12 Oct 2021

Java Sparrow – roosting site

by | posted in: birds, Roosting | 0

A few months ago my wife and I identified an urban night roosting site for Java Sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora). I have visited the site a few times and the birds use the site daily. There are about 300-400 Java Sparrows using two trees adjacent to a busy urban road. This site is some distance from limestone hills that are the usual habitat and nesting site for these birds. These birds are known to congregate socially in large flocks. I have visited the site between 6.30-7.30am and the birds are usually already twitting away loudly. They usually start leaving, in dribs and drabs, by 6.50am. An edited recording of the ‘loud din’ they make is available here: https://www.xeno-canto.org/467129

It is hard to clean up the recording and remove background traffic noise as the birds call out constantly. There is an occasional Asian Glossy Starling in the mix. A sonogram and waveform are shown above. Images are poor as it is still dark at that time.

 

Amar-Singh HSS (Dato’ Dr)

Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

 

Location: Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Habitat: Urban environment

Date: 11th April 2019

Equipment: Nikon D500 SLR with Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD, handheld with Rode VideoMic Pro Plus Shotgun Microphone

 

 

Follow 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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