Kennie Pan caught on video an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus), also known as Black-backed Kingfisher, casting a pellet.

The kingfisher was quietly perching on a branch when it gaped widely (above left). On the third gape the mandibles remained wide for a few seconds longer before a large black and roundish pellet appeared (above right, below left). And just as suddenly, the pellet was cast.

The kingfisher remained on its perch, mandibles clamped shut and head bobbing on and off. At times it turned its head around, looked down and gaped narrowly.

Another video showed the kingfisher flapping its wings a few times before vigorously flapping them just before flying off.

A paper published on pellet casting by non-raptorial birds can be viewed HERE. Included among the birds photographed casting pellets are two kingfishers - Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) and Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda). With the Oriental Dwarf showcased here, we now have images of three kingfishers casting pellets.

Video grabs taken from Kennie Pan’s videos that are posted in his facebook.

“The Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffini) has been previously documented eating the pong pong fruits, pods of the golden shower and starfruit seeds.

“On 16 Jan 2010, at Pasir Ris Park, a flock of Tanimbar Corellas was seen feasting on fallen sea almond (Terminalia catappa) fruits from the ground and seeds from the ripened pods of leucaena or petai jawa (Leucaena leucocephalia) a large shrub that is about 5 metres tall.

“The birds arrived in a flock, announcing their arrival with some loud screeching as they swooped down into the canopy of trees. Although Tanimbar Corellas have been seen in the area, there were usually two or three birds. A family of three Tanimbar Corellas was likely residing in the area. On this occasion, there were about ten birds, an unusually large flock.

“Initially, all the birds were in the trees foraging from branch to branch, sometimes screeching. After scrutinising the area, two birds swooped down onto the ground. Their crests were perked up as they walked on the ground, searching and picking up fruits of the sea almond from the ground with their claws (left). As the fruits looked weathered, they must have fallen from the trees and left lying on the ground for some time. Soon, the other birds were also seen swooping down. Similarly, they picked up fruits with their claws and were using their formidable beaks to crack them into halves to get at the seed inside.

“The sequence of images showed one of the birds using its strong hooked beaks with sharp ends cracking open a hard fruit (above left). Its tongue was then used to tuck the brightly-coloured seed into its mouth (above right). Nature is full of wonder: certain food is designed for only selected species with specialised tool (in this case the bird’s beak, which was shaped to crack nuts). Only these selected species, using their specialised tools could harvest such food. It is interesting and bewildering how the corellas could have knowledge about the edible seed that is hidden in the core and protected by the hard outer shell of the fruit.

“After a short feast of the sea almond fruits on the ground, the birds flew back en masse into the trees. Some birds were then seen clutching ripened pods from the petai jawa, which was growing wild nearby (above). Their claws and beaks were used to split the ripened pods before the seeds could be reached and eaten. To reach its choice pods, one of the birds was even seen clinging upside down as it reached for its chosen pod to feed on its seeds. Perhaps, the bird was showing off its capability of eating in this acrobatic stance.”

Kwong Wai Chong
Singapore
21st January 2010

Note: One of the many reasons why this exotic corella is successful in Singapore is that it has found its food niche. All the recorded fruits it relishes are generally not eaten by other birds.

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS reported seeing seven Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus) around old mining pools in Gopeng’s Gua Tempurung in Perak, Malaysia on 29th December 2009. The image above shows the seven flying around, with a Stork-billed Kingfisher (Halcyon capensis) perching in the foreground. Together with the these geese in the pond were a Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) and two Lesser Whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna javanica).

“There is some doubt/uncertainty about the Cotton Pygmy-goose breeding locally,” recounts Amar. “My opinion is that there were two adult males (but both did not have a clear prominent black collar), three immature/eclipse males (above left), one adult female and one immature/eclipse female (above right). This might suggest local breeding, but could still be a migratory flock.”

“…My analysis suggested migrants at this time of year although no-one knows how far south pigmy-geese still breed,” writes Dr David R Wells. “Perak could well be within the range, but note that they need hole in waterside tree. Not the sort of thing mining pond sites can often supply?”

KC Tsang recently photographed a Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) feeding on earthworms. The crake, having pulled the worm out of the ground, proceeded to smash it on the ground to stun or kill it before swallowing. “I guess this is instinctive,” says KC, “to ensure that the prey will not be able to wriggle free when swallowing it. The hitting of the worm on the ground was so violent that particles of sand flew up, some of which remained stuck to the bird’s bill and forehead.”

An earlier post describes a crake catching worms among the leaf litter in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Red-legged Crakes commonly forage in such a habitat, using its bill to turn over leaves and small stones to get at invertebrates. The sharp pointed bill also enables the bird to probe the soft soil for earthworms.

The rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is one of the better known fruits of the East. The trees are commonly grown in urban and rural areas for their fruits that are roundish and covered with thick, coarse hairs. Green during development, the fruits turn red with ripening. Rambutan has been in cultivation in the tropics for so long that its origin is not too clear. Trees fruit twice a year, usually during the dry months. Ripe fruits will invariably attract plenty of birds.

On 30th December 2009, Dato’ Dr Amar Singh HSS observed three spcecie of birds taking turn eating rambutans along the Burmese Pool Trail (Secondary forest) in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.

First came the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) (above left), hanging upside down to give it access to the fruit. It used its bill to break off small pieces of skin until a sufficiently large opening developed. Only then did it take bites of the flesh. Despite the small hole, the bird was able to work its way around the fruit and get flesh from all sides, leaving the empty fruit skin hanging.

Then a female Greater Green Leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati zosterops) flew in (above right). The parrot flew off leaving the fruit half eaten. The leafbird proceeded to take over the fruit. This was observed twice, by two different leafbirds. But unlike the hanging parrot, the leafbirds had great difficulty gaining access to the flesh as the fruits were at the tip of thin branches. It required quite a bit of balancing and contortion to gain access. Obviously the leafbird was unable to create an opening to the fruit, having to depend on the hanging parrot to do so.

A Yellow-eared Spiderhunter (Arachnothera chrysogenys chrysogenys) flew into the tree and watched the Greater Green Leafbird feeding on the rambutan from a lower branch. The spiderhunter then jumped up and joined the leafbird on the same branch to subsequently displace the latter and taking over the rambutan. Like the Greater Green Leafbirds, the spiderhunter had difficulty gaining access to the flesh as the fruit was at the tip of a thin branch and its long bill did not help. It required quite a bit of contortion and adjusting of position to gain access (above left). Climbing on the fruit seemed the best option (above right).

“I have seldom seen spiderhunters for such long periods – usually a whiz by in the jungle. The only times have been when they were engrossed feeding. The Yellow-eared Spiderhunter was so intent on the rambutan fruit that I could come up to it very close without it being distressed,” adds Amar. “It kept watching me but allowed close access and photography. After taking my fill of picture we withdrew and it still continued addressing the fruit. Again this observation shows that birds may use the activity of another bird to gain access to a food source. I doubt that the Yellow-eared Spiderhunter could ever open a Rambutan fruit for itself.”

An earlier post by Marcus Ng reports the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) swallowing the fruit whole. On the other hand Johnny Wee observed the bird picking the fruit and trying to break up the skin but invariably fails as the fruit slipped away.