TAIPING, April 22 — Zoo Taiping & Night Safari director, Kevin Lazarus, is requesting the public to keep a distance and be quite near a hoopoe (Upupa epops longirostris) nest in Taiping Lake Gardens which has people flocking to it because it is a rare sight.
Worried the migratory birds may be disturbed, the zoo has put up a rope barrier to prevent people from getting too near.
“We noticed the bird making a nest in a tree hole two weeks ago. We believe the female is incubating the eggs and they may hatch in three weeks,” Lazarus told Bernama today.
He said there are a few species and this one can be found in Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.
He said many species of migratory birds can be found in Taiping Lake Gardens and the zoo, like the bangau (Bubulcus ibis) which begins nesting in March or April.
Bernama noticed photographers had gathered, managing to capture a rare sight of a male bird feeding the female.
Bird enthusiast, Lee Ong, 45, said he wanted to see the colourful bird with his own eyes after images went viral on social media.
He hopes people don’t disturb the birds while they’re breeding so that the population continues to increase. — Bernama
