Search

© Blue-winged Pitta adds Frog to Chicks’ Diet

on 27th October 2017

“Upon my returned birding trip to Taiwan, ROC in mid-May, I made a beeline to several locations on mainland Penang, Peninsular Malaysia, where sightings of Blue-winged Pittas (Pitta moluccensis) were previously had (below).

PittaBW-frog4ch [DaisyO'Neill] 1

“As breeding window period for these ground dwellers was still at hand, I was not disappointed.

“The observation priority was no longer how parenting birds fed their chicks, pooped or how many trips they made or what nesting materials used; as all these observations had previously been posted into BESG, recorded and shared with readers, in my many past articles, when monitoring this colourful and elusive pitta species.

PittaBW-frog4ch [DaisyO'Neill] 2

“For curtailing the risk of ground, prowling predators and primates’ predation, I make a point never to go looking for nesting sites, just to satiate curiosity, the number of eggs laid or chicks in the nest.

“What is more important presently, are opportunities in observing something new to me, something different or documenting bird doing something not reported before, little known, written about or photographed.

“On 26th May 2017, with courting days over, parenting birds were observed busy with sorties of vermin cargo express to feed their young.

“One parenting Blue-winged Pitta stood out while foraging … found a lifeless frog (below).

PittaBW-frog4ch [DaisyO'Neill] 3|

“The probable possessive male inflated his chest and belly to look bigger. He was putting on a protective–defensive front against any potential, predatory threat before flying off with prey and into deep forest (below).

PittaBW-frog4ch [DaisyO'Neill] 4

“Photograph of Blue-winged Pitta with frog is probably a first, new food record contribution to Oriental Bird Images (OBI) and Bird Ecology of Singapore (BESG).”

Avian Writer Daisy O’Neill
Penang Malaysia
12th October 2017

Copyright article and all copy images – Courtesy of Daisy O’Neill Bird Conservation Fund.

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

2 Responses

  1. Thanks for following my articles,. Chiu San.
    Greetings from Budapest.
    Another series coming soon.

    Cheers!
    Daisy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives

Overall visits (since 2005)

Live visitors
651
4831
Visitors Today
51598429
Total
Visitors

Clustrmaps (since 2016)