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Yellow Vented Bulbul feeding on Thalia geniculata flowers

on 29th June 2012

“Was wandering around in the evening during my visit to [Sibu, Sarawak, East Malaysia] and spotted an adult Yellow Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) (above left) feeding a juvenile (above right) (and itself) with orchid flowers. I !m not aware of the name of this plant but it has hanging flowers that look like orchids [The plant is actually Water Canna, Thalia geniculata: see comments.]

“My wife made a pertinent comment, from her many years of observation, when I showed her the image, ‘We do not need a list of what the Yellow Vented Bulbul eats, but what it does not eat!’. I fully agree with her, the Yellow Vented Bulbuls eats almost anything edible.

“Davison 1999 (The Birds of Borneo by B. E. Smythies, 4th edition) gives the subspecies as P. g. gourdini but looks just like the peninsular P. g. analis.
%pD
“The Internet Bird Collection lists 6 subspecies: LINK, three relevant to my birdwatching area:
P. g. jambu (Deignan, 1955) – S Myanmar (Tenasserim S from 12·5° N), C & S Thailand, C Laos, S Cambodia and S Vietnam.
P. g. analis (Horsfield%rC 1821) – Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra (including Riau and Lingga Archipelagos, Bangka, Belitung), Java (including Kangean Is), Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa.
P. g. gourdini (G. R. Gray, 1847) – Borneo (including Maratua I, off E coast) and Karimunjawa I (N of Java).

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
8th June 2012

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

3 Responses

  1. Doesn’t look like an orchid. Looks like the Spanish flag, Thalia geniculata, or maybe some other Thalia species…

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