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Yellow-vented Bulbul: A courtship behaviour

on 15th July 2008

On 14th June 2008, a pair of Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) suddenly arrived in my garden and perched on the branches of a tree. The vocalisation of the pair was unfamiliar.

Usually, these bulbuls would make their familiar gurgling noises at their dawn chorus during certain periods of the year. These characteristic sounds can also be heard at other times of the day.

But the sound I heard was new to me – crack-crack-crack, to be answered by crick-crick-crick.

One of the bulbuls was quivering its wings and at the same time spreading and fluttering them. The tail feathers were somewhat spread and partially cocked. The plumage was fluffed (top left and middle).

Suddenly, one of the birds flew off, to return about a minute of so later with a long strand of fibre in its bill (top right). Nesting material?

They then left the scene, leaving me puzzled. Obviously, this was a form of courtship behaviour.

YC Wee
Singapore
July 2008

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.

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5 Responses

  1. Dear YC,
    Can you pls advise me how do you post the story and input the images into it? Pls help. I want to post my story with the desired pics, thansk very much.
    CK

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