Red-whiskered Bulbul: 5. Nest

The nest of the Red-whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus) was examined the day after the adults abandoned it LINK.

The cup-shaped nest (above), at 270 cm from the ground, was slightly dislodged from the forks of the branches of the Belimbing (Averrhoa bilimbi) tree (top). Nest measurements: external diameter 10 cm, height 6 cm, nest cup diameter 6 cm and depth 4 cm (below). These more or less correspond with those given by Wells (2007) and Fishpool & Tobias (2005).

Of the total 419 pieces of materials that made up the nest, there were 98 pieces of fibres (23.4%) (below left); 73 pieces of grass inflorescence branches, grass roots, stems of Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis), etc. (17.4%) (below right);

… 58 pieces of possibly bamboo or palm leaf fragments (13.8%) (below left); 44 pieces of sun-bleached raffia string pieces, the longest being (73 cm) (10.5%) (below right);

… 41 pieces of Dragon’s Scale Fern (Pyrrosia piloselloides) stem, some pieces with a few fronds still attached (9.8%) (below left); 31 pieces of twigs of an unidentified herb or shrub (7.4%) (below right) and 74 miscellaneous pieces (17.7%).

The nest cup was made up of loosely woven slender fibres. The fern stems, bamboo or palm leaf fragments and other rough materials were found outside and below the central nest cup (below). Similarly, the pieces of raffia were also found outside the nest cup, helping to keep all the other materials in place.

Leaves (other than bamboo) and leaf skeletons as reported by Wells (2007) and Fishpool & Tobias (2005) were absent. There were also no signs of nesting pieces bound by cobwebs as reported by Fishpool & Tobias (2005).

YC Wee
Singapore
June 2015

References:
1. Fishpool, L. D. C. & J. A. Tobias, 2005. Family Pycnonotidae (bulbuls). In: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & D. A. Christie (eds.), Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 10. Cucuoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. Pp. 124-251.
2. Wells, D.R., 2007. The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London. 800 pp.