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Nest decorated with plentiful silk/floss

on 18th August 2008

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Tan Teo Seng recently sent me an old nest from his garden in Singapore. The nest looks very much like that of the Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) (above).

It is a neat cup 10 cm diameter and 5 cm deep with a 5 cm diameter nest cavity, very much like any other bulbul’s nest (1, 2).

There is one major difference in this nest. The rim of this nest is embellished thickly with whitish silk. The strands are tough and do not break easily, suggesting that it is not spider silk. Can it be spider cocoon silk? Or can it be of plant origin?

UPDATE: Wang Luan Keng, our field ornithologist, just told me that the white silk is styrofoam, used as a fine packing material. 7th Sept.2008

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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