ML555331301

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca Regurgitating a Pellet Pellet casting is well known among raptors and owls. However, many other birds also cast pellets including kingfishers, herons, shrikes, shorebirds, bee-eaters, some songbirds, etc. Birds are possibly not frequently observed casting pellets as it may take 6-10 hours to form; hence the pellet maybe expelled late in the day or in the early morning. I previously reported an Asian Brown Flycatcher regurgitating a pellet (Amar-Singh HSS 2017) early in the morning. On this occasion, 7th April 2023, at the Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, I observed a White-bellied Erpornis (Erpornis zantholeuca) casting a pellet. I was watching a lowlands bird wave (mixed foraging party) that included: Two Blue-winged Leafbirds (Chloropsis cochinchinensis), often the leaders of the event; 3-4 Eastern Crowned Warblers (Phylloscopus coronatus), 2-3 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers (Culicicapa ceylonensis), 3-4 White-bellied Erpornis (Erpornis zantholeuca), and others not identified. One White-bellied Erpornis stopped and appeared to ‘choke’. It then regurgitated and ejected a pellet. A composite of images showing the action attached. Reference Amar-Singh HSS (2017). Asian Brown Flycatcher regurgitating a pellet. Bird Ecology Study Group. https://besgroup.org/2017/10/29/asian-brown-flycatcher-regurgitating-a-pellet/

Technical information

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3264 pixels x 2694 pixels

Original file size

2.02 MB