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Last Update 29 March 2011

While we try to be as forthcoming as we possibly could with the latest interesting bird sighting, we would also like to remind all birders and photographers following up on the sightings to always have the welfare of the bird in mind. We urge birders and photographers to minimise disturbance to the birds as much as possible. Thank-you for your co-operation! The birds will appreciate it.

DOWNLOAD NEW/RARE SPECIES RECORD SUBMISSION FORM IN PDF / DOC

Please refresh/reload if the photo/pictures does not correspond with the text!

(Posted 29 March 2011)

Singapore Raptor Report, February 2011 by Tan Gim Cheong

Singapore Raptor Report, January 2011 by Tan Gim Cheong

Singapore Raptor Report, December 2010 by Tan Gim Cheong

Singapore Raptor Report, November 2010 by Tan Gim Cheong

Third Raptor Watch 2010 Report by Alan OwYong edited by Kenneth Kee

Singapore Raptor Report, October 2010 by Tan Gim Cheong

Singapore Autumn Raptor Migration Early Arrivals July - September 2010. by Tan Gim Cheong

(Posted 24 March 2011)

The above race would be at Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area. For detail of the above race, please click here.

The Roles of the
Nature Society (Singapore) Records Committee

(Posted 12 February 2011)

By Lim Kim Seng

Birdwatching is a very popular pastime with people from all walks of life all over the world. All you need is a pair of binoculars, a pen and a notebook, and you are ready to embark on a life-long hobby wherever you are on this planet. It may take some time, years even, but soon, the dedicated birdwatcher will come across what is classified as a rarity, a species deemed by the local experts, usually the Records Committee, as worthy of detailed documentation. Sometimes, the bird is one that has not yet been recorded for the country, usually referred to as a new species, even though it is not new to Science. It is simply the first time that it has been seen in that country. What happens then? How does a birdwatcher document his or her sighting? Where does he or she send the documentation to? How are records of rarities or new species evaluated? What does a Records Committee do? Who are these people? This paper addresses all these questions from the perspective of a committee that has been playing the role of the national records committee in Singapore for over two decades. This is the Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group Records Committee or NSSBGRC.

Click to download full document in .doc

Click to download full document in .pdf

Click to download new/rare species record submission form in .doc

Click to download new/rare species record submission form in .pdf

(Posted 08 February 2011)

Thirteen of us braved the wet Saturday evening weather for our 1st Parrot Count. This is part of the world Parrot Count project initiated by the Parrot Researchers Group of the International Ornithological Union (IOU). The main focus of the study is on introduced parrots and their populations in their non-native locations.

Click to read full report

(Posted 27 January 2011)

Dasyueshan International Bird Race 2011(Anmashan Intl Bird Race), Taiwan

29 - 30 April, 2011(11am-11am, 24 hours)

End of registration: 31 March, 2011

Team: 3-4 persons

No registration fee required.

International teams will be provided free accommodation and meals on 28-29.

for more information: www.bird.org.tw

Victor

(Posted 26 January 2011)

The Nature Society (Singapore)s Bird Group is introducing the Small Grant Scheme for Bird Conservation Research to address the paucity of local ornithological research, and to complement our existing annual censuses of Singapores avifauna. Its key objective is to encourage and provide financial support for bird field research in Singapore, with an emphasis on locally threatened species. Research work may include extensive field surveys, population counts and mapping, followed by statistical analysis. Field research will be integral to bird conservation by generating recent data of local species that are currently at stake so as to support future conservation measures. This scheme will provide funding of up to S$2000 to cover transport costs, logistics, purchase of research equipment and software during the course of research work. Interested applicants are encouraged to fill in the form below and submit it to Yong Ding Li at zoothera@yahoo.com

Click to download form in .doc

Click to download form in .pdf

(Posted 26 January 2011)

The nss bird group is supporting an islandwide study of two of our endangered resident raptors, the Changeable Hawk Eagle and the Grey-headed Fish-eagle. One of the objectives of the survey is to map the entire Singapore population of these two key predators, and the distribution and density of all nest sites,
where possible. To prevent duplication of records and also obtain a clearer picture of the nest density, the studies will be conducted over one nesting season, from December 2010 to July 2011. Anyone in the field who has observed active nests, or breeding behavior (e.g. nest-building, carrying of prey to nest) within this period is encourage to submit your record. Information is particularly lacking for the western catchment area and Pulau Tekong, so any details of nesting raptors in these areas will be much appreciated (especially
from those of you who go on reservice).

At present, Kok Hui is studying the Changeable Hawk-eagle and is working to map out its distribution throughout Singapore. Anyone with information on active nests especially, or sightings of changeable hawk eagles with inferred nesting behavior can send in your records to him at kokhuitan@yahoo.co.uk

Anyone with information on nesting of the grey-headed fish-eagle can send your details to myself at zoothera@yahoo.com

Details on both raptors should include, if possible:

Location of nest (GPS coordinate and/or name of the site)
Type of tree/estimated height of nest
Vegetation around nest area
Number of chick(s) in nest and a brief description (for aging)
Observed prey being fed to chick
Behavior of adults around and in nest (perched beside nest, incubating, bringing back prey)
Date and Time of observation
Weather during time of observation

All record contributors will be duly acknowledged in the study. Many thanks for your participation!

Kok Hui and Ding Li

(Posted 18 December 2010)

The first ever Beginners Waders Workshop was held on the 27^th November 2010 at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR). 27 people attended including 4 staffs from SBWR. The response was beyond our expectation and what was most heartening was the attendance of four young boys, ranging from 3 to 11 years old together with their father.

Click to read/download report

(Posted 18 December 2010)

Eleven enthusiastic teams participated in the 27^th Singapore Green Bird Race 2010. This year, the geographic scope of the race was narrowed down to Pulau Ubin to allow easier travel for participants and also to generate crucial information on the bird life of Singapores last rural frontier. There are two categories for participants, the novice category which lasted from 8am to 4pm, and the advanced category, which was slightly longer, ending at 5pm. Like the previous year, all teams had to forego the luxury of private cars and taxis, and even buses as there are none on Ubin! Instead, participants could move around on rented bicycles, or revert to the most basic transport mean, the foot!

Click to read/download report by Ding Li and Kenneth Kee

By Yong Ding Li

(Posted 10 November 2010)

Click to read/download the above document by Yong Ding Li for the Raptor Workshop conducted by him for the Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group.

(Posted 6 October 2010)

Date: Sun 7 Nov

Time: 9am - 4pm

We are into our 3rd Raptors Watch this year. Since we started compiling records of migrating raptors, we have counted a total of 18 migrant and three vagrant species, including the Amur Falcon, which is a first for Singapore. During last years Raptors Watch, we recorded a total of 610 raptors from nine species including the rare Short-toed Eagle and a large flock of 84 Black Bazas migrating over Tuas. Choose a location near your home and help document the peak raptor migration numbers across Singapore. Which rare raptor will come flying by? Please contact the respective site coordinators listed below to register your interest. Photographers are especially welcome. We will get together for a buffet dinner later in the evening to share our sightings. There will also be a slide show on the International Raptor Conference in Ulan Bator and on a birding trip to the raptor-rich Steppe Grasslands of Mongolia.

No.	Sites	Coordinators	Emails
1.	Tuas South	Tan Gim Cheong	elleb@singnet.com.sg
2.	Japanese Gardens	John Spencer	johnlsp@yahoo.co.uk
3.	Kent Ridge Park	Horst Flotow	flotow@singnet.com.sg
4.	Telok Blangah Hill	Alan OwYong & Kenneth Kee	alan.owyong@gmail.com or trogon@pacific.net.sg
5.	Western Catchment	Danny Lau & Tan Kok Hui	Wtlau2100@yahoo.com.sg or kokhuitan@yahoo.co.uk
6.	Tanah Merah Coast	Lim Kim Keang & Alfed Chia	kklimsg@singnet.com.sg or alfred.chia.ys@gmail.com
7.	Bukit Timah Hill	Yong Ding Li	zoothera@yahoo.com

(Posted 18 September 2010)

By Lim Kim Seng

The 7th Fall Migration Bird Census (FMBC) held on 12th September 2010, was blessed with clear, sunny weather unlike the wet conditions in 2009. 57 people participated in counting at 28 sites, an improvement from 51 observers at 23 sites last year. In all, 8,666 birds of 137 species were counted, compared with 7,381 birds of 119 species in 2009.

Of the 28 sites counted, Neo Tiew Lane 2 and Serangoon were the most bird diverse with 49 species counted, followed by Ubin Central with 47 species. The least diverse sites were Bishan Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mandai Mudflats, all with 19 species.

Click to read report.

(Posted 14 September 2010)

MANILABirdwatchers, conservationists and eco-tourism promoters from all over Asia and elsewhere have their eyes on the Philippines, which is hosting Asia's first-ever region-wide bird festival.

The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines said the First Asian Bird Fair will be held in Davao City from 24-26 September 2010, tandem with the 6^thPhilippine Bird Festival, the country's premier avian conservation and eco-tourism event. The milestone event is co-hosted by the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the Davao City government.

The First Asian Bird Fair-themed Nurture Nature, Save our Futureis a common initiative of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, the Wild Bird Society of Taipei, the Malaysian Nature Society and the Nature Society (Singapore).

The Asian Bird Fair, which highlights the respective bird festivals of the participating countries, seeks to enrich eco-tourism through birdwatching and promote the natural and cultural heritage of host cities.

Click for more details

(Posted 12 September 2010)

This report covers noteworthy bird sightings in March 2010 for Singapore and the surrounding region. In general, the report will include but are not limited to the following categories: rarities, breeding or nesting records, arrival and departure dates for migratory species, new locality records, escapees and unusual behaviour.

Singapore Avifauna Vol 24 No 03 (March 2010)

(Posted 1 September 2009)

By Lim Kim Seng

Our 11th Mid-Year Bird Census (MYBC) was conducted on the weekend of 17-18 July 2010. Persistent and heavy pre-dawn rain that brought 165mm of rain (the average July rainfall!) in four hours caused flooding and mayhem on many sites around Singapore and saw the cancellation of the census in many places. Fortunately, Day 2 was better with mainly overcast and occasionally drizzly weather that allowed the census to be conducted although clearly the conditions were not ideal.

In all, our 11th MYBC saw the participation of 54 people, down from the 59 that counted in 2009 (Lim 2009). Due to bad weather, only 25 sites were counted as compared with the record high of 32 sites in 2009. Two sites were counted on Saturday and the remaining 23 on Sunday. Almost all regular sites were counted with the exception of Kranji Dam. There was one new site in Dairy Farm Nature Park.

Click to read report.

(Posted 15 May 2009)

The Nature Society (Singapore)s Bird Group conducted its 25th Annual Bird Census (ABC) on 21st March 2010 in rather fair and warm conditions. It saw the involvement of a total of 60 people at 26 sites, an improvement from 40 observers and 23 sites in 2009 (Lim 2009). The totals in species and numbers were also a great improvement from the tally of 7,135 birds from 144 species last year (Lim 2009). We recorded for this 25th edition of the ABC, 8,665 birds from 161 species.

Of the 26 sites counted, Neo Tiew Lane 2 was the most diverse with 57 species, followed by Ubin Central with 56 species, and Halus and Poyan, both with 53 species. The least diverse sites were Telok Blangah Hill Park with 23 species recorded, followed by Mount Faber with 27 species and Tuas, with 28 species.

Click to read report.