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Brahminy Kite with worn out feathers

on 23rd March 2010

“I was reading with interest Luan Keng’s earlier explanation of a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) in fright moult. I was wondering if the same explanation could be made for the attached ‘raggedy’ brahminy spotted at Tanah Merah Coast Road in January 2010. I didn’t witness any aerial battles but the bird seemed a lot worse for wear. Besides the missing wing feathers, of particular interest are the ‘new’ tail feathers that are coming in. Though the bird was clearly not in full plumage, nevertheless it was gliding as gracefully as any of the other full-feathered brahminies on that hot morning,” wrote Lim Poh Bee on 8th March 2010.

The image was sent to field ornithologist Wang Luan Keng who replied, “Wow, this bird has got some really worn out flight feathers on the wings and tail. Looks like it is growing its innermost primaries (P1-4), with the outermost primaries P5-10 still not replaced. At least 3 of the primaries (p1-3) seemed to have been replaced together, with P4 soon after. This is quite amazing for such a big bird, as losing 3-4 feathers would create a large gap in the wing, which is not aerodynamically efficient. This is not an accidental moult either as both sides of the wings are pretty symmetrical in the moult pattern.

“The tail is also very interesting – I don’t think the tail feathers are coming in. The outer tail feathers looked more like highly worn out but I have never seen anything like this before and can’t comment further. This is really interesting.”

Responded Poh Bee, “Yes, most interesting indeed. While I was observing the bird I kept wondering how it could still be flying and gliding with so many missing and raggedy feathers.”

Image by Lim Poh Bee.

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

5 Responses

  1. Terrific post. Without photos of such things, this would just be a note in some birdwatcher’s book as “Brahminy Kite, rather ragged wings and tail”

  2. I didn’t had my camera with me, but I once saw a brahminy kite with a big chunk of visibly missing wing feathers. Looked like a hole in the wings, and it was still flying about near the coast off e-gate Penang.

  3. Pity though. A photograph would have allowed interpretation of the condition. Cameras are becoming more and more useful in birdwatching – credibility in sightings of rare birds, documentation of unusual behavior, to name just a few….

  4. I postulate that this bird was released or escaped from captivity. Extremely worn tail feathers with fairly long shafts still intact are often seen on captured wild hanging by their claws on the bars of wire cages. As the bird perches head upwards on the vertical bars, the tail feathers come through the spaces in between.

    The central tail feathers could have been lost during capture, along with some wing feathers. When feathers are plucked from a bird, they often grow back quickly, even outside of the regular moulting season.

    However, damaged feathers with the shafts still in the bird, like the other tail feathers, the two primaries and some of the secondaries, are usually not replaced until the next moult.

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