“I was out testing a news lens I had loaned, the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 VC. I choose to test it in the ‘worst’ possible setting – 7.30am on a gloom post rain morning, under some trees. I was trying to see if it could match the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm ED VR I have using recently.
“I came across a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris convexus) feeding on the fruit of the Morinda citrifolia (Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, Noni, Mengkudu in Malaysia). Although both members of the pair were feeding, the male was also doing courtship feeding. What was unusual to me was that the male was using a regurgitation technique to do the courtship feeding.
“While food regurgitation is well documented for nesting birds, I have not seen males do this at courtship. I saw the male first swallow some fruit and then later regurgitated two fruits (whole) to feed the female. Above is a composite image of the male swallowing a Morinda citrifolia fruit.
“Above shows courtship feeding from regurgitated food, female on left.
“The female tossing fruit to reposition before swallowing, female on left (above).
“Footnote: Needless to say the lens performed remarkably well, as recent reviews have suggested.”
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
24th September 2014
Location: Malim Nawar, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Rural community, secondary growth
2 responses