Yellow-vented Bulbul: Food for the nestlings
Posted by admin on 9 November 06, Thursday
Contributed by - see article -
The Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) is one of the more successful urban birds in Singapore. Part of this success is its ability to adapt to its food source. It is omnivorous, that is, it will eat insects as well as a range of fruits.
At the same time it also scavenge on scraps of discarded food. Newly hatched nestlings are fed with insects and other invertebrates. The growing nestlings require a constant supply of protein. This keeps the parents busy bringing such food constantly.
Almost every garden in Singapore will have at least a pair of Yellow-vented Bulbuls. On certain months of the year the loud and somewhat pleasant bubbling songs in the early morning and later evening are music to the ear.
These birds are so used to humans that they will build their nests among ornamental plants grown in gardens or in potted plants placed in balconies or even along the verandahs of high-rise apartment buildings. The nests are deep cups made from grass, dry leaves, etc. Looking untidy from the outside, it is neatly lined inside.
Lena Chow recently sent an image of a pair nesting among her artificial plants (below). Talk about getting used to urban living…
Images of bulbul by Tang Hung Bun; nesting among artificial plant by Lena Chow; input by YC.
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Categories: Feeding chicks
Comment by Anonymous
Made Thursday, 9 of November , 2006 at 6:57 pm
Just curious, where is the location of the yellow-vented bulbul’s nest in this photo? I have never witnessed such daring feat in my life.
Btw, keep up the good work! I’ve always enjoyed this blog. 
Comment by YC
Made Thursday, 9 of November , 2006 at 9:17 pm
The pot of artificial plant was in Lena’s garage. The success of the blog is due to the generosity of people sharing their stories and images.
Comment by budak
Made Thursday, 9 of November , 2006 at 9:50 pm
Saw this article linked by tomorrow.sg: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/world/asia/08singapore.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1163079467-VEfe/tp6s+ZrV2g8mZVUug
with the disturbing lines:
“Mr. Lim, 54, is on the front lines of a battle for his country’s territorial integrity, a member of the Singapore Gun Club who has been enlisted to help reduce an infestation that at one point climbed to 150,000…. In 1982 the government asked the club to take on the crows, and Mr. Lim has been hunting them down almost from the start.
Now he is standing by for a new challenge, the possibility of bird flu and the need to secure Singapore against migrating birds, perhaps by shooting them out of the sky.
“I don’t know what our assignment will be,” he said. “The club has a contingency plan, all 50 shooters. The shooters will move if necessary, but I don’t know what we will do.”
I thought the WHO/FAO and other scientific bodies had already established that eliminating migratory birds isn’t the solution?
Comment by YC
Made Friday, 10 of November , 2006 at 7:12 am
Yes, I have read the article. Well, we should not expect gun club members to be aware that shooting migratory birds will not contain bird flu. But we should have confident that our AVA will ensure that this does not happen.
Comment by Anonymous
Made Sunday, 12 of November , 2006 at 9:49 am
Quite frankly the reality is the “bird flu” scare is not what the media has hyped it up to be, and most people are not intelligent enough to understand the facts and merely buy into what they are fed, shooting migratory birds will not prevent it coming, and quite frankly if I saw someone shooting a bird for any other reasob than food then I would take the gun off him and return the favour, all in the name of preventing the spread of idiocy and stupidity. I could go on and on and show the truth behind the avian flu, but I have to det some work done, but I wopuld encourage people to learn the basic facts and apply some common sense.
Pingback by Bird Ecology Study Group » Yellow-vented Bulbul nesting in an artificial plant
Made Friday, 13 of April , 2007 at 2:30 pm
[...] June 2006 Lena reported that her bulbuls were nesting in her potted artificial grape plant that she placed in her garage. I have seen people using artificial plants for decoration. I have [...]
Comment by Evaine
Made Tuesday, 20 of May , 2008 at 10:42 pm
Good post. You make some great points that most people do not fully understand.
“These birds are so used to humans that they will build their nests among ornamental plants grown in gardens or in potted plants placed in balconies or even along the verandahs of high-rise apartment buildings. The nests are deep cups made from grass, dry leaves, etc. Looking untidy from the outside, it is neatly lined inside.”
I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks.
Comment by tracy
Made Tuesday, 27 of May , 2008 at 1:35 pm
i found a yellow vented bulbul chick which fell out of its nest. im just wondering is there anything in particular that i should feed it? are mealworms fine? just wondering if anyone here knows waht i should give it.
Comment by BESG
Made Tuesday, 27 of May , 2008 at 5:10 pm
Give it bread or rice but soften in water, insects, mealworms if it will take them… in fact anything that the chick will take.
Check out the following links…
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/01/04/helpless-little-heron-chick-12-release/
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/03/21/javan-myna-chick-4-predated/
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/04/13/should-we-remove-chicks-that-fell-out-of-their-nests/
