Tan Teo Seng brought me an abandoned bird nest from his fruit farm in Kota Tinggi, Johor recently. Measuring 300 x 130 mm, it is firmly lodged between the narrow forking twigs of a jambu (Syzygium sp.) plant that grew around the farm (above).

When examined closely, it was found to be made up of two components (below).

The nest itself is an oval structure, 80 x 60 mm, with a small round opening of 35 mm diameter near the top (above, below right). Overhanging the opening is a porch, not very prominent and slightly downward pointing.

The nest has a small oval chamber of 80 x 60 mm that is placed slightly higher, such that the upper roof is 60 mm thick while the base is 80 mm thick (below).

This oval nest sits smugly on a mass of leafy materials that fill up the narrowing end of the slender branches making up the fork (above left).

The external nest is made of mainly dried bamboo leaves, interspersed with slender grass stems and inflorescence branches, like Panicum sp. The porch is of mainly grass inflorescence branches.

Field ornithologist Wang Luan Keng identified it as a nest of a munia. I checked with Wells (2007) and the closest fit is that of White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata). However, Restall (1996) describes the entrance to the nest as “low down on one side…” versus “end entrance” in Wells as well as in the collected specimen. Both authors do not mention that the nest is made up of two components.

References:
1. Restall, R. (1996). Munias and mannikins. East Sussex: Pica Press.
2. Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London.

Drongo nests are fragile-looking structures built around a fork of a branch of a tree. It is a shallow cup made up of plant materials that can include pliable stems that include grass and creepers, fibres, tendrils, leaf skeletons

Wells (2007) has reported on the nests of a few species. The nest of one Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) was camouflaged on the outside with lichens and bryophytes and felted with cobwebs.

Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradisus) is common in the forested areas of Singapore. The nest is built high up in the thin branches of a tall tree (above). According to Wells, it is “a cradle slung through the rim from terminal twigs or prongs of a horizontal fork towards the outer end of a branch, quite often in an area bare of leaves…” Cobwebs are used to bind the nest to the branch. It is described as a fairly open lattice, the contents of which can be seen from below. The nest cop measures 7.7-9.0 cm across by 3.8-5.1 cm deep.

The Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer) is a montane species seen at Fraser’s Hill in Peninsular Malaysia. The nest is more or less similar to that of the Greater Racquet-tailed and Wells describes it as “lined with fine fibre and felted and further secured externally with cobwebs” (above). It measures 7 cm across by 4 cm deep.

A full clutch consists of two to three eggs. Up to three chicks may fledge. During the breeding period these birds are fierce and aggressive.

Images from the book “A Passion for Birds” courtesy of Ong Kiem Sian.

Reference:
Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London.

Four species of spiderhunters are recorded for Singapore, of which Grey-breasted (Arachnothera affinis) and Spectacled (A. flavigaster) are now extinct. Thick-billed (A. crassirostris) and Yellow-eared (A. chrysogenys) are rare residents while Little (A. longirostra) is a common resident.

The spiderhunters build their nests on the undersurface of large leaves such as banana, ginger and aroids. The trough-shaped nest is anchored to the leaf with the help of plant fibres and cobwebs passed through many holes punctured through the leaf blade. Wells (2007) has described the nests of most species.

Ong Kiem Sian has documented the nest of the Long-billed and Spectacled Spiderhunters in her book, A Passion for Birds.

A Long-billed was photographer in the forest of Taman Negara, Malaysia, constructing its nest on the underside of a large banana leaf (above). The nesting materials of mainly dried plant materials are attached to the leaf through a number of holes on either side of the midrib with threads from spiders’ web. The web materials are teased into flattened blobs on the upperside of the lead as anchors.

Wells (2007) reports 76-84 holes spaced 2-3 cm apart on a banana leaf where a nest was attached. The actual nest is described as “a wide trough aligned along and below the support midrib, open at the drooping end of the leaf and closed off as a bulbous cup at the upper end…”

The arriving adults fly below the leaf and enters directly into the tunnel entrance.

The nest of the Spectacled Spiderhunter was taken at Panti Forest Reserve, Johor, Malaysia (above). It is a compact, thick-walled, basket-shaped nest made up of plant fibres. The nest is attached to the undersurface of a large, palmately lobed leaf with the aid of spiders’ web and/or plant fibres.

Images from the book “A Passion for Birds” courtesy of Ong Kiem Sian.
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Reference:
Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London.

The Banded Broadbill (Eurylaimus javanicus) is a colourful bird that was once a rare resident in Singapore. It has not been recorded in Singapore since the 1920s. However, it can still be found across the causeway.

Irfan Choo is sharing with us his images of the Banded Broadbill collecting nesting materials of leaves and fern stems that he documented in Malacca, Malaysia . The bird above is seen among a growth of epiphytic dragon’s scales fern (Pyrrosia piloselloides) growing in the fork of an old tree.

The male, with a distinct blackish breast band (below left) has a mass of the fern’s dead stems in its bill together with what looks like pieces of dead leaves. The female, lacking this breast band (below right) is collecting fresh leaves for the nest they are building.

The untidy, pear-shaped nest with a distinct tail is suspended from a side branch of a large tree, often close to the main trunk. The entrance, completely covered by a long, slanting porch, is at the upper half of the nest.

Nest materials include twigs, bamboo and other leaves, grass and fern stems and roots. The outside of the nest is decorated with bryophytes, lichens and cobwebs while the inside is lined with leaves.

Images courtesy of Irfan Choo - www.irfanchoo.com

How long does it take for a cavity nester to excavate and complete a nesting area, fitted to size, before commencing to bring forth and to propagate their species?

A few hours? A few days?

In SE Asia alone, there are 42 species of Woodpeckers (Picidae), 16 species of Barbets (Megalaimidae) and 12 species of Hornbills (Bucerotidae) that are mainly cavity nesters.

Each species has its own peculiar style in terms of size, shape and tidiness of their nesting cavities. Some have it high up on mostly dead tree trucks, some have been observed to be at eye level and many choose their temporary homes midway.

There are those who are tidy and meticulous, while others are more practical, easy going and choosing natural cavities to provide finishing touches for a quick make over.

This species, Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon), like a tailor with chalk, was observed to peck a squarish montage before sinking her excavating beak into the middle, resulting in ‘a hole-in-square’ as seen in this image (above). The lower dead bark that was loose, eventually eroded away due to frequent perch of the bird.

The Banded Woodpecker (Picus miniaceus) took a quicker way out by choosing a stump that had its outer bark weathered or torn away, exposing a ready, fibrous foundation surface to work on (below left).

The Checker–throated Woodpecker (Picus mentalis) family observed with John and Alison Morgan showed a neatly excavated cavity to breed their two fledglings (above right).

A recent birding trip provided me the opportunity to chance a closer look of a 17-18 cm female, Blue-eared Barbet (Megalaima australis) preparing her home (below).

While the ‘3-step’ precautious approach seemed to be a common behaviour of all barbets I have observed so far, this small species that is just about a fraction bigger than his close cousin, Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) was too busy with her duties to be found out.

I found myself just behind her…about 15 feet away.

This is when a birder is rewarded with a one to one observation, with no interference of anyone else present. No sound of sorts. Just me, Jacinta the Blue-eared Barbet witnessed by an open broadleaved, evergreen forest. My partner, DG Scope had a field day.

The observation can be briefly described below.

At 0939 hours, 6th August, a small green bird was seen perched on the side of a dead tree trunk about 10 feet above ground. It seemed distracted. My 10×42 binoculars confirmed the species to be a female sub–species duvaucelii working hard at excavating her nesting cavity.

On 8th August morning, a revisit showed she was busy bailing out wood dust with her black ivory beak. The coincidental timing of two visits could not be better as good birding luck provided the opportunity to witness the alpha and the omega of a female, Blue- eared Barbet in nest making.

There was no sign of her male partner present throughout my visits. Perhaps, he was a rouge ‘passing through’ partner like his close cousin, Sonny, the ‘Avian Cowboy’, Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) (left).

Perhaps it was simply… “Wham Bam, goodbye Mam!”

Details of her best green jaded, breeding plumage was observed. Her long, black rictal bristles were prominently displayed. Three small, red patches on side of head were distinctive markings of her identity.

I played ‘dead wood’ and took my distance behind her in my attire that blended into the environment and kept my golden rule - being, “Whatever I do in any bird observation or follow-up digiscopy, to do it without intentionally distracting or compromising birds reproduction life cycle to just benefit myself.”

The bird’s rewarding moment came, when 1st entry was made at 1134 hours. She flew into her newly made home and shuffled to check for fitness and satisfaction.

Before Jacinta flew off, she gave a blank stare of disbelief.

A two legged looking, tree trunk was smiling back.

Did she see me?

“Look into my eyes…” said the blurry bird in the hole of this blurry image (left).

The feat of this small bird took a total of 49 hours 55 minutes.

DG Scope presenting readers the following progressive images from beginning of exposed wood (above) to first moment of entry (left).

AVIAN WRITER DAISY O’NEILL, PENANG, MALAYSIA