My neighbours: A pair of Red-whiskered Bulbuls---a success story

Last year, the pair of Red-whiskered Bulbuls living in my garden lost their chicks. But it is a different story this year! 

Back in May, I saw the pair build a nest in a big pine tree. I was very excited  but the nest was very well hidden and it was difficult to photograph. So I decided to leave them alone. Then one day in June, I accidentally saw 4 chicks sitting in a small tree! 

After last year’s tragedy, the parents were really careful and as soon as they realized that I  had spotted the chicks, they moved them further inside the tree. 

The chicks were growing very fast. A week later, they were able to fly around the garden.

Since these birds love cooked rice, I often left some rice on the balcony and managed to get some close-up photos of the chicks. 

Unlike the adults, the juvenile Red-whiskered Bulbuls have a greyish-black crown but do not have the red whisker mark below the eyes.  Soon, the brothers and sisters were regulars on my balcony for rice. 

In the last few weeks, the ripening papayas have been the main source of their diet. 

 

I often heard them singing on the papaya trees and sometimes, it looked that the youngsters were arguing with the parents.

Last week, I noticed that the “red whiskers” were beginning to appear under the eyes of the young birds. 

Hopefully, the happy family will live in my garden for sometime.