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Chattering Lory eating Terminalia catappa fruit

on 5th August 2013

Johnny Wee‘s images of the Chattering Lory (Lorius garrulus) eating the fruit of the Sea Almond (Terminalia catappa) was photographed at Singapore’s Lorong Halus. This is a new feeding record for Singapore. The only other parrot taking this fruit is Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffini), reported HERE and HERE.

Johnny Wee
Singapore
August 2013

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. From post: “This is a new feeding record for Singapore. The only other parrot taking this fruit is Tanimbar Corella (Cacatua goffini)”

    In S’pore, I had seen a captive specimen of another introduced parrot Probosciger aterrimus (Palm Cockatoo) readily eat Terminalia catappa (Sea Almond) fruits that have been stripped of their thin exocarp & succulent pericarp.

    The bird supports the remaining exocarp lengthwise between its bill & 1 foot, before using its lower bill to initiate a crack along the seams of the hard woody endocarp. At the same time, the cracked exocarp is lifted & stripped away with the help of its long muscular tongue.

    The bird continues cracking & stripping the exocarp, until the result resembles a woody “saucer” with the edible kernel nestled in it. The bird then uses both its tongue & sharp edge of its upper bill to chisel out the kernel, before dropping the “saucer”. The whole process takes less than 1 minute.

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