Taman Rimba Kiara is a little green gem located in a corner of the TTDI residential area. The above flowering tree, the firmiana malayana or mata lembu, flashes in testimony to man's care-less-ness - it's one of only two trees in the park that had flowered, since then the tree had been chopped down.

Tuesday, 2 April 2024

Momentary 'buzz'

How many and how often, it doesn't really matter as it's simply delightful to finally capture the Black Bazas (Aviceda leuphotes)(Helang Baza Hitam) thermalling over the bukit.  

This time it's only a flock of three, as these birds constitute part of the mass migration of raptors on their journey back home to their breeding grounds at this time of the year. 

One of the biggest flocks of raptors to make this return journey along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway are the Black Bazas.  With the bukit being part of the Malaysian flyway, it's indeed a joy to witness this yearly mass migration of migratory birds flying between their wintering sites in South-east Asia and their breeding grounds in Siberia, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea.  However, the Honey-buzzards and Bazas are the only raptors to be recorded so far flying over the bukit.


What's in a name?
It's also known as Lang Baza Berjambul, 'helang' or 'lang' for short means eagle, and 'berjambul' means 'crested'.  Unfortunately the bird's crest is normally sighted only when it's perched.





However far or near, it never fails to thrill watching these raptors riding the hot air to practically disappear into the horizon.



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