{"id":50925,"date":"2017-07-28T00:01:04","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T16:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/?p=50925"},"modified":"2023-06-24T17:08:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T09:08:45","slug":"grey-treepies-passion-for-chinese-tallow-nuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besgroup.org\/2017\/07\/28\/grey-treepies-passion-for-chinese-tallow-nuts\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a9 Grey Treepie\u2019s Passion For Chinese Tallow Nuts"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLoud, raucous calls of Grey Treepies (Dendrocita formosae formosae<\/em>) are commonly heard in parks, edge of forests, suburban green corridors and woodlands in consistent to broadleaved, evergreen, mixed and deciduous growth habitats. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIn Taiwan ROC, this endemic sub-species have been observed in different locations showing variations in tail plumages. They exhibited extensive to minimal whites in its upper tail coverts. Here are three examples (top, above, below).<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe strong, chunky and black bills of these birds appeared no less inferior in functions to other nut-cracking, avian specialists (below).<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGrey Treepies have been observed to break branches and cracked nuts of Chinese Tallow Trees (Tridica sebifera<\/em> a.k.a. Sapium sebiferum<\/em>) (below).<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLet us revisit ancient city of Hengchun, Taiwan ROC where ornamental Chinese Tallow Trees grace side by side with Chinaberry (Melia azedarach<\/em>) trees as described in my previous article, \u201cStyan\u2019s Bulbul Foraging Chinaberry in Hengchun Taiwan\u2019 LINK. A native of southern China, the former mentioned line sidewalks running parallel to the ancient wall. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFoliages turn a myriad of colours during autumn and greenish- yellow flowers evolved to 3-celled capsules. When ripened, those brown and hard casings burst to disperse wax layered seeds (above). <\/p>\n \u201cThe usage of Chinese Tallow Trees and its nuts are well documented. In addition to providing biodiesel feedstock, the wax and oil extracted from the nuts have extensive usage to include a waxy finish in the manufacture of British paper currency as broadcasted in the BBC. While its foliages and plant sap are ill reputed for its toxicity and decaying leaves from plant are toxic to other plant species, edible seed arils are debateable. <\/p>\n “Can eat or cannot, here are some proof pictures of Grey Treepie indulging in Chinese Tallow seeds.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAbove image shows a left foot, strong grip of a broken off bunch of nuts. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cImages above and below show bird proceeded to have a crack at a nut. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The image below shows bird successfully cracked open a section of nut to reveal its fleshy content. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe image below shows the prized and nutritious nut in bill of a Grey Treepie.<\/p>\n