The first time CK Kim had a pair of Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus goiavier) nesting in her garden was in February 2009. Her family, especially her two children, were fascinated and thrilled with the experience LINK. Then, she had numerous questions about the nesting behaviour from hygiene to what happened to the eggshell after the chicks were hatched.
Now, three years later, a pair built another nest, this time in her backyard. Her children, now three years older, are just as thrilled to have another close encounter with a nesting pair.
“A ‘loving couple’ of bulbuls was frolicking around there and recently, nested there and even laid 2 eggs there. Take a look at the pics and see what they have become as per this morning real time (6th March 2012),” wrote Kim. “My two young kids were exceptionally thrilled each time they come. This brought something to my mind – any possibilities of starting a ‘Junior Bird Group’ for these youngsters to start exchanging notes and pics or just simply talk about it?”
An excellent idea and Vilma D’Rozario of the Cicada Tree Eco-place LINK is seriously considering the the proposal. We hope she will have something going in the near future as children are always fascinated with the nature around them. And we need to guide them along.
The Yellow-vented Bulbul is one of the commonest bird in Singapore and can be encountered everywhere. Besides, they nest around human habitation and thus it is easy to interact with them LINK. They have even built a nest in an artificial plant placed in the garage LINK and use whatever nesting materials they can find, like tissue paper for example LINK.
CK Kim
Singapore
April 2012
