Hornbills in Bandung

Behind Bars
For the benefit of the Singaporean crowd, no, we're not talking about hornbills pickled in the drink bandung *shudder*. These are hornbills spotted in an ill-maintained(if one can even consider what little they seem to do maintenance) zoo in Bandung, Indonesia. While in the wild these amazing birds would have very large ranges of kilometers of land, just for the benefit of mankind, they have been crammed into relatively tiny enclosures and expected to just deal with it. That's a whole different story we shall not get into; we'll just focus on the hornbills. Or at least, we'll try. No promises.

There were two tiny enclosures housing wreathed hornbills and oriental pied hornbills- both of which can be found in Java, assuming they haven't all been stolen from the wild to be sold in the infamous bird market in Yogyakarta, or put in other tiny enclosures around Indonesia. *oops...there we go again...*

Hornbill enclosure in the forefront of the picture

In the shadows (Rhyticeros/Aceros undulatus)

Wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros/Aceros undulatus)

Wreathed Hornbills(Rhyticeros/Aceros undulatus)

Oriental Pied Hornbills

Hornbills & Indonesia
Indonesia is home to many different species of hornbills, including the Wreathed and Oriental pied hornbills in the pictures above. However, it is important to note that not all the species can be found on every island. Also, some islands of the Indonesian archipelago have endemic species of hornbills, found nowhere else except in those couple of islands. Island populations are often known to harbour endemic species of organisms simply because they are, to a certain extent, cut of from "the rest of the world" or more accurately, from other populations of hornbills. After a couple of hornbills have painstakingly got their feathery behinds to some remote island, one of two possibilities is likely to occur(there are other possibilities apart from the ones stated here, of course...):

1. They are unable to survive in this new, exotic environment and die out.
2. They manage to survive long enough to reproduce, enabling natural selection to take over and soon enough, you (possibly) have an entirely new species of hornbill. One that is more adept at facing what the island throws at them.

And before we get carried away with trivia about Indonesia and/or evolution, both fascinating in their own right, let's focus on the hornbills ya? We've gone on and on about Oriental Pied hornbills time and time again so me(we?!) thinks it's time to introduce yet another member of Club Hornbill- the Wreathed hornbill.


Wreathed Hornbills
Big Wreathed hornbills are known to start making miniature wreathed hornbills at around 3 to 4 years old. In Indonesia and Malaysia, they are believed to nest throughout the year. Interestingly, these hornbills have ridges on their casques. These ridges are a rough indication of age since they accumulate ridges as they mature. You might be wondering what the point of knowing how old(or young, for all you age-sensitive folk out there) a hornbill is. Seeing as how no one has been able to master hornbill-speak, nerdy scientists with big, groovy brains have had to make some intelligent guesses and test out these guesses using the all important scientific method. This is what they've come up with so far:

Generally, hornbills' ability to make babies that survive to a ripe old age (and produce more babies of their own along the way) increases as they get older... up to a particular point, where it reaches a maximum and then, their ability to produce healthy babies decreases once again.It is believed that this is due to their increased ability to provide lots of nutritious food to the self-imprisoned mother and baby hornbills. 

Why do older birds provide provide better for their families? Having more ridges may give the bird a higher "status", as compared with hornbills with fewer ridges on their casques. This enables their all mighty feathery behinds to shoo away younger birds when getting food, i.e. they get the best pickings!   

So let's say you're a female hornbill. Which potential Mr. Right are you on the look out for? The hornbill with fewer ridges and is only mediocre at providing for you and your babies... or the hornbill with a whole load of ridges and is well equipped to provide well for you and your babies?  

You decide :) 

References

BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Aceros everetti. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/9/2010 


Kemp, A. (1995). The Hornbills. United States: Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/index.shtml

Circular motion

Did-he-do-it? Did-he-do-it? 
No, it's got nothing to do with Grant and what he did. Rather, it concerns one(or a couple) noisy bird that has been demanding answers in the vicinity of Sebana Cove. Ever the skeptic eh? Don't believe us? Go ahead then. Watch the video. We dare you!

Flying in circles (Vanellus indicus)

Hmm... okay. Maybe it doesn't sound quite like "did-he-do-it", but apparently some people out there in our world so blue feel otherwise. So convinced are they that they're even going around calling it the Did-he-do-it bird. We prefer to stick with the more unimaginative name of Red-wattled Lapwing(Vanellus indicus).


This distinctively coloured bird is said to be relatively common in Malaysia, other parts of Southeast Asia(Singapore being the exception yet again- endangered there) as well as West and South Asia. Such distinctive colouration and yet we managed to overlook it in a book. Old age and failing eyesight, forgive us. We didn't manage to get close enough to get a good shot of this highly conspicuous bird, unfortunately. Even though it hung around the area for quite awhile, advertising its presence with its bird song, if you can call it that.

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

The bird was often on the ground, running around in short spurts, and then stopping just as soon as it had started. It descends to the realm of the flightless for a very predictable reason- feeding. It is known to pick insects, snails and other invertebrates off the ground. We didn't get to see it catch anything though; no, unfortunately, he(or she) did not do it.

References

BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Vanellus indicus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/3/2010

Avian toupee

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

We were making our way back for lunch after a somewhat disappointing walk(the hornbills were in hiding), and lo and behold! A find that made up for the hornbills going AWOL! A Crested Serpent Eagle, named as such because of it's black feathered toupee(okay so it's not quite a toupee but it sure looks like one) and it's diet which consists of a helluva lot of snake(as well as plenty of lizards).


Interestingly, it's black toupee(or as the scientists call it- crest) stands on end when it gets agitated. Unfortunately this one was all calm, and stalking him(or her) while enthusiastically clicking away at our cameras didn't seem to ruffle its feathers.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

When you first look at the bird, all you think is woah! Big bird! But it's actually considered to be a  "medium-sized" raptor. It's about 1/2 m to 3/4 m tall. Heck, there are hornbills bigger than that! Nevertheless, it is a beautiful bird and a very pleasing find! Not considered to be endangered because of it's large range, but sadly it is on the verge of extinction in Singapore. It can be found from South Asia, and throughout much of Southeast Asia and parts of China even. Its species name comes from its Hindi name- Dogra cheel.

It was rather curious that a raptor should choose to perch on relatively low branches by the road, but apparently, some have observed this predator taking the easy way out and waiting for various vehicles to come along and squash some snake. Car-cum-meat-tenderizer? Also, as already mentioned previously, it didn't seem to be too bothered by us. We'd like to think it's because we were giving off peaceful, loving vibes.

Snubbed by a Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) 

What looked like a strange bald patch on his/her head(as seen in the photo above) is actually likely to just be it's baby feathers. Juveniles/younger birds tend to have more white bits on their heads apparently. So perhaps these white bits are vestiges of its younger days? The photo taken below in Indonesia provides a better view of those little white bits of feathers that occur on the head of this magnificent eagle.

All caged up at Bandung Zoo, Indonesia

Chickening around 
[Adapted from this website on 11 August 2010]

A little strange to be seeing an animal as beautiful and majestic as this eagle is, walking around like a lowly chicken. Or maybe it's just that elitist mentality creeping into our Singaporean brains...

References

iloveindia.com. (n.d.). Home : Wildlife in India : Indian Birds : Crested Serpent Eagle : Crested Serpent Eagle Facts. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from iloveindia.com: http://www.iloveindia.com

Tsang, K. (2007, June 15). Crested Serpent Eagle: Snakes alive. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Bird Ecology Study Group: http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2007/06/15/crested-serpent-eagle-snakes-alive/

Starry starry night...

Taking a stroll pass what Grant has christened- The Citadel, when we noticed too much chirping for our curious selves to resist. And strangely enough... it seemed to be coming up from The Citadel. So climb the millions of steps we did(okay, so maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, hundreds of steps?), to find small black birds hidden under the roof. At first sight, they looked like small mynas. But wait, they have ... demonic red eyes! AHHHHH! 

Nah, they aren't in anyway demonic, but they are red. Which is a distinctive feature of these beautiful birds. That and their shimmery feathers that look metallic blue-green at times. And the reason they look like mynas- they're pretty much cousins! Sort of... They're all from the same family: The Sturnidae. For those unfamiliar with what a family is in biological terms, all living things are grouped together in certain groups. As one goes close and closer to the species level, organisms in the groupings become more and more closely related. The picture below should give you a pretty good idea about what we're failing at trying to explain.

Image adapted from this website on 25th June 2010

They're against the light, so they look completely black. But if you had been there with us(spiritually or otherwise...) you would have noticed that their "underbelly" was white with black stripes. Caused a little bit of confusion- aren't Asian glossy starlings supposed to be black all over with metallic shiny blue/green bits when under sunlight? Strange aliens sent from outer space pretending to be starlings to spy on us? Mutant birds carrying merciless diseases that will wipe out all of mankind? Questions, questions... and no closer to any answer! AHHHHH!

GOD* SPEAKS: They were juveniles.  

US: Oh...

Juvenile Asian Glossy Starlings(Aplonis panayensis)

Watch the video till the very end for a surprise visitor ;)

Look out world!

Heard the cackling at the end of the video? Maybe the Oriental Pied Hornbills wanted to steal the little starling's thunder :) The video ended when we decided to rush to the tree the hornbills were at- a African Tulip that was nearby. Unfortunately, they flew off as soon as we got there. Darn it! Such a tease! 

References 

BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Aplonis panayensis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/6/2010

Tan, R. (2001). Asian Glossy Starling. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from Mangrove and wetland wildlife at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve: http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/Aplonis_panayensis.htm


Zebutionary
God*: refers to our bird guide book.

Taking a stroll

Everything just looks so different in the morning light. Cliche as it sounds: the wonders of nature. How upsetting to think that one day, this may all be gone...

Tricksy picture

Walking on, surprise surprise! Two little wild boars! Looked like they were lost though. Male wild boars usually lead solitary lives but females live in small groups. Wonder what happened to momma boar...

Momma?

What the...?

Pacific Swallows (Hirundo tahitica)

Bird A flies towards Bird B.

Bird A attacks Bird B.

Bird B squawks.

Bird A flies away.

Bird C: What did i miss? 

Well, at least it looked that way when we first spotted these Pacific Swallows. 

It was only when we stood there and kept watching that we realised that it was a fledgling up there! Often, when baby birds first leave their nest, they still stick close to mum and dad for a bit. Eventually they leave the comforts of home, unlike some Homo sapiens who stick with their parents and mooch off them FOREVER AND EVER. This period is very important for the young bird. It is only then that it gets to see exactly how this whole hunting business goes about. It learns about all things good, bad, and ugly.

After weeks of confinement in it's cup-shaped mud pelleted nest(The full nesting period lasts from around 35 to 40 days), a completely helpless nestling, it has now emerged to experience all that is life. We wish it well :) 

Snuggling in a corner (Juvenile above)

Pacific swallows can be found from South Asia(Parts of India and Sri Lanka), through Southeast Asia, up till the Pacific islands even! Their large range means they are not considered to be endangered or threatened. 

Unlike Swifts which are very much like flying vacuum cleaners eating anything that crosses their path while flying around in a frenzy, these birds sit and wait patiently until they spot something yummy with their keen eyesight. What follows is a high-speed aerial chase that is simply amazing to watch!

These birds are relatively common, particularly near water bodies. So take some time off, sit back, relax, and watch these little acrobats do their thang. Oh, and dont forget the mosquito repellent :)

Note: We apologize for the bad quality of the video. Our excuses: Bad lighting and a crappy digital camera(On our Christmas wish list: a good camcorder. It is a time of giving ain't it?). Needless to say, no fault of the amateur videographer :P

References

Hails, C. J. (1982). The breeding biology of the Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica in Malaysia. Ibis , 198-211.

Tan, R. (2001). Pacific Swallow. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from Mangrove and wetland wildlife at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve: http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/index.htm

Selamat jalan

19th June 2010 Leaving Changi jetty, on our way to Sebana Cove. A relatively pleasant, though uneventful, journey. No Krakens or anything. Can't say we weren't the least bit disappointed...

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho

The big blue, that's not quite blue

What dreams may come

Snack on it #3

Video of Great Hornbills(Buceros bicornis) 

[Video adapted from this website on 17th June 2010]

So far it almost seems (from this blog at least) as though the only hornbill species that exists in this world so blue and green littered with bits of plastic and plenty of BP's petroleum, is the Oriental Pied(Anthracoceros albirostris) with a couple of Black hornbills(Anthracoceros malayanus) thrown in here and there for some variety. So we figured it's about time you met the rest of the Brady bunch.


Homo sapiens meet Buceros bicornis. Otherwise known as, the Great Hornbill. One of the most beautiful of hornbills. If you have been following this blog religiously like the good disciple that you are, you would realise that... wait a minute...these hornbills looks familiar! Well... not these particular hornbills exactly, but this species. That's because they played the lead role in a previous video posted under 'Snack on it #2'! 


Now for the formal introduction. These large birds are about 95 to 105cm and are found in some parts of India, throughout Myanmar and most of "Indochina", Thailand, as well as the northern parts of Malaysia and Sumatra.. What is distinctive about this species is its concave topped casque! Take another look at the video if you don't believe us. It's almost as though someone took a hammer to the topside of the casque.


It also has a pretty distinctive reverberating (Woah! Big word there... say it with us: re-ver-ber-ating) call. It is this reverberating call that inspired it's Malayali name: Malamorakki, which means Mountain shaker. Interesting reverberating(the word is obviously misused here but... it's become our favourite word) name eh?


They are mainly frugivorous(fruits = yummy), as are most hornbills in beautiful Southeast Asia, though it does actively hunt to supplement its diet from time to time. This is particularly known to occur during breeding season. 


Now, back to the video. What you have just witnessed courtesy of some unknown individual whose true identity has been kept secret by the mask that is the internet, is courtship behaviour. First, the male presents some food to the female- courtship feeding. Once she's well fed and happy, he figures it's only fair that he gets to father her babies after all that exhausting fetching of food from a tray provided by staff at the Zoo, so he tries to mount her. She thinks he ain't too bad, I'll give him access to my ovaries(or rather my eggs or he's going to keep bugging me. And... TADAA! They mated! Assuming all went well... around a third of a year later- baby bicornis should have arrived into the wonderful world of cages and gaping visitors to the zoo. 


References
Kemp, A. (1995). The Hornbills. United States: Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

They fly, they flutter

Oooh! Pretty butterfly! Eh....no...moth. Uh...butterfly? No, moth? Urm...maybe butterfly?!

URGH! WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?! Both have wings and fly! 


Raise your hands if you get confused, or worse still, go by the colour method: butterflies are colourful and beautiful, moths are dull and ugly. *sheepishly raising our collective hands* Be prepared to be enlightened, fellow mortals. 

Day flying moth (Syntomis huebneri)

The Diff

1. Butterflies tend to close up their wings when they're sitting somewhere, whereas moths tend to rest with their wings open, like in the picture above, of the Day flying moth spotted at Sebana. Apparently butterflies are more self conscious about their bodies... seems to be that beautiful individuals tend to be eh? (not that we're saying that moths aren't beautiful, for all you moth-fans out there)
2. Butterflies are also usually out and about during the day, whereas moths, like Grant, are often only out drinking(Nectar, not beer! For the moths at least...) at night. One of several exceptions to this 'rule' is the moth above, which is hence unimaginatively named 'Day flying moth'.
3. Many butterflies are slim and smooth, whereas moths tend to be fat and fuzzy. Kind of like a teddy bear with wings. Well... not really, but you get the picture :)
4. Butterflies do tend to be more brightly coloured, whilst moths, our furry creatures of the night, tend to be dull coloured-brown, grey, black, or white. Moths that are active in the day, like the one above, tend to be more brightly coloured though.
5. Look closely with your superior ocular powers and you will notice(assuming that they keep still, which in reality, is an uncommon occurrence) that butterflies have knobbed/clubbed antennae whereas the antennae of moths is much more variable. This is pretty much why the Order Lepidoptera used to be further divided into the suborders of Rhopalocera(clubbed antennae, i.e. butterflies) and Heterocera(non-clubbed antennae).

Clubbed antennae of most butterflies
[Image adapted from this website on 19 May 2010]

Important Note: These are characteristics mankind(and possibly womankind as well) has described as belonging to butterflies or moths. There are plenty of exceptions! They are not going to comply with our rules just because we want it to! 


Be humbled by the grandeur that is nature :)

References

The Field Museum. (2007). Research & Collections: Zoology: Butterflies: Butterfly Basics: Butterflies vs. Moths. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from The Field Museum: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/

Yesterday Once More

"And not so long ago

How I wondered where they'd gone

But they're back again

Just like a long lost friend"

- The Carpenters (1973) 

Fluffy marshmallows in the sky

Day is done...

Gone the sun

The Hornbill Jig

If you've had the deluxe hornbill experience, you're unlikely to forget it anytime soon. These curiously large birds are characteristically noisy, have strange projections on their bills, and some are simply...grotesque! And did we mention they make the oddest, and most unpleasant of sounds? 


Yet it is precisely these things that seem to have been the source of inspiration for numerous tribes in the creation of costumes and folktales! And because we just happen to have slave drivers for superiors be really committed to the great numbers of readers we have, we figured we'll spend some of our precious time hounding people for pictures, as well as information, as to how hornbills are represented in various cultures. 


For assistance with this post, as well as for allowing us to use these photos, we would like to thank Karelin Loh (Single, fabulous and *ahem ahem* available).


Far, far away, in the snow capped mountains of Myanmar, is the state of Kachin. The people of Kachin can be further broken down into several different ethnicities. Unsurprisingly, this is reflected in both their dressing, as well as their speech. Surprisingly, the Kachin are present not only in Myanmar, but in parts of China and India as well. Yet further proof of how colonial powers did not take into consideration how communities were spread when they decided to just go along and erect artificial boundaries to create countries. 


Binding these unique communities, is their celebration of the Manau festival, during which, the Manau dance is...well...danced around the colourfully decorated poles you see below. The designs on the beams are inspired by nature, as is often the case with rural tribes- animals, plants, the Sun, the Moon, and even Earth!


On one of the horizontal cross beams(there are 12 beams in total), though not visible here, a hornbill head is carved at one end, and on the other, the tail of the hornbill, since this bird plays a very central role in the origins of the Manau festival. In fact, the hornbil was often interpreted as being symbolic of the chief, who maintained unity and order.

Manau Festival...poles?!

There are several different stories that tell the origins of this festival. One of the many versions:

Once upon a time, the Sun God summoned to his court a community of birds, for the sole purpose of entertaining him with their dance. This group, led by a Hornbill proceeded to dance for him. Later, these birds then taught the Kachin the same dance, and it has been danced by the Kachin ever since, in honour of a spirit.

The details are a little sketchy, mainly because information on tribal stories is, unfortunately, difficult to come by. So much knowledge not yet formally recorded down, whether the subject matter is culture or nature. Will we lose everything before we even begin to understand our world?

Leaders of Manau festival, followed by the various clans

Headdress of the leaders constructed of hornbill and peacock feathers

References

Sadan, M. (2002). The Kachin manau and manau shadung: the development of an ethno-cultural symbol in Burma. In T. R. Alexandra Green, Burma: Art and Archaeology (pp. 119-132). Chicago: Art Media Resources.

The legend of the Ceibo

This plant is a relatively short tree(trees are plants, but plants are not always trees) with brilliant red flowers. It's beauty has helped in bringing this plant all the way to Asia from South America(via itchy human hands), where it originates. Here it is known as the Cockspur coral tree. But back home, it is known by a different name. It is known there as, the Ceibo.

Flower of the Cockspur coral tree, aka Ceibo (Erythrina crista-galli)

"Long, long ago, in the farway land of South America there lived an Indian Queen(or princess...depending on who's telling the story...). Now, in normal fairy tales, princesses and queens are always fair and beautiful. But this is no ordinary tale! This queen was HIDEOUS! She had the kind of face that made babies cry; the kind of face...only a mother could love! But.. she was blessed with the most melodious, sweet voice ever heard to be heard. A voice truly deserving of being called beautiful. And the name of this unconventional princess- Anahi.

All was well in these distant lands, until one day, strange men landed on the shores of South America and claimed the land for their own. Her people fought hard, but alas! Anahi was captured and taken prisoner. She was brave and determined. She wasn't about to go down without a fight! In an attempt to escape, she killed the guard who was tasked with watching over her.

Unfortunately, she didn't manage to escape their clutches. And this time, they condemned her to be burned at the stake the next night! She was tied to a tree and set aflame. 

The morning after, in the clearing where Queen Anahi was burned, something mysterious was to be seen. A single tree grew in the very spot this queen was burnt at. A single tree, with twisted branches, with beautiful red flowers in full bloom. There stood the Ceibo. "

Not bad for our first attempt at story telling eh?   [applause] [/applause]


As seems to be the case with many myths and legends, there are a number of versions to this tale, depending on who you're hearing it from. The basic outline of the story is pretty much the same though- Native woman is captured. Native woman is burnt at the stake. Native woman 'turns' into Ceibo, or as we know it, the Cockspur coral tree. It's just the little details that differ, so we've just gone ahead and picked the version we like best. Deal with it. 


Note: Many plants and animals feature in stories the world over, particularly in stories told by tribes, since it is these communities that are(arguably) closest to nature. Unsurprisingly, highly conspicuous as they tend to be, hornbills too feature in many stories in the regions where they may be found. If you should come across one such story, please do let us know. Sharing is caring after all...(or is it the other way around eh?)

References
Ruggero, C. (2006). Ceibo. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from Bewildering Stories: http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue227/ceibo.html

Road trip of sorts

On the long way back to Singapore, we stopped over at a quaint fruit stall by the side of the road.

Roadside Fruit Stall

Grant taking his pick of jambu fruits.These delightfully juicy fruits are sought after by many animals, including fruit bats, monkeys, and the Jambu Fruit Dove. The high water content of these fruits make for a refreshing thirst quenching snack, particularly on one of Southeast Asia's brutally hot days.

Brilliantly pink and juicy: Jambu Air

Another fruit commonly cultivated in Malaysia is bananas! There are 2 main types of bananas, with a grand total of around 300 species! (Who knew?!) The ones you see below are the "fruit" type, meaning that they are usually eaten raw when they've turned banana yellow :) The other type is known as the plantain banana.This variety is usually cooked before consumption, and is even known to some as the vegetable banana. To find out more about how bananas have featured in history, from banana toys to banana skirts... take a look at this quirky website. Don't suppose banana skirts will be in fashion anytime too soon though. Such a pity.

Banana-mania

It was rather unfortunate that this shop also had a Baya weaver bird's nest displayed. The nest of this bird is often collected and sold, simply because it is beautiful. However, after the nestlings have fledged, this painstakingly constructed nest is not simply abandoned to the forces of nature. It is also known to be used by other small birds. Other birds also take material from these nests to build their own nests. Removing these nests from the environments means that these birds are either deprived of a home entirely, or they have to spend more time and energy searching for suitable nesting material; time and energy they could have devoted to something else, like feeding.

Baya weaver bird's nest (Ploceus philippinus)

The mating game:

• Male builds part of the nest, and waits...
• Show time! Female inspects the nest with a discerning eye. Not like she wants a defective male passing on his defective genes to her babies!
• If she's satisfied, she gives him the ultimate prize- access to her eggs 
• More often than not, she's left on her own to finish up the nest
• She lays her eggs and the heavy responsibility of parenting is solely hers
• The male then sits by another nest he has painstakingly constructed, to woo any other female that comes along

It's simply amazing, the amount of work that goes into the construction of that one nest. And it could all end up being futile if females don't like the nest! They may not get PMS, but life sure ain't easy for males either eh?

References

Tan, R. (n.d.). Mangrove and Wetland Wildlife at Sungei Buloh Nature Park: Birds: Baya Weaver. Retrieved May 10, 2010, from Print to Web; Convert to Conserve: http://www.naturia.per.sg