When a Red-vented Bulbul became a fantail as well as a wagtail…

YC Wee
on 13th June 2019

The Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is easily recognised by its black head with a short crest and a white rump with a red vent. It has a prominent tail that constantly fans up and down. This is shown in Lakshmi Ravishankar‘s video while it feeds from a hanging feeding pan. Its display was interrupted by the arrival of two other bulbuls…

Fantails, belonging to the genus Rhipidura, gets its common name from its characteristic fan-shaped tail (below). The large tail is wagged from side to side or fanned… used to catch insects in flight.

PIed Fantail (Photo credit: Johnny Wee)

Wagtails (Motacilla spp.) are so named because of its characteristic constant tail wagging, used to flush insects during foraging forays (below).

White Wagtail (Photo credit: Lim Sheau Torng)

Lakshmi Ravishankar with Johnny Wee & Lim Sheau Torng
Pune, India
27th August 2016

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.

Other posts by YC Wee

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From looking at birds to studying birds: The story of the Bird Ecology Study Group. Part 1: Looking at Birds.

12th December 2024

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Any views and opinions expressed in the articles 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.

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