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Mangrove Blue Flycatcher feeding nestling

on 11th June 2010

The Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra) is a rare resident in Singapore. It is found mainly in mangroves and the surrounding areas. And due to habitat loss and poaching, it has become a nationally endangered species.

David Tan’s documentation the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher feeding a pair of chicks on 25th May 2010 is the latest of the few breeding records that have come to light. It is heartening to know that the bird is still breeding in the remaining degraded pockets of mangroves.

The nest is built in the rotted hollow top of a palm stem that can well be a bayas Oncosperma horridum or a nibong (O. tigillarium).

The food that the adults bring to the chicks include grasshoppers (left) and caterpillars – moth caterpillar, possibly family Noctuidae (below left) and butterfly caterpillar, possibly mid-instar (below right).

The chicks are also fed with a hopper nymph (Homoptera) (below left) and a jumping spider (family Salticidae) (below right).

Dr Leong Tzi Ming who assisted in the identification of the insects, adds: “Lovely images captured in startling detail. Thank you for the preview and congrats to David S. H. Tan for his brilliant photography.”

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

2 Responses

  1. Wonderful photos of a rare resident. Last time I saw a mangrove was on P Tekong but it didn’t stay long enough for me to photograph it.

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