Prepared by the Singapore Bird Records Committee
The latest update of our checklist, version 2024-1, has been published. It can be accessed at our Downloads page.
Our last update to the checklist included taxonomic revisions and name changes. This update is more extensive, with several taxonomic changes and species additions.Â
This article includes the updates to our checklist since our last revision. Our checklist is based on the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) taxonomy, the latest version being IOC 14.1.
This edition of the checklist is version 2024-1, and can be downloaded at our Downloads page. Note that this downloadable checklist is a “snapshot” of the checklist as of January 2024, and may differ from our live checklists available on this site and our Records Committee site.Â
There are now 429 species in the Singapore Bird Checklist after the changes in this revision, a net increase of two species since the last version.
Added to checklist
White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea [Record 10686]: One bird at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in Nov 2023 placed this species in Category A. Our recent article discusses the committee’s rationale for unanimously accepting this record.
Taxonomic splits
Rufous-backed/Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx rufidorsa/erithaca:Â After several years of incongruence between the eBird/Clements and IOC taxonomy for this species pair, the two lists converge with the split of Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher into two species in IOC 14.1. Black-backed occurs in Singapore as a regular migrant, while Rufous-backed is a former resident and very rare visitor, with two recent records in our database.
English name changes
Several of these changes may be familiar as they have already been incorporated in eBird as part of its 2023 taxonomy update, as we’ve written about previously.
Olive-backed Sunbird is split into several species. The subspecies ornatus which occurs in Singapore is part of the Ornate Sunbird.
Intermediate Egret is split into three species. The Medium Egret occurs in Singapore.
Hooded Pitta is split into several species. The migratory race cucullata which occurs in Singapore is assigned to Western Hooded Pitta.
Short-tailed Babbler is split into three species. The Mourning Babbler occurs in Singapore.
White-chested Babbler is split into two species. The Malayan Swamp Babbler occurs in Singapore.
Other minor changes
The majority of Singapore’s plovers, formerly placed in Charadrius, have been moved to the genus Anarhynchus.
Below is the Records Committee Report for 2023.
As always, please feel free to let us know if there are any errors or questions.
