Unusual food item of the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

on 17th March 2022

I was watching a Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) male forage this morning (17th March 2022) at the Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, Ipoh, Perak. It largely took insects by aerial sallies or ‘hover-snatching’. But I was surprised when it took the flowers of an inflorescence – saw this a few times (see image with close-ups – below).

I have seen this creeper with a globular flowering inflorescence a number of times. I think it is a Cephalanthus species, a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, commonly known as the buttonbush.

I have seen birds feed on flowers to get to the nectar; especially Sunbirds and Spiderhunters feeding on the flowers of Poikilospermum suaveolens. But this is the first time I have seen a flycatcher do this. Yellow-rumped Flycatchers have been known to take fruit (see Wells 2007) and I have personally observed them feeding on the fruit of the Giant Mahang (Macaranga gigantea).

 

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS – Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

17th March 2022

 

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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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