Search

Bulbul and green-pigeon nests compared

on 22nd May 2019
Nest of Red-whiskered Bulbul (Credit: YC Wee}

The Red-Whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus) build an intricate cup-shaped nest with materials like plant roots, stems, leaves and flowering branches carefully weaved together LINK. This nest is firmly lodged between a branch fork and is not easily dislodged by wind and rain.

Platform nest of Pink-necked Green-pigeon (Credit: YC Wee).

On the other hand the nest of the Pink-naped Green-pigeons (Treron vernans) is a simple platform of twigs placed together with minimum intertwining. Such a nest is unstable under stormy conditions as witnessed in the recent nesting – see HERE. Although the nest itself survived the storm, the chick did not.

Nest of the Pink-necked Green-pigeons made up of these twigs (Credit: YC Wee).

As mentioned HERE, pigeons are not the greatest architects, “…the male will take a stick and the female will take a stick and they’ll put them together and then they’ll lay an egg, and that doesn’t bode well for the egg. So we always say that the Pink Pigeon approach to nest building is two sticks and a prayer.”

According to Amy Sobrielo, the building philosophy “two sticks and a prayer” of pigeons is probably and exaggeration but it implies a nest that is not adequate, and that it’s luck that the eggs don’t fall off…”

YC Wee & Amy Sobrielo
Singapore
13th March 2019

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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives

Overall visits (since 2005)

Live visitors
830
1109
Visitors Today
51740110
Total
Visitors

Clustrmaps (since 2016)