Nesting of Black-naped Oriole

on 16th May 2006

The Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) is a very distinctive bird of gardens and parks. Its bright yellow plumage and black nape make it easy to recognise. Its loud and fluty whistle is similarly distinctive. It is a common resident as well as a winter visitor.

The nest is a neat pouch-like structure made up of plant materials like thin pliable stems, roots, grass blades, slender twigs and fibres. These are intricately weaved together into a nest with parts of the rim firmly attached round slender supporting branches high up the tree. There are usually two bluish-white eggs covered with brown spots. It has been reported that the female is the one actively building the nest. In some species the male merely sits nearby, encouraging the female along. But we need to confirm such behaviour in this species.

Cheong Weng Chun came across such a nest in Taman Wetland Putrajaya situated north of the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur on 5th March 2006.

There were two nestlings in the nest. This was the first time he actually saw the successful hatching of the eggs, his earlier two encounters were failures. Eight days later he saw the two nestlings grown into cute chicks ready to fledge. The very next day both young birds made their maiden flights. He spotted one on a tree some distance from the nest, with the parents feeding it regularly. “Where’s the other one?” he wondered.

Text and images by Cheong Weng Chun.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

One Response

  1. Hi,

    If I want to use this post and pictures in my report, how should I cite this article? This article is posted by the admin but the text and images are by Cheong Weng Chun. So I don’t know how to cite this article in the APA style. Any help regarding this issue is much appreciated. Sorry for any inconveniences caused and thanks again.

    wuweisiong

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