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Macaranga bancana: An excellent bird tree

on 15th November 2009

The common mahang (Macaranga bancana) is a small to medium sized tree that grows up to 20 metres high (above left). The large leaves are characteristically three-lobed. At the base of each leaf stalk is a pair of dark purple stipules, on the undersurface of which are many white starch grains (above right, below left). These starch grains attract ants of the genus Crematogaster that bore into the hollow twigs and nest inside (below right). The ants bring in mealybugs into the hollow stem and regularly “milk” them for their sweet secretions. As repayment for shelter, the ants protect the plant from herbivores. Should you touch the stem tip, ants will emerge from inside the hollow stem through the tiny opening (below left, opening at top) to confront you.

The plant bears male and female flowers in different trees. Fruits are leathery shouldered capsules splitting into two-valved parts exposing black seeds covered with a thin orange to red aril. Birds are attracted to these fruits, so obviously the female trees will attract birds when they fruit.

This tree flourishes in full sun, starting life in young secondary forest and in open gaps in older forests. They are thus mostly found in disturbed forests, growing for about 20 years to slowly die out when the forest matures.

It is strange that local birdwatchers seldom, if at all, encounter a fruiting Macarange bancana tree covered with birds. Over the causeway in the Malaysian state of Perak, Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS has recently documented sunbirds, spiderhunters, bulbuls and an iora and flycatchers feasting on the fruits during the short period the tree was fruiting.

This is obviously an excellent bird tree for parks, open grounds and large gardens. But they have yet to be introduced into the urban environment, at least not in Singapore.

YC Wee, Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS & Johnny Wee
Singapore-Malaysia
November 2009
[Images: Top left (Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS), top right and bottom right (YC Wee) and bottom left (Johnny Wee)]

Note: Macaranga bancana has long been wrongly referred to as M. triloba. We wish to thank Chua Yen Kheng for alerting us on the error and Prof. Hugh Tan for his confirmation on the correct name of the plant.

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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