Bird Name:

White-headed Bulbul

Latin Name:

Hypsipetes thompsoni

Status:

Least Concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Pycnonotidae

Genus: Hypsipetes

Species: H. thompsoni

General information:

The White-headed Bulbul is a species of songbird found in an extensive range in Asia. The family is large with 119 species, and the genus has 20 species. The genus Hypsipetes has a more raucous voice than others in the family. They can be found in small flocks when not nesting. They are not territorial, but will gather to mob potential dangers such as owls or nest-robbing crows.

Physical Description:

The White-headed Bulbul is grey with a white head. Its tail is forked and its wings are short, which make them less than strong fliers. Therefore they do not migrate, although they do shift seasonally with the ripening fruit trees. Bulbuls have a patch of hair-like, vaneless feathers on their nape. They range in length from 6 to 11 inches. Their bills are slender and curved downward.

Diet:

The diet of bulbuls consists of primarily fruits and berries. Young are fed first on insects, then later on small berries.

Habitat:

The White-headed Bulbul is found in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests and montanes. Nests are open deep cups constructed of grasses, moss, and bark lined with pine needles. They are between 5 and 15 feet up in the branches of a shrub or tree. They are cleverly concealed and often not visible.

Reproduction:

A female lays a single clutch of 2 to 3 eggs, pinkish grey in color marked with red, black and purple spots. The incubation is entirely done by the female, while the male feeds her on her nest and helps brood and feed the nestlings.

Bird Name:

Umbrella Cockatoo

Latin Name:

Cacatua alba

Status:

Vulnerable

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Cacatuidae

Genus: Cacatua

Species: C. alba

General information:

The common name is the White Cockatoo. It is considered vulnerable by the IUCN red list due to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. It is currently listed in Appendix II of CITIES.
White cockatoos are extremely bright and inquisitive birds. They have the ability to use tools, such as using a branch to scratch their backs.

Physical Description:

The Umbrella Cockatoo averages 46 cm in length and weighs 400 gm. It is white with dark eyes and a dark grey beak. It has a large crest that when surprise will extend into a semi circle (similar to an umbrella). The underside of the wings and tail are a pale yellow. The sexes are similar but larger beaks and broader heads occur in the males. The females' iris will exhibit a more reddish hue after puberty.

Diet:

In the wild, the Umbrella Cockatoo mainly feeds on fruits of trees. However, they have been seen eating crickets and skinks. They will also feed on maize growing in fields, sometimes doing considerable damage.

Habitat:

The Umbrella Cockatoo is endemic to Maluku, Indonesia. Specifically, this species lives on the islands of Halmahera, Bacan, Ternate, Tidore, Kasiruta and Mandiole. It has been introduced to Puerto Rico. It resides in primary, logged and secondary forest up to 900 meters. It also occurs in mangroves, plantations and agricultural land. They require large trees for nesting and communal roosting.

Reproduction:

Umbrella Cockatoos are monogamous and pairs last throughout their lives. If the partner is gone they can slip into depression. The male and the female share the responsibility of incubating the eggs. Typically, the parents raise only one of the chicks. If the first chick to hatch is healthy, they care for that one. If it is malformed or unhealthy, they raise the second chick. The young are born completely dependent upon their parents. Both parents are involved in caring for young, although females play a larger role. Once a chick is able to care for itself, the group of three rejoins the rest of the flock.

Bird Name:

Red-vented Cockatoo

Latin Name:

Cacatua haematuropygia

Status:

Critically Endangered

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Cacatuinae

Genus: Cacuta

Species: C. haematuropygia

General information:

The common name is the Philippine Cockatoo. This species is critically endangered. Populations have decreased dramatically due to illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade since the 1950s. The high price fetched per bird means that chicks are taken from virtually every accessible nest. Loss of habitat may also have contributed to its decline. The current population is estimated at less than 4,000 birds.

The Red-vented Cockatoo makes a characteristic bleating call, as well as screeching or whistling.

Physical Description:

Red-vented Cockatoos are small and white with a short white recumbent crest. They are easily distinguished by the red feathers around the vent. The undersides of the flight feathers are yellow. The beak is nearly white.

Diet:

The Red-vented Cockatoo feeds on seed and fruits. Food sources fluctuate seasonally.

Habitat:

The Red-vented Cockatoo is endemic to the Philippines where small populations exist on the islands of Palawan, Tawitawi, Mindanao and Masbate. It is restricted to lowland primary forest and secondary forest in or adjacent to waterways with mangroves. Typically they live in groups during non-mating seasons. They are partially nomadic due to seasonally fluctuating food sources. Will even frequent nearby corn and rice fields.

Reproduction:

Red-vented Cockatoos will pair during mating season. Often multiple pairs will use the same tree for breeding. Breeding season is typically March to June. Pairs will fly to offshore islands to roost and perhaps breed.

Bird Name:

Mulga Parrot

Latin Name:

Psephotus varius

Status:

Least concern, Appendix II of CITIES

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

>Genus: Psephotus

Species: P. varius

General Information:

The Mulga Parrot is commonly called the Many-colored Parrot or Parakeet and the Varied Parrot. Its name is derived from the mulga plant, which is a common food source. The Mulga Parrot is not commonly seen in flocks as other species are. Instead often appear individually or in pairs. They are known for their soft calls that they repeated three to four times in a row.

Physical Description:

The Mulga Parrot is about 28 cm in length and weighs 50 to 70 gm. Males and females can be distinguished by differences in their coloring. Males are a brilliant green overall with paler green coloring on their lower breast. Females are more olive green color overall with a brownish-green breast. The males have a distinct red patch on their crown and yellow foreheads. The females have a dull red patch on their crown and their foreheads are also a duller color, which is somewhat of an orange-yellow. The males' thighs and abdomens are yellow; with patchy orangey-red markings. Females have entirely green under-parts. Males have a dark grey bill, compared with the brownish-grey bill of the female. Both males and females have brown eyes at maturity. Immature Mulgas can be distinguished from adults by their muted colors.

Diet:

The Mulga Parrot feeds on seeds from grasses and herbaceous plants. They eat seasonally available fruits and blossoms. They will also feed on insects. Mulgas feed on ground beneath trees and amidst foliage.

Habitat:

The Mulga Parrot is native to the interior of southern Australia. It occurs in dry open woodlands and plains with varying vegetation including mallee, mulga, and saltbush. Mulgas can also be found in nearby croplands and in dry parts of riverine woodland. They will rest during hottest part of the day.

Reproduction:

Breeding season is from July to December, but they have been known to nest after any good rain. Nests are built in the hollows of trees, stumps, or fallen logs. Clutch is 4 to 7 eggs. Incubation takes approximately 19 days. The young will fledge after four weeks, but will stay with the parents considerably longer.

Bird Name:

Red-vented Bulbul

Latin Name:

Pycnonotus cafer

Status:

Least Concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Pycnonotidae

Genus: Pycnonotus

Species: P. cafer

General information:

The Red-vented Bulbul is a song bird with a widespread range. While they are small in size, they do have an invasive, quarrelsome and sometimes aggressive posture. They can be damaging to crops and orchards. The genus is the largest of the Pycnonotidae family with 47 species.

Physical Description:

This species averages 20cm in length and has a long tail. Adults have black or brown upperparts with a white rump. The breast is also black or brown and the other underparts are white with red around the vent. The head and crest are black as well as their beaks. Sexes are similar in plumage and young birds are duller in color than the adults. The plumage does vary slightly by region. The outstanding characteristic of bulbuls is the hair-like, vaneless feathers at the nape. The flight of the Red-vented Bulbul is bouncy, similar to a woodpecker.

Diet:

The Red-vented Bulbul feeds primarily on fruit, nectar and insects. It is incapable of synthesizing Vitamin C .

Habitat:

Red-vented Bulbuls inhabit tropical areas in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Myanmar and Southwest China. They can be found in scrub, open forest, plains and cultivated lands. The species often prefers human settlements to the heavy jungle, and is common in urban parts of Dubai. They have also been introduced to Fiji and Hawaii. Nests are formed in bushes with deep cup shaped nests.

Reproduction:

Red-vented Bulbuls breed year round. The average clutch size is two to three eggs.

Bird Name:

Red-billed Leiothrix or Pekin Robin

Latin Name:

Leiothrix lutea

Status:

Least Concern

Although added to CITIES Appendix II in 1998.

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Timaliidae

Genus: Leiothrix

Species: L. lutea

General information:

Common names of the Red-billed Leiothrix include Pekin Robin, Pekin Nightingale, Chinese Nightingale and Japanese (Hill) Robin.

The Red-billed Leiothrix is a brightly colored babbler. Two subspecies exist, in the western range L. lutea kumaiensis and in the eastern range L. lutea calipyga. The rarer L. l. kumaiensis has the absence of the red edge on the inner primaries. Common in the pet trade, Red-billed Leiothrix is known for its loud melodious songs. It is currently of lest concern on the IUCN red list, but was added to CITIES in 1998 because native habitat is being destroyed and the demand of the cage bird market.

Physical Description:

The Red-billed Leiothrix averages 13-15 cm in length and weighs 21-25 gm. Adults are brightly colored and have red bills with a dull yellow ring around their eyes. Their backs are a dull olive green and they have a bright yellow orange throat with a yellow chin. They have a forked blackish tail. The sexes appear similar although males are brighter in color. Juveniles have black bills and grey coats.

Diet:

Fruits and seeds are the primary diet, although they will eat small invertebrates including larval and adult butterflies, moths, millipedes, and spiders. The Red-billed Leiothrix feeds in groups, except when pairs are breeding. Water is obtained from pools on fallen leaves.

Habitat:

The Red-billed Leiothrix is native to Southern Asia ranging from central Himalayas in India and Nepal eastwards to Burma and Vietnam. It was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands from escaped cage birds. Small populations also escaped in Japan. The Red-billed Leiothrix inhabits underbrush with a dense cover of vegetation near the ground. Cup nest made of leaves and moss lined with fungal substance usually on a low horizontal forked branch. They favor areas with heavy rainfall, at least 40 inches of rain yearly. They are often found traveling in small flocks.

Reproduction:

The Red-billed Leiothrix breeds March to August. They are monogamous and the pairs will mate for life. The clutch consists of 3 or 4 egg, although 5 can occur. Eggs are a pale blue with reddish spots. Due to low nest placement, eggs are highly vulnerable to predators, especially rats. Adults may distract predators away from the nest by running and calling on the ground. Incubation is approximately 14 days. Both parents contribute to the feeding of the young. Most commonly insects and small fruits are the early food source. Nestlings have a bright reddish apricot skin.