Spotted wood owls share the same parental behaviour as most owls. Both parents perched on the same tree as the owlets, on the same perch or a distance away. The parents closed their eyes to sleep during the day but opened their eyes periodically. The parents had been seen to chase a juvenile goshawk that had wandered to their raintree home. In the evenings, the owlets engaged in a lot of auto-preening, wing stretching and walking on the tree branches while they explored their surroundings. The family frequently engaged each other in allopreening. The owlets engaged in more frequent head-bobbing (known as triangulation) as the weeks progressed. Owlets triangulate to judge distances and positions of objects as owls do not move their eyes in the sockets.
In the evenings, the male parent flew off to hunt food while the female parent stayed with the owlets on the tree. The family had been seen feeding on rats. The owls carried out gular fluttering on hot days in order to cool down. The owlets increased in size very quickly. The first owlet fledged on 19 February 2022 and the second owlet fledged on 21 February 2022 and they were about half the size of the parents. By 13 March 2022, the owlets were about the size of the parents. The youngsters could be seen gaining confidence in their tree branch walking, strenghtening their flight muscles by flapping their wings more frequently and with greater force exertion. The flight feathers (remiges) also grew longer with the passing weeks but the tail feathers (rectrices) were still shorter than those of the parents. By 11 March 2022, the owlets were seen flying from branch to branch. The owlets had facial discs which were lighter in colour than the parents. The brown edges of the facial discs were also not well-defined in the owlets. The owlets were also less snow white in colour.
On 13 March 2022, the author observed the male parent fly off at about 6.30 pm. The female parent stayed on the tree with the two owlets. At about 7.00 pm, the female parent let out a very loud hoot (ventriloquial effect) and flew off at about 7.15 pm. One owlet followed her and 2 minutes later the second owlet followed. The wing spans of the owlets were as long as the parents. The owls’ flights were silent and smooth, with very few flaps of the wings.
The owl family shifted to another tree within the park on 20 March 2022. On 24 March 2022, the owlets had feather patterns typical of spotted wood owls but down feathers were still discernible, especially on the heads. On 31 March 2022, only one owlet was seen in the company of the female parent. It is surmised that one owlet had met an unfortunate end. The parent birds will continue to feed the juveniles for several months more.
Additional note: On 2 April 2022, Christian Hut shared that the whole owl family had been seen allo-preening and auto-preening on a tree near Sungei Api Api. The birding community rejoices in this update. My conjecture is that the missing owlet missing (31 March 2022) is learning to hunt with the male parent.
Video 1 shows owlet triangulating and walking on tree branch. It maintained balance by flapping its wings. 23 February 2022
Video 2 shows owlet triangulating, walking on tree branch and then preening itself (auto-preening). 23 February 2022
Video 3 shows the parent bird manipulating a twig. The owlet perched beside the parent bird, triangulated and was mesmerised by the huge crowd gathered below. 25 February 2022
Video 4 shows the owlet triangulating and then taking a short flight to perch beside its parent. 25 February 2022
Video 5 shows a lucky owlet getting a head preen from its parent and its sibling perched beside it removing the downy feathers on its back. There is close bonding between the family members. 13 March 2022
All photographs and videos are attributed to Wong Kais. All the photographs and videos are in the raw form and undertaken with a handheld camcorder.
The author of this post would like to register her thanks to the many true nature lovers who helped her locate and appreciate these wonderful creatures of the night:
- a kind photographer who approached her and pointed out the locations of the different members of the family. He does not post his photographs online.
- a Pasir Ris resident walking his dog in the park who pointed out the location of the goshawk feeding on a tree and the locations of the different spotted owl family members on the raintree.
- some ladies of BICA who had rushed over from photographing the orange-headed thrush at the Botanical Gardens. They too approached the author and shared little snippets about the spotted wood owls.
- Kevin Sim of BICA who warmly approached and welcomed her to view the spotted wood owl family. He shared a lot of snippets and answered my queries patiently. Kevin is an expert and very humble. The author met Kevin on another occasion but did not get the opportunity to exchange pleasantries as it started to rain cats and dogs.
NOTES to readers: This pair-bonded spotted wood owls are wild birds which have resided in Pasir Ris Park, Singapore for about 11 years. Photographers love to document them as the pair nests in the large trees within the park which is easily accessible by private and public transport. The park amenities (toilet facilities and drinks vending machines) are laudable and appreciated. The halal restaurant, Rasa Istimewa, which serves lip-smacking, freshly cooked food is also in the vicinity.
This much-loved and documented pair of owls have been noted to raise owlets every year. In their earlier reproductive years, they raised one owlet a year. In the last few years, these experienced parents have been raising two owlets a year. The parent birds are accustomed to photographers documenting them and their owlets and are not alarmed at the sight of the enormous camera lenses. Author noticed the photographers leaving the nesting site once the natural light is insufficient for photography.
To the uninitiated, owls may incite superstitious fears and the unknown. This pair has endeared themselves to the photographers who have followed their life journey through a decade. It is hoped that this two part series on the milestones of the owlets will help people appreciate the hard work of parents in caring for their young. Nature works its mystery on its own terms : the photographers merely document this pair of spotted wood owls and do not interfere. This pair is considered a very good natural pest controller amongst the photographic community.
Caution: Owl parents are very protective of their young and the parent owls use their beaks and talons to inflict serious injuries to people who handle the owlets. The owlets should also not be handled for the reason that the owlets’ beaks and talons can cause injuries too when they are picked up.
The spotted wood owl reproductive season lasts till August. Will this pair of experienced owl parents raise a second brood this year?
Read this post to see the earlier development milestones of these owlets.
Article by Teo Lee Wei.
Reference:
kris
I just found a young dollarbird in the garden.. It seems to have left the nest too early and cannot fly yet. How am i to keep and feed it for a few days untill it can fly.???
Raja
March 20 is world sparrow day!
CHIRP FOR SPARROWS!
TWEET FOR SPARROWS!
TEXT FOR SPARROWS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?client=mv-google&hl=en-GB&v=MQiq8FHrG_0&gl=US&nomobile=1
Iwan
We have a small pond in our garden surrounded by trees and steep bedrock. The other day we saw a heron flying over and attempting to land – I guess to try to eat our small stock of fish. We managed to frighten it away before it landed, and have since installed trip wires around the pond in order to dissuade the bird. The amount of shelter around the pond means that a heron would have to land practically vertically. Does anyone know whether these birds have the agility to hover and land in this way, or do they always need a “glidepath” in order to land successfully?
Khng Eu Meng
Today, at the former Bidadari Cemetery, there was a buzz about a sighting of a Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus jotaka). I heard some birders say this nightjar isn’t commonly seen in Singapore. After some hunting, we spotted it asleep on a tree branch, some 15 m above ground. This was rather interesting as my previous encounters with nightjars have been on either terra firma or on low branches.
Is this perching so high up the tree normal or is it unusual? I have posted a photo of it on my Facebook Timeline: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151125012234135&set=a.108191464134.96538.617499134&type=1&theater
Jess
Bird Sanctuary At Former Bidadari Cementry
1)Which is the best spot in Bidadari cemetery for bird watch?
2)Where this bird usually resident at?
3)What are some of the rare bird species that can be found at Bidadari?
4)Where is the particular hot spot for the hornbills, eagles, kingfishers and some of the rare migratory bird?
5)Which part of Bidadari are richest in it wildlife?
6)Can you name me the 59 migratory bird species found?
YC
Why not search the website using the word ‘Bidadari’ to obtain the information you need. There should be sufficient info in past postings to satisfy you.
Firdaus Razak
Hai, I just want to ask did anybody had an experience bring bird from oversea via MasKargo? Did the bird will stress at high altitude?
Arjun
I heard this interesting bird call in a forest, and recorded it. Could anyone help me identify it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uubzo1wdbU&feature=youtu.be
Chung Wah
Hi, I am new to bird photography! Could anyone advise a good pair of binoculars to get for this hobby?
YC
Try this Facebook… https://www.facebook.com/groups/394479540610099/
I am sure there would be someone willing to advise.
Geam Liang
I ‘acquired’ a female Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot 5 days ago – was in a public place when the bird flew overhead hit the wall and dropped right in front of me dazed. I picked it up, it appeared unhurt but could not sustain it’s flight. I have since constructed a fairly large ‘cage’ for it, about 4ft x 2fx x 2ft and placed it there last night. I temporarily placed her in a normal bird cage until I had completed the build.
From what I have read up, it’s a fruit, seed and insect feeder and also nectar, flower buds. It’s doing as well as it can on bananas, papaya, jack-fruit (didn’t touch the grape) and seeds (black and white sunflower and other smaller ones). It loves to bathe so I’ve gotten it a tray and from what I read it’s important to keep things clean as it easily succumbs to infection.
Does anyone else have any useful experience and sharing on it’s upkeep? I suspect this bird is an escapee – as far as I can read up, it’s not common, if at all, found in Georgetown, Penang where I am. I’m also not optimistic that it can survive if I were to set it free – assuming it can sustain it’s flight and not go crashing down and if there were dogs/cats around that would be the end of it.
I can attach some pictures but not sure how to do this…
thanks.
Lee Chiu San
The blue-crowned hanging parrot, even though very closely related to the lovebirds, is a nectar feeder. You would raise it the way you raise a lorikeet – which is a messy process. And because you are mixing batches of food for just one little bird, whereas I used to do it for about half a dozen pigeon-sized lorikeets each morning, I don’t know how you are going to get the portions down to manageable sizes. Anyway, here goes, with my recipe for feeding big lories. You can adjust the proportions down accordingly for your little bird.
The staple diet would be a couple of slices of soft fruit (papaya, apple, grapes, even though I am surprised that you said the bird would not eat any) and a mixture of cooked rice sweetened with nectar mix.
How to make nectar mix? Go to a pharmacy and get a can of food for invalids or infants. I use Complan, but I am sure any good baby formula would do. I usually make up enough to fill a beer mug, but there is no way you need that amount for a day’s feeding. If in doubt, make the mixture thinner, not thicker. Birds cannot digest baby formula that is too thick. If it is too thin, they simply have to consume more to get the required amount of energy. Then to this mug, add half a teaspoonful of rose syrup. Also stir in about a cup of cooked rice, well mashed up.
In the case of your bird, I suggest that you pour this lot into an ice-cube tray, freeze the mixture, and defrost one cube to feed it each day.
Now, you said that this bird eats sunflower seeds. This is most unusual for a blue-crowned hanging parrot. Are you sure that this is actually the species you have? Could it be possible that you have actually got a pet lovebird that escaped? There are so many different artificially-created breeds of lovebirds in so many colours that you might have been mistaken.
If you actually have a lovebird, feeding is much simpler. Just go to the nearest pet shop, buy a packet of budgerigar or cockatiel seed of a reputable international brand, and offer it to the bird. You can supplement this with a couple of slices of fruit each day, and that will be all. Plus of course fresh water and a piece of cuttlefish bone to nibble on.
Lee Chiu San
About nectar feeding birds. I forgot to add that feeding nectar is messy, and it goes rancid very quickly in our tropical weather. Feeding containers have to be removed and thoroughly cleaned at the end of each day. The birds also splatter the mixture and wipe their beaks on perches and the bars of the cage. All my lories and lorikeets used to be housed in outdoor aviaries which were hosed down daily.
If Geam Liang does not think the bird will survive if released, I really hope that it is a case of mistaken identity, and that you have a lovebird, rather than a blue-crowned hanging parrot. In our part of the world, all available lovebirds are domestically bred, take to captivity readily, and are easy to feed with commercially available seed mixtures. Yes, and being domestic pets, they would not survive if released.
Geam Liang
Thank you Chiu San for your inputs. Thus far, bananas and papayas work well. I’m not sure why it did not take to grapes – will try again. Am I supposed to peel it? I didn’t the last time, basically skewered a couple of grapes to a satay stick and positioned it as I did for the sliced and skinned papaya and peeled bananas.
I have yet to try rice and certainly not nectar but will try out your concoction – have half a mind to go to a pet shop to see if they carry nectar for birds. The ice-cube freeze method is a good one, will try that. I might be mistaken on the sunflower seeds… not touched but it did eat the much smaller roundish, mixed colored seeds. Will remove the sunflower seeds.
I’m sure it’s a female blue crowned hanging parrot.. it sleeps like a bat every night.
Lee Chiu San
When feeding local birds which are unfamiliar with imported fruits such as grapes, it helps to split the fruits to expose the edible parts. As to your remark that the bird sleeps hanging upside down like a bat, yes, that is the way blue-crowned hanging parrots sleep.
Geam Liang
Thanks… I need to think like a bird – yup. She has probably not seen a grape much less know that it’s edible, unless the previous owner has fed her with grapes… even then… Today she’s done pretty well making the most of the banana and all of the papaya plus quite a bit of seeds. Will try the baby food + mashed rise + rose syrup.
Will regular honey do instead of rose syrup?
Thanks.
Lee Chiu San
About making nectar to feed birds. Most aviculturalists do not use honey for two reasons: 1. It is expensive and does not seem to give any added benefits. 2. Honey is made by bees, and the composition varies wildly. Some honeys are also known to cause fungal infection in birds.
If you do not want to buy a huge bottle of rose syrup just for one tiny bird, there are cheaper alternatives. The first is plain table sugar, though most don’t seem to like it very much.
What many birds will accept quite readily as a sweetener is condensed milk – the type with sugar that coffee shop owners use.
Many, many birds have a sweet tooth (or should I say sweet beak?) Besides the usual suspects of lories, lorikeets, sunbirds and hummingbirds, for whom it is an essential part of the diet, nectar mixture is readily consumed by mynahs, leafbirds, fairy bluebirds, barbets, doves, parrots of all kinds, and a whole host of other species.
Geam Liang
I tried the condensed mild, placed in in a small bottle cap.. only the ants showed interest. Am I supposed to dilute it? I didn’t =( I took you advice and refrained from honey. Have yet to find Rose Syrup from the shelves of TESCO… will try to mix the baby food + mashed rise + rose syrup/sugar syrup this week…
David Thackray
Can anyone help me identify a bird I saw in Singapore last week. Size of a smakll dove or thrush. Dark metallic back. Grey breast with red throat, chest.
BESG
Any images?
Emily Koh
Lately I bought a bird feeder which I fill with 4parts water n 1 part white sugar. Sunbirds come regularly to drink and they are really lovely to watch. May I know if it is bad for them to feed on this? Previously they would sometimes pierce and drink from my potted flowers
Emily Koh
Lately I bought a bird feeder which I fill with 4parts water n 1 part white sugar. Sunbirds come regularly to drink and they are really lovely to watch. May I know if it is bad for them to feed on this? Previously they would sometimes pierce and drink from my potted flowers.
Ken Sng
Hi Friends,
I need help in identifying these 13 birds which i’ve published in a public album on Flickr.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/81819728@N00/y8ws5B
They are numbered 1-13 so if you know what they are please reply with number and name .
I’m doing a personal project to shoot 100 different birds in SG.
Thanks very Much !
Mahadevi Bhuti
One of best souce for the bird watcher’s enjoying knowledge about ornithology
Martin Nyffeler (PhD)
Dear Sir / Dear Madame,
I am a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at a University in Switzerland and I urgently need to get in touch with photographer Chan Yoke Meng, who takes beautiful photographs of birds near Singapore. Would you please mail me the email address of this photographer!
Thanks,
Martin
Wee Ming
Hello Besgroup,
Trust this email finds you well. We chance upon your photograph on your website and found the amazing image of the Laced Woodpecker and durians. We would like to explore the possibility of getting permission to use them for a new Bird Park in Singapore.
Spacelogic is a company based in Singapore and we have been contracted by Mandai Park Development to carry out design and build works relating to the exhibition interpretive displays in this new Bird Park.
Some background of the new Mandai Bird Park project; it will build upon the legacy of the Jurong Bird Park – https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/jurong-bird-park.html by retaining and building upon a world-reference bird collection and creating a place of colour and joy for all visitors. The new Bird Park will have a world-reference ornithological collection displayed in a highly immersive way with large walk-through habitats. To enhance visitors’ experience with storyline and narrative of the bird park, transition spaces are added to display exhibits that provide a varied type of fun, intuitive, interactive and educational experiences for all visitors. One of the habitats features the Laced Woodpecker on a flora panel It is in this flora panel that we are seeking your permission to feature the Laced Woodpecker. We are looking to use the first image on the link here.
Link can be found here: https://besgroup.org/2012/06/28/laced-woodpecker-and-durians/
We would like to ask if this is something that we can explore further and if yes, how can we go about with putting through a formal permission request. Thank you so much for considering our request and we look forward to hearing from you.
Warmest Regards,
Wee Ming
SPACElogic Pte Ltd