On 9th May 2009 Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS was witness to a Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta cyanoptila) robbing nesting materials from the nest of the Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) in Ipoh City, Perak, Malaysia.
“I was out to re-visit old locations in the city, with secondary jungle/scrub, that are being threatened by development. I was watching a Baya Weaver nesting colony with about 8-10 nests, mostly being built, with only one completed.
“I saw a peculiar behaviour of the Glossy. They would swoop down repeatedly to the completed (brown) nest. At first I thought, fancifully, that they might be using an abandoned nest for their own nesting.
“But as I watched, it became clear that they were, distastefully, stealing the Baya Weaver nesting materials (above). Of all the cheek! Especially as it already had young within. At times the nest was rocked from side to side as they pulled hard on the strands. I hope the youngsters inside were not traumatised.
“They were even doing it when the Baya Weavers came to feed their young. The entrance to the nest was frayed due to the stealing, making entry by the weavers a little difficult (left).
All images by Amar-Singh HSS (Dato, Dr)
4 Responses
Cool, awesome documentation.
Well I have also come across White-breasted Munias stealing Baya Weaver nests from right under the nose of the weaver birds on the banks of the River Cauvery, Srirangapatna, Karnataka, India.
Srinivasan S K