Songbirds of Singapore
The songbirds have started to gather and it’s Sunday morning in Singapore. So, before all the other tourist finish there breakfast a the Best Singapore Hotels, I head on out to the Wah Heng coffee shop at the corner of Tiong Bahru and Seng Poh Roads. Wah Heng has caged song birds crowed in from ceiling to floor brought in by the locals. It truly a site to behold.
The birds, China thrushes, red whiskered bulbuls, merboks, white rumped shamas and mata putehs arrive in intricately carved, richly lacquered teak cages with porcelain inlays and ivory fittings. The owners proudly unveil the cages and move them from hanger to hanger with what appears to be strategic, just like an intense chess games was being played. The owners trying to position their birds near those that will encourage them to sing at their best. Songbirds, in nature, will try to out-sing, out perform each other in an attempt to attract the female of its species.
I managed to get a prime seat due to my missing out on breakfast at the hotel. I was so delighted as the birds began to warble. I got to chat up some of the owners and ask how they care and feed for their birds. They were eager to give me details on what the birds eat and one owner told me that she believes the food will influence how the birds will sing. She said a carefully controlled diet for her songbird will include live insects, fruits, baby cereal and a hard boiled egg every now and then. I noticed there were vendors just outside selling cages and feeds; doing a very brisk business I might add.
The regular Sunday crowd, which climaxes between 8am and 10am was an informal kind of competition. The owners will say different, but it seems to me to serve as a practice session for when and if they choose to enter into a more serious songbird competition. Like the National songbird competition can have a cash prize of $10,000 dollars! I’m just glad to listen to the beautiful songs, have a nice cup of coffee and watch the owners persuade their songbirds to sing the prettiest.
Related posts: