First Breeding Record of Black-winged Stilt on Singapore Island

A pair of Black-winged Stilts raised four chicks at a Tanah Merah reclamation site in June-July 2026 – the first confirmed breeding record for the species on Singapore Island.

First published in Nature in Singapore: Ramesh, T., Lee D. C. K., & Narayanswamy, R. (2026). Biodiversity Record: First breeding record of black-winged stilt on Singapore Island. Nature in Singapore, 19: e2026093. DOI: 10.26107/NIS-2026-0093. Slight modifications were made for publication here.Between 19 June and 11 July 2026, Dylan Lee and I documented two adult Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) raising a brood of four chicks along Tanah Merah Coast Road – the first confirmed breeding record for the species on Singapore Island. Over three and a half weeks, the family was tracked between a coastal reclamation site and the adjacent beach, giving us an unusually close look at stilt parenting, from driving off crows and a wild boar to shepherding chicks across open water.Observations (by T. Ramesh)On 19 June 2026, Dylan observed two adult Black-winged Stilts foraging distantly on the coastal reclamation site along Tanah Merah Coast Road, accompanied by three chicks that closely followed the adults. The chicks appeared to be under a week old and, as is characteristic of the species, were already precocial – able to walk, swim, and forage for themselves. The adults were identifiable as stilts by their black wings, white underparts, and long pink legs. The Black-winged Stilt and the Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) are the only stilt species recorded in Singapore (Bird Society of Singapore, 2026a); adult Pied Stilts have an extensive black mane, which was absent here, allowing for a conclusive identification.The distant intertidal flat where the family foraged during the observation period.The coastal reclamation site along Tanah Merah Coast Road, where the stilts were observed at close range.On 26 June 2026, I observed two adults with four chicks on the beach near the bridge at Tanah Merah Coast Road, with both adults and chicks foraging in shallow water. The adults remained highly vigilant throughout, calling continuously in apparent response to several perceived threats. On one occasion, a Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) swooped towards the chicks, prompting an adult to chase it away while calling loudly. Shortly afterwards, several House Crows (Corvus splendens) hovered over the family; one adult immediately gathered the chicks protectively beneath its body, while the other flew in wide circles to drive the crows off. A Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) that emerged from the shrubs beneath the bridge was also confronted, with an adult swooping down at it repeatedly until it retreated. The adults then guided the chicks, which swam, to cover along the shoreline.Two adults foraging in shallow water, with chicks nearby, on 26 June 2026.The four chicks foraging together in shallow water.An adult in flight, calling in alarm while driving off a House Crow.An adult wading ahead of four chicks.An adult sheltering the chicks beneath its body.Chicks swimming across open water.The chicks were not seen over the following ten days, despite repeated searches across the coastal area. Dylan and I relocated them on 7 July 2026, again far out on the reclamation site, and they had grown considerably over the intervening 11 days. All four chicks had survived and were seen foraging alongside the adults for much of the time. Dylan observed the six birds again on 11 July 2026.The grown juveniles foraging with the adults on the reclamation site, 11 July 2026.Remarks (by Raghav Narayanswamy)The Black-winged Stilt was previously considered a rare migrant to Singapore, until July 2019, when the first local breeding record was described at the active reclamation area on Pulau Tekong (Bird Society of Singapore, 2022a). Sightings on the main island have become increasingly frequent since. Notably, prior to the 2019 breeding record, there were no records of this species between June and August; since then, there have been eight, of which six have been on the main island. Subsequent breeding records at Pulau Tekong in 2021 and 2024 have further reinforced that site as a relatively reliable breeding location for the species (Bird Society of Singapore, 2026b).Like many other tropical wetland-associated species, Black-winged Stilts readily make local movements in response to weather patterns and food availability, and may not use the same sites to breed from year to year. Land reclamation presents large areas of flat, exposed sand that, while temporary, can easily be exploited by breeding stilts. Given Singapore's future reclamation plans, including the "Long Island" project, more local breeding records of Black-winged Stilt – and of its close relative, the Pied Stilt, which has itself bred on Pulau Tekong's reclaimed land (Bird Society of Singapore, 2022b) – can be expected.Another aspect worth noting is the relatively new phenomenon of sympatry between the Black-winged Stilt and the Pied Stilt, brought about by the southward range expansion of the former and the concurrent northward expansion of the latter. The two species...