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Olive-backed Sunbird: Compliment of the season and pectoral tuft

on 24th December 2017

In May 2017, I had the opportunity to document a male Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) stealing nectar from flowers of the ornamental banana plant, Musa ornata.

1. Another major flaw in the conservation proposals

All my attention was then focused on how the sunbird probed its sharp bill through the lower portion of the flowers to get at the nectar. After all, its bill is too short to reach the nectar when probing through the top of the flower, unlike that of the spiderhunter.

Seven months later when I was screening my video clips to produce a video-greeting for Christmas and the New Year, I came across the earlier clip. Only when I was working on the clip to include a musical message did I notice a patch of orange under its wings when the sunbird was moving around the flowers (above). Slowing down the relevant portions helped to further focus attention on the patch. It was only then that I realised that what I was seeing was the pectoral tuft (below).

The male Olive-backed Sunbird has a pair of pectoral tuft that is prominently displayed during courtship. It is claimed that they only develop during the breeding season LINK.

When the male sunbird is not courting, the pair of pectoral tufts is hidden under the wings. The rapid movements of the wings may expose the orange tufts and this was captured by my video above.

This shows the value of video over photographic documentation in the study of bird behaviour.

Taking pectoral tufts documentation one step further, it would be interesting to find out whether these pectoral tufts are really absent during non-breeding periods. The fact that these orange patches are well hidden and usually not noticed unless they are exposed during courtship may contribute to such belief.

YC Wee
Singapore
24th December 2017

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.

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