Striated Grassbird

Striated Grassbird

Most birds are specialists. There are birds that prefer beaches or mountains or forests. There are birds that only eat fish or insects or nectar. The same is true of the birds found in the village. There are the garden birds that have adapted to humans and make their homes in our gardens. These birds sip nectar from our flowering plants, peck at the fruit from our fruiting trees, pick at the insects in the yard, and even build nests in our bushes. They will even visit our birdbaths and become tame enough to be fed. There are the water birds that are usually found along the creeks in the village, and occasionally near a pond or even a swimming pool. These birds will focus most of their attention on hunting for food in the creek.

The Striated Grassbird (Megalurus palustris) is an interesting bird because as its name implies it is usually found in grasslands and rice fields. In the village, the equivalent of the grasslands are the vacant lots. You will not come across a Striated Grassbird in your back yard. Unless of course your back yard is covered in cogon and other wild grasses!

In vacant lots, the Striated Grassbird is an easy bird to see because it is fairly large and usually sits out in the open while calling out loudly. It is around 10 1/2 inches long. Its plumage is rather drab though, similar to a Eurasian Tree Sparrow's or maya's plumage. Its other distinctive features are the dark brown streaks or striations on its creamy white chest and its long tail. It also has streaks on its wings. In Pilipino, it is called turtoriyok or tirturyok. There is another, similar-looking grassbird found in the village. The Tawny Grassbird (Megaluris timoriensis) looks like the Striated Grassbird, except that it has a reddish brown crown and nape and a plain, un-streaked breast. However, it is much less common than the Striated Grassbird. The Tawny Grassbirds in the village were seen at the golf course, in the plantings of wild grasses there.

Vacant lots are not as vacant as they seem! Nor should they be dumping grounds for garbage. A vacant lot can be mini wildlife refuge filled with bird songs and life in the middle of a busy village. The Striated Grassbird is just one of many birds that have found their special niche in the vacant lots of our village.

Top 5 Most Common Birds

      

     Telling birds apart can be confusing. Many of them look alike. A lot of the ones that are often seen in the village are roughly the same size. They also move around a lot and are difficult to observe. They constantly hop from branch to branch and hide within the foliage of the trees. How can a novice birdwatcher tell them apart?

     One way to sort out the confusion is to just choose the top 5 birds that one is most likely to encounter and familiarize yourself with those birds first. Studying and memorizing the features of 5 birds is certainly much easier and less daunting than studying all 60 species found in the village or 500+ species found in the Philippines.

      Birdwatchers use field marks to identify a bird. These are particular features of the bird that the observer looks for to differentiate one species from another. These are details like color of the legs or presence of rings around the eyes. In the early 19^th century, British gentlemen who wanted to study birds went out and shot and skinned them so that they could view them in hand. It was not until binoculars and field guides were created could birds be studied without their being shot.

     The 5 species of birds most likely to be seen in the village are the maya or Eurasian Tree Sparrow, the Yellow Vented Bulbul, the Pied Fantail, the Long Tailed Shrike, and the Olive Backed Sunbird.

     The most common backyard resident is the ubiquitous maya or Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). This is the small brown bird with a short black bill that is usually seen in small flocks. It is the bird that usually gets attracted when people set out bird feeders or scatter birdseed or rice on the ground. The field mark to look for is the white patch on its cheek. 

Eurasian Tree Sparrow by Tonji Ramos

     The Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) or is bigger than a maya . It is olive-brown with a black forehead, and white chest and belly. The field mark to look for is the white eyebrow and yellow undertail feathers. 

Yellow-vented Bulbul by Tonji Ramos

     The Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) or maria cafra is a black and white bird. Its distinctive features are its long black tail that is edged in white and white eyebrow. It frequently spreads its tail out like a fan, as befits its name. It has white underparts with a black band across its chest.

Pied Fantail by Tonji Ramos

     The Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) or tarat is a handsome bird with a long, slender tail. It has a black head, chunky bill, and white underparts. It is cinnamon colored on its back and the lower sides of its torso. The black, white, and cinnamon colors, plus its long tail give it its distinctive look. 

Long-tailed Shrike by Tonji Ramos

     The Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) is a small bird with an olive green back and yellow underparts. The males have an iridescent metallic blue throat. Its distinctive feature is its long, thin, pointed and downward curving beak.

Olive Backed Sunbird by Sylvia Ramos

     A surprising benefit this technique is that after taking the time to study the 5 most common birds, all the other birds will seem to easily fall into place. It’s like the roadmap for recognizing birds has been planted in your brain and it will become easier to see the distinctive features and field marks of all the different birds in the village.

White-Breasted Waterhen

White-Breasted Waterhen in Candaba, Pampanga

     The White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a chicken-like, 11-inch long bird usually found near   water. In the village, it can be found in the near the creek of San Juanico park and by the water hazards of the golf course. Its back, crown, and wings are dark, its face and underparts are white, and its flanks and undertail are reddish-brown. In birding terminology, this reddish-brown color is usually described as rufous. It has a yellow bill and yellow legs with long yellow toes. The long toes help the White-breasted Waterhen walk on top of water plants.

    Seeing a White-breasted Waterhen often requires a bit of patience. Most people usually imagine that birdwatching involves a lot of sitting around while patiently waiting for a bird to show up. Not all birdwatching is like that though. Sometimes, birdwatchers have to hike and pursue the birds they want to see. With the White-breasted Waterhen however, patience and quiet waiting work well. When they are relaxed and undisturbed, they can be observed walking in the open, feeding, and even frolicking in the water. The sight or sound of anything alarming however will send them running into the bushes for cover.
   
    The creeks of the village and water hazards of the golf course attract all kinds of creatures. My husband and I once observed a huge monitor lizard stalking the White-breasted Waterhens in one of the ponds at the golf course. The White-breasted Waterhens were washing and preening themselves by the edge of the water. They were moving further and further out from the bushes, walking from one big half-submerged stone to another. They were unaware of the huge monitor lizard slowly swimming its way toward them, with only the top of its head showing. Then, just as a Lizard vs Waterhen battle seemed imminent, the Waterhens suddenly noticed the monitor lizard and ran for cover!

    One of the great things about birdwatching is that you can be safe and secure inside your very own village and still have an amazing "Nat Geo" moment. You can witness things that will make you think for a minute that you are in an exciting National Geographic wildlife documentary instead of a cozy suburban village. 
  
See more photos of the White-Breasted Waterhen in this gallery .
See photos of the Monitor Lizard stalking the Waterhens in this album !

Shrikes

Brown Shrike by Sylvia Ramos

     There are two kinds of shrikes found in the village, the Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) and the Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus). Shrikes are a familiar sight to many villagers. They are known in Pilipino as "tarat". They are bold and striking-looking birds that are often seen perched arrogantly on an exposed branch or perch, as if surveying their own little kingdom. Shrikes are also known as butcher birds (different from butcherbird, another type of bird) because they are expert hunters with an unusual eating habit. Shrikes hunt even when they are full. Then, they save their food to eat later by impaling it on a sharp thorn or the barb of barbed wire. They drive their catch powerfully into the thorn or barbed wire until the tip of the thorn or barb shows through. Shrikes usually prey on insects. But, they are also known to prey on frogs, lizards, rodents, and even other birds!

    Shrikes look like little hawks. They have a powerful, raptor-like, hooked bill and sharp claws for holding down their prey. The Long-tailed Shrike has a black head, grey back bordered in cinnamon, long black tail, white underparts and cinnamon under the tail and at the flanks or the sides of the lower torso. The Brown Shrike looks similar to a Long-tailed Shrike except that it has a grey forehead, greyish-brown head, golden-buff breast and belly, and a shorter tail.

    Long-tailed Shrikes are resident birds and Brown Shrikes are migrants. Being a resident means that Long-tailed Shrikes live and breed in the Philippines the whole year round. They are also found in other countries. Their range extends from Iran to India, China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia to New Guinea. Birds that breed and live exclusively in the Philippines are called Philippine endemics. Being a migrant means that Brown Shrikes breed in northern Asia and winter in the Philippines. It is amazing to think that the Brown Shrikes in the village flew all the way from China to feed in the gardens of Ayala Alabang.

You can see more pictures of the Brown Shrike and Long Tailed Shrike on my website of Philippine birds.

Pied Triller

Pied Triller in Ayala Alabang

   There are two kinds of black and white birds that are found in the village. One is the Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica), a very bold bird known for attacking dogs and cats that stray into its territory. The other black and white bird is the inconspicuous Pied Triller (Lalage nigra). The Pied Triller has a very apt name. In birding terminology, Pied means black and white. Triller refers to the musical, quavering "che-che-che-che" call it makes.

    Male and female Pied Trillers can be told apart by their coloring. The males have all white underparts, while the females have grayish white underparts with fine barring. Both males and females have black heads, white eyebrows, black backs, and black and white wings. Like many other birds, the immature birds have similar coloring to the females.

    Pied Trillers are usually found on tree tops, picking off caterpillars from the branches. Aside from caterpillars, they also eat moths and other kinds of insects. They are found all over the village in different kinds of trees.

      Last summer, there was a Pied Triller nesting in a tree along our street. The tree was in front of or neighbor's house. One day, my husband and I approached the nest and were surprised when the usually low-key Pied Triller attacked us! It buzzed us -- flying straight at our heads as if it intended to hit us. It did this several times, swerving away at the last moment and calling out in alarm the whole time. Of course we shouldn't have been too surprised and should have known better than to approach a nesting bird. This is one of the golden rules of birding: do not disturb nesting birds! We quickly moved away from the nest and did not bother the bird again.

    A few days ago, we were sitting outside our front door enjoying the breeze and noticed a Pied Triller perched on the topmost branch of our neighbor's akasya tree. It was just sitting quietly. Perhaps it was also enjoying the unusually cool breeze. We hope that this summer the Pied Triller returns to nest in our street again.

Click on this link to see more pictures of Pied Trillers by Tonji and Sylvia Ramos

Golden-Bellied Flyeater

Golden-bellied Flyeater by Tonji Ramos

     My daughter and I used to go walking around the village every afternoon. While we were out on our walk one day, we were stopped in our tracks by a very unusual birdcall. The call was a 5-note tune, something like whee-whee-wh-whee-woo, repeated over and over again. It was so loud that we were sure that the bird was very big and very close by. We looked all around, eager to spot this great bird singer. But, we couldn't find it! We kept on hearing the bird calling. Soon it felt like the bird was mocking us. It sounded like it was singing, "you-can-not-seeee-me"! Some weeks later, I was out with some birdwatcher friends and heard the same, familiar call. I asked my friends what bird was making the call. I was expecting them to name some unusual bird. To my surprise, they said it was the Golden-bellied Flyeater.

    The Golden-bellied Flyeater is a very small, unassuming bird. It is only 4 1/2 inches long. From the looks of it, you would not guess that it has such a loud voice. Birds however are especially good at making sounds. They have air sacs all over their body that enable them to breathe very efficiently. Then, they have a very efficient sound box in their throat called a syrinx that can convert almost 100% of the air expelled into sound. The Golden-bellied Flyeater is also a ventriloquist. It can throw its voice so you cannot easily tell where the sound is coming from.

    Another thing that makes the Golden-bellied Flyeater hard to find is that it usually stays in the treetops. Instead of trying to find a tiny bird on top of a tree, it is better to just relax your eyes and try to spot some movement in the leaves. A closer inspection of the moving area with pair of binoculars will often reveal a bird. The Golden-bellied Flyeater is found all over the village.  It is usually found either alone or in pairs. Some good places to see the Golden-bellied Flyeater in the village are along Country CIub Driver, at the parking lot on front of la Salle, and in Narra Park.

You can see more pictures of Golden-bellied Flyeaters in my website

Happy Birding!

Pied Fantail

     The Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) is a bird that has caught the attention of even non-birdwatchers. A lot of villagers have already noticed the antics and animated behavior of the Pied Fantail. This is the bird that attacks cats and dogs as they go into the garden to do their business or just walk down the street. This feisty bird even attacks its own reflection in a car mirror or house window! When it is not defending its territory from perceived threats, it can be seen hopping through the tree branches, holding its long tail spread out just like beautiful black and white fan.

      In birding terminology, the word “pied” means black and white. The Pied Fantail is a black bird with a white eyebrow, white throat and underparts, and black band across its chest. Its long black tail is edged in white. In Pilipino, this bird is known as maria cafra. It is about 7 ½ inches long.  It has a many different metallic, chime-like calls.

Pied Fantail with its tail folded. Photo by Tonji Ramos

     Pied Fantails usually frequent the same areas day in and day out. In the village, they are frequently found on mango trees and also near garbage cans. Pied Fantails are territorial. However, they have their own concept of a territory that does not follow manmade walls or borders. A Pied Fantail can nest in the mango tree of one house and still consider the yard of the neighboring house part of his territory. 

     Pied Fantails are interesting and amusing birds to observe. They are very active and noisy and constantly fan out and display their beautiful tails. They are one of the birds most likely to be nesting in a typical garden in the village.

Two Pied Fantail links:

View the photo essay "Bird Attacks Cat! And More!"

More Pied Fantail pictures from from our backyard and around the village on our website

Hello 2011!

Today I decided to start writing in this blog again. Even if I'm having problems getting my articles published in the AAVA News. So, here goes.

      I have been walking the 3 dogs every afternoon. I don't usually bring my binoculars with me, but I do look and listen for birds. The usual birds I see are Eurasian Tree Sparrows, Yellow Vented Bulbuls, Long Tailed Shrikes, Brown Shrikes, Olive-backed Sunbirds, and Pied Fantails. Starting about a week ago though, I've been seeing other birds!

     Last week, I saw a Crow on the street behind my house. This was just the second time I've seen a crow outside the Club. In the past week, I've also seen a Crested Myna, Bee-eater, and 2 Coppersmith Barbets. Then, there was also the strange sighting of a chicken-like bird in one of the empty lots near my block. It was strange since the bird looked like a domestic chicken, yet there was no sign of a chicken coop or cage. And the vacant lot where I saw the "alleged chicken" was very overgrown with weeds and even a mango tree that is leaning on its side with its branches almost touching the ground. It's a very wild looking vacant lot and its back wall is along Daang Hari. So, perhaps my eyes were deceiving me and the chicken is actually a wild bird. Worth further investigation.

      Another area to check out is the vacant lot beside the polo field. There were very loud and unusual sounds coming from some of the trees.  Summer is a busy time for birds. It is breeding season for a lot of them, and they are more active and visible than usual.

Barkley and Momo in the vacant lot beside the Polo field

NESTS and YELLOW-VENTED BULBULS

     The Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) is one of the most common birds in Ayala Alabang. Yellow-vented Bulbuls can be seen perched on branches of trees in most gardens and parks all over the village. They are bold birds and are not easily frightened by people or other birds. They are relatively easy to observe. Sometimes they flock together in one tree in a boisterous group of up to 20 individuals. A close inspection of a noisy tree or shrub will often yield a group of Yellow-vented Bulbuls making a variety of musical “chup-chup-chup” calls.

     

     The Yellow-vented Bulbul is bigger than a Eurasian Tree Sparrow or maya. It is about 7 ½ inches long. When seen from behind, the Yellow-vented Bulbul looks very non-descript and it can be mistaken for many other bird species. The back of its head, tail, and throat are an undistinguished looking olive-brown color that is common to many other birds. In birding terminology, the distinguishing features that help identify a bird are called field marks. The field marks of the Yellow-vented Bulbul are the black stripe on the top of its head, broad white eyebrow, black mask-like rings around its eyes, white breast and belly, and yellow below the belly, right before the tail. This is the yellow vent that gives it its name.

     photo by Tonji Ramos

     Yellow-vented Bulbuls nest at this time of the year. They make cup-shaped nests in dense bushes usually 3-5 feet off the ground. Like many small birds, the male and female bird both share in parenting duties. They take turns sitting on the eggs and later feeding the young. They parents keep the nest clean by carrying out the fecal sac of the nestlings. The fecal sac is the feces of the nestlings that are neatly wrapped in membrane. The parents continue feeding and caring for the baby birds even when they have fledged or left the nest. The fledglings stay in the area of their nest, taking short flights from branch to branch under the watch of the parents.

     

     Unfortunately, despite all the care and attention parents give to their young, some nests fail. When people approach a nest to do gardening or just out of curiosity, the nestlings can get so frightened that they jump out of the nest. Once they do this, it is impossible to return them to the nest. When parent birds feel threatened by people or predators that are approaching their nest, they will stay away from it to keep it from being discovered.

     

     Seeing birds nest in the village is a good sign that Ayala Alabang truly is a bird-friendly village. Sadly though, there are still incidents of bird cruelty in the village. A few weeks ago, a resident of Saranggani St. saw several maintenance men running in a suspicious manner towards a Black Naped Oriole nest. They were carrying a long bamboo pole, presumably to rob the nest. The men were maintenance workers of the Ayala Alabang Country Club. Thankfully, the resident was able to stop the men and report them to the club.

     

     It is likely though that most people in the village do not want to intentionally harm or disturb a nest. The best thing to do when you come across nest is to simply leave it alone. If there is some gardening work that needs to be done in the area where the nest is, it is best to just put it off temporarily until the nest has been abandoned. This will not take too long, not more than 3 weeks for small birds like the Yellow Vented Bulbul. Areas that are known to be popular nesting sites should not be altered to encourage the birds to nest there again. If you want to observe a nest, it is best to do so from a distance or a place where the birds cannot see you so that the bird family will continue with their natural behavior.

     

a fledgling, photo by Tonji Ramos

     Just a little care and consideration will go a long way in making Ayala Alabang a place where all kinds of families, including Yellow-vented Bulbul families, can grow and be nurtured. 

Check out my links to more pictures:

• More pictures of Yellow-vented Bulbuls
• Other types of bulbuls found in the Philippines
• Tonji and Sylvia's website of Philippine birds
• Photo List of Alabang Birds

Meet the Olive-Backed Sunbird

     It comes as a surprise to many people that there are no hummingbirds in the Philippines. A lot of people have seen a small, brilliantly colored bird darting in and out of the flowers in their gardens. They assume this is a hummingbird. The bird they’ve seen is actually an Olive Backed Sunbird (Nectarina jugularis).

    

male Olive-Backed Sunbird on Tabebuia flowers, photo by Tonji Ramos 

     Like hummingbirds, Olive-backed Sunbirds feed on nectar and small insects and spiders. They can be found in gardens all over Ayala Alabang. They have a long, thin, pointed beak that curves downwards. This type of downward curving beak is described as “decurved”. When they feed on nectar, they either thrust their entire beak into the center of the flower or they use their sharp beaks to pierce a flower near its base and sip the nectar. They have long, thin, tubular tongues that they use to sip the nectar. Unlike hummingbirds that can hover like tiny helicopters, Olive-backed Sunbirds can only hover for brief spurts. They are very agile and fly quickly from flower to flower. They can also snap up insects while perched on treetops.

    

female piercing an African Tulip tree flower

    

      Olive-backed Sunbirds are often found in pairs, especially during breeding season. The male and female are easily told apart because the male is more colorful and showy than the female. The male has a shiny, iridescent, metallic purplish-blue throat and upper breast while the female’s throat and upper breast are yellow. Both male and female have olive colored backs and heads, brown and olive wings, and yellow stomachs. The male Olive-backed Sunbirds found Palawan however are colored bright orange below the chest.

    

metallic throat and chest feathers of the male Olive-Backed Sunbird

     Sunbirds are known in Pilipino as pipit. There are many kinds of sunbirds and the Olive-backed Sunbird is known as pipit- parang or pipit-puso. They are noisy and active throughout the day. Their call is a loud and persistent “tch-wiiiip” and also an insistent, high-pitched, repeated  “chii-chii-chii-chii-chii”. Often, they will perch on the top of a tree calling out “Tch-wiiiip” loudly.

 female

      At home, I see the Olive-backed Sunbirds from my 2^nd floor windows feeding on the pale pink flowers of the Tabebuia trees and the bright orange flowers of the African Tulip trees. One of my neighbors attracted a lot of Olive-backed Sunbirds to her garden by planting a lot of Chinese Hat plants. I have also seen them on hibiscus (gumamela) flowers and Cassia trees. They seem to be attracted to all kinds of nectar-rich flowers. It’s pleasing to find that the plants and flowers that bring shade and beauty to the garden also provide food and shelter to colorful and musical birds like the Olive-backed Sunbird.


Please visit the following links to see more pictures:

• Tonji and Sylvia's website of Philippine birds
• more Olive-Backed Sunbird pictures
• Tonji and Sylvia's photo list of Ayala Alabang birds

Galleries of pictures of other kinds of sunbirds found in the Philippines

• Lovely Sunbird
• Flaming Sunbird
• Purple Throated Sunbird
• Plain Throated Sunbird
• Metallic Winged Sunbird

Meet the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker

     Most Filipinos who are not birdwatchers will readily admit that they don’t know many Philippine birds beyond the maya or Eurasian Tree Sparrow. What’s surprising though, is that many Filipinos are more familiar with foreign birds than Philippine birds. Even non-birdwatchers can easily identify birds like swans, flamingoes, penguins, cardinals, and woodpeckers. So it comes as a surprise to many people to discover that there are woodpeckers inside Ayala Alabang village. “Really?” they say.

     

     Woodpeckers are not just American birds. There are 6 species of woodpeckers that are found in the Philippines. The woodpecker species that is found inside Ayala Alabang is the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos maculatus). It is the smallest of the woodpeckers found in the Philippines. It is also a Philippine endemic species, meaning that it is found only in the Philippines. It measures about 5 ½ inches in length with a black and white barred throat and chest, black back with white bars or stripes, and brown wings with white spots.

     

     © Tonji Ramos 2010

     With its small size and muted colors of brown and black, the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker can be difficult to see. It is also easy to mistake it for a maya. This is where the sense of hearing comes into play. It is usually easier to listen for the bird first and then try to locate the bird by sound. To see a Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker in the village, first go to a place where they are likely to be found. Then, listen for their sound, try to pinpoint where the sound is coming from, and look for movement in the area. When it is feeding, it makes a tap-tap-tapping sound as its beak strikes the tree. It is known in Pilipino as Karpintero-maliit (small carpenter) because of the distinctive hammering sound it makes on the tree branches. It also has a call that sounds like a high-pitched, rapid-fire “tri-i-i-i-i-i-i”. It sounds like a tiny, trilling jackhammer. Two good areas to see these birds are Narra Park and the parking lot across from La Salle Zobel.

     

     Philippine Pygmy Woodpeckers are fascinating to watch. They use their feet to grasp and their tail to brace against the branches or trunk of a tree and they hop up and down the tree searching for insects. They can even walk upside down! They also constantly bob their heads up and down to get at the insects that are lodged within the crevices of the bark.

     

 Walking upside down! © Tonji Ramos 2010 

      Philippine Pygmy Woodpeckers also use their powerful beaks to make nesting holes, usually in dead branches. This is something that should be kept in mind when gardening or landscaping. Those dead branches that seem useless are actually likely homes for birds like the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker. 

Click on the links to see more:

• Philippine Pygmy Woodpeckers
• 6 species of woodpeckers found in the Philippines
• More Philippine Birds

Meet the Blue Tailed Bee Eater

     Summer is a busy time for many birds. They are noisier and more active than usual.  The summer months are breeding time for many birds. They are chirping to one another to establish territories and find mates. Then, they fly back and forth from one tree to another to feed, gather nesting materials, and later on to gather for food their young.

perching on a telephone wire

     

     A summer visitor to Ayala Alabang that is relatively easy to see and observe is the Blue Tailed Bee Eater (Merops philippinus).  It is about 11 ½ inches long and brightly colored. It has a rusty red throat, greenish-yellow belly and chest, olive-green back, long, sky blue tail feathers, and a long thin curved beak. In Pilipino it is known as pirik-pirik. Unlike some birds that are hard to spot because they hide within tree branches, the Blue Tailed Bee Eater is easy to see because it perches on telephone wires and exposed branches. Blue Tailed Bee Eaters often travel in flocks. In Alabang, they have been seen in groups of 8 or 15 or sometimes solo. It is usually their loud “churrp” call that first alerts one to their presence.

     

it catches insects in mid-air

     As its name implies, the Blue Tailed Bee Eater eats bees. It also eats other flying insects like dragonflies. The Blue Tailed Bee Eater sits on a high perch like a telephone wire, keeping an eye on the flying insects. Then, when it spots its target, it swoops into the air and deftly captures the insect in its beak. It then returns to its perch with the insect. If its prey is a bee with a stinger, it will knock the bee against the perch to remove the stinger before eating the bee.

back on the wire with its prey

     

     Blue Tailed Bee Eaters are a colorful and beautiful summer visitor to our village. They add to the diversity of wildlife that can be found inside Ayala Alabang. It is wonderful to know that they are welcome here. In other places, such as Tagaytay, commercial beekeepers consider the Blue Tailed Bee Eaters pests. The commercial beekeepers introduced imported European honeybees to the area. These bee colonies attract bee eaters and other bee eating birds which the beekeepers then shoot down to protect their hives! However, shooting bee-eaters that are near a beehive is not only criminal, but also very cruel.  It doesn’t actually do much to protect the bees since they can still get caught and eaten while they are out foraging. Bees can fly up to 3 km away from their hives in search of pollen. Many Bee Eaters are needlessly being killed just to provide businessmen with honey, candles and soap to sell. Thankfully, they are admired and appreciated here!

    Blue Tailed Bee Eaters are not usually seen in Alabang at other times of the year. Last month, they were seen in various parts of the village such as: Champaca corner Country Club Dr., Country Club Drive, Taysan St., Batangas St, and the golf course.

Click on the links to see

•  more pictures of Blue Tailed Bee Eaters 
•  our website tonjiandsylviasbirdlist.smugmug.com

     

Bird Sanctuary

Our village calls itself an official bird sanctuary and has done so for many years. For the villagers, this mostly means that they shouldn’t shoot or harm any of the birds found inside the village. But, what does it mean for the birds? Does our village really provide sanctuary to the birds?

Yes, it is possible that many birds do consider our village a place where they can take safe refuge. Back in October 2009 when Typhoon Santi hit Manila, more than 300 Whiskered Terns took shelter in the polo field of Alabang Country Club. This was unusual since the open fields are not their usual habitat. In the city, Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybridus) can usually be found in Manila Bay, Coastal Lagoon, and the Pasig River. Outside the city, you can usually find them in areas with big fishponds, rice fields, marshes, or lakes. They are migrants so perhaps the group that took a break in the polo field was on their way to the bay when the typhoon struck. They saw a big patch of empty land and decided that it was the safest place to take a break from the strong winds of a typhoon! Aside from the Whiskered Terns, there was also a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Asian Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva), and White-Winged Tern (Chilidonias leucopterus) mixed in the flock. These are birds that are also usually found near bodies of water.

    

The birds were in the middle of the field

     More recently, in April 2010 my husband Tonji spotted a Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) inside the village. This bird is a migrant and is not frequently seen in the Philippines. There were 3 records of this bird in the Philippines before 2000 and a handful of sightings after that. It is usually found in wetlands, lakes and marshes. The Chinese Pond Heron in the village was stalking insects and fish in the canal by the La Salle parking lot. It was probably on its way back to China when it stopped by our village to eat and rest before continuing on its long journey back home.

     

© Tonji Ramos 2010

Another bird that you would not expect to find in the village is the snipe. Many people are familiar with snipes cooked and served in adobo sauce. It is another bird that is usually found in marshes and ricefields that has surprisingly found its way into our village.

     

© Tonji Ramos 2010

     It is encouraging to think that all the open spaces, trees, and canals in the village are benefit not only the residents by making our village more pleasant and beautiful, but the birds as well by giving them life, food, and a place to shelter.


Please visit my website tonjiandsylviasbirdlist.smugmug.com for more pictures of Philippine birds