Compiled by Jared Tan and Raghav Narayanswamy.

Asian Emerald Cuckoo at Bidadari Park. Photo credit: Dylan CK Lee.

A Himalayan/Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus/optatus was found feeding among the fig trees at Jurong Lake Gardens (23–28 Dec; WHL) and a female Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus was seen at Bidadari Park (14–15 Dec; DL). Five Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon Treron fulvicollis were sighted at their usual location at Pulau Ubin Living Lab on 2 Dec (TW). Elsewhere in Sengkang, a Slaty-legged Crake Rallina eurizonoides was photographed at dusk at a basketball court in a housing estate (24 Dec; VK).

Eurasian Curlew at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo credit: Jared Tan

Two Greater Sand Plover Anarhynchus leschenaultii were seen at Chek Jawa (19–22 Nov; TW), and up to four White-faced Plover Anarhynchus dealbatus were observed at their usual location at Marina East Drive through the whole period of reporting (TW). A single Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata was spotted at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was the first twitchable one in several years (31 Oct–22 Dec; ST), and a single Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus was sighted on the mudflats at Chek Jawa (7 Oct– 4 Nov; TW). A remarkable two Swinhoe’s Snipe Gallinago megala were found on the same day at separate locations at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane (CNL) and Changi Business Park (RT) on 26 Dec. Photographs of the outer tail feathers were obtained for both birds allowing for positive identification. One Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus was picked out by FY on the floating buoys off Lorong Halus on 29 Nov.

Raptor migration numbers were unusually low during the winter migration, but it proved to be a bumper year for Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus, which had seven records: 20 Oct at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (RC), 29 Oct and 2 Nov at Henderson Waves (TW, CNL), and 1, 8, 10 and 12 Nov at Mount Faber (YZN, CNL). The scarce Common Buzzard Buteo buteo was sighted on 15 and 26 Oct at Mount Faber (RT, WHL). Adding excitement to an otherwise slow raptor migration, a few vagrants showed up in the form of Singapore’s fifth Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve on 29 Oct, Singapore’s ninth Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus at Mount Faber (4 Nov; JaT), and a Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis at Henderson Waves (2 Nov; RW) — Singapore’s seventh record and first in 26 years. There were five records of Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos— at Mount Faber on 4, 5 and 7 Nov (JaT, RT, CNL), at Marina East Drive on 6 Dec (CNL), and over Bukit Panjang on 11 Dec (NL). The increasingly regular Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis was seen twice, with two birds sighted flying over Tampines (25 Dec; MN) and a single bird over Pinnacle@Duxton (31 Dec; BTT). The long-staying visitor Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius continued to be observed at Punggol Seventeenth Avenue throughout the period of reporting (JC).

Dusky Warbler at West Coast Park. Photo credit: Wong Liang Zhong.

Rare owl species recorded included the resident Barred Eagle-Owl Ketupa sumatrana at Jalan Asas from (4 Oct–28 Dec; JaT) and at Rifle Range Link (9–12 Dec; FY). A migratory Northern Boobook Ninox japonica was found perched along a canal at West Coast Park on 6 Dec and was successfully twitched by many (JG). Singapore’s eighth Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus was also found feeding just above the water’s surface at the same location (22 Nov–9 Dec; LZW). The vocal Sakhalin Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus borealoides was recorded at four locations — Upper Seletar Reservoir (24 Oct–31 Dec; JoT), Pulau Ubin (24 Nov; JWY), Singapore Botanic Gardens (26 Nov–31 Dec; JC), and an unusually confiding individual at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (22 Dec–31 Dec; TW, WHL).

Common Swift at Mount Faber. Photo credit: Swee Peng.

Those raptor-watching at Mount Faber on 7 Nov were treated to a rare sight of Singapore’s fourth Common Swift Apus apus (SP). The scarce but annual Brown-backed Needletail was sighted at Mount Faber (12 Nov; CNL) and Henderson Waves (22 Dec; TW). Two White-throated Needletail were seen at Mount Faber (16 Oct; TW), three at Henderson Waves (2 Nov; RW) and a single bird at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (25–27 Nov; TW). 

Lesser Frigatebird at Mount Faber. Photo Credit: Art Toh.

Hardworking birders looking to the skies towards the tail end of the raptor migration season were rewarded with a rare sighting of a Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel soaring over Mount Faber on 6 Dec (AT). Other uncommon pelagic species included four sightings of Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus on 19 Nov and 9 Dec at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (FWC, CNL), 22 to 23 Nov at Chek Jawa (YZN), and 18 Dec at Tanah Merah Coast Road (DL). Singapore’s sixth Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia arrived and rested for a short while at Chek Jawa on the evening of 22 Nov before departing and never to be seen again (YZN), and a single Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica was seen out along the Singapore Strait (4 Oct; JaT).

Caspian Tern at Chek Jawa. Photo credit: Ng Yan Ze

A Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve from 27 Oct onwards was the first wild record of this species for Singapore (Anon.); the historical records of this species likely pertain to ex-captive individuals. At the same location, the long-staying Black-and-Red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos was sighted from 19 Nov to 9 Dec (JWY). A migratory Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis of the diffusus subspecies was spotted at Jurong Lake Gardens (24–31 Dec; JaT), with another individual seen accompanying the first bid on 28 Dec (GH). 

One Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus of the “White-faced” subspecies group was seen at Marina Grove (22 Nov; RN), and another of the nigrescens/mohouti subspecies at Singapore Botanic Gardens (23 Nov; GS). A Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus was also seen in the vicinity of Marina Grove on 23 Nov (AC). 

A Brown-breasted Flycatcher Muscicapa muttui seen at Punggol Park was the third record for Singapore (17–19 Oct; AN). All three records for Singapore have come in the last four years. Another increasingly regular species Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla was seen at Coney Island (10 Dec; NT) and Marina Grove (15 Dec; FY), with both birds remaining until the end of the year. These were the sixth and seventh records for Singapore respectively. Singapore’s fifth Chinese Blue Flycatcher Cyornis glaucicomans stopped over at Dairy Farm Nature Park  (23 Oct; WHL), and at the same location, Zappey’s Flycatcher Cyanoptila cumatilis was observed from 16 to 18 Nov (CD) and from 1 to 3 Dec (MF). A crashed individual was also collected at Biopolis Road on 28 Nov (KLC). A single Blue-and-White Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana was also sighted at Dairy Farm Nature Park (6–10 Dec; EL). A beautiful male Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina was found on 1 Dec also at Dairy Farm Nature Park (MF), followed by a female at the same location (7–11 Dec; RT) and another at Bidadari Park (7 Dec; AN). A female Mangrove Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rufigastra continued to be sighted at Sungei Api Api until the end of the year (JonT), with another bird was seen at Pulau Ubin on 25 Oct (EB). 

Chinese Blue Flycatcher at Dairy Farm Nature Park. Photo credit: Lua Wai Heng.

A single female Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus was seen from at Pasir Panjang Nursery, and successfully twitched by several observers scoping in from outside the property (21–22 Nov; HT), and a Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus was found by the water’s edge along Ulu Pandan Canal (6 Dec; RaT). The annual Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius was sighted at multiple locations — up to four birds at Pinnacle@Duxton (4–11 Dec; BTT), and one bird each at Raffles Lighthouse (8 Oct; GL), Marina East Drive (17 Oct; EC), Tuas South (13 Dec; JJB) and Bukit Panjang (17 Dec; SB). 

Marina Grove yielded some of the most exciting species of the season, with two firsts for Singapore showing up — a Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica on 9 Nov (OF) and a Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus from 30 Nov to 4 Dec (JJB). At the same location, a pair of the locally critically endangered Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis was discovered on 1 Nov, and was found to be rearing three chicks the next day. They nested once more shortly after and another clutch of three was fully hatched by 21 Dec (JN, TW). 

Red-billed Starling at Marina East Drive. Photo credit: Jared Tan

Singapore’s eighth Red-billed Starling Spodiopsar sericeus was found at Marina East Drive from 29 Nov to 1 Dec (YZN), and another bird was seen in a private residence on 10 Dec but was assessed to more likely be an escapee (Anon.). A single Rosy Starling Pastor roseus was spotted at Tuas South on 7 Dec, where three birds had also been seen during the previous season. The bird continued to be seen until the end of the year (DL). One Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus was sighted at Marina East (1–3 Dec; DE), and another individual at Kranji NSRCC (10–19 Dec; JaT, CNL).

Yellow-vented Flowerpecker at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Photo credit: Jared Tan

To round off, other significant resident species included one Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea at Changi Bay Point (27 Nov–24 Dec; DL) and two birds at Tanah Merah Coast Road (1 Oct; DL), and one Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Pachyglossa chrysorrhea feeding on the mistletoe fruits at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (19–31 Dec; JaT) and another perched on a bare tree at Singapore Quarry (28 Dec; BEJ, SBZ).

Contributors: Alfred Chia (AC), Anderson Ng (AN), Art Toh (AT), Beier Jia (BEJ), Teo Boon Tong (BTT), Cindy (CD), Lee Chien Nien (CNL), Daniel Engelbrecht (DE), Dylan CK Lee (DL), Elizabeth Bell (EB), Evelyn Lee (EL), Chang Fu Wen (FWC), Francis Yap (FY), Guo Hui (GH), Gabriel Low (GL), Glen Sim (GS), Hanon Teng (HT), Joshua Chong (JC), James Gan (JG), Jan-Jaap Brinkman (JJB), Jimmy Ng (JN), Jared Tan (JaT), Joanne Toh (JoaT), Jonathan Tan (JonT), Yip Jen Wei (JWY), Chia Kar Ling (KLC), Wong Liang Zhong (LZW), Mac Ng (MN), Nicholas Lee (NL), Nithil Thirumurugan (NT), Oliver Farnworth (OF), Raghav Narayanswamy (RNa), Rae Ng (RNg), Rainier Tee (RaT), Ramesh T (RT), Richard White (RW), Sabre (SB), Zhang Shubo (SBZ), Swee Peng (SP), Steffie Toh (ST), Tony Wong (TW), Vahin Kumar (VK), Lua Wai Heng (WHL), Ng Yan Ze (YZN)