4 Jul 2016

‘Rescue’ of a Yellow-vented Bulbul

by | posted in: Rescue | 0

“Although I have given a title of ‘rescue’ to this post I think of it more as our urban dwelling increasingly being traps for creatures, including birds.

“I was working on my PC in the living room when I began to hear an intermittent call of a Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier analis), not too loud. It was associated with some pecking on glass. I assumed it was a bulbul ‘addressing its reflection’ in one of our tinted glass windows.

“I looked around twice but could not see the bird. I finally recognised it was coming from our two panelled front door, the inner panel is made of glass and outer serves as a grill. I looked in and finally spotted a juvenile Yellow-vented Bulbul (below).

YVB rescued [AmarSingh] 1

“It was not really trapped but I suspect the small size, depth of the lower bar and its reflection in the glass were hindrances to getting out. We carefully opened the outer panel but the bird still could not leave (below).

YVB rescued [AmarSingh] 2

“I enlisted my wife’s help to pick it (to allow for some quick photo documentation). It had just recently fledged and still quite young (below).

YVB rescued [AmarSingh] 3

“By this time we could hear the parents’ distress and we quickly placed it on a higher location (our creeping ficus covered wall). It was able to flutter to an adjacent tree allowing the parents to rescue their treasure.

YVB rescued [AmarSingh] 4

“Note the wonderful development of the yellow vent in this juvenile (above). We have seen noted this juvenile in the garden and it continues to thrive and grow. In the brood of this pair it was a single offspring.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
23rd May 2016

Location: Ipoh City, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Urban environment

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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.

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