Observations of Shorebird Activity at a Reclamation Site along Tanah Merah Coast

The reclaimed land at Tanah Merah has attracted a number of different shorebird species. Since 2025, the increasing reclamation activity has made the habitat more suitable for waders, and both the diversity and numbers of waders at the site have increased.

I have been visiting Tanah Merah Coast Road since 2018. At that time, it was one of the most reliable sites for Malaysian Plover before they became common at the Marina East Drive breakwaters. Access to the site was challenging, as there was no car park and it required a 14 km round trip on foot. Despite frequent visits, sightings were limited to a few Grey Plovers and Tibetan Sand Plovers. Land reclamation had not yet begun, so shorebird sightings were on the beach.On 7 Aug 2024, two Javan Plovers were photographed at this site. Unfortunately I was not able to connect with the birds despite making multiple visits to the area. On 11 Aug 2025, I chanced upon six Javan/Kentish Plovers but only managed to capture images of them after they took off in flight. Unfortunately with these views, they were unable to be identified to species, however this renewed my interest in this site. I subsequently started making regular visits in the hope of seeing a Javan Plover. At this time, the beginnings of land reclamation were visible in the distance.In Dec 2025, the landscape had changed significantly. Reclamation had entered a second phase, with long pipelines visible behind the breakwaters and sand mounds forming about 1 km offshore. Small flocks of plovers were present but often too distant for species-level identification. Shorebirds started to no longer frequent the beach anymore.In Jan 2026, the reclamation activity expanded toward Tanah Merah Coast Road, in the area shown in this map. Long pipes from dredgers discharged a slurry of sand, gravel and water into the site, while bulldozers spread the material.A pipeline discharges a slurry of sand, gravel and water onto the site, January 2026A bulldozer spreads the newly pumped materialOn 2 January 2026, a large flock of 165 White-winged Terns was sighted. The containment bund/breakwater was still visible. By mid-January, reclamation activity had expanded and fully covered the containment bund/breakwater. As the work progressed towards the coast, new tidal flats were formed, and more birds arrived. Although the birds were far away (~1.1 km, as measured on Google Maps), they became identifiable to species level through a viewfinder, using an 800mm telephoto lens coupled with teleconverters. However, distance and heat wave affected the photo quality.Shorebirds gathering on a newly exposed sand bar as the tide recedes, January 2026Shorebirds over the reclaimed landTibetan Sand Plovers and Terek SandpipersBroad-billed Sandpipers (highlighted in green) with other small waders.My first significant breakthrough came on 16 Jan 2026, when I spotted a Broad-billed Sandpiper at the site. The species continued to be seen here until 10 Apr. Other significant shorebird finds included Sanderling (21 Jan-10 Apr), Curlew Sandpiper (18 Feb-5 Mar), Terek Sandpiper (11 Jan-1 Apr) and Red-necked Stint (16 Jan-10 Apr). Apart form these, common shorebirds were also present at the site including Tibetan Sand Plover, Grey Plover and Common Greenshank (Note that these dates include sightings by other birders as well).On 20 Feb 2026, my mission was accomplished when I found and photographed a plover which looked especially "leggy" with a slim body, small head, upright appearance, and gingery tones to the breast band which was thin and almost wrapped around the entire breast. Some friends were able to obtain more photos the next day of up to three birds to further confirm the ID and secure our Javan Plover tick!By mid-March, reclamation activity ceased, and the majority of the shorebirds disappeared, with fewer than 20 individuals remaining thereafter. Notably, these shorebirds were also absent from Chek Jawa.The reclamation work started again in Apr 2026, and shorebird activity gradually resumed from May onwards. Red-necked Stint (10 May-16 Jun), Terek Sandpiper (10 May-18 Jul) and Curlew Sandpiper (29 Jun-13 Jul) were observed, in addition to small numbers of Tibetan Sand Plover and Common Greenshank. It is hard to say for certain if these birds were overstayers or early arrivals. Grey Plovers started to appear towards the end of June. On 28 Jun, a Bar-tailed Godwit was also observed at the site.Counts by species, January–June 2026Below are my counts by species, and some photographs taken at this site in the first half of 2026:How shorebirds use reclaimed landDuring the land reclamation process, new tidal flats are often created, although these may be temporary.Recent studies have identified how shorebirds utilise these modified landscapes. A summary of findings from various research papers is provided below:High abundance in specific artificial sites: the average shorebird density can be surprisingly high on reclamation sites (58 birds/ha) and even higher on constructed roosts (329 birds/ha) compared to traditional agricultural land (Jackson et al., 2020).Preference for remnant flats: in coastal reclamation zones, birds strongly prefer “remnant” (leftover) tidal flats that still possess...