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Black-naped Oriole manipulating the Banana Skipper

on 23rd March 2008

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Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) eats a broad range of fruits. It also takes insects like grasshoppers, mantids, large caterpillars and hornet grubs. And of course bird nestlings.

Dr Redzlan Abdul Rahman documented the oriole manipulating the rolled up portions of banana (Musa) leaves that contain the caterpillars of the Banana Skipper (Erionota thrax).

The Banana Skipper is a large brown butterfly with large yellow spots on the forewings above. The adult is seldom seen but the presence of its caterpillars is made conspicuous by the rolled up portions of the banana leaves.

The butterfly lays its eggs singly on the leaves and when the egg hatches, the caterpillar rolls up the leaf from the tip along the mid-vein, feeding on one edge. The caterpillar develops within the roll, to pupate inside as well. When the adult butterfly emerges from the pupa it leaves the roll.

The Black-naped Oriole has become adept at manipulating the banana leaf roll in an effort to get at the caterpillar or pupa hidden inside. The bird lands on the leaf, garbs the roll with its feet to dislodge it. The roll is then brought to a nearby branch where it is expertly manipulated until the caterpillar or pupa inside is extracted.

The caterpillar or pupa inside the roll normally wriggles violently when disturbed and the bird needs to subdue it before eating. This is usually done by swiping the prey against the branch. Sometimes the caterpillar is passed back and forth between the bill to remove the stomach contents, as observed in the Chestnut-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus) and the Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris). However, whether the oriole did this was not observed.

An earlier account of a Black-naped Oriole manipulating a cocoon can be reached HERE.

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.

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