Siloy-the Pied Fantails of the Philippines

At first, I thought it was a leaf fluttering down out of the mango tree. But, it wasn’t. It was a walnut-sized baby pied fantail. Belen says in her place they are called siloy. It must have been morning flying lessons. He made a relieved landing on one of the palmeras that stands near the back wall. Just as he landed, another baby siloy made a shaky take-off from the same palmera and wobbled over to the one next to it.

A day after the storm, Beth had found two baby fantails clutching the lower branches of the palmeras near the back door. So they would not become quick merienda for the kitties, we carried them over to the back wall where there was suddenly a great flurry of juveniles and adult fantails, clearly trying to figure out how to contend with these two little survivors of Typhoon Milenyo. I wonder if my two morning venturers were the same little babes.

They are delightful birds, and our yard is now full of them. They seem unafraid….one even landing on the kitchen window sill and pecking Beth on her hinder. Dad has now replaced the glass so that won’t happen again….but it was too funny.

You can Google them and take a look for yourself. “Pied Fantail” Philippines. You’ll get a bunch of sites.