A privilege in an urban park - watching baby bulbul hatchlings grow up!

Nature Talk
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Rambling about in a small urban park in our neighborhood, we were pleasantly surprised to find a nest of a Red-vented bulbul with what looked like a couple of newly emerged hatchlings inside. See the hyperlinked observation with this post.

In a couple of days we could even see wing feathers sprouting! See the second observation @https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93003194

My daughter was thrilled with this find, a nest in a bush at a height that she can observe easily - so she plans to follow their development over the next few weeks. But I wonder why such a low-level spot was chosen by the parents to make the nest, within easy reach of predators. Each morning I dread seeing the destroyed nest with the babies eaten up.

Also, I have noticed only one parent flitting around the nest from the nearby tree. Have to look up if feeding and upkeep of babies is taken up by only one gender in Bulbuls. Any inputs on these aspects would be much appreciated!

day 1 of observation of Red-vented bulbul hatchlings

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I wish I could answer those questions, but I am not a good birder. However, I have seen cautions against approaching nesting birds very closely to avoid having the birds abandon the nest. Perhaps, you are using a telephoto lense and able to stay well back from the nest?

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The bulbuls may be inexperienced considering nest building and care of young ones?

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Thanks, I was worried about that as well. We found the nest and spotted the babies because something flew off as we were walking by. Later we saw the bulbul on a nearby tree and stepped away to watch it from afar. Only when it flew down to the nest could I figure out that they were bulbul hatchlings! But then it took off again shortly. And that’s been the pattern - it leaves the nest often, we go a bit close to observe and then step away and it flies back. Haven’t gone close when the parent is in the nest so haven’t been able to observe feeding or any other parental behaviour, will update if I get something with the telephoto lens.

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Does seem very inexperienced :) but then I am not a birder and am only now reading up on their habits.

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Update: A week after we first spotted the baby birds the nest was empty. They hadn’t looked like being anywhere grown up enough to fly or leave the nest, so am assuming the worst :( Have been reading a bit more, many thanks to @ram_k for some good links, and apparently bulbuls do prefer to make their nests in bushes and lower level spots. Go figure!

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