Prepared by the Singapore Bird Records Committee
The latest update of our checklist, version 2025-2, has been published. It can be accessed at our Downloads page.
You might have noticed some new species names on our site over the last one week as we prepared to transition our checklist to the newly-released AviList taxonomy. This taxonomy is intended to replace the multiple different species arrangements floating around (eBird, IOC, BirdLife/IUCN) over the next few years. While the major world lists haven’t quite moved fully over to this harmonized list just yet, our Singapore Bird List will follow the AviList taxonomy from this update onwards as it will be the unified list for the world’s birds going forward.
This edition of the checklist is version 2025-2, and can be downloaded at our Downloads page. Note that this downloadable checklist is a “snapshot” of the checklist as of July 2025, and may differ from our rolling live checklists available on this site and our Records Committee site as species continue to be added and removed in between the official checklist updates.
There are 430 species in the Singapore Bird Checklist after the changes in this revision, one more than the previous version.
Added to checklist
Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni: The record at Chek Jawa this year was accepted as a wild bird. Previous records are being reassessed and an article will be released soon summarizing the details.
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus: One record of a female/juvenile at Chek Jawa was unanimously accepted as a wild bird.
Lumps affecting multiple species in the checklist
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio: Black-backed and Grey-headed Swamphens are lumped, together with four other species of swamphen, into a widespread species which now ranges from Europe to Australia.
Significant taxonomic and English name changes
Little Ringed Plover Thinornis dubius is moved from Charadrius to Thinornis.
Jambu Fruit Dove Ramphiculus jambu is moved from Ptilinopus to Ramphiculus.
Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus: previously a complex of four Asian species (with Pacific Swift occurring in Singapore), now lumped into one.
Sunda Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica: renamed from Malaysian Pied Fantail.
Short-tailed Babbler Pellorneum malaccense, previously a complex of three species (with Mourning Babbler occurring in Singapore) is lumped into one.
White-chested Babbler Pellorneum rostratum, previously two species (with Malayan Swamp Babbler occurring in Singapore) is lumped into one.
Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus gains the subspecies flammeus native to southern India which was previously split as Orange Minivet.
Black-headed Bulbul Microtarsus melanocephalos is moved from Brachypodius to Microtarsus.
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus: Amur Stonechat, previously split as Saxicola stejnegeri is folded into Siberian Stonechat.
As always, please feel free to let us know if there are any errors or questions.
Siberian Stonechat at Turut Track. Photo credit: Francis Yap