Scavenging birds of Perth, Australia

on 16th August 2010

Here in Singapore, we get the ubiquitous Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), the Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) and the House Crow (Corvus splendens) scavenging leftover food in open-air hawker centres and garbage dumps. Over in Pangkor Island in nearby Malaysia, the Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) are commonly found in touristy areas where they are fed with leftover food.

In Perth, Australia, Johnny Wee documented another set of birds that thrive on leftover food in open-air food courts. The Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) (above left), a common Australian garden bird and the wren (above right), take leftover cakes. On the other hand the New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) which takes nectar under natural conditions, scavenge leftover maple syrup (left).

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

8 responses

  1. I believe this can happen in Australia because the public respect birds and do not harm them (in general). I have often found birds in industrialized countries (e.g. UK) friendlier than locally. Hope we can cultivate such human behavior in our region.

  2. Well, I would like to add that this was happening in Frasers’ Hill at the Jelai Resort, where the Long-tailed Sibias would come round to the breakfast table and take the bread off the birders, and bird photographers, while in Singapore Javan Mynas, Sparrows often hang around tables at hawker centers, while at our Botanic Gardens White Breasted Waterhens and Red Legged Crake can be a few feet away from human traffic.

  3. Perhaps the White Breasted Waterhens and Red Legged Crake in Botanic Gardens are used to the heavy human traffic there. In my condo where the waterhens are sighted once in a while (see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4VXC9M038 ), they are extremely shy. They would look for cover once they have sighted me. Sometimes they would fly to a nearby small tree if there were no other suitable hiding places. On one occasion one bird ran for cover when I was in my car about 30 m away (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8678mF3kI4 ).

  4. Perhaps the White Breasted Waterhens and Red Legged Crake in Botanic Gardens are used to the heavy human traffic. In my condo where the waterhens are sighted once in a while (see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4VXC9M038 ), they are extremely shy. They would look for cover once they have sighted me. Sometimes they would fly to a nearby small tree if there were no other suitable hiding places. On one occassion one bird ran for cover when I was in my car about 30 m away (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8678mF3kI4 ).

  5. Perhaps the White Breasted Waterhens and Red Legged Crake in Botanic Gardens are used to the heavy human traffic. In my condo where the waterhens are sighted once in a while (see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4VXC9M038 ), they are extremely shy. They would look for cover once they have sighted me. Sometimes they would fly to a nearby small tree if there were no other suitable hiding places. On one occasion one bird ran for cover when I was in my car about 30 m away (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8678mF3kI4 ).

  6. Each individual of birds definitely learned the danger by experience, those I met in NZ are almost certainly not afraid of humans, I remembered the New Zealand Robin actually hopped to us when we are attempting to take photos, and so are the friendly Coots, I am sure a Coot is always very far away when it reached this region as vagrants, I have seen extremely friendly Barn Swallow at one location in Ipoh where they are not harm, completely nearly fully ignoring the humans, most other places, it is impossible.

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