More “Birds of Singapore”…

Written By Travelling Fatman

It has been way too long since my previous blog post, “Birds of 2020” where I talked a little about 20 different species of birds I had seen in Singapore over the course of that year.

In this blog, I shall post photographs of some different species I have seen and snapped on this Little Red Dot I call home. Now, I am not a bird or nature photographer by any manner of means, but it is something I enjoy and I am fairly pleased to have seen nearly 50 different bird species in Singapore. That sounds a lot to me, but to add some perspective I believe around 436 different birds have been recorded on this little island. I have a long way to go :-)

If you would like to see a wider selection of my images, please do visit my Displate site or my collection on Fine Art America.

Although I am based in Singapore, I am from Scotland originally. For any readers based in the UK, Photographing Wildlife in the UK - where and how to take great wildlife photographs could be a book of interest, especially now that domestic travel seems to be easier.

These birds are “Asian Glossy Starlings” and I snapped them in Kranji Marshes when I was on a hunt for some weaver birds. If you would like to see images and the story behind my search for the weavers, please do check out my “Weaver Project” blog - quite remarkable nests they build! As for the Asian Glossy Starlings, their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. They can be found across South East Asia.

These birds are “Asian Glossy Starlings” and I snapped them in Kranji Marshes when I was on a hunt for some weaver birds. If you would like to see images and the story behind my search for the weavers, please do check out my “Weaver Project” blog - quite remarkable nests they build!

As for the Asian Glossy Starlings, their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. They can be found across South East Asia.

This handsome chap is a “Black Baza”, a medium-sized raptor found in the forests of Northeast India, the eastern Himalayas, China and Southeast Asia. Many populations are migratory and thankfully for me, Singapore was on this migration route for this beauty. I was extremely fortunate - after a rather uneventful morning in Pasir Ris Park, I spotted a bird fly into a tree some way ahead of me. I quickly aimed my camera in his general direction and managed a couple of snaps before he flew off again. At the time I had no idea what I’d seen and it made my day to realise it was a Black Baza. I saw him in February of this year for the first and only time to date.

This handsome chap is a “Black Baza”, a medium-sized raptor found in the forests of Northeast India, the eastern Himalayas, China and Southeast Asia. Many populations are migratory and thankfully for me, Singapore was on this migration route for this beauty. I was extremely fortunate - after a rather uneventful morning in Pasir Ris Park, I spotted a bird fly into a tree some way ahead of me. I quickly aimed my camera in his general direction and managed a couple of snaps before he flew off again. At the time I had no idea what I’d seen and it made my day to realise it was a Black Baza. I saw him in February of this year for the first and only time to date.

Here we have a Blue-Tailed Bee Eater, so-called because he has a blue tail and he eats bees. Although here he seems to be varying his diet a little. Good thing too, a balanced diet with a little of what you fancy seems a reasonable approach. Plus, we need more bees. This bird is classed as a “common migrant” in Singapore and I photographed him in a field at Seletar Aerospace Crescent after seeing sightings reported on a local nature page.

Here we have a Blue-Tailed Bee Eater, so-called because he has a blue tail and he eats bees. Although here he seems to be varying his diet a little. Good thing too, a balanced diet with a little of what you fancy seems a reasonable approach. Plus, we need more bees. This bird is classed as a “common migrant” in Singapore and I photographed him in a field at Seletar Aerospace Crescent after seeing sightings reported on a local nature page.

Another bee-eater, this time a blue-throated one. So called because…oh, you work it out :-) These beauties tend to inhabit marshes, grasslands and forests and I saw this one in Sungei Buloh Wetlands when I was looking for crocodiles. You don’t see many crocodiles in the treetops, but if you’re lucky you may see some nice birds.

Another bee-eater, this time a blue-throated one. So called because…oh, you work it out :-) These beauties tend to inhabit marshes, grasslands and forests and I saw this one in Sungei Buloh Wetlands when I was looking for crocodiles. You don’t see many crocodiles in the treetops, but if you’re lucky you may see some nice birds.

Another image from Sungei Buloh, this time we have a Common Sandpiper. They are not resident, but winter migrants. Winter…in Singapore…hah! Whoever came up with that has clearly never visited. I saw this one in November and I was sweating buckets. Anyway, August to March is when you can see these wee chaps.

Another image from Sungei Buloh, this time we have a Common Sandpiper. They are not resident, but winter migrants. Winter…in Singapore…hah! Whoever came up with that has clearly never visited. I saw this one in November and I was sweating buckets. Anyway, August to March is when you can see these wee chaps.

A Lineated Barbet is next in this avian role of honour. They can be found across Southeast Asia and they nest in holes in tree trunks. I saw this one near the Singapore Quarry in Bukit Timah nature reserve.

A Lineated Barbet is next in this avian role of honour. They can be found across Southeast Asia and they nest in holes in tree trunks. I saw this one near the Singapore Quarry in Bukit Timah nature reserve.

Proudly sticking his tail feathers up in the air is an Oriental Magpie Robin. According to the National Parks website in Singapore, “A bird of gardens, scrub, cultivation, forest edges and mangroves. The Magpie Robin was a common and familiar bird of the suburbs and countryside until the 1970s when the population from the main island vanished from many sites or became very scarce. The spectacular decline of the Magpie Robin was probably caused by a combination of poaching, habitat destruction (as large areas of agricultural land were developed) and perhaps most serious of all, competition from the increasingly numerous and more aggressive Javan and Common Mynas.” I photographed this bird on Coney Island, Singapore.

Proudly sticking his tail feathers up in the air is an Oriental Magpie Robin. According to the National Parks website in Singapore, “A bird of gardens, scrub, cultivation, forest edges and mangroves. The Magpie Robin was a common and familiar bird of the suburbs and countryside until the 1970s when the population from the main island vanished from many sites or became very scarce. The spectacular decline of the Magpie Robin was probably caused by a combination of poaching, habitat destruction (as large areas of agricultural land were developed) and perhaps most serious of all, competition from the increasingly numerous and more aggressive Javan and Common Mynas.”

I photographed this bird on Coney Island, Singapore.

This Oriental Honey Buzzard was spotted in the mangrove area of Pasir Ris Park by another photographer who kindly pointed me in the right direction. Without their help I would never have seen this beautiful bird. Also known as the Crested Boney Buzzard, this raptor is classed as a “common migrant” in Singapore.

This Oriental Honey Buzzard was spotted in the mangrove area of Pasir Ris Park by another photographer who kindly pointed me in the right direction. Without their help I would never have seen this beautiful bird. Also known as the Crested Boney Buzzard, this raptor is classed as a “common migrant” in Singapore.

Another chance encounter was this Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, photographed in Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is one of many flowerpeckers where the male is brightly coloured and the female is predominantly brown. They are often found in gardens with flowering and fruiting plants. Although fairly common in Singapore, it is rather difficult to spot due to its extremely small size and a fondness for hiding deep within foliage. I got lucky.

Another chance encounter was this Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, photographed in Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is one of many flowerpeckers where the male is brightly coloured and the female is predominantly brown. They are often found in gardens with flowering and fruiting plants. Although fairly common in Singapore, it is rather difficult to spot due to its extremely small size and a fondness for hiding deep within foliage. I got lucky.

Staying in the Botanics, here is a Spotted Dove, a small and long-tailed pigeon which is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They can be found in light forests and gardens as well as in urban areas.

Staying in the Botanics, here is a Spotted Dove, a small and long-tailed pigeon which is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They can be found in light forests and gardens as well as in urban areas.

We now head back to Pasir Ris Park for this image of a yellow-billed stork. I have previously seen these birds in Sungei Buloh wetlands, but here it is fishing near the mangroves in Pasir Ris.

We now head back to Pasir Ris Park for this image of a yellow-billed stork. I have previously seen these birds in Sungei Buloh wetlands, but here it is fishing near the mangroves in Pasir Ris.

And here’s one of them after a successful fishing expedition. Well, not a success for the fish, I guess.

And here’s one of them after a successful fishing expedition. Well, not a success for the fish, I guess.

That last image finishes this little journey through a few more of the bird species that can be seen here in Singapore. I never cease to be amazed by the variety of birds on this little island and the luck that I have had in managing to snap a few. This only encourages me to try and find some more. A long way to go before I get to 436 :-)

Thank you so much for taking the time to look through this blog and I hope that you found something of interest in my images and ramblings. If you can be bothered, please do check out my other sites as mentioned above.

Until the next time, take care, stay safe and be kind.

Fatman xxx

Travelling Fatman
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Birds of 2020