Juvenile Yellow-vented Bulbul on Ixora Flowers

Juvenile yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier analis) on Ixora chinensis

In juvenile birds, the "bill gape" refers to the wide open mouth, often with brightly colored or fleshy "lips" (gape flanges), which is a visual cue to signal to parents that they are hungry and ready to be fed. (AI overview)

Gape: This is a fleshy area at the base of the bill where the upper and lower mandibles meet. In young birds, it is often enlarged or may seem so because the birds have not developed their mature feathers to help conceal it, and it may be brightly colored so their mouths are more noticeable when they beg for food. In some species, such as the bananaquit, the gape remains colorful in adult birds. 

(from Leebird.com https://leesbird.com)

Ixora Chinensis

This species is native to Cambodia, Southeast China, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. And it has been introduced into Bangladesh, Caroline Islands, Colombia, Malaysia, and the Mariana Islands.

(Wikipedia)

Yellow-vented Bulbuls eat Giant Moth

tropical swallowtail moth 

sharing

The tropical swallowtail moth (Lyssa zampa)  © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas (from Wikipedia)

Red-whiskered Bulbuls

This species is rarely seen in my backyard, compare to abundant of yellow-vented bulbul.

Red-whiskered Bulbuls inhabit a variety of semi-natural and human-modified landscapes, including open wooded areas, gardens, parks, and even urban environments, rather than dense primary forests. These birds thrive in areas with plenty of fruit-bearing plants, as they feed on fruits, nectar, and insects. (from Ai-Overview)

That match by backyard environment

Only two occasion that I have accouter, perhaps I didn't look hard enough.

Two Yellow-vented Bulbuls and Red-whiskered Bulbul

crested bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus pattani) 

 

Vented (bottom of the tail) is red in colour same as Red-Vented Bulbul (never seen, not native to Malaysia)

on papaya tree

Yellow-vented bulbul Eye Infection

odd prominent eye

I was reviewing the old pictures from the camera when I noticed the Yellow-vented Bulb with an odd-looking eye. (The photo was taken on 23 October 2023.)

The same bird was photographed on 31/10/2023

? Worm infestation at the lower part of the eye

Searched for similar occurrences and found the post by Dato' Dr.Amar Singh SSS on Facebook - Wild Bird Club Malaysia - WBCM on 22 Jun 2024

Here is the LINK  (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BobnET8H4/)

pic by Dato' Dr.Amar Singh HSS

Stripe-throated Bulbul - at backyard

This bird's natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane forest.

Suddenly, it appeared in my backyard, perched on top of a bamboo tree.

Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni finlaysoni) - Local name: Merbah Luris Leher

Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)

 

Yellow-vented Bulbul on Bamboo branch - Merbah Kapur di atas pokok buluh

Yellow-vented on young bamboo branch

 

Birds at papaya tree - backyard

Banded Woodpecker

The banded woodpecker (Chrysophlegma miniaceum)

The Asian glossy starling (juvenile) (Aplonis panayensis) eating on papayas 

oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

The Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus)

Oriole

pictue by: Challiyil Eswaramangalath Pavithran Vipin - taken from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papaya_and_birds.jpg 

Yellow-vented bulbul

 

Red-whiskered Bulbuls in the rain

Daun muda Pokok Beringin (Ficus benyamina) 

This bird  (Red-whiskered bulbul) below is my lifer. 

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The northeast monsoon starts from November to March. The weather forecast stated that this week heavy rain in my area will begin from Monday to Wednesday. This morning (7: 30 AM) the weather outside my house is dark with drizzling rain. But bird photography has to go on, rain or shine. 

I see a wave of bulbuls and starlings in a feeding frenzy catching the termite swarmers (kelkatu).

I have to push up the ISO to 20,000 to achieve a manageable shutter speed of 1/ 200 s . Then I saw an unusual bulbul with a dark/black head ad red patch on the cheeks, fired a couple of shots before it flew away.

Here are a few decent photos for my record.

Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus pattani) - the tall black crest is not priminent here because of rain.

Red-whiskered Bulbul - after denoise

Red-whiskered Bulbul and Yellow-vented Bulbul

This is the list of 17 bulbuls that I have seen:

Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni) 

Black-headed Bulbul( Microtarsus melanocephalos)

Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus sacculatus)

Scaly-breasted Bulbul (Pycnonotus squamatus webberi) .

Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus caecilii)

Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala)

Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)

Mountain Bulbul (Hypsipetes mcclellandii)

Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)

Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus erythrophthalmos)

Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)

Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)

Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)

Buff-vented Bulbul (Iole charlottae)

Streaked Bulbul (Ixox malaccensis)

Hairy-backed Bulbul (Tricholestes criniger)

Yellow-vented Bulbul ((Pycnonotus goiavier analis)

Yellow-vented Bulbul - Drenched in the rain

Yellow vented Bulbul eats oleander hawk-moth caterpillar

Burung Merbah makan ulat beluncas.

Bulbul saw the caterpillar and jumped onto the Jasmine tree

there is my juicy breakfast

peck at the caterpillar head

bring it down and then onto the house perimeter wall.

Yellow-vented Bulbul catch the oleander hawk-moth (Daphnis nerii)

fly up the perimeter wall

flying

She whacked and flung onto the cement slab to kill it.

Juvenile Yellow-vented Bulbul - training to hunt for food

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier analis)

Practicing hunting for food

Playing with young bamboo leaf

sharpen its beak, eye  coordination

 I saw the same thing in Juvenile Magpie Robin, in May 2010  HERE

Birds eat Spanish Cherry fruit

 

Spanish Cherry (Mimusops elengi)  Tanjong Tree.Bullet Wood

Pokok Tanjung, Spanish Cherry tree

This tree was planted by a housing developer just 2 meters from my house's perimeter wall. The fruit ripens in July after flowering in April.

Also known as "bullet wood," this is a strong and tough wood. I have pruned it a few times, and even the small branches are hard to cut with a parang. After the fruiting is over, I will give it another prune.

  

Tanjong Tree, Bunga Tanjung or Spanish Cherry (Mimusops elengi)

The fruit is about 2-3 cm in size, yellow-red when ripe.

Yellow-vented foraged in Spanish Cherry tree

Yellow-vented bulbul (pycnonotus goiavier)

I also sported Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis strigata) and Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) eating the fruits, but unable to photograph it.

 The fruits are too big to swallow whole, so the bulbul just nibbles the exocarp.

I have documented this bubul eating fucus fruits, Fucus Benjamina  HERE

The bird eats the sweet mesocarp the fleshy middle layer of the pericarp of a fruit.

I collect the dry flower, the half-eaten fruit, and the seeds discarded by the bird.

Burung di Pokok Petai Belalang - Birds on River Tamarind tree

 

All the pictures below are of normal colours birds.

Male Baya Weaver resting White lead tree branch

female

Foraging on death tree

Dua ekor Tempua di atas dahan Petai Belalang

Six Baya Weavers on River tamarind tree (Leucaena leucocephala) (Petai belalang)

Plantain Squirrel eating River Tamarind legumes

Brown Shrike perched on river tamarind tree

Yellow-vented Bulbul pair -on Pokok Petai Belalang