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romy ocon | profile | all galleries >> Wild Birds of the Philippines (Photos) >> Bird Galleries by Location >> Archives of Older Galleries by Location >> Archives - Part 8 >> Nesting Guaiaberos at Mt. Makiling tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Nesting Guaiaberos at Mt. Makiling

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"Nest and eggs undescribed." - the authoritative Kennedy Guide (printed year 2000), on describing the habits of Bolbopsittacus lunulatus, a Philippine endemic parrot.

Well, not anymore, at least the nest. On February 1, 2007, a team of Philippine Bird Photography e-Group* members discovered a nesting couple in Mt. Makiling during a routine bird photography sortie. The team (Tina M., Ixi M., Lydia R. and Neon R.) was able to take documentary photos of the birds and the nest itself, and these could be among the first documentations of the nest of this bird ever. Big congrats to the PBP team!

* http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/philippine_bird_photography/

Eager to document it too, I went to Mt. Makiling with Ixi, Lydia and Neon on February 3. The nesting couple didn't show up in the nest, so I just took photographs and made notes on the physical description of the find. Later in the day, Neon, Ixi and Lydia discovered a second nest, within 100 meters from the first one. A couple of birds were seen at or near the second nest, and I was able to take snapshots despite the horrible lighting conditions.

Here are documentary photos of the two nests, together with brief descriptions. The sixth photo in this gallery (a Guaiabero feeding among "Makopa" blooms) was taken in a sortie in early 2006, in a different location at Mt. Makiling.

UPDATE (May 11, 2007) - I have received two emails saying that these were actually termite mounds that the Guaiaberos hollowed out for nesting purposes. My description on the birds' building of the nest therefore stands corrected.

1. From Brian Powell, March 16, 2007:

"Dear Romy,

"I've just been browsing in your website (fantastic pictures as always).
I noticed your comment on the Guiabero's nest, and how long it must have
taken them to make such a nest. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am
pretty certain that these (and other Guiabero nests I've seen) are
termite mounds that the Guiaberos just hollow out for their nesting
purposes. All the same, it must take them a while to dig them out.
Several of the kingfisher species also do the same. I have seen white
throated, and have heard of white collared and silvery kingfishers doing
the same.

"Keep up the good work. You're doing a great job of documenting the
beauty of creation in the Philippines.

"Blessings
Brian Powell (wbcp member)"


2. From Phil Bender, May 11, 2007

"Romy , your pics are consistantly fabulous.I am aware of the difficulties of bird photography,especially in the tropics but you seem to nail it time and time again.Well done.Just thought i would make a comment regarding the nesting Guaiaberos.It would be that the birds have excavated a tunnel and breeding chamber into an arboreal termite nest and not actually constructed a big blob of mud like material in the tree fork.This excavating behaviour is consistant with many members of the parrot family,including the closely related Fig-Parrots.Fantastic to at last document the nesting habits of this wonderful little bird.All the best,Phil Bender."
SIGMONSTER AT MT. MAKILING. The first Guaiabero nest (in darkened circle) is about 15 meters high above the ground, built in the fork of a tree trunk which is near a slope. Here, I position my 350D + Sigmonster on the slope for a better shooting angle, and my camera's elevation is about halfway between the base of the tree and the nest. The shooting distance is roughly 20 meters. Checking my compass, I note that the entrance hole of the nest is facing east. [20D + Sigma 10-20, hand held]
IMG_6279-1200x800.jpg

SIGMONSTER AT MT. MAKILING. The first Guaiabero nest (in darkened circle) is about 15 meters high above the ground, built in the fork of a tree trunk which is near a slope.
Here, I position my 350D + Sigmonster on the slope for a better shooting angle, and my camera's elevation is about halfway between the base of the tree and the nest.
The shooting distance is roughly 20 meters. Checking my compass, I note that the entrance hole of the nest is facing east.

[20D + Sigma 10-20, hand held]

 A CLOSER VIEW. The first nest is built in the fork of a tree trunk. Note an unidentified lizard peeking from the side of the nest. [350D + Sigmonster, MLU, resized full frame]
IMG_5335-750x500.jpg

A CLOSER VIEW. The first nest is built in the fork of a tree trunk. Note an unidentified lizard peeking from the side of the nest.

[350D + Sigmonster, MLU, resized full frame]

 NEST DETAIL. In my ocular estimate, the nest is about 0.35 - 0.40 m in height and 0.20 - 0.25 m in width. The entrance hole is roughly 50 - 75 mm in diameter. To my eyes, the nest appears to be made of mud. It must have taken the smallish birds (Guaiaberos are about 165 mm in total length) quite some time to build a nest of such size and mass. From a human civil engineer to a fellow builder (of the avian kind), I give my respect and salute this achievement. I had to go through years of college education, and thereafter some more in apprenticeship, to learn to build things. These wonders of nature are pre-wired since birth, or egghood, to do it automatically. [350D + Sigmonster, MLU]
IMG_5335-1000x750.jpg

NEST DETAIL. In my ocular estimate, the nest is about 0.35 - 0.40 m in height and 0.20 - 0.25 m in width. The entrance hole is roughly 50 - 75 mm in diameter.
To my eyes, the nest appears to be made of mud. It must have taken the smallish birds (Guaiaberos are about 165 mm in total length) quite some time to build a nest of such size and mass.
From a human civil engineer to a fellow builder (of the avian kind), I give my respect and salute this achievement. I had to go through years of college education, and thereafter some more in apprenticeship,
to learn to build things. These wonders of nature are pre-wired since birth, or "egghood," to do it automatically.

[350D + Sigmonster, MLU]

 THE SECOND NEST. This is at a tree trunk that's within 100 meters east of the first nest. This nest appears to be built also of mud, and likewise about 15 meters high from the ground. Its entrance hole is facing northwest. One of the nesting Guaiabero couple is shown here inserting its head into the nest. I wasn't able to see whether it was feeding, or it was just building the nest. I had to use the hand held 20D + 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x, as the 350D + Sigmonster together with my tripod/gimbal head was set up near the first nest. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, hand held]
IMG_6282-1000x750.jpg

THE SECOND NEST. This is at a tree trunk that's within 100 meters east of the first nest. This nest appears to be built also of mud, and likewise about 15 meters high from the ground.
Its entrance hole is facing northwest. One of the nesting Guaiabero couple is shown here inserting its head into the nest. I wasn't able to see whether it was feeding, or it was just building the nest.
I had to use the hand held 20D + 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x, as the 350D + Sigmonster together with my tripod/gimbal head was set up near the first nest.

[20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, hand held]

 THE NESTING BIRD. Here's another view of the bird in the second nest. The entrance hole is covered by the bird's body. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, hand held]
IMG_6294-1000x750.jpg

THE NESTING BIRD. Here's another view of the bird in the second nest. The entrance hole is covered by the bird's body.

[20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, hand held]
Guaiabero (A Philippine endemic) Scientific name - Bolbopsittacus lunulatus Habitat - Forest and forest edge, usually below 1000 m. [20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]
IMG_9926-1200x900.jpg

Guaiabero
(A Philippine endemic)

Scientific name - Bolbopsittacus lunulatus

Habitat - Forest and forest edge, usually below 1000 m.

[20D + 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC, on tripod]


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