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Pink-necked Green-pigeon fledgling rescued by student of Commonwealth Secondary School, Singapore

on 7th March 2019
Pink-necked Green-pigeon fledgling.

“On 25th February, at about 0900 hrs, a juvenile Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) was found stranded outside Sandbox 1 (Computer Lab) by a student Ariqah (Class 3-O) in my school. It was likely that this fledgling had yet to master flying.

Fledgling being examined for injuries.

“These green-pigeons feed mainly on fruits. Their colourful plumage allows them to blend perfectly with the foliage of fruiting trees. The male has the upper throat that is pale bluish-grey, with a broad orange band across lower breast. The female basically has an overall olive green shade throughout the body.

Session with students…

“After being examined for injury, it was placed on the Coral Tree (Erythrina sp.) next to the corridor outside our General Office to wait for its mother to find it. But there were no signs of its parents.

Fledgling being placed on the branch of the Coral Tree.

“On 27th February, after morning flag raising, I gathered a group of students to witness the transfer of this juvenile Pink-necked Green-pigeon onto another shrub next to The Wetland in our school, where I’ve observed high volume of bird activities in the morning due to the ripen berries on the Sendudok plants (Melastoma malabathricum) in that area.

With students to witness transfer of fledgling to The Wetland.

“True enough, we saw a pair of adult Pink-necked Green-pigeons approaching the shrub after we backed off. We trust that the parenting is best done by its biological parents.

Male adult green-pigeon looking for the fledgling.

“On 28th February, the same juvenile green-pigeon was picked up from the mudflat in The Wetland of our school at around 1500 hrs by two of our Sec 1 students while walking across The Wetland.

Transferring fledgling to another tree…

“They showed warmth to this young pigeon by relocating the young pigeon onto a tree next to where it was found, as they were concerned that water may cover the mudflat suddenly and drown the young pigeon which may not be able to fly away.

Fledgling being carefully handled…

“Dear students, if you see any animal that is sick/injured, in distress, or require protection, take a clear picture of the animal and report the sighting to the General Office immediately. Ms Lye Zhen Xi and myself will be informed and will respond to the case as we are trained as wildlife rescue volunteers with ACRES.

Fledgling waiting to be reunited with its parents.

“I urge everyone of us to keep our school environment clean and free from litter, so that our eco-habitats can be enjoyable for both staff and students, and a safe haven for the wildlife that either visit or reside here.”

Jacob Tan Guanrui
Senior Teacher (Biology)
Commonwealth Secondary School
Singapore
27th February 2019

Photo Credits: Ariqah (Class 3-O), Aisyah (Class 3-M), Ryan Wong (Class 4-O) and Koon Chi and Divyadharshan (Class 1-C).

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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