Snack attack: Two hornbills prey on a pet bird, one got lucky

While pet birds in cages may be a common sight in HDB housing estates, having two bigger ones waiting for their prey is an incident pet owners may not be able to stomach.

And a hornbill's stomach was likely the last destination for one such pet bird, as that hornbill attacked and pulled said bird from its cage at Block 115 Bukit Purmei Road in a video sent to Stomp on Monday (Aug 16).

Ryan, a resident living in the opposite block, caught the incident on video where two hornbills were seen hovering around the cage before one of them made its move.

He said: "It ate up the head of our neighbour's pet bird."

"We were scared that our pet baby hamsters would get killed too so we hid them in the room," he added. 

Known as the oriental pied hornbill, the bright-coloured bird is one of Singapore's native bird species. Its large size and black-and-white appearance make it distinct. 

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When not devouring pet birds, it usually consumes fruits and insects like figs, palms, bananas, papayas, tamarind, including smaller birds, eggs, lizards, snakes, bats and squirrels. 

Previously on the verge of local extinction, more and more sightings of Hornbills in domesticated areas have been surfacing in recent years, with the last incident reported in April. 

There were also similar occurrences last year where a horny hornbill stole a resident's lingerie before dumping it on the road while another reportedly pooped all over a Pasir Ris flat. 

If you come across such birds, wildlife experts advise keeping a safe distance and to avoid feeding them as this might prompt them to enter urban areas for food. 

Under the Wildlife Act, a person caught feeding wildlife may be fined up to $5,000, and repeat offenders may be fined up to $10,000.

estherlam@asiaone.com