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© Nesting Common Tailorbirds – One Full Circle Part 11 Faecal Sacs

on 8th September 2019

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11: Faecal Sacs.

“Excrements of Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) nestling accumulated inside gut and collected into a white membrane called faecal sac and is in-situ chick’s rear end (below).

“Fledging moments of a brood of three chicks-Osai1, Osai2 and Osai3, belonging to Otto (Male) and Satori (female), parents of Common Tailorbirds was close at hand.

“Parenting birds were kept busy disposing faecal sacs to keep nest clean, odourless and rodent free.

“Removal of faecal sac was at times aided by parenting bird pinching chick’s rear end, to relax its sphincter muscles. Subsequently, the sac with blackish tip got plucked out and discarded (below).

“Frequency of faecal sacs removal depended upon sustainable food amounts ingested.

“Satori-female parenting Common Tailorbird was first spotted flying off with white, faecal sac on morning, third day of chick hatching. Day noted to be 8 May.

“Feeding and subsequent faecal sacs removing became routine chore. Sometimes, parenting bird tarried patiently for nestlings to self-expel their poo (above, video below).

“Otto-male parenting bird also shared in waste disposal responsibility.

“Do nestlings eat their own poo?

“Some bird species do but this was not observed during my two weeks monitoring of nesting Common Tailorbirds, of batch season – May 2019.

“Join me to introduce and welcome a new member family of Otto and Satori in next episode…”

AVIAN WRITER DAISY O’NEILL
PENANG MALAYSIA
31st August 2019

COPY OF COPYRIGHT ARTICLE AND ALL IMAGES – COURTESY OF DAISY O’NEILL BIRD CONSERVATION FUND

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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