We have a bunch of red-vented bulbuls that frequent our
neighborhood, along with their red-whiskered cousins. The wife doesn’t like
them because they’re aggressive and she thinks they nip away at the mangoes and
her orchid buds.
I don’t blame her, actually. Did you know red-vented bulbuls
(Pycnonotus cafer) are on the list of
the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species?
At any rate, I like their boldness. Sure, they startle quite
easily and fly off to safety when they see you coming, but they do venture into
the nooks and crannies of the house’s eaves looking for moths and other insects
that might be hiding there.
I was able to snap a pic of one hovering near our
rubbish bin, zeroing in on an insect it had seen there (the bulbul snatched
it, by the way).
But the wife is right, they do damage crops, especially
orchids if you let them. Oh, and they do have a nasty habit – they eat the
fecal sacs of their nestlings.
Ewwww.
2 comments:
One of my hobbies alongside of photography is raising monarch butterflies. Each time they emerge, dry their wings, and are let go, I have to stand guard with a broom or slingshot because these birds will eat them without hesitation.
Monarchs! I haven't seen one in years, they used to be so plentiful in Honolulu.
~ Craig
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