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Asian Glossy Starling eating Nephelium lappaceum leaves

on 13th January 2014

“For years I have been observing Asian Glossy Starlings (Aplonis panayensis) eating up my Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) leaves,” wrote Johnny Wee. “At first I thought it was collecting nesting material but then saw it swallowed the leaf pieces.”

Birds collect dried or even fresh leaves to line their nests. Some, like the Common Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), collects aromatic leaves to disinfect their nest LINK.

But birds eating leaves?

There are about 3% of birds that are folivorous – eating leaves on a regular basis LINK. But these are confined to about 14 families. And only two species, Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) and Owl Parrot (Strigops habroptilus), obtain most of their energy from leaves

Asian Glossy Starlings eating leaves of the Rain Tree (Samanea saman) and Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) have earlier been reported HERE.

There are a few accounts on the net documenting starlings eating leaves of most young plants, for example HERE.

Searching through the Handbook of the Birds of the World ALIVE LINK threw up three species eating leaves: Socorro Dove (Zenaida graysoni) under captivity have been known to strip and eat leaves of tree-ferns and Impatiens; Jamaican Spindalis (Spindalis nigricephala) and Green-winged Saltator (Saltator similis).

Johnny Wee
Singapore
January 2014

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

7 Responses

  1. This is new to me as well. Have never heard of birds eating leaves. But I have heard of cats eating grass, to help them expel undesirable stomach contents. Could birds be eating specific plants for the same reasons (i.e. medicinal purposes)?

  2. I have come across a specimen of a White – bellied Fish Eagle whose stomach contents were fish bones and Casuarina twigs. Still puzzled by the latter.

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