Dr Eric Tan a.k.a. MountainMan photographed the Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi) at the Telok Brumbun, Bali Barat National Park, Bali, Indonesia on 23rd January 2010.

The Bali Starling is a critically endangered species endemic to Bali. When it was discovered in the 1900s, there were about 300-900 birds, probably much more. Illegal poaching as well as habitat loss reduced its population drastically to about 15 birds in 1990.

Conservation efforts in the form of the Bali Starling Recovery Plan followed by subsequent releases of captive-bred birds increased the population to around 50 in 2008. A second population on Nusa Penida island, again from released captive-bred birds, seems to have adapted to the area and are breeding. In 2008 there were 56 adults and 39 young present.

Outside of Indonesia, there are about a thousand birds in captivity.

The Bali Starling is listed as CITES I, meaning that it is the most endangered among the CITES-listed animals and plants. The bird cannot be traded internationally except for scientific research and related non-commercial purposes.

Reference:
BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Leucopsar rothschildi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/2/2010

“I was out today to re-visit old locations in the city, with secondary jungle/scrub, that are being threatened by development.

“In May 2009 I reported a Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus infortunatus) nesting colony (8-10 nests) where Glossy Swiftlets (Collocalia esculenta cyanoptila) were robbing the active nests of Baya Weaver of their nesting material

“Went back to the exact location and saw the same behaviour still occurring.

“Many Glossy Swiftlets, one or two at a time would swoop down repeatedly to the completed Baya Weaver nest. They all target the same two nests that were already partially destroyed (one more than the other, both were close to each other). The material was again collected from the nest entry location (entrance-tube section). Possibly easier to steal and rip off from this location.

“The Glossy Swiftlets would either swoop in and grab a loose strand with their beak and pull away until it snapped. Or land upside down, hold on with their feet and pull out a strand (above left).

“Again they were stealing the Baya Weaver nesting material from a nest with young within. The activity was ‘violent’ and the nest swing side to side as they pulled strands hard. Again the Baya Weavers continued to feed their young (some difficulty in entering the nest) but did not seem to chase away the Glossy Swiftlets (above right). All the material brought for feeding was animal prey and I have only seen female feeding young (often caterpillars).

“About 10 meters away I saw more ‘healthy’ Glossy Swiftlets that were collecting nesting material of dried strands from a dead creeper (above left) It was tougher work but an honest day’s labour.

“You can see in contrasting the two nest being robbed how much material has been lost from the entrance-tube section of the nest (above right).

“I suspect this “colony” of Glossy Swiftlets has learned this bad behaviour and it will persist.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh City, Perak, Malaysia
6th March 2010

“On my morning walk today I saw this bird (Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea) waging battle with its reflection on the window of a house. The owner of the house was watching the show and he said that this bird had been doing this for the last week or so. The bird, between battle attacks would rest on a ledge of the building and then fly up to the windowpane again. Occasionally it would fly down to the stream running by the house and feed. Each battle lasted about 5 to 10 seconds.”

Ganesh Mani Pradhan & Son
West Bengal, India
12th March 2010

Check out our various posts on birds and their reflections, birds confronting their reflections seen on the side mirror of a car or collision with a window.

This post was received through Sumit K Sen of Birds of India, Kolkata, India who sent it to KC Tsang. Image by Ganesh Mani Pradhan & Son.

“The Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, also known as the Brown-capped Woodpecker (Dendrocopus moluccensis), is the smallest woodpecker in Singapore. Males can be distinguished from females by its two small red streaks located on both sides of its crown above and behind the eyes. However, the small red patch may not be always visible as it is usually hidden in the brownish crown feathers.

“In June 2009, there was an opportunity for a close-up observation of a male adult feeding its male fledgling when I chanced upon the adult bird foraging for food on a low branch of a small tree in a park (above).

“The woodpecker looked comical as it scrutinised intensely at its perch; using its flexible neck to turn its head acutely to its left, right and downwards. After a short recce, it used its sharp pointed beak to chisel at a section of the horizontal perch. Chips could be seen flying furiously into the air as its beak repeatedly hammered away. Later, it was seen picking up quite an amount of whitish grub with its beak. Part of its long pinkish tongue could be seen probing into the cavities (above left). Some sticky fluid could also be seen streaking across the air gap between its beak and the branch (above right). The food caught was kept in its beak (below left) to be later transferred into the open gape of the waiting juvenile (below right).

“The young fledgling, which had a more puffy look, was observed waiting patiently while its tired-looking parent did all the hard work foraging on another branch of the same tree. The youngster may have fledged not too long ago and may still lack the skills to forage on its own. Gradually, it will learn and acquire foraging and other skills by understudying its parent.

“I tried looking for the other members of their family but failed to locate them. The mother must be looking after the other juvenile or juveniles, which may not have fledged.”

Kwong Wai Chong
Singapore
5th March 2010

Images by Kwong Wai Chong.

“Birding in Singapore and the Challenges of the 21st Century” has just been published by Nature in Singapore, the scientific online journal of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, University of Singapore. You can download a PDF file by clicking HERE (#9).

The paper details the changes that need to be urgently implemented to bring the local birdwatching scene to a higher level. Challenging activities need to be incorporated into routine activities if interest in birdwatching is to be maintained. Documenting bird behaviour and studying bird calls and songs are major aspects that citizen scientists can contribute to the ornithological knowledge of the local species. The camera has become a basic necessity in birdwatching and photographs need to be accompanied in any sightings of rarities and difficult species, if the local records committee is to remain creditable.

It is not enough to just report observations in websites and in-house newsletters. There is a need to publish them in scientific journals, making information available to ornithologists and birdwatchers alike. Similarly, it is not enough to compile information into books if manuscripts are not properly reviewed.

Whatever it is, the dynamics of birdwatching in Singapore has changed irreversibly since the early 2000s. And if you are a birdwatcher, photographer, nature enthusiast, ornithologist, citizen scientist… this paper will have something for you.

Images courtesy of Dr Jonathan WK Cheah.