on whether Copsychus stricklandi should be lumped together with White-rumped Shama, visiting birders to Borneo should note  that you can only see the “White-crowned”  in the north, or otherwise known as the political entity of Sabah.  For those who persist on seeing the White-rumped, you might find success in the pet shops around Kota Kinabalu, this because of lax enforcement of this protected species (a fine songster) and continued trapping in the south (Borneo).  To untrained ears like mine, the songs of both species sound very similar but I have met pet shop keepers who insist that White-rumped Shamas from the wild have a wider “variety” in calls.

Sorry I guess I have just added a little more fuel to the debate.