Singapore Raptor Report October 2019
Oriental Honey Buzzard, juvenile, showing its long neck and slim bill, at Henderson Waves, 19 Oct 2019, by Zacc HD.
Summary for migrant species:
October 2019 is as remarkable as last year, with 11 migrant species recorded (we usually record around 9 species in October). Henderson Waves continued to be a popular place to watch migrating raptors. A total of 712 migrant raptors were recorded, with another 48 unidentified accipiters, which are likely to be migrants too.
The most numerous were the 425 Oriental Honey Buzzards, followed by 135 Japanese Sparrowhawks, and 130 Chinese Sparrowhawks (quite a jump compared to last October's 57). Notably no Black Baza was recorded.
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Besra, juvenile, note the lightly marked underwing coverts and strong mesial stripe, at Jelutong Tower, 18 Oct 2019, by Francis Yap.
A rare Besra was photographed by Francis Yap at Jelutong Tower on the 18th and amazingly, another at Henderson Waves on the 31st, photographed by both Deborah Friets and Looi Ang Soh Hoon, lucky birders indeed. Both the Besras were juveniles. Another rarity was the Common Kestrel, seen and photographed at Tuas South on the 5th.
Booted Eagles are now harder to see as they no longer seem to winter here, occurring only as passage migrants, but Keita Sin got lucky at Henderson Waves on the 30th, photographing one as it flew over. The uncommon Grey-faced Buzzard was only recorded on the 30th - two birds at Henderson Waves in the morning and one at Bukit Timah summit in the afternoon.
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Common Kestrel, at Tuas South, on 5 Oct 2019, by Francis Yap
The Eastern Marsh Harrier was recorded on passage at Kranji Dam on the 7th (a juvenile); at Kranji Marshes on the 14th (a female); and on the 28th, one juvenile was first photographed at Seletar at 9:01am and thereafter at Jelutong Tower at 9:28am.
The Common Buzzard was recorded at the Southern Ridges area only - a juvenile dark morph at Kent Ridge on the 11th, two adult pale morphs at Henderson Waves on the 12th, a juvenile pale morph at Henderson Waves on the 20th, and another juvenile pale morph at Kent Ridge on the 24th. (Note: the various subspecies are 'lumped' as Buteo buteo in the NSS bird checklist).
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Common Buzzard, at Henderson Waves, on 12 Oct 2019, by Adrian Silas Tay
Four migrant Peregrine Falcons were recorded - one adult at Sembawang (21st & 25th), one at Dairy Farm Nature Park (26th), on at Lorong Halus (28th), and one at the Southern Ridges (20th, 21st & 27th). Two Western Ospreys were recorded, one at the Sungei Buloh and one at Henderson Waves.
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The 2nd Besra, a juvenile, note the lightly marked underwing coverts, mesial stripe and streaked body, at Henderson Waves, 31 Oct 2019, by Deborah Friets.
Highlights for sedentary species:
There were two records for the locally scarce Crested Serpent Eagle, one at Henderson Waves on the 14th and another at Neo Tiew Harvest Link on the 18th; five records for the Grey-headed Fish Eagle, one each at Pandan, Botanic Gardens, Coney Island and two at Henderson Waves; five records for the Crested Goshawk, one each at Satay by the Bay, Pasir Ris Park, Woodlands Street 81, and two at the Henderson Wave - Kent Ridge area. were observed mating at West Coast Park. Then on 23 Oct, 2 chicks of the were seen on a nest at Woodlands. These are good signs for our resident raptors.
On 5th Oct, a Peregrine Falcon of the resident ernesti subspecies recorded at Henderson Waves; and on 30th Oct, a torquatus Oriental Honey Buzzard was photographed at Bukit Timah summit by Alan OwYong. The other resident raptors recorded included four Black- winged Kites at Tuas and two at Kranji Marshes; eleven Changeable Hawk-Eagles; and the common Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea Eagle. To streamline the report, only notable records, such as breeding-related or interesting behaviour, will be reported for the last two species.
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Table 1 S/N Species No. S/N Species No. 1 Western Osprey 2 Residents / Sedentary Species 2 Oriental Honey Buzzard 425 12 Black-winged Kite 6 3 Eastern Marsh Harrier 3 13 Brahminy Kite C* 4 Chinese Sparrowhawk 130 14 White-bellied Sea Eagle C* 5 Japanese Sparrowhawk 135 15 Grey-headed Fish Eagle 5 6 Besra 2 16 Crested Serpent Eagle 2 7 Grey-faced Buzzard 3 17 Crested Goshawk 5 8 Common Buzzard 5 18 Changeable Hawk-Eagle 11 9 Booted Eagle 1 10 Common Kestrel 1 Unidentified 11 Peregrine Falcon 5 19 Unidentified Accipiters 48
Total for Migrants 712 Grand Total 789
* C = Common
Page 6 of 13 1. Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 15 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Adrian Silas Tay 23 1 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin
2. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (425)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 4 The Pinnacle Duxton, morning Tay Kian Guan 5 1 Jelutong Tower, 8am - 10:30am See Toh Yew Wai 5 5 Tuas Low Choon How 5 2 Henderson Waves Lau Jia Sheng 6 2 Sembawang Road Woo Jia Wei 6 3 Henderson Waves, 9:30am - 1:45pm Adrian Silas Tay 6 1 Neo Tiew Lane 1 Fadzrun A. 7 1 Pasir Ris Park, immature female Alvin Seng 7 3 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan 8 3 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 8 2 Henderson Waves Tay Kian Guan 9 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult male Alvin Seng 10 7 Henderson Waves, 11am - 1pm Oliver Tan 10 9 Tuas Low Choon How 10 2 Changi Business Park Mike Hooper 12 1 Lorong Halus, adult male pale morph Tan Eng Boo 12 15 Tuas Low Choon How 12 3 Henderson Waves, 10:30am - 12pm Adrian Silas Tay 13 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, immature pale Carol Lim morph 13 1 Khatib MRT, juvenile pale morph Khoo Meilin 13 1 Jurong Lake Garden, immature female pale morph Kok M Lee 13 1 Near Botanic Gardens, same immature female Cheng Li Ai pale morph also seen on 14, 14, 20, 22, 23, 26 & 29 October 13 1 Lorong Halus Mike Hooper 13 1 Henderson Waves Fadzrun A. 14 1 Marsiling Park, adult male pale morph Ang T H 14 4 Henderson Waves, 11am - 2pm Oliver Tan 14 1 Eastwood Estate, immature pale morph Herman Phua 14 1 Kranji Marsh Tay Kian Guan 15 5 Henderson Waves, 8:30am - 1:30pm Zacc HD 15 6 Henderson Waves Oliver Tan 16 1 Jurong Lake Garden, adult female pale morph Pary Sivaraman 17 2 Bidadari, 2 immature female pale morph Thio HB 18 5 Henderson Waves Alan OwYong 18 1 Lorong Halus Alan OwYong 19 1 Tuas Low Choon How 19 7 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 20 1 Henderson Waves, morning Thio HB
Page 7 of 13 20 3 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 20 2 Pandan Thana S. 20 2 Sungei Serangoon Tan Kok Hui 20 2 Kranji Marsh Con Foley 20 7 Henderson Waves Oliver Tan 21 1 Sembawang, afternoon Esther Ong 21 10 Henderson Waves Low Choon How 23 1 Kent Ridge Park Alan OwYong 23 3 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin 24 2 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12:45pm Zacc HD 25 1 Admiralty Park, morning Khoo Meilin 25 1 Pasir Ris Park, male pale morph Alvin Seng 25 4 Henderson Waves, 12:30pm - 3:17pm Keita Sin 25 2 Jelutong Tower, 1 immature harassed by a Francis Yap juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk, morning 25 1 Sentosa, adult male pale morph John MArriott 26 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile pale morph Alvin Seng 26 2 Neo Tiew Harvest Link, adult male dark morph Angie Cheong 26 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult male dark morph WK Chung 26 1 Changi Business Park, adult male pale morph Herman Phua 26 2 Changi Business Park Ramesh T. 26 7 Tuas Low Choon How 26 4 Henderson Waves Martin Kennewell 26 9 Kent Ridge Park Tay Kian Guan 27 1 Pasir Ris Park Elize Ng 27 1 Springleaf Nature Park Ng Wei Khim 27 15 Henderson Waves Martin Kennewell 28 1 Sungei Tampines, adult male dark morph Carol Lim 28 155 Tuas South Way, 3 kettles, largest around 70 Adrian Silas Tay birds, 10:15-10:45am 28 2 Changi Business Park Ramesh T. 28 2 Kranji Marsh Dillen Ng 30 1 Bukit Timah summit, torquatus Alan OwYong 30 2 Pasir Ris Park, adult male dark morph, juvenile Alvin Seng pale morph 30 1 Changi Business Park, adult male dark morph Peter Lim 31 80 Henderson Waves, in 3 waves, after 2pm Deborah Friets
3. Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus (3)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 1 Kranji Dam, juvenile Chen Boon Chong 14 1 Kranji Marsh, female, 5:13pm Tay Kian Guan 28 1 Seletar fields, juvenile, 9:01am Fadzrun Adnan 28 1 Jelutong Tower, juvenile, 9:28am Francis Yap
Page 8 of 13 4. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis (130)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 1 Henderson Waves Oliver Tan 3 1 Pulau Ubin Jerold Tan 5 1 Central Catchment Forest, juvenile Adrian Silas Tay 5 2 Jelutong Tower, 2 juveniles, 8am - 10:30am See Toh Yew Wai 5 3 Tuas Low Choon How 8 2 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 11 3 Central Catchment Forest Richard Davis 11 1 Kent Ridge Park Tay Kian Guan 12 57 Tuas Low Choon How 13 1 Lorong Halus Mike Hooper 13 2 Henderson Waves Fadzrun A 14 1 Henderson Waves, 11am - 2pm Oliver Tan 15 1 Henderson Waves, 8:30am - 1:30pm Zacc HD 18 4 Henderson Waves AOY 19 7 Tuas Low Choon How 19 10 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 21 1 Henderson Waves, juvenile Tan Eng Boo 21 6 Henderson Waves Low Choon How 23 2 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin 24 3 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12:45pm Zacc HD 25 1 Henderson Waves, 12:30pm - 3:17pm Keita Sin 26 2 Changi Business Park Ramesh T. 26 7 Henderson Waves Martin Kennewell 27 1 Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West Angela Yeo 27 2 Henderson Waves Adrian Silas Tay 28 1 Tuas South Way, 10:15-10:45am Adrian Silas Tay 28 1 Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West Michael Kwee, Herman Phua 28 2 Changi Business Park Ramesh T. 30 1 Gardens by the Bay, juvenile Stewart Ong 30 1 Bukit Timah summit, juvenile Geraldine Lee 30 5 Henderson Waves Oliver Tan
5. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (135)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 3 1 Duxton Pinnacles, morning Tay Kian Guan 5 2 Jelutong Tower, 1 male & 1 juvenile, 8am - See Toh Yew Wai 10:30am 5 3 Tuas Low Choon How 5 1 Bidadari Vincent Lao 6 3 Henderson Waves, 9:30am - 1:45pm Adrian Silas Tay 7 2 Kent Ridge Park Zacc HD 8 7 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 10 3 Henderson Waves, 11am - 1pm Oliver Tan
Page 9 of 13 10 1 Bidadari, on the ground plucking a live bird at Martin Kennewell 7pm, juvenile 11 1 Changi, morning Frankie Cheong 12 1 Henderson Waves, male See Toh Yew Wai 12 32 Tuas Low Choon How 12 9 Henderson Waves, 10:30am - 12pm Adrian Silas Tay 14 4 Henderson Waves, 11am - 2pm Oliver Tan 15 15 Henderson Waves, 8:30am - 1:30pm Zacc HD 15 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Link Marvin Heng 19 13 Tuas Low Choon How 19 2 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 20 1 Henderson Waves, adult female, morning Thio HB 20 6 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 23 21 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin 24 4 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12:45pm Zacc HD 25 1 Jelutong Tower, juvenile harassing an OHB, Francis Yap morning 25 2 Admiralty Park, morning Khoo Meilin 25 2 Kent Ridge Park, 1 female & 1 juvenile, 10am - Alan OwYong 12:30pm 25 5 Henderson Waves, 12:30pm - 3:17pm Keita Sin 27 1 Botanic Gardens Gallop extension Darren Leow 27 1 Henderson Waves Zacc 30 1 Seletar, juvenile Choong YT
6. Besra Accipiter virgatus (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 18 1 Jelutong Tower, juvenile, 9:42am Francis Yap 31 1 Henderson Waves, juvenile, 2:30pm Deborah Friets
7. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus (3)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 30 2 Henderson Waves, 10:50am Oliver Tan 30 1 Bukit Timah summit, 5:26pm Fadzrun Adnan
8. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo (5)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 11 1 Kent Ridge Park, juvenile dark morph, 10:23am Zacc HD 12 2 Henderson Waves, adult pale morphs, 10:30am - Adrian Silas Tay 12pm 20 1 Henderson Waves, juvenile pale morph See Toh Yew Wai 24 1 Kent Ridge Park, juvenile pale morph, 8:30am - Zacc HD 12:45pm
9. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus (1)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 23 1 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin
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10. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (1)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 1 Tuas South Ave 9 Tan Kok Hui, Low Choon How, Francis Yap
11. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (5)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 1 Henderson Waves, ernesti Lau Jia Sheng 20 1 Henderson Waves Oliver Tan 21 1 Sembawang, adult japonensis, afternoon Esther Ong 21 1 Kent Ridge Park, japonensis, 4:20pm Keita Sin 25 1 Sembawang, adult japonensis Khoo Meilin 26 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park Mike Hooper 27 1 Henderson Waves Adrian Silas Tay 28 1 Lorong Halus Mike Hooper
Resident raptors
12. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus (6)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 4 Tuas Low Choon How 14 2 Kranji Marsh Tay Kian Guan 28 2 Tuas South Way, 10:15-10:45am Adrian Silas Tay
13. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
Date No. Location and Details Reported By Common Raptor Various observers
14. White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Date No. Location and Details Reported By Common Raptor Various observers
15. Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus (5)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 11 1 Pandan, adult Phua Joo Yang 12 2 Henderson Waves, 10:30am - 12pm Adrian Silas Tay 16 1 Botanic Gardens, juvenile Art Toh 18 1 Coney Island Alan OwYong 20 1 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay
Page 11 of 13 16. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela (2)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 14 1 Henderson Waves, 11am - 2pm Oliver Tan 18 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Link, immature Lim Joseph Pary Sivaraman
17. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus (5)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 1 Satay by the Bay Desmond Yap 6 2 Henderson Waves, 9:30am - 1:45pm Adrian Silas Tay 12 1 Henderson Waves, 10:30am - 12pm Adrian Silas Tay 15 2 Henderson Waves, 8:30am - 1:30pm Zacc HD 23 1 Kent Ridge Park Alan OwYong 28 1 Pasir Ris Park Engwee Ko 29 1 Pasir Ris Park Engwee Ko 29 1 Woodlands Street 81, adult male, 5pm Farah allisha 30 1 Woodlands Street 81, adult male, 8am Farah allisha
18. Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus (11)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 2 Tuas Low Choon How 6 1 Henderson Waves, 9:30am - 1:45pm Adrian Silas Tay 6 1 Tampines Eco Green, adult pale morph Mac Ng 7 1 Tampines Eco Green, pale morph Engwee Ko 8 2 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12pm Zacc HD 12 1 Tuas Low Choon How 12 1 Satay by the Bay, juvenile pale morph Siew Mun 14 1 Kranji Marsh Tay Kian Guan 14 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Link, juvenile pale morph Kok M Lee 19 2 Tuas Low Choon How 19 2 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 20 3 Henderson Waves, 1 juvenile & 1 adult pale Thio HB morph, morning 20 3 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 23 1 Botanic Gardens, pale morph Angie Cheong 23 3 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin 24 2 Kent Ridge Park, 8:30am - 12:45pm Zacc HD 25 1 Kent Ridge Park,10am - 12:30pm Alan OwYong 26 1 Changi Business Park, pale morph Ramesh T.
Page 12 of 13 19. Unidentified Accipiters (48)
Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 2 Jelutong Tower, 8am - 10:30am See Toh Yew Wai 6 1 Henderson Waves, 9:30am - 1:45pm Adrian Silas Tay 10 10 Henderson Waves, 11am - 1pm Oliver Tan 14 8 Henderson Waves, 11am - 2pm Oliver Tan 19 11 Tuas Low Choon How 20 6 Henderson Waves, 10:15am - 1pm Adrian Silas Tay 23 6 Henderson Waves, 1:40pm - 4:18pm Keita Sin 24 1 Changi Lim Kim Keang 25 1 Henderson Waves, 12:30pm - 3:17pm Keita Sin 31 2 Henderson Waves Deborah Friets
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 Zacc HD, Deborah Friets, Adrian Silas Tay and Francis Yap for the use of their photos.
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