Raptor Report Late Spring Migration, April-June 2019

Peregrine Falcon, an individual that was rescued, rehabilitated and released by JBP more than 10 years ago, at Toa Payoh, 17 April 2019, pic by Ted Lee.

Summary:

Only four migrant raptor species were recorded in the April to June period. They are the regulars during this period - the Western Osprey, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Japanese Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon.

There were eleven records of the Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus in April, nine in May and eight in June. At least five records in April were orientalis juveniles, as were five in May and four in June - these birds are spending the summer here in the tropics.

Five Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were recorded between 1-12 April. Singles at Ulu Pandan on 1st April, on 5th April, on 7th April, and on 8th April & 12th April. These are the last birds to leave for their breeding grounds to the north.

Seven Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus were recorded, all in the month of April. Notably, the individual photographed at Toa Payoh on 17th April had, on its left tarsus (leg), a ring with 'JBP' engraved. This bird was rescued, rehabilitated and released by the Jurong Bird Park (JBP) more than ten years ago. Another individual recorded at Haig Road on 4th April was mobbing an Oriental Honey Buzzard.

Five Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus were recorded in the April-June period. Two at the Krani - Sungei Buloh area throughout, one at on 3rd April, one at Jurong Lake on 27th April, and one at Pulau Ubin - Pasir Ris area on 22nd April and 8th May.

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Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Ulu Pandan Park Connector, 9 June 2019, by Derrick Wong

Sedentary Raptors

The Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus was reported to be nesting at Kranji Marsh area on 19th April, and the White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster was also nesting at Fort Canning, with a well grown chick on the nest observed between 13-29 June. Juveniles of the Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus at Bishan (April), Pasir Ris (April - 2 birds), and Ang Mo Kio (May), and a fresh juvenile Changeable Hawk-Eagle at Pasir Ris (April & May) suggest that breeding had occurred in the preceding months.

Page 2 of 7 A nest, presumably that of the Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus, based on the size of the nest and the observer's experience, was recorded at the Rail Corridor near Phoenix Heights on 27th June. Also, a pair (a male & a female) of adult Crested Goshawks was recorded at South Buona Vista Road on 13th June, as were two adult Grey-headed Fish Eagles Haliaeetus ichthyaetus, probably a pair, at Sungei Ulu Pandan, also on 13th June.

One Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela was present at Goldhill Avenue area in April and May, with the exception of 27th April when two birds were seen. In addition, one individual was recorded at Pulau Ubin (April & May), one at Toh Tuck Road (25th May), and one at Sentosa on 10th & 15th April. An adult Peregrine Falcon of the resident ernesti race was photographed at Jurong East on 2nd June, perched on a TV antenna consuming a bird.

Nocturnal Raptors

A family of Spotted Wood Owls Strix seloputo comprising two adults and a recently fledged chick was recorded at Cashew Road on 1st May, the nesting was first noted in March and the chick had fallen from the nest during the nesting period, but all was well after intervention by ACRES. On 9th June, a family of Buffy Fish Owls Ketupa ketupu, including a recently fledged juvenile, was photographed at Jurong Lake. As an indication of another successful nesting attempt, a juvenile Barred Eagle-Owl Bubo sumatranus was photographed at Bukit Timah on 28th June. Notably, a Barred Eagle-Owl was recorded at Bukit Brown, a new locality for the species, on 27th April.

Page 3 of 7 1. Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 April 1 Gardens by the Bay Adrian Boyle 4 April 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Adrian Boyle 7 April 1 Martin Kennewell 14 April 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 17 April 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Lane Fadzrun A. 18 April 1 Kranji Marshes, flying with a fish in its Seah Kok Meng talons 19 April 2 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Sacha Ruoss 22 April 1 Pulau Ubin Sheila Serup 27 April 1 Jurong Lake Troy Shortell 27 April 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell

4 May 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Choong YT 8 May 1 Pasir Ris Feroz N Fizah 24 May 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Cheech Albanese

22 June 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Martin Kennewell

2. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 April 1 Haig Road, juvenile pale morph attacked by Dawn Teo a Peregrine Falcon 5 April 1 West Coast Drive, pale morph juvenile Tay Kian Guan 5 April 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Lane, pale morph juvenile Terence Tan 6 April 1 Lakeview Estate Marcel Finlay 7 April 1 Botanic Gardens Geoff Lim 7 April 1 Kranji Marshes Adrian Boyle 19 April 1 Turf Club Road, pale morph juvenile Ken Sng Teck Kheng 20 April 1 Kranji Marshes Mike Hooper 23 April 2 Kranji Marshes, pale morph juveniles Vlad Sladariu 27 April 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell

1 May 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 3 May 1 Jurong Lake Tay Kian Guan 11 May 1 Pasir Ris Farmway 3, juvenile Ramest T. 11 May 1 Lim Chu Kang Lane 3, pale morph juvenile Fadzrun A. mid May 1 Eco Green, immature pale morph Wang HM 18 May 1 Ulu Pandan PCN, immature pale morph Phua Joo Yang 20 May 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 20 May 1 , immature pale morph Xu Weiting 26 May 1 Pulau Ubin, immature female pale morph Lee Chuin Ming

1 June 1 Pulau Ubin, juvenile dark morph Tay Kian Guan 5 June 1 Clementi Avenue 3 Peng Ah Huay early June 1 Tampines Eco Green, immature female pale Wang HM morph 9 June 1 Ulu Pandan, immature pale morph Derrick Wong 24 June 1 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan

Page 4 of 7 16 June 1 Jelutong Tower Nicholas Lim 27 June 1 Jelutong Tower, immature pale morph Oliver Tan 29 June 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Lane Fadzrun A.

3. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 April 1 Ulu Pandan, adult female Steven Wong 5 April 1 Mount Faber Adrian Boyle 7 April 1 Pulau Ubin Keita Sin 8 April 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park Richard Shrewsbury 12 April 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park Martin Kennewell

4. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 April 1 Haig Road, attacking an Oriental Honey Dawn Teo Buzzard 6 April 1 Sherwood Towers, Bukit Timah Richard White 7 April 1 Kranji Marshes Martin Kennewell 8 April 1 Sherwood Towers, Bukit Timah Richard White 12 April 1 Gambas Avenue & Woodlands Avenue 12 Martin Kennewell junction 14 April 1 Central Catchment Nature Reserve Martin Kennewell 17 April 1 Toa Payoh, rooftop, adult. Ted Lee

Note: this is a wild bird that was rescued, Note from JBP contacts rehabilitated, ringed and released more than 10 years ago by Jurong Bird Park (JBP) 30 April 1 Hougang Avenue 1, perched on rooftop TV Francis Chia antenna, adult

2 June 1 Jurong East, on TV antenna eating avian Johnny Chew prey, ernesti adult

Resident Raptors

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 May 1 Jurong Lake Gardens Tay Kian Guan

Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 27 June -- Rail Corridor near Phoenix Heights, no Ulf Remahl birds around but suspected Brahminy Kite's nest based on previous experience

Page 5 of 7 White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Date No. Location and Details Reported By 13 June 3 Fort Canning Park, 2 adults, 1 well grown Steven Cheong chick on nest 27 June 2 Fort Canning Park, adult in flight, chick on Mal& Gail Highgate Hill nest 29 June 1 Fort Road, fresh juvenile with dark brown Herman Phua chest/belly

Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 20 May 1 Tampines Eco Green Xu Weiting

13 June 2 Sungei Ulu Pandan Steven Cheong

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 April 2 , at least 1 immature Lee Chuin Ming 11 April 1 Bishan Park II, juvenile Alex Fok 28 April 2 , juveniles Norhafiani A Majid

15 May 1 Sentosa John Marriott 20 May 1 Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West, juvenile Ng Wei Khim 29 May 1 Pasir Ris Park Alvin Seng

13 June 2 South Buona Vista Road, a pair on a bare Francis Yap tree

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 April 1 Pulau Ubin, adult Michael Phua 7 April 1 Pulau Ubin Keita Sin 10 April 1 Sentosa, adult photographed from sky walk Richard Arnold 15 April 1 Sentosa Isabelle Lee 27 April 2 Goldhill Avenue Nicholas Lim

4 May 1 Goldhill Avenue, adult Khoo Meilin 20 May 1 Goldhill Avenue Lim Hong Yao 25 May 1 Pulau Ubin Martin Kennewell 25 May 1 Toh Tuck Road Bijoy Venugopal

Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 April 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile pale morph Herman Phua 18 April 1 Kranji Marshes, adult pale morph Seah Kok Meng 19 April 2 Kranji Marshes, nesting Sacha Ruoss 29 April 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile pale morph Alvin Seng

22 May 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile pale morph Alvin Seng

10 June 1 Pulau Ubin, adult pale morph Chen Boon Chong 16 June 1 Kranji Marshes, dark morph Herman Phua

Page 6 of 7 Nocturnal Raptors

Barred Eagle-Owl Bubo sumatranus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 April 1 Pulau Ubin Goh Zai Fa 27 April 1 Bukit Brown, new locality Alvin Tan

28 June 1 Bukit Timah, juvenile Art Toh

Buffy Fish Owl Ketupa ketupu Date No. Location and Details Reported By 9 June 3 Jurong Lake, a family of 2 adults and a Siew Mun recently fledged chick

Spotted Wood Owl Strix seloputo Date No. Location and Details Reported By 6 April 1 Cashew Road, adult Art Toh

1 May 3 Cashew Road, family of 2 adults and a Geoff Lim recently fledged juvenile. Nesting was first observed in March 2019 and the chick fell from the nest but survived, human intervention involved. 1 May 1 Kranji Marshes, adult Martin Kennewell

Compiled by TAN Gim Cheong

For the resident raptors, only selected records of interest are collated here.

Many thanks to everyone for posting / sending in / sharing their records, and to Ted Lee & Derrick Wong for the use of their photos.

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