“A bird cage hung high up on the outside of a fifth storey apartment in my condo attracted my attention when I noticed unusual movements outside the cage. A Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) was hopping around the cage. My initial thought was that it was harassing the poor confined Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus). Then I realised that it was, without invitation, pecking and feeding on the cut papaya meant for the caged bird.
“This is one of the many reasons Javan Myna came top of the list of most common birds found in Singapore in a recent study (Chong, K. Y., S. Teo, Kurukulasuriya, Y. F. Chung & S. Rajathurai, 2012. Decadal changes in urban bird abundance in Singapore. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement No. 25: 189-196.)
“The video clip above, was taken on the morning of 31st March 2013.
“Another video clip, taken on 1st April 2013, showing the begging behaviour of the juvenile Javan Myna, including begging calls, can be viewed above.
Sun Chong Hong
Singapore
29th April 2013
Am
The calls of the Asian Koel can be heard in the background from time to time in the first vid!
Sun Chong Hong
Yes, even as the crow population has been reduced drastically, there are still many Asian Koel in my area. This observation is supported by the result of the study quoted.