There was a tree that grew in my front yard. As it became
big it killed other surrounding plants because its extending leaves and
branches denied other plants like guava, bushes and weeds the life-sustaining
rays of the sun. The medium-sized softwood tree which is called “alum” by the
locals is now fully grown.
Birds and insects are attracted to the flowers and fruit of
the tree. Small insects fly into the small flowers to sip their nectar, and
small birds perch on branches and twigs to spot fruits and eat them. Birds seem
to relish the tiny fruits that are too small and insignificant for humans or
other animals to consider for consumption. The tree has also become the
roosting place for free range chickens in the evening. For me, it has become an
object where I can do bird watching at the convenience of my home.
The presence of trees especially on the higher ground of our
family’s compound area made them the sojourns or roosts of some species of
small birds. Warblers, sparrows, swiftlets, pied fantails, zebra doves, humming
birds, starlings and other birds fly to the trees to perch and eat fruits. Some
of them are residents to our compound and nearby areas while others are just
visitors. The chirps of the birds are pleasantly audible during dawn and dusk. I
can also hear the songs and the mating calls of some of the birds during the
day. Their sounds really brighten up my day.
At present there is a species of small bird that catch my
attention. It is the starling which is called “tusing” by the locals. Although the starlings are indigenous and
endemic to my locality, it is only recently that I have gotten a close look on
them. The birds used to dwell in wooded areas farther from human habitations.
But as the area of their habitat dwindled due to urban development and
expansion, the birds have adopted to dwell near or in built up areas that have
still plants and trees where they can get their foods from.
The tree that I mentioned at first attracted only the birds
that usually visit our compound area. But later I noticed that small black
figures were swiftly landing on the twigs and branches, and flew away fast at the
slightest presence of anything that scared them. Nevertheless, they become
frequent visitors of the tree because they enjoy eating its fruits. Mid morning
is their favorite visiting period. Although they have become accustomed to the
presence of humans who leave them alone, the birds still keep their distance and
flee when humans and other animals get too close to them.
I came to know later that the name of the bird is the Philippine Glossy Starling. It is a small black bird. The
juvenile however has brownish feathers in its upper body and a grayish and
brown streaked underside. Overtime, the
plumage turns to black when the young birds become fully mature. The sound of the
starling is somewhat similar to that of a whistle of a grown-up male person. One of the starling's most distinguishing
features is its scary-looking bloodshot eyes.
