Singapore Raptor Report Autumn Migration, January 2015
White-bellied Sea Eagle, juvenile, on 4 Jan 15, by Low Choon How
Summary for migrant species:
In January, 37 raptors of 9 migrant species were recorded. One of the highlights was a Booted Eagle photographed by Serin Subaraj at Pulau Ubin on the afternoon of 26 Jan; there were no records of the species last month (Dec 14). Another highlight was the Common Kestrel recorded by Low Choon How at Tuas on 25 Jan. Other noteworthy migrant raptors included 2 Jerdon's Bazas, one of which was photographed by Alvin Seng at Tampines Eco Green on 30 Jan and another photographed by Liz at the Botanic Gardens on 31 Jan. A single Eastern Marsh Harrier was recorded at Changi by Lee Tiah Khee on 23 Jan.
A total of 4 Peregrine Falcons were recorded, including an ernesti that was seen by Lee Ee Ling at the usual place in the Central Business District. There were only 2 records of the Japanese Sparrowhawk. Notably, there were no records of the Chinese Sparrowhawk, same as last month (Dec 14)! Twelve Oriental Honey Buzzards were recorded, and these birds should be staying here till the spring migration. The same goes for the 9 Black Bazas and 5 Ospreys.
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Black-winged Kite, at Changi , on 23 Jan 15, by Lee Tiah Khee
Highlights for sedentary species:
Notably, 2 Crested Goshawks were recorded, an adult at Tampines Eco Green by Alvin Seng on 20 Jan and an immature at Ulu Pandan by Yap Euhian on 27 Jan. This rare species is gradually expanding to suitable habitat across Singapore. Apart from its usual haunts such as Bukit Batok, two Grey-headed Fish Eagles were recorded at Jurong Eco Garden, a new birding spot. The other resident raptors recorded included the Black-winged Kite, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Changeable Hawk-eagle.
Table 1 S/N Species No. S/N Species No. 1 Osprey 5 Residents / Sedentary Species 2 Jerdon's Baza 2 10 Black-winged Kite 7 3 Black Baza 9 11 Brahminy Kite 14 4 Oriental Honey Buzzard 12 12 White-bellied Sea Eagle 15 5 Eastern Marsh Harrier 1 13 Grey-headed Fish Eagle 7 6 Japanese Sparrowhawk 2 14 Crested Goshawk 2 7 Booted Eagle 1 15 Changeable Hawk-eagle 7 8 Common Kestrel 1 9 Peregrine Falcon 4
Total for Migrants 37 Grand Total 89
Page 2 of 7 1. Osprey Pandion haliaetus (5)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Pulau Ubin Alan OwYong 3 1 Turut Track, feeding on fish Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 3 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 9 1 MacRitchie Reservoir, morning Francis Yap 17 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, "3rd week in a Jean-Pierre Bousquet row" 18 1 Kranji Dam Alan OwYong 18 1 Lower Seletar Dam Doreen Ang, Freda & Ian Rickword 18 1 Seletar North Link Zacc HD 18 2 Mandai mudflats David Li, Benjamin Lee, KP Teh & wife 18 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Alvin Seng
2. Jerdon's Baza Aviceda jerdoni (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 30 1 Tampines Eco Green, photographed Alvin Seng 31 1 Singapore Botanic Gardens, photographed Liz (Ran Mahiru)
3. Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes (9)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Pulau Ubin Alan OwYong 2 1 Pasir Ris Park Alvin Seng 5 1 Pasir Ris Park, 9:50am Yap Euhian 10 4 Turut Track Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 1 Jurong Eco Garden Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 22 1 Kent Ridge Park Alan OwYong 25 1 Dempsey Hill Alan OwYong 30 1 Kent Ridge Park Yap Euhian
4. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (12) orientalis, unless indicated otherwise
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 1 Tampines Eco Green, juvenile Alvin Seng 4 1 Location of future Hillview MRT station Ulf Remahl 5 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult female, 10:35am Yap Euhian 10 1 Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, juvenile male Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 13 1 Bidadari Lee Tiah Khee
Page 3 of 7 14 1 Lorong Halus, juvenile Alvin Seng 15 1 Bidadari Lim Kim Seng 15 1 Tampines Eco Green, juvenile Alvin Seng 17 1 Bidadari, adult female Alvin Seng 22 1 Cluny Hill, dark morph, 8am Surresh Surenthiraraj 23 1 Sembawang, juvenile, morning Benjamin Lee 23 1 Changi Lee Tiah Khee 25 1 Dempsey Hill Alan OwYong 26 1 Pasir Ris Town Park, adult male Alvin Seng
5. Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus (1)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 23 1 Changi Lee Tiah Khee
6. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 31 1 Tanah Merah Alan OwYong 31 1 Lorong Halus, juvenile See Toh Yew Wai
7. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus (1)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 26 1 Pulau Ubin, juvenile Serin Subaraj
8. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (1)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 25 1 Tuas South Low Choon How
9. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (4)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 2 Turut Track, adults, 1 feeding on a Javan Myna Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 8 1 Central Business District, ernesti Lee Ee Ling 25 1 Tuas South Low Choon How
Page 4 of 7 Resident raptors
10. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus (7)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 1 Turut Track Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 3 4 Tuas Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 10 1 Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 3 Tuas Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 23 1 Changi Lee Tiah Khee 31 2 Tanah Merah Alan OwYong
11. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus (14)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 2 Pulau Ubin Alan OwYong 3 1 Turut Track, feeding on fish Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 3 2 Tuas Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 7 1 Kent Ridge Park Alan OwYong 10 1 Sungei Pandan, adult, morning Doreen Ang, Peng Ah Huay, Jane Rogers, Freda & Ian Rickword 10 1 Turut Track Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 1 Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, adult Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 18 3 Kranji Dam Alan OwYong 18 1 Lower Seletar Dam, adults Doreen Ang, Freda & Ian Rickword 18 1 Mandai mudflats David Li, Benjamin Lee, KP Teh & wife 20 1 Tampines Eco Green Alvin Seng 31 2 Tanah Merah Alan OwYong
12. White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster (15)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 2 Pulau Ubin Alan OwYong 3 2 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, immatures Alvin Seng
Page 5 of 7 3 3 Turut Track, feeding on fish Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 3 2 Sarimbun, adults, 5:30pm Yap Euhian 4 1 Singapore Low Choon How 10 1 Sungei Pandan, morning Doreen Ang, Peng Ah Huay, Jane Rogers, Freda & Ian Rickword 10 1 Turut Track Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 1 Tuas Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 18 4 Kranji Dam Alan OwYong 18 3 Lower Seletar Dam, adults Doreen Ang, Freda & Ian Rickword 18 3 Mandai mudflats, 2 adults, 1 juvenile David Li, Benjamin Lee, KP Teh & wife 30 2 Lim Chu Kang Camp, morning Alvin Yeo 31 3 Tanah Merah Alan OwYong
13. Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus (7)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Little Guilin, adult on usual perch on cliff face, Ulf Remahl morning 1 1 Pulau Ubin Alan OwYong 4 1 Singapore Quarry, adult Ulf Remahl 10 1 Turut Track, adult Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 1 Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, adult Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 10 2 Jurong Eco Garden, adults Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau 27 1 Ulu Pandan, adult, 6:18pm Yap Euhian
14. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 20 1 Tampines Eco Green, adult Alvin Seng 27 1 Ulu Pandan, immature, 6:18pm Yap Euhian
15. Changeable Hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus (7)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, pale morph Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How 3 1 Tuas, immature pale morph Tan Kok Hui, Con Foley, Danny Lau, Low Choon How
Page 6 of 7 4 2 Singapore Quarry, 1 pale morph seen, another bird Ulf Remahl heard 6 1 Dairy Farm, pale morph, 8:10am Yap Euhian 6 1 Dairy Farm, adult pale morph, 9:55am Yap Euhian 10 1 Sungei Pandan, dark morph, morning Doreen Ang, Peng Ah Huay, Jane Rogers, Freda & Ian Rickword 24 2 Singapore Quarry, dark morph, 8:40am Yap Euhian 24 1 Jurong Eco Garden, adult pale morph Wang Wee Woan 30 1 Mount Faber, dark morph Zacc HD
Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong
Note: The numbers in brackets beside the bird names indicates the total number seen for this month. Different reports of the same raptors from the same area have been discounted to prevent duplication.
Many thanks to everyone who had sent in their reports and especially to Low Choon How and, Lee Tiah Khee for the use of their photos.
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