E Contrario

Visit to Lukut & Nearby Towns, Part 2

On our drive from Tanah Merah Site C to Site A, we (Ginie was with me in the car) met an injured bird in the middle of the road. It must have been hit by a car just ahead of us as the poor thing was still struggle frantically. From afar, I recognized that it was a water bird with long legs. I stopped my car to rescue the unfortunate creature. We discovered that luckily its body did not appear to have suffered from serious wound. However its right limb seemed broken.

We took the trembling bird off the road, otherwise it would surely be mashed the passing vehicles. We couldn’t also leave the guy dying from its injury. So I placed the patient in an enclosed carton in order to calm the terrified fellow in the dark.

When returned from Negeri Sembilan, I checked a couple of books and internet and determined that the bird is called a white breasted waterhen (regardless its gender, it is a ‘hen’). Its scientific name: Amaurornis phoenicurus. Malay names this bird “wak-wak”, “ruang ruang” because of its very distinct calls. Sometimes it is also called “ayam-ayam”.

The wounded bird is now recuperating in my house backyard.