Cloudy
No. Not campus life(college orientation or university); heartlands(devoted way our government has designated Jurong Point for us), the '00-'10s urban-restructural plans, defining the next few years of our pre-adult lives, but Mandai- Zoo, Bird Park. Strange how the same region in Singapore can evoke two different eras (of our life) when situated side by side.
Chattering Lory
Eggs. The largest single cell found on Earth. When you see them caged; and how distant you were with the 'wonders of science', or your childhood, vacation or primary school. Look, it has grey eyerings and orange-red irises.
Scarlet Ibis
"Mum, a flamingo". When you see any tall pink bird. Not quite, when 'flamingoes' can come in orange too. Flaming. After so many sights of beige-skin humans, rufus-coloured humans or at most a black crow appearing at the bottom of your house.
Sun Conure
Highly prized for its golden yellow plumage, the Sun Conure is also known as the jewel of Amazon, as with the Golden Conure the sun of Amazon. Jewel; because you can tell from the refraction of light with facets of greens, rich yellows and blue found in its underwing-coverts.
Red-throated Parrot Finch
Never a bird so tiny, colours speaking louder than words itself. No bigger than my clenched fist; tail-span and all, I could stare at it for the whole day.
Collared Kingfisher
When I was younger, I would only trade for a manta ray, or a blue jay with my existing beanie baby collection. The collared kingfisher; another blue animal, was the other top choice. It is my gift to spot blue wild in reservoirs or housing estate, and they have to be the 'collared' monotype.
A head-turner beside Flamingo Pool, in violet.
Rose-breasted Cockatoo
While its rose, it has grey tailfeathers. God made it this way, so artificial that it looked like some kind of plushie; and not a bird.
Nankeen Night Heron
No blood-ties with China, Nanjing; it stands beside a pool of mechanized waves. One helps to not notice that it is despondent-looking without wings.
Emu
Heralded the broomsticks, you will only jump-up when they move. While its name's origin remains unknown; you can be sure it is no human prank when you hear E-moo E-moo, at a low frequency- its the theropod dinosaurs the calling you.
Blue-eyed Cockatoo
Ang moh. Ocular condition where we want to have blue eye colour(!), cat's-eye jewel, when it is actually a successful project from the breeding programme. The flying 'orchids'.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
They are black alright. This is the live black that I log in!
P.S. JBP. Jade Blue Purple.
