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birding...
Singapore
350 species of birds are found in an area of just 650 square kilometres making Singapore an ideal place to start learning about the fascinating birds (culture and food!) of Asia. Although highly urbanised, the excellent network of roads makes access to the major birding sites a breeze. There are hotels of all sorts to suit your pocket and no need whatsoever to rough it out in the wilds. The weather is tropical, which means it is usually warm (24-32 degrees Celsius) and sunny throughout the year except for the occasional thunderstorm. Singapore offers good birding throughout the year but is best between August and April when the migrants, mostly from the Palearctic, are in, together with the resident birds so birding is most exciting at this time. Imagine seeing Oriental specialities such as Red-crowned Barbet, Banded Woodpecker, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Crimson Sunbird sharing the same habitat as migrants from Siberia like Asian Brown Flycatcher, Arctic Warbler and Daurian Starling. And that`s just the morning. In the afternoon, take a sampan (local boat) to Ubin Island and hunt for the local attractions like Red Junglefowl, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Laced Woodpecker, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Straw-headed Bulbul, Mangrove Pitta and Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker. Enjoy the terns (Great Crested, Lesser Crested, Black-naped and White-winged) on the way back to the mainland. Well within reach (a two hour car journey across the causeway) Panti Forest reserve in Malaysia is a great day out! Early mornings, as always, are best. Whether you are passing through with half or one day to spare, or staying up to a week, Singapore offers the adventurous birder the chance to see, without too much hassle, some of the most exciting birds in Asia whilst letting you enjoy the culture, food and sights of the country too. |
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contributor |
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Lim Kim Seng and Lim Kim Chuah
denislim@cyberway.com.sg
numbers |
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useful reading |
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* Field Guides & Bird Song
For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering Asia as a whole - please see the Asia page of FatbirderA Guide To Common Birds Of Gardens and Parks Of Singapore and Malaysia
by Morten Strange 2005, Fold-out Guide; 5 panels/10 pagesISBN: 165520
Buy this book from NHBS.com
A Guide to the Common Birds of Singapore
C Briffet Series: SINGAPORE SC GUIDES 6 160 pages, col photos. Singapore Science Centre 1992ISBN: 9971881136
Buy this book from NHBS.com
A Photographic Guide to Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore
Geoffrey Davison, Chew Yen Fook Paperback - 144 pages (30 October, 1995) New Holland Publishers (UK)ISBN: 1859746985
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds ? An Illustrated Field Guide to the Birds of Singapore
Lim Kim Seng & Dana Gardener Suntree (1997)ISBN: 9813066008
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Singapore and South-East Asia
SAS Bucknill and FN Chasen 247 pages, 31 col plates. Tynron PressISBN: 1871948630
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Vanishing Birds of Singapore
KS Lim 103 pages, col photos, maps. Singapore Nature Society 1996ISBN: 9810039670
Buy this book from NHBS.com
useful information |
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Proact
Coordinator: none (why not apply?) see www.proact-campaigns.net/coordinators
Members: 3
Join us at http://www.proact-campaigns.net/team
clubs |
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Nature Singapore
http://www.nss.org.sg/601 Slims Drive, 04-04 Pan. I Complex, Singapore 387382. + 65 741 0871; kklimsg@singnet.com.sg
Night Walk at Upper Seletar Reservoir Park with the Vertebrate Study Group. A chance to watch the raptors fly pass the reservoir towardsthe forest to roost and observe bats coming out at dusk. If weather permits, enjoy all these against an enchanting backdrop of a sunset over the Central Catchment. After dark, listen out for the serenade of frogs and try to identify the species by their calls. The group size will be limited to the first 20 members replying with the All-Purpose Forms to the NSS office.
reserves |
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Bukit Batok Nature Park
http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/bukit-batok.htmThe Bukit Batok Nature Park lies on the outskirts of one of Singapore`s newest housing estates, Bukit Batok New Town. It is a small, peaceful park developed on an abandoned quarry site where the quiet visitor should be able to see some of the local wildlife which has adapted to an urban parkland environment. In the evening the park is popular with joggers...
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
http://www.geocities.com/tikitas_island/bukitimahill1.htmlCovering about 164 hectares, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has been set aside to preserve Singapore`s primary rainforest since 1883. As Singapore is a small island with limited land space, most of its land is being used for commercial and residential development. Hence, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve remains one of the last reserve to house the flora and fauna found in Singapore. At the summit of the Reserve, is also Singapore`s highest hill of 164m...
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/bukit-timah.htmThe Bukit Timah Nature Reserve now stands totally cut off from the bulk of Singapore`s regenerating secondary forest by a six-lane road development. New roads are now being built to the north, completing the hill`s encirclement by tarmac. An ugly communications building dominates the summit and recent, thoughtless condominium development at the park`s boundary has meant an increase in recreational visitors...
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
http://members.tripod.com/%7Etchs981h08/bukit/The forests of South-East Asia have an evolutionary history stretching back millions of years. The history of Bukit Timah as a Nature Reserve is a little more recent than this, but still stretches back into the last century. By 1935, as a result of urbanisation, most of the reserves were exploited for timber. Only Bukit Timah Reserve was spared...
Pulau Ubin
http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/pulau-ubin.htmLocally, Pulau Ubin is well known for its rich diversity of resident and migratory birds. The prawn ponds and mangrove inlets are alive with kingfishers; the largest resident species is the Stork-billed Kingfisher (37 cm) which tends to inhabit the deeper tidal mangrove inlets, and the smallest the Common Kingfisher (17 cm) which can be found in the prawn ponds...
Singapore Botanic Gardens
http://www.sbg.org.sg/index.aspThe Singapore Botanic Gardens is a dynamic and living monument to the foresight of the founding fathers of Singapore. Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and a keen naturalist, established the first botanical and experimental garden on Government Hill...
Sungei Buloh Bird Sanctuary
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/birds/birds.htmClickable list of the birds on the reserve...
Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve
http://www.sbwr.org.sg/The park is an important stopover and refuelling point for migratory birds, some coming from as far as Siberia and China. It is also home to resident herons, kingfishers, doves, bee-eaters, tailorbirds, woodpeckers and munias. Patience, an eye for details and a pair of binoculars are essential for watching the birds. You will be amazed at their variety and beauty.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
http://www.ecologyasia.com/html-loc/sungei-buloh.htmThe migratory birds are attracted by exposed mud flats in the long-abandoned prawn ponds. Water levels in the prawn ponds are still controlled by sluice gates; the aim is to maintain some exposed mud flats at all times, even during high tide, thereby attracting waders and shorebirds. In addition to tidal systems there are a small number of freshwater ponds and patches of secondary forest which add to the reserve`s biodiversity...
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
http://www.pbase.com/eddy2099/sungeibulohThis reserve was set up in 1998 on an area which wasformerly fisheries and farm land. It is one of the furthest points on the Singapore coast adjacent to Johor Bahru, in Malaysia. Over the years, it has attracted migratory birds during their stopovers and one of which, the Egrets have made their permanent home there...
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
http://www.simplygreen.com.sg/sb.htmlThe Sungei Buloh Bird Sanctuary (87ha) comprises mangroves, mudfalts, fish and prawn ponds and fruit orchards. It was declared a Nature Park in 1993. A stop-over refueling station for migratory birds, Sungei Buloh serves as an important transit point for the birds as they escape the cold winters. More than 150 species of birds have been spotted...
trip reports |
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
1998 [October] - Tim Earl
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/singapore/singa1/singapore.htmI had a two-day stop-over in Singapore on a birding trip to Australia. Because of the lack of time and my inexperience in Asia I employed a local guide Subaraj Rajathurai (Raj - e-mail: serin@swiftech.com.sg (Subaraj Rajathurai) - for one half-day and a full day`s birding. His fee includes meals in local restaurants, refreshments all transport and a superb check-list for use as reference...
2000 [April] - Ron Hoff
http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/tripreports/Singapore00.htmlMy wife and I were able to do some birding in Singapore and wanted other birders to be informed of some places to bird and birds to be found at this time of the year. We were jet-lagged the first day (4/22); so we just went to the Jurong Birdpark on the west side of the island. We would highly recommend this place for everybody...
2001 [November] - Peter Ericsson - Bukit Timah nature reserve,
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/singapore/singa3/singa-nov2001.htmSunday the 25th of November, I was able to visit Bukit Timah nature reserve in Singapore. The Nature Conversation Society was conducting a bird watching walk through their very active birding group. Kim Lim Chua was the leader and about 25 high spirited fresh bird watchers from all age brackets attended...
2007 [July] - Charlie Moores - Singapore Botanic Gardens
http://10000birds.com/a-jewel-in-the-undergrowth.htmIn the middle of January 2006 an absurdly showy Blue-winged Pitta Pitta moluccensis was found over-wintering in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, remaining faithful to a small area of low, dank vegetation in a section of the gardens called the Ginger Garden...
2008 [November] - Charlie Moores
http://10000birds.com/milky-stork-singapore.htmWhen I was at Singapore’s wonderful (and, as more mangroves are cut down, increasingly important) Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve a few days ago, I came across a Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea feeding quietly in a low-tide channel in the middle of the reserve. Like (I suspect) many readers of 10,000 Birds I knew very little about Milky Storks except that they were pretty rare in the wild, and that the birds seen at Sungei Buloh are all thought to be free-flying escapes (probably from the Singapore Zoo)*. Consequently I took some photos, admired what is undoubtedly an interesting and unusual bird, but when it moved away further up the channel I moved on too, looking for species I knew to be wild like Copper-throated Sunbird and Stork-billed Kingfisher…
tour operators |
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Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.org/Singapore.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
mailing lists |
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Nature-Singapore
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nature-singapore/To post to list:nature-singapore@yahoogroups.com
List contact:nature-singapore-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:nature-singapore-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Welcome to Nature in Singapore! This is a mailing list for people interested in nature. You may discuss anything related to nature. Butterflies, birds, mammals, marine life, etc. Please do not send any attachments to the list as this may clog up users` mailboxes. I hope you find interesting discussions on this list. You are most welcome to join in any discussion and/or ask questions. Please remember, however, these are friendly discussions and there is no room for flame wars on this list. Thank you for your understanding and help to make this list a pleasant experience. If you have any questions regarding your subscription, etc, please contact the moderator, Andrea Hoffmann.
Pigeon-holes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pigeon-holesTo post to list:pigeon-holes@yahoogroups.com
List contact:pigeon-holes-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:pigeon-holes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Mailing List – Discussion Group - A mailing list for nature-lovers & birdwatchers in Singapore & Malaysia. Discussion of birds, bird sightings, birding events and other nature related activities. Members can post their sightings & topics on birding, birdwatching or nature related topics, sharing of wildlife & nature pictures. Annoucement of upcoming birding related events & trips to birding spots in Singapore & the region.
WildbirdSingapore
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wildbirdSingapore/To post to list:wildbirdSingapore@yahoogroups.com
List contact:wildbirdSingapore-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:wildbirdSingapore-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Mailing List – Discussion Group - This egroup is managed by the Singapore Bird Group of the Nature Society (Singapore). All birders are welcome to join us. The purpose of this egroup is to promote Birdwatching and Bird Conservation in Singapore and the Asian region. Subscribers are free to post messages pertaining to news, activities, bird sighting reports, issues and announcements particularly concerning the Asian Region. The SBG uses this facility to discuss and to disseminate current issues and activites, in return as feedback and data collecting channel within its membership. See also: http://www.nss.org.sg/wildbirdsingapore
other links |
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Easy Bird Watching Guide
http://www.easy-bird-watching-guide.com/Easy Bird Watching Basics..Birdwatching Made Easy...Tips For Birding! I decided to set up this Easy Bird Watching Guide to share with you my experience in birdwatching and also my fine collection of bird pictures. I will share with you the joy of bird watching and how to find and set up affordable tools for birding through this easy bird watching basics guide...
artists |
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Photographer - David Tan
http://www.davidtanphoto.com/background.htmlObviously another non-birder who has captured some stunning images of birds!
Photographer - Ivor Lee - Shutterbirds
http://www.shutterbirds.com/SHUTTERBIRDS.COM is a personal website to document birds of Southeast Asia in the form of photography. It also serves to remind us how fragile our environment is. Birds are the best indicators of how our environment is coping with the land development activities. The extinction of almost all modern day birds is due to loss of their habitats. Our fear is that more will become extinct in years to come. Our only hope is to see an increased number of people aware of this inevitable fate of extinction and will participate in all forms of conservation activities to preserve them...
Photographer - John Lynn
http://www.easy-bird-watching-guide.com/digiscoping.shtmlMy name is John Lynn. I have been an avid bird watcher for many years. To get alerted to the latest bird pictures I have taken in Asia, remember to subscribe to my mailing list, use the box located on the left. To get in touch in me...
Photographer - Jonathan Cheah Weng Kwong
http://www.pbase.com/wkcheahPhotography is a wonderful medium but even at its best, it can only hint at what really exists. The difference between a snapshot and a work of art is that art evokes. It helps you see more and be more. Precisely what is summoned is hard to control. There is an artist in each of us that filters and colors our world. Our complex emotions mediate our senses. Our overall sense of being depends on innumerable details and distractions, but deep inside, one's religious attitude and philosophical background influence one's perceptions.
Photographer - Laurence Poh - Laurence`s Digital Birds
http://www.angelfire.com/pe2/digiscoping/index.htmThe late and great Laurence Poh - This site is a collection of bird pictures I have taken since Feb 1999 with the Nikon Coolpix 950 and Coolpix 990 digital camera in combination with a Leica Apo-Televid 77 mm spotting scope. All photos were taken by natural available light with exception of one nightjar which was lit by incandescent bulb. Most of the birds are Malaysian species with some foreign birds shot abroad. In Malaysia we have over 600 species of birds. Some are migratory birds that are seen only during the northern winter months. What I have here is just a small collection. In my own way, I am trying to promote Malaysia as a birding destination as the birds are much prettier in real life than my pictures can depict.
Photographer - Michael Ho
http://www.pbase.com/michaelho/birdsSome very very good sharp images of birds...
Photographer - Paul Huang - Nature Stops
http://www.naturestops.com/The Kranji area in the north of Singapore is one of the best places to enjoy nature. It is easily accessible and consists of places like Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, Kranji Nature Trail, marshes around Kranji Dam and the Neo Tiew area where you can still find farms. While this area is a hotpot for nature where thousands of migrant waders stopover and where many resident birds reside including endangered species, it is constantly threathened by development...
Photographer - Philip Tang - Gorgeous Feathers
http://www.gorgeousfeathers.com/mygallery/An extensive gallery of Asian birds...
Photographer - Tan Suryadi Irvan
http://www.pbase.com/digitalsonix/wildbirdsObviously not a birder - but a fine bird photographer!
Photographer - Tay Hui Meng
http://www.pbase.com/tayhuimeng64/birdsWild birds in Singapore...
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