Raptor Report March 2017

Oriental Honey Buzzard, pale morph (left) at Alexandra Road on 9 Mar 2017 & dark morph (right) on at the Botanic Gardens on 18 Mar 2017, both by Laurence Eu.

Summary for migrant species:

In March, 176 raptors of 8 migrant species were recorded. The Black Baza was the most numerous with 70 birds, of which 39 were recorded at the on the 4th and another 20 at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on the 20th. The Oriental Honey Buzzard, with 54 birds, was the next in line and 11 were recorded at the NUS on the 21st, all heading north. Of the 32 Japanese Sparrowhawks recorded, 11 were seen at the NUS on the 22nd.

Ten Chinese Sparrowhawks were recorded this month, good numbers for this uncommon migrant. Apart from one bird at Jelutong Tower, the other nine were all recorded at the NUS. Four Ospreys were recorded, at the Seletar Dam and Sungei Buloh - Kranji Marshes areas. On the 9th, one Osprey at Sungei Buloh had its catch stolen by a White-bellied Sea Eagle. Four Peregrine Falcons were recorded; none of the resident race.

A Grey-faced Buzzard at Kranji Marshes on the 19th was a very good record for this rather uncommon migrant. Lastly, an Oriental Scops Owl, unfortunately, flew into a glass panel at the NUS on the 9th.

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Crested Goshawk, juvenile, feeding on a young Monitor Lizard, at Satay by the Bay, 18 Mar 2017, by Saravanan Krishnamurthy

Highlights for sedentary species:

A huge nest on a tall tree at holding two young chicks of the White-bellied Sea Eagle was reported on the 3rd. At the Botanic Gardens, the Crested Goshawk pair was seen mating on the 7th and reinforcing their nest with sticks, around one month after their first brood of chicks had fledged. Over at , the Black-winged Kites were seen mating on the 18th, also about a month after their chick had fledged.

As for the Grey-headed Fish Eagle, there were records from Kranji Marshes (4th & 5th), Sungei (5th) and Seletar (19th) but none from Little Guilin, where it was reported on the 7th that the nest tree had fallen. A rare Crested Serpent Eagle was recorded at on the 12th. At Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the 17th, a juvenile pale morph Changeable Hawk-Eagle was seen raiding the nest of a Striated Heron and flying off with a chick in its talons. A loose flock of 17 Brahminy Kites was reported at Kranji Marshes on the 5th. Lastly, a torquatus tweeddale morph Oriental Honey Buzzard was recorded at on the 2nd and another juvenile torquatus tweeddale moph at Jelutong Tower on the 26th.

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Addendum to February 2017 Singapore Raptor Report:

A rufous morph Oriental Scops Owls (OSO) was recorded at in a well concealed position on 10 Feb 2017, by Keita Sin (Note: two OSO - a grey and a rufous morph - were reported at the same locality from 10 to 22 Jan 2017). Additional records on 19 Feb 2017 at Kranji Marshes: 4 Black Bazas, 1 Brahminy Kite, 1 White-bellied Sea Eagle, 1 Grey-headed Fish Eagle, plus 4 un-identified raptors, suspected to be Oriental Honey Buzzards, all recorded by Henrietta Woo.

Table 1 S/N Species No. S/N Species No. 1 Osprey 4 Residents / Sedentary Species 2 Black Baza 70 9 Black-winged Kite 9 3 Oriental Honey Buzzard 54 10 Brahminy Kite 28 4 Chinese Sparrowhawk 10 11 White-bellied Sea Eagle 16 5 Japanese Sparrowhawk 32 12 Grey-headed Fish Eagle 5 6 Grey-faced Buzzard 1 13 Crested Serpent Eagle 1 7 Peregrine Falcon 4 14 Crested Goshawk 8 8 Oriental Scops Owl 1 15 Changeable Hawk-Eagle 8

Unidentified 16 Unidentified Raptors 21 17 Unidentified Accipiters 14

Total for Migrants 176 Grand Total 286

Page 3 of 9 1. Osprey Pandion haliaetus (4)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 2 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 3 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 9 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, had its fish stolen Ted Ng by a White-bellied Sea Eagle 10 2 Seletar Dam Marcel Finlay 10 1 Seletar Dam Martin Kennewell 14 1 Kranji Marshes Keita Sin 18 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Ted Ng 19 2 Kranji Marshes Keita Sin 21 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Ted Ng 29 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Ted Ng

2. Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes (70)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 8 , morning Keita Sin 4 39 Kranji Marshes, 7:55am Martin Kennewell 5 7 Kranji Marshes, 10:30am Martin Kennewell 5 2 , morning Tan Kok Hui 5 6 Telok Blangah Hill Park, morning Keita Sin 11 12 Kranji Marshes, 7:40am Martin Kennewell 12 8 Kranji Marshes, 8am Martin Kennewell 12 1 Kranji Marshes, 10:30am Martin Kennewell 18 1 Kranji Marshes, 8:02am Martin Kennewell 18 1 Pulau Punggol Danny Lau, Tan Kok Hui 19 8 Kranji Marshes, 7:48am Martin Kennewell 22 20 National University of Singapore, 19 at 12:50pm, Keita Sin 1 hunting 23 1 National University of Singapore, hunting Keita Sin

3. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (54)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Chinese Garden, orientalis pale morph, morning Siew Mun 2 1 Pasir Ris Park, torquatus tweeddale morph, Michael Smith 1:40pm 2 1 Henderson Waves, morning Jaime Tan 2 1 Singapore, Pale morph David Tay 2 2 , 9:58am Henrietta Woo 3 1 Little Guilin, 9:45am Ulf Remahl 5 1 , adult female orientalis, Jaime Tan afternoon 5 2 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 4 Telok Blangah Hill Park, singles northbound, at Keita Sin 10:09am, 10:16am, 10:35am & 11:36am 5 1 Seletar Aerospace Drive Keita Sin

Page 4 of 9 7 1 Chinese Garden, orientalis pale morph Siew Mun 8 1 National University Hospital area, midday Keita Sin 9 1 Alexandra Road, immature female orientalis pale Laurence Eu morph 10 4 Kent Ridge Park, singles northbound, at 11:52am, Keita Sin 11:55am, 12:10pm & 12:14pm 11 3 Kent Ridge Park, heading northwest, 4:03pm Henrietta Woo 12 1 , adult male orientalis pale Anthony Collerton morph 13 5 Kent Ridge Park, all northbound, 4 at 11:01am & Keita Sin 1 at 11:15am 14 1 Kranji Marshes Keita Sin 15 1 Bishan Park, adult male orientalis pale morph Lee Chuin Ming morning 17 1 Kent Ridge Park, circled a few times and flew Keita Sin southwest, noon 18 1 Botanic Gardens, adult male orientalis dark Laurence Eu morph 19 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 19 1 Kranji Marshes, 9am Keita Sin 21 11 Kent Ridge Park, all northbound, 1 at 1:42pm, 2 at Keita Sin 3:19pm, 5 at 3:21pm, 1 at 3:23pm, 2 at 3:25pm 22 3 National University of Singapore, northbound, Keita Sin 12:45pm 23 3 National University of Singapore, singles at Keita Sin 10:43am and 10:45am, northbound; another flying around low, in the morning 23 4 National University of Singapore, singles at Keita Sin 2:44pm and 3pm, northbound; another 2 flying around low, in the afternoon 26 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 26 1 Jelutong Tower, juvenile torquatus tweeddale Lee Chuin Ming morph morning 28 1 Woodlands St 82, juvenile, perched on rooftop Lynn Thio edge of a multi-storey car park 31 1 Jelutong Tower, flying low towards the south Keita Sin -- 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult female orientalis pale morph Aldwin Recinto

4. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis (10)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 22 1 Jelutong Tower, adult female, morning Francis Yap 22 3 National University of Singapore, mixed kettle Keita Sin with 4 Japanese Sparrowhawks, 1:01pm 23 5 National University of Singapore, northbound, in a Keita Sin mixed kettle with a Japanese Sparrowhawk and other un-identified Accipiters totaling 11 birds, 10:54am 23 1 National University of Singapore, northbound Keita Sin

Page 5 of 9 5. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (32)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 1 Pasir Ris Park, female Ted Lee 5 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 5 1 Telok Blangah Hill Park, morning Keita Sin 11 2 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 12 2 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 13 1 Kent Ridge Park, female, hunting Keita Sin 14 1 Dempsey Laurence Eu 14 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Keita Sin 17 1 Kent Ridge Park, female, midday Keita Sin 20 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park Martin Kennewell 21 1 MacRitchie Reservoir Park Marcel Finlay 21 1 Kent Ridge Park, female, afternoon Keita Sin 22 11 National University of Singapore, all northbound, Keita Sin 7 at 12:45pm; another 4 at 1:01pm in a mixed kettle with 3 Chinese Sparrowhawks 23 2 National University of Singapore, 1 at 10:29am Keita Sin northbound, 1 hunting 23 1 National University of Singapore, northbound, in a Keita Sin mixed kettle with Chinese Sparrowhawks and other un-identified Accipiters totaling 11 birds, 10:54am 23 2 National University of Singapore, both flying west Keita Sin together at 5:11pm 24 2 National University of Singapore, singles at Keita Sin 1:02pm and 1:09pm, northbound 25 2 Jelutong Tower Martin Kennewell 31 1 Jelutong Tower Keita Sin

6. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus (1)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 19 1 Kranji Marshes, 11am Martin Kennewell

7. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (4)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 9 1 Gardens by the Bay, juvenile James Tann 10 1 Seletar Martin Kennewell 11 1 Marina Bay East, juvenile Adrian Silas Tay 12 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 18 1 Ang Mo Kio Loke Peng Fai 19 1 Kranji Marshes Keita Sin 29 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Ted Ng

8. Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia (1)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 9 1 NUS, SDE Foyer, the owl flew into a glass panel Cheryl Lee

Page 6 of 9 Resident raptors

9. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus (9)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 2 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 3 Neo Tiew Lane 2, nest with 3 chicks about to Alfred Chia fledge 9 1 Sunview Way, adult, morning Yap Euhian 12 1 Neo Tiew Woods, morning Ulf Remahl 18 2 Pulau Punggol, 2 adults seen mating Danny Lau, Tan Kok Hui 25 1 Seletar Aerospace, adult Chan Ying Loong -- 1 Punggol Barat, juvenile Michael Phua

10. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus (28)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 1 , evening Jaime Tan 4 8 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 22 Kranji Marshes, including one loose flock of 17 Con Foley birds 5 3 Poyan Danny Lau 5 1 Sungei Serangoon Tan Kok Hui 8 1 Chinese Garden, adult Siew Mun 12 1 Pulau Ubin Lim Kim Chuah 12 1 Sunview Way, adult Siew Mun 13 1 Kranji Marshes, juvenile Siew Mun 19 1 Rail Corridor at Choa Chu Kang area, adult Ulf Remahl perched near well concealed nest in dense foliage, morning 19 1 Rail Corridor, at railway bridge over Upper Bukit Ulf Remahl Timah Road, flew from direction of Singapore Quarry, morning 21 1 Chinese Garden, juvenile Siew Mun 25 2 West Coast Park, evening Jaime Tan

11. White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster (16)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Changi Naval Base, 2:10pm Kerry Pereira 2 1 Joo Koon MRT Station, 7:48am Kerry Pereira 3 3 Pasir Ris, nest in tall tree, an adult with 2 young Teh Hong Tiong chicks in white down feathers 3 1 Hume Avenue, 6:50pm Ulf Remahl 4 2 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 4 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 2 Poyan Danny Lau 9 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, adult, stole a fish Ted Ng from an Osprey

Page 7 of 9 11 2 Bukit Batok, adults, calling loudly Doreen Ang 12 1 Kranji Marshes, adult, morning Ulf Remahl 12 1 Pulau Ubin Lim Kim Chuah 24 1 Upper Pierce Reservoir, juvenile, late afternoon Ulf Remahl 25 1 Kranji Road, afternoon Jaime Tan 28 1 Botanic Gardens, adult Michael Phua

12. Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus (5)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 1 Sungei Serangoon Tan Kok Hui 18 3 Kranji Marshes, a pair with a juvenile Martin Kennewell 19 1 Seletar Martin Kennewell

13. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela (1)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 12 1 Pulau Ubin Lim Kim Chuah

14. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus (8)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 2 1 Kent Ridge Park, 10:10am Henrietta Woo 5 2 Botanic Gardens, adult female and 1 fledgling Tan Gim Cheong 6 2 Bedok North, 1 adult female and 1 fledgling, Leslie Fung feeding on prey 7 4 Botanic Gardens, a pair and their 2 fledglings. The Laurence Eu adult pair was photographed mating. 18 1 Satay by the Bay, juvenile preying on a young Saravanan Monitor Lizard Krishnamurthy

15. Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus (8)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 5 2 Bukit Batok West Wing Chong 5 2 Poyan Danny Lau 5 1 Labarador Park Kristie Yeong 6 1 Singapore Quarry, dark morph heard and seen, Ulf Remahl morning 17 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, juvenile raided a Tan Eng Boo Striated Heron's nest, carrying away a chick, morning 24 1 Upper Pierce Reservoir, dark morph, circling Ulf Remahl overhead, in front of a thunderstorm, late afternoon

Page 8 of 9 16. Unidentified Raptors (21)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 23 21 National University of Singapore, 1 northbound at Keita Sin 11:13am; tight flock of 20 birds flying north at 11:34am, likely Black Baza

17. Unidentified Accipiters (14)

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 22 4 National University of Singapore, with a mixed Keita Sin kettle of Chinese and Japanese Sparrowhawks, 1:01pm 23 5 National University of Singapore, northbound, Keita Sin with a mixed kettle of Chinese and Japanese Sparrowhawks totaling 11 birds, 10:54am 23 2 National University of Singapore, northbound, Keita Sin 11:28am 24 1 Kranji Marshes Keita Sin 29 1 Jelutong Tower Keita Sin

Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong

Note: The numbers in brackets beside the bird names indicates the month's total number. Reports of the same raptors from the same area have been discounted to avoid duplication.

Many thanks to everyone who had reported their sightings in one way or another, and especially to Laurence Eu and Saravanan Krishnamurthy for the use of their photos.

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