I was totally shocked to see so many parakeets while visiting the Taiping Lake Garden few days ago. Initially, I thought it would not be too hard to find one Long-tailed Parakeet but I did not expect the place was infested by them! Found them flying all over the garden and perching on those big rain tree (Albizia saman or sometimes still known as the obsolete name Samanea saman). Lots of suitable holes for the parakeets to roost, so it is easy to find male and female birds (and sometimes copulating). However, the challenge for me that day was to find a parking space since the local authority was in the midst of laying a new surface to the nearby car parks. Had to drive a few times around the garden before I managed to get a parking lot near the rain trees with parakeets. Phew, I almost gave up!

Long-tailed Parakeet (male)
(Nikon V1 + Nikon CX 70-300mm)



The lake garden is not only about the parakeet, there were plenty of White-throated Kingfisher, Black-naped Oriole, Lineated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Pied Triller, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Black-thighed Falconet, and much more.