Sighting of Sooty-headed Bulbuls

At about 4.00 pm on 12th December 2006, K.C. Tsang sighted a small flock of the birds at the Punggol grasslands just before the rain. As can be seen in the above image, the birds were caught in the rain, and trying to dry themselves.

Sooty-headed Bulbuls (Pycnonotus aurigasteris) is native to Myanmar, South China and discontinuously through Southeast Asia to Java. The first sighting of this exotic species was reported in the early 1920s. The bird was recorded on and off, albeit rarely, throughout the remaining part of the century. A small feral population appears to have established in Tampines since 2003. Obviously the bird is breeding successfully.

According to our bird specialist R. Subaraj, “Sooty-headed Bulbuls (both gold-vented and red-vented forms) have occurred as escapees for many years now due to their popularity in the bird trade.

“In the 1970s, a feral population established itself and the species was listed on the Singapore checklist but that population apparently died out and the bulbul was subsequently removed from the list.

“There now appears to be a feral population in the Punggol-Serangoon area and a breeding record seems to have been obtained. As a result, it was been reinstated on to the Singapore checklist as a feral species in October.”

Input and image by K.C. Tsang.

Jerdon's Baza: Fourth sighting

“On 1st Jan, New Year Day, I was alone birding at Lim Chu Kang as the usual birding kaki were either overseas or suffering from hang-over from the previous year's indulgence.

“Just before 9.00 am, I caught sight of a raptor perched on a bare branch of an Albizia tree (Paraserianthes falcataria). Through the scope, the white tipped blackish crest was outstanding. I took a few shots but the bird had its back to me and the sun was not really favourable.

“Happy to have sighted the Jerdon Baza (Aviceda jerdoni), I took a loop trail hoping to get in front of it to have a better view but lost it. Shortly before 9.30 am I received a recall msg from home and had to turn back. On the way out, the raptor was back at the same perch. Perhaps another day.

“Viewing the not so sharp ID picture, there were doubts about the obvious shaded eye band of the bird - could it be a juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle (Hieraaetus kienerii)? The best way was go find it again! “The following morning Jia Sheng was with me at Lim Chu Kang. Moments after arrival, we spotted the raptor but it flew off (mid-canopy flight) in the opposite direction. Happy it was around, we continued with our birding routine hoping it would return. Around 11 am we decided to leave. On the way out, the raptor flew in and landed on a tree just behind me. Out of the tree another raptor flew off. There were two of them! The raptor which flew off landed on the same bare branch as previous but this time there was no eye band but again, its back was facing us. After a few shots it flew off.

“Following the flight, we spotted both raptors in a cluster of Albizia trees. They were behaving like what I've observed of parents and fledged juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster). The juvenile raptor was trying to get close to the adult but every time it did, the adult would fly off, though never too far away.

“Later with the help of some experienced birders and sharper pictures taken by Jia Sheng, there was consensus about the raptors as an adult and a sub-adult. However, there was no frontal picture of the adult raptor. Hopefully someone could ID the sub-species.”

Happy Birding,
Danny Lau & Lau Jia Sheng.

This extremely rare passage migrant was spotted around the same area in early December 2006, the third time seen locally (see 1, 2 and 3). The current sighting by Danny Lau and his son Jia Sheng, less than a month later, would make it the fourth.

Our bird specialist, R. Subaraj has this to say: "Actually, the Jerdon's Baza was always considered a sendentary resident until the first one turned up as a roadkill a few years ago. As there are only 4 records (I have only seen 2 photographed records), it is too premature to determine the true status of this species. Thus, we should not say passage migrant as we are unable to confirm this yet. I would consider this bird a scarce visitor for now until we can formulate a better impression with more confirmed records."

Input and images by Danny Lau and his son Jia Sheng.

Retraction of the first record of Long-billed Plover for Singapore

On 24th February 1990, Volker Konrad encountered and photographed a plover new to Singapore at Changi. He sent his observation, including a picture, to the Singapore Records Committee set up by the Bird Group of the Nature Society (Singapore). The committee identified the bird as a Long-billed Plover (Charadrius placidus). This was reported in the Singapore Avifauna 11(4) that appeared only seven years later.

Subsequently Konrad published his finding, based on the identification provided, in the Oriental Bird Club’s scientific journal, Forktail (2005).

In the December 2006 issue of the OBC’s bulletin, BirdingASIA, Paul J. Leader, a birder based in Hongkong, successfully challenged the identification of the bird. According to Leader, the bird seen in Singapore way back in 1990 was actually a Kentish Plover (C. alexandrnius), not a Long-billed.

Konrad, the birder who sighted the bird at Changi, has so far retracted his published record and according to Birding ASIA, “…the Singapore Records Committee (Nature Society Singapore) now agrees that this record concerns the Kentish Plover.”

Well and good. A mistake has been rectified. There were no ornithologists in the Singapore Records Committee then, only experienced recreational birders. Even if there were, the best of ornithologists do sometimes make mistakes in identification.

It may therefore be a good idea if in future, to avoid mistakes as much as possible, the photographs of rarities reported are sent for their opinions to leading ornithologists overseas who have long experience of birds in Asia.

According to our bird specialist, R. Subaraj, “To put everything in perspective, regardless of the status of local records, the only confirmed Malaysian record is of one at Tanjong Rhu, Pulau Langkawi, on 19th March 1968 (Wells, 1999).

“This far south, many vagrants occur in heavily moulted, winter or juvenile plumages and this emphasises the value of exercising great caution when considering such records. One must always seek advise from those with greater experience and knowledge of such birds!”

References
Konrad, V. (2005). First record of Long-billed Plover Charadris placidus in Singapore. Forktail 21:181-182.
Leader, P.J. (2006). Comments on the purported first record of Long-billed Plover for Singapore. BirdingASIA 6: 45-47.
Wells, D.R. (1999). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London.

Antics of the Pied Fantail

The Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) is a small bird that is never still. The bird is constantly moving around, at the same time turning from side to side in a jerky way, lowering its wings, cocking up its head and constantly fanning its tail - opening and closing. It moves alone or in pairs, disturbing insects among vegetation with its movements and the fanning of the tail, to sally forth once an insect is disturbed from its rest. Sometimes it perches on a branch, but never remaining in one place for long, to hawk for flies and other insects.

Its antics are always amusing to watch. So much so that the Malays call it merbok gila, gila meaning mad. It is also known as murai gila, meaning crazy songbird or thrush. K.C. Tsang wrote: “This bird, according to the books, is supposed to be found in most areas in Singapore, from mangrove swamps, to parks, to gardens etc. In reality I have found it in the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Sg. Buloh Wetland Reserve. Maybe it has been hiding from me in, say, MacRitchie and other reservoirs. Also, I have found that it shares the same kind of food as the Ashy Tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps), taking insects from under leaf cover.

“It is an extremely shy bird and rarely do you find it out from under the cover of dense vegetation.” Our bird specialist R. Subaraj replies: “It is primarily a mangrove species but is also found in smaller numbers in various parts of Singapore. They are commonest at places like Sungei Buloh, Pulau Ubin, Pasir Ris mangrove and other natural coastal areas. Inland sites include Singapore Botanic Gardens, Bukit Batok Nature Park and many of the areas that support old abandoned farmland, particularly where there is water.

“Although it is occasionally found on the edge, where old farmland exists, this species does not normally occur within our true forested areas and this includes most of the margins of the reservoirs within the Central Catchment, including MacRitchie.

“On the balance of things here, this is still a common and fairly widespread bird.”

Input by KC and YC; images by Chan Yoke Meng (top two) and Johnny Wee (bottom).

Ruddy Kingfisher: A distinguishing feature

The brief appearance of the Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda), an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor to Singapore, towards the end of October 2006 caused quite a stir among local birders (1, 2). The bright rufous plumage and red bill make identification easy. However, there is another distinguishing feature that most birders miss as it is only seen in flight (above). This is the “back and rump silvery white to azure-blue” patch, according to Wells (1999). In the juvenile bird the patch is “wholly blue rather than silvery.” The image above shows the bird perching on a branch and eying a prey on the ground. Note the bright dark brown iris. In the image above, taken just before the bird dived down to catch a prey, the eye is covered with a translucent layer, the nictitating membrane. This has a protective function as the bird plunges among the vegetation.









The close-up views of the eyes above show the normal eye (left) and covered with the nictitating membrane (right).

Input by Melinda Chan, images by Chan Yoke Meng.

Black Bittern

The Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) is a rather uncommon winter visitor to Singapore. Thus when it appeared in Jurong around early November 2006, birders as well as photographers were all there to witness and to record its presence.

The bird is reported to rarely appear by day except during rainy periods or when the sky is overcast. The images shown here were taken after a shower when the sky was overcast. But on other days the bird was always around – morning, noon and evening, and I assume, even at night. The area was well shaded by trees and thus even at the height of noon it was dimly lit. The bittern was seen foraging around the lake fringe (above), staying on the banks or flying low from one location to another. It stayed motionless for long periods at the water’s edge or in the shallow water, waiting for a fish to swim close by. Then it suddenly extended its long neck and either grabbed or speared the prey with its bill (below). The image below shows the bird with a catfish fry held firmly in its bill. The bird also moved into the shallow water, its body parallel to the water surface, its neck fully extended and its bill pointing straight ahead. Movement was extremely slow, one foot after the other. It always remained around the shallow water and with the sun always in front, so that it does not cast any shadow and alert the fish in the water.
The frustratingly slow pace of the bird tested the patience of birders and photographers alike, who were gathered to witness some action. But when the action came, it came fast and rapid...

Input and images by Meng and Melinda Chan.

Jerdon’s Baza: Earlier sightings

With the posting of the third sighting of the Jerdon's Baza (Aviceda jerdoni) and details of the bird feasting on a lizard, interests on the past two sightings have been generated. Thanks to Wang Luan Keng for the lead, we are posting here details of the 2002 and 2004 sightings – mainly because this passage migrant is so rare and rarely encountered in Singapore.
The first Jerdon’s Baza in Singapore was recorded on 6th December 2002 (Wang & Lim 2003). The bird probably crashed into a building and was picked up by a member of the public in Maju Camp, off Clementi Road. It died a few hours later. Upon autopsy, this bird was shown to have a bullet wound that subsequently healed. The specimen was a male (above and below). Two years later, on the morning of 23rd January 2004, Tang Hung Bun sighted another bird at Marine City Park. He was walking with his family along Marina Promenade just after a heavy downpour when he sighted the bird perching on a branch some 40 m away. Unfortunately he had a simple point-and-shoot digital camera with him then. He only managed two shots which are reproduced below. The bird was later confirmed to be a Jerdon’s Baza. And he was told that that was only the second time the bird was sighted in Singapore.












The global range of Jerdon's Baza as listed by Wells (1999) is SW India and Sri Lanka, the Himalayan foothills east from Darjeeling; SW Yunnan and Hainan; Southeast Asia to Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines; and Sulawesi to the Banggai and Sula islands. According to Robson (2005), it is also seen in Peninsular Malaysia, although rarely so.

References
Robson, C. (2005). Birds of South-east Asia. London: New Holland.
Wang, L.K. & Lim, K.S. (2003). First record of Jedon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni ) for Singapore. Singapore Avifauna 17(2):30-31 (mimeo.).
Wells, D.R. (1999). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London.

Input by Wang Luan Keng and Tang Hung Bun; images by Luan (skins) and Tang (birds).

Sighting of Jerdon's Baza

On the morning of 10th December 2006 while Chan Yoke Meng was out photographing birds in Lim Chu Kang, he chanced upon a pair of Jerdon's Baza (Aviceda jerdoni) landing on a branch of a tree nearby. He managed to capture the image of the baza and subsequently confirmed its identity. This was further confirmed by our bird specialist R. Subaraj.

Jerdon's Baza is one of two bazas that can be seen in Singapore. The other is Black Baza (A. leuphotes). Both are winter visitors but Jerdon’s is an extremely rare passage migrant, with only two previous recorded sightings.

The global range of Jerdon's Baza as listed by Wells (1999) is SW India and Sri Lanka, the Himalayan foothills east from Darjeeling; SW Yunnan and Hainan; Southeast Asia to Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines; and Sulawesi to the Banggai and Sula islands. According to Robson (2005), it is also seen in Peninsular Malaysia, although rarely so.

As far as Singapore is concerned, the first-ever recorded sighting was on 6th December 2002 (Wang & Lim, 2003). The bird probably crashed into a building in Maju Camp where it was caught. Unfortunately it eventually died. A second sighting was on 23rd January 2004 by Tang Hung Bun in Marina City Park. This current sighting would make it the third time the bird is sighted in Singapore. According to del Hoyo et al.(1994), it is possible that some birds, probably juveniles from the northern range, dispersed from the main flock or migrate south into Thailand, where their movements had been recorded. From Thailand the birds or some of them moved south into Peninsular Malaysia, where the only records were during winter. The Singapore records must have come mostly from these movements.

The bird can be recognised by its short, stout legs and feet with well-developed talons, the lower tarsus being unfeathered; and the two or three black, white-tipped feathers on the nape, elongated as a crest. Another important character is the two tooth-like indentations along the edge of the upper mandible (Wells, 1999) (top, arrow).

References
del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J. eds. (1994). Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 2. New world vultures to guineafowls. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
Robson, C. (2005). Birds of South-east Asia. London: New Holland.
Wang, L.K. & Lim, K.S. (2003). First record of Jedon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni ) for Singapore. Singapore Avifauna 17(2):30-31 (mimeo.).
Wells, D.R. (1999). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London.

Input and images by Chan Yoke Meng. Wang Luan Keng and R. Subaraj provided additional information.

Purple Swamphen and its habitat

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a distinctive bird with its large size, blue plumage and prominently large red bill. It is commonly seen in wetlands, foraging a wide range of plant parts that proliferate in this watery environment. Though principally a vegetarian, it also eats invertebrates that include crustaceans and insects as well a vertebrates like lizards, frogs, snakes and birds. Its large bill comes in useful in digging and pulling plants and in manipulating prey, dismembering or crushing it before swallowing. Its large and prominently long toes are well adapted to its watery habitat. They are put to good use in gripping vegetation and transferring it to its mouth. Found mostly in the northern and north-western part of Singapore (above), the habitat of this large and beautiful bird is slowly but surely shrinking. Marshlands are being drained and many areas have been earmarked for development, as shown below.
Input and images by Meng and Melinda Chan.

Great-billed Heron: Poaching

The Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana), standing at 115 cm tall, has been claimed to be the tallest resident bird in Singapore (left). According to our bird specialist R. Subaraj, the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), is much taller at 122.5-129 cm. But then this stork is a non-breeding visitor to Singapore.

The Great-billed Heron is confined to rocky shores and mangroves, mainly on offshore islands and the west coast. It is also locally endangered with only about 20 plus birds left. Internationally, the bird is near-threatened.

You can imagine the concern and indignation among local nature buffs when they found that there is someone actively trying to catch this rare heron using a captive juvenile bird. The captive bird as well as the owner were photographed by Nick Baker’s neighbour at Queensway (see map, bottom). The tethered bird was seen in an open field (above) with the owner sitting nearby under the shade of a tree. Obviously he was waiting for his captive bird to lure another for capture (below). The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority was alerted but so far has not been able to meet with the person possessing the heron. Dr Lou Ek Hee, Head, Animal Welfare Regulations Branch, AVA, has written:

“My officers have gone down but did not see the individual or the bird. …In view of this, could I request that you contact my officers Mr Tan or Mr Lee should you see the individual with the bird again? Mr Tan's tel. is 6471 9996. Mr Lee's is 6471 7198. Thank you.”

Anyone seeing the man and his captive heron, please alert AVA. NOTE: Any member of the public who witnesses wildlife poaching in progress can contact the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) during office hours as follows :

AVA Wildlife Regulatory Branch:
Ms Lye Fong Keng - Tel : 6325 7349

Other contacts in the same branch include:
Mr Gerald Neo - Tel : 6325 7290
Ms Yvonne Low - Tel : 6325 7626

After hours or at weekend, we suggests you contact the Police directly. Inform the Police of the presence of 'suspicious characters', not mentioning poachers.

Input by Nick Baker and R. Subaraj, images obtained through Nick.

Of marsh harriers and other exotic species

In an earlier post on Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), it was mentioned that Western Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus) and Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis) were seen above the paddy fields in Malaysia where Allan Teo was observing and photographing the moorhens.

Yong Ding Li made a pertinent comment, “Take note on the point about Western Marsh Harrier... It is actually a very very rare migrant to South East Asia and more so for Singapore (I suspect only one recent record and even then it is probably mis-IDed many times). Instead here it is replaced by Eastern Marsh Harriers (Circus spilonotus). In the oriental region, western is only regular in the subcontinent, occuring in wetlands and plains of places like Rann of Kutch, Bharatpur where it can be rather common.

However, R. Subaraj has this to say: “To me, the birds in the photo (above) look like a young female Western Marsh Harrier (on left) and a juvenile Steppe Eagle.

“With regards to Ding Li's statement regarding the status of marsh harriers here, it is a little out-dated. Until 2005, he is right, as reflected in Robson's guide. It was common in Myanmar but rare or a vagrant to Thailand and Peninsula Malaysia... no confirmed Singapore records! At the end of 2005, both Western and Eastern Marsh Harriers were reported from Changi Reclaimed Land and in the weeks to follow, several birders had visited the site and confirmed the presence of both species... with as many as 3 Westerns.

“Being a skeptic myself, I visited the area a few times during that period and personally confirmed at least three Western Marsh Harriers, along with a few Eastern, with excellent views. Reliable collegues and visiting birders, with me or independently, concurred. Hence, the Western Marsh Harrier does occur in Singapore as a vagrant, at least. “It is worth monitoring our area for the next few months to see if they visit again and become a regular occurrence... or if the last season was just unusual. In the last two decades, unexpected raptors have kept turning up in Singapore. Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) (above) and Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) are two others that fall into a similar category as the Western Marsh Harrier... birds that formerly only occurred no nearer than India and Myanmar. Other unexpected raptors that have turned up include Oriental Hobby and Jerdon's Baza (Aviceda jerdoni)... normally sedentary species found no closer than the northern half of Malaysia, where they were considered rare.

“So what is going on! Why are these species suddenly turning up in Singapore? Perhaps it is the changing climate conditions? Or the continued deforestation and/or persecution of birds further north and south of us? Perhaps a bit of both!

“Other factors that certainly contribute are the superior optics available, the better field guides and identification books and the increased number of observers covering various parts of our nation. The digital photography age is also making a significant difference in confirming species.

“Finally, and equally significantly, the shrinking habitats available due to development means that birds have less choices if they turn up in Singapore and birders have a better chance of finding them!”

Input by Yong Ding Li and R. Subaraj; images by Allan Teo (top) and Wang Luan Keng (bottom).

Oriental Scops-owl: The bird

The Oriental Scops-owl (Otus sunia), a smallish bird (16-20 cm) that is a winter visitor and passage migrant to Singapore, was sighted on 12th November 2006 at MacRitchie.

It roosts in holes or against tree trunks or even under dense foliage. When sighted, the owl was on a branch of a tembusu tree (Fagraea fragrans). When it realised that is was spotted, it remained quietly on the branch, eyeing suspiciously the birders around. Although its eyes were half-opened, it continuously kept track of the people around. When more people arrived, the bird remained unconcerned, or so it seemed. This could be because its perch was high enough to be well away from the birders below.

According to the literature, it assumes a “tall-thin” posture when spotted. This it does by stretching vertically, compressing its plumage and erecting its ear tufts. At the same time it keeps its eyes almost closed. Thus most of the images show this phase, the body slim, the plumage compressed and the ear tufts erect (above and below). However, a few images taken some time after most of the people drifted off showed the owl in a more relaxed mood. It’s body was puffed up but the ear tufts were still erect. Oriental Scops-owl takes a wide variety of prey, especially insects and spiders. It also eats moths, beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers and small rodents and birds. It generally hunts from a perch, swooping down to catch prey on the ground, in flight or from the forest canopy.

And according to KC Tsang, “…it was an adult Rufous Morph, but I am not sure if it is of the stictonotus race.”

Warning on owl pellets: Owl pellets may contain harmful and dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and hantavirus that can cause mild influenza to respiratory and kidney failure. Do not handle with the bare hands and wear a dust mask. Pellets should be wrapped in aluminum foil, heated in a conventional oven for 45-60 minutes at 300ºF (approx. 150ºC). Only then should you examine the contents, usually small bones. So birders, be warned! Source: "Owls: A wildlife handbook by Kim Long, Johnson Books, Boulders."

Input by Melinda Chan, KC Tsang and YC. Images by Chan Yoke Meng.

Oriental Scops-owl: Addendum

Since the posting of the signting of the Oriental Scops-owl (Otus sunia) and the discussion on past records, R. Subaraj has responded with the following;

“With regards to the Oriental Scops-owl article posted in the blog, I have the following comments.

1. The latest record of sighting on 12th November is not the earliest date. I finally managed to dig up the details. The bird that crashed into a house at Jalan Belatok, off Upper Changi Rd (an additional location) did so on November 9th 2003 and was found by Chew Ping Ting. I retrieved it, fed it and then sent it to Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve, where they measured, weighed and ringed it before releasing it. This would therefore be the earliest date of arrival of the owl.

2. Prof Sodhi's mist-netted bird was also from the mid-1990s and was captured near Upper Peirce (another additional location).

3. Old museum specimens, without specific sites but labeled "Singapore", have always been suspicious as the actual location of collection may not have been Singapore, as in those days, specimens were often labeled as being from the country where they were processed or shipped, due to lack of more information.

4. Luan Keng's opinion about races is that of an academic... definitely not that of a field person. Feld researchers/observers use all field identification markings available to determine facts, including the race of a bird. The race of a bird tells us quite a bit including where the bird is from and whether there are behavioural differences with other races. Through field studies, much information can be learnt. Determining true species should not be dependent on DNA alone but should include morphological studies as well. Many of the world's top specialists are using a combination of both in their field research and to make decisions about species.

At the end of the day, the Oriental Scops-owl has helped highlight and confirm just how fragmented the local bird (and nature) community really is, as different factions have different ideas of just how many records of the species really exist for Singapore... and none are accurate and up-dated! Not everyone wants to share and combine their data or knowledge and we find ourselves truly lacking the accuracy that once was. Why? Different reasons really... elitism, ego, keeping secrets before publication... you name it. It all exists and is part of the ongoing saga of this soap opera!"

Comments by YC:
1. It may not be fair to say all colonial specimens labeled "Singapore" are suspect. Those who work in museums may be able to differentiate between the different collectors - some are more reliable than others. And we can reliably assume that W. Davison's specimen was from Singapore.

2. Birders have always been individualistic, selfish, and what have you - just like any other groups. And they always will be. But we have to realise that unpublished private records remain useful only to the person/s keeping them. Until and unless they are published, these private records are not part of the public domain and cannot claim precedent if subsequent claims
appear in print. Thus unless you publish, you cannot make any claims, period!

3. We can always make this blog a medium for such records. After all, web publication is slowly being accepted as a valid medium and many scientific journals are now going online. Thus future sightings, etc could be sent to this blog for posting - it would appear faster by light years than any print media.

Image courtesy of Chan Yoke Meng.

Oriental Scops-owl: Sighting

The Oriental Scops-owl (Otus sunia) is a rare winter visitor and passage migrant to Singapore. So when a bird was spotted during the early morning of 12th November 2006, birdwatchers of every genre were out in force to view it.

It all started when R. Subaraj was conducting a bird-tour of the MacRitchie area. While scanning the trees with his binoculars, he was pleasantly surprised to see an Oriental Scops-owl roosting in a tembusu tree (Fagraea fragrans). As most birders have not seen the owl before, he immediately phoned a few close contacts, giving the location. Within a few hours, a few birders and photographers were at the scene. And by afternoon, more came. Why the excitement? According to DR Wells (1999), Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, “There have been no recent records from well-monitored Singapore island.”

One of the first to arrive at the scene, KC Tsang managed to take a few pictures of the owl. And according to KC, “…I was informed that this bird was sighted, and recorded some four times only in Singapore, and is considered a vagrant by C. Robson.”

Whoever passed on this information to KC is obviously wrong. Subaraj was the first to disagree. He believes that there were more sightings than that. According to him there were at least six other sightings, and he referred me to the cover photograph of the Iora, the so-called Journal of the Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group. The issue was the inaugural and only issue, published in 1994 (below).

The image of the Oriental Scops-owl that graced the “journal” was taken in Mount Faber by Goo Chuen Hang on 13th November 1994. In an article by Lim Kim Seng entitled “Singapore Bird Report” it was reported that this was the second report for Singapore (p 49).

Apparently this is again incorrect. The Mount Faber sighting was the fourth.

Our sometime field ornithologist, Wang Luan Keng, who is attached to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, NUS, has this to say: “I have a total of 13 past records. Most people missed out the museum specimens, which are important sources of records.”

The 13 previous records of Oriental Scops-owl encounters are:
1. An undated specimen collected in Singapore in the late 19th century by W. Davison (Hume Coll.)
2. A bird collected on 22 Dec 1916, Fort Canning (RMBR collection).
3. One bird collected in Singapore, 16 Nov 1938 (RMBR collection).
4. One bird photographed at Mt Faber, 13 Nov 1994 (Iora 1).
5. One bird seen at Mt Faber, 19 Feb 1995, most probably the same bird spotted on 13 Nov 1994 (SINAV 9).
6. One bird ringed at Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve, Jan 1996.
7. Another bird ringed at Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve in 2000.
8. One bird found dead, 13 Nov 2000 (donated to JBP).
9. One bird salvaged in Singapore in 2001 (donated to JBP).
10. Another salvaged, 26 Feb 2002 (donated to JBP).
11. One bird found dead in 2003 (no other information, donated to JBP).
12. One bird was found unable to fly at Lower Kent Ridge, 14 Nov 2003 (Kelvin Lim, pers comm..).
13. One grey morph seen in MacRitchie, 18h Dec 2005 (C. Moores, in litt.)

In addition, Subaraj reports that a bird was mist-netted by Prof NS Sodhi of NUS when he was undertaking a survey of the nature reserves. Also, one crashed into a home in Changi, cared for by Subaraj to be later ringed and released in Sg Buloh.
As Luan summarises, “You can certainly say that the bird is probably more common than recorded, judging from the museum specimens that everyone excluded. Most people dismiss museum specimens as useless but surely dead birds were once alive and should be counted as records too and not just what the birders can see?

“I don't know why people are so obsessed with races. Races of birds are not very meaningful at all. If they are distinct enough and their genetic makeup proves so, they should be treated as distinct species. Until then, you can only call them populations. And most of the time you can only tell them apart if you have the bird in the hand.”

Birders seldom sight the Oriental Scops-owl not because it is not there. Birders tend not to be aware of its presence, considering that the bird tend to remain silent during its wintering period here. So birders are not alerted to its presence, as in the case of other owls.

It is to be noted that the previous early arrivals of this owl were 13th November while this time the bird arrived on 12th November, one day earlier.

Important Notes:
Range: Breeds in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Pacific Russia, Japan, Korea, China, and Indochina; migrates through the Indian subcontinent, S. China to Malay Peninsula, Singapore, N. Sumatra.
Locality: Fort Canning Park, Lower Kranji Reserve, Mount Faber, MacRitchie, Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve.
Habitat: Wooded areas, parks.
Early and late dates: (12)13 Nov - 26 Feb
Materials examined: BM 1 (1 AA), RMBR 3 (3 FF), UWBM 4 (3 FF, 1 MM).

Input by R. Subaraj, Wang Luan Keng, KC Tsang and YC. Images of the owl by KC. And thanks to Subaraj who generously shared his sighting, many birders got to see this rare owl.

Arrival of the Asian Paradise-flycatcher

Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), also known as the Common Paradise Flycatcher, is a migratory bird wintering in tropical Asia. It began to arrive in Singapore around late September and early October and this was the time Meng and Melinda Chan sighted a pair in the Central Catchment forest. The male was a white morph with tail longer than the female but the spectacular long central feathers were absent. The pair took turns darting out of the forest canopy to catch flying insects, returning immediately to feed.

It is insectivorous, often hunting for insects like bees, small beetles, flies and neuropterans. It has been reported to hunt with mixed flock. In this instance the female was seen perching near to a Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier).

Note: On 12th June David Tan sent in images of the bird nesting in Taman Negara, Malaysia. On 28th September KC Tsang reported seeing a juvenile at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. There may be other sightings as well. There is also an earlier posting on its nesting.



Input and images (top, male; rest female) by Meng and Melinda Chan.





The latest addition of the back view image of the bird (left) is by Allan Teo.

The fig tree at Bukit Timah: 2. Comments by R. Subaraj

The first part of the series, on documentation, was posted a few days earlier. The account attracted the attention of our bird specialist R. Subaraj who has this to say:

"I just had a read through the latest posting on the fruiting fig tree at Bukit Timah. The species list is great but reflects what was seen at the summit rather than just the tree itself. To the non-birder or less experienced, the list is therefore misleading as readers will believe that all the birds listed were seen in the fig tree and were there for the figs, which is definitely not true (but see below).

"Those that were seen over the summit and definitely not in the fig tree were Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus), Japanese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis) and the Himalayan (Collocalia brevirostris) and Edible-nest Swiftlet (Collocalia fuciphaga). Those seen generally in the summit area were Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) and Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis). Additionally, the following species that may have been recorded in the fig tree, were there for insects rather than the fruits: Asian Paradise (Terpsiphone paradisi) and Yellow-rumped Flycatchers (Ficedula zanthopygia), Arctic ( Phylloscopus borealis) and Eastern Crowned Warblers (Phylloscopus coronatus), Tiger Shrike (Lanius tigrinus), Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis), Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradisus). It is also important to note that the great variety of species at the summit and in the fig was because of the time of the year....when many migrants were present.

"My comments are based on many past visits to this glorious fig tree since 1990.

"I visited the summit fig on September 27th, with Sham. There was less variety, birdwise, in the tree but we also had an Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala), Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis) and a small flock of Asian Glossy Starlings (Aplonis panayensis). I hope that you can add the above to the article so that readers are better informed about which species were actually visiting the fig and who the real frugivores are."

NOTE: I am afraid I have to take responsibility for the misunderstanding. In Yong Ding Li’s words, the birds listed “...are in and in vicinity of the tree.” In my enthusiasm to post the article I did not include this qualification. This has now been rectified in the blog post. Sorry about that. YC

Image of Asian-paradise Flycatcher (top) by Johnny Wee; Tiger Shrike (middle) and Asian Glossy Starlings (bottom) by Chan Yoke Meng.