The Raptor Watching Season in Singapore

A week-by-week guide to Singapore's fall raptor migration, from the first Crested Honey Buzzards in late September to Himalayan Vultures in December. Covers typical arrival windows for raptor species, swifts and swallows.

The raptor watching season in Singapore is currently in full swing! As winter approaches, raptors from the north make their way down to warmer climates, with most just passing high over Singapore and some staying for the winter. Areas of high elevation such as Mount Faber, Henderson Waves and Bukit Timah Summit have been popular locations to look to the skies to spot migrating raptors. This season, we have already had incredible sightings of rarities such as Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Besra and Eurasian Hobby.While raptors start to make their way south to Singapore from September onwards, the peak period with the highest numbers and greatest species diversity is mid-October to mid-November, and within this period different species also arrive at different intervals. While raptors will also migrate back north to their breeding grounds around March to April, the spring migration has generally yielded lower numbers and fewer rarities, possibly also due to the lack of observers.In this article, I will focus on the fall migration and summarise the key dates when you may hope to encounter certain species, and hopefully this will help you to maximise your chances of finding your target species. The information in this article is based on our species bar charts, and can also be found in this interactive site where you can find out more about all the species of raptors in Singapore (including residents, visitors and migrants). The dates quoted are only meant to serve as a general guide. As it often is with birds, some individuals may arrive earlier or later than expected, so do keep this in mind. Apart from raptors, some other species encountered during raptor-watching sessions include swifts, swallows and pratincoles, which I will also talk about as we go through the season week by week.October Week 1Start to look for: Crested Honey Buzzard, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Asian House MartinFrom late September, you may already start to see migratory Crested Honey Buzzards arrive. This is by far the most common migratory raptor species in Singapore, with large kettles a common sight.Crested Honey Buzzard at Nanyang Technological UniversityAnother two species to arrive are the Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawks. While some start to arrive in late Sep, the highest numbers are usually seen from October to early November.Japanese Sparrowhawk at Jelutong TowerChinese Sparrowhawk at Mount FaberAlongside the earliest raptors, you are likely to encounter Barn Swallows, which are one of the earliest migrants in Singapore. In addition, the Fork-tailed Swift (formerly known as Pacific Swift) will also be seen passing over through to November. Among these, do also keep an eye out for Common Swift, which lacks the scaly underparts and white rump, and has a well-demarcated patch on the throat compared to the diffused throat of Fork-tailed Swift.Fork-tailed Swift at Henderson WavesCommon Swift at Jelutong TowerAs October begins, another non-raptor to look out for is the Asian House Martin. Keep an eye out for their broad wings, short tail, and white rump. Asian House Martins are best seen migrating over from October to November. While you are at it, also keep a lookout for Siberian House Martin which as more extensive white on its rump and back. The much more abundant Eastern Red-rumped Swallow will also be making their way south during the same period, and don't be surprised to see large flocks of the Oriental Pratincole flying over.Asian House Martin at Bukit Timah SummitOctober Week 2Start to look for: BesraAmidst the large numbers of Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawks, you may be lucky and spot a rare Besra, which is most often encountered any time from the second week of October to mid-November. We just had one spotted at Mount Faber on 29 Oct after no records from last season. As for Shikra, we only have three confirmed records, but your best bet is still probably the mid-October to mid-November period. Juvenile Besra and Shikra look rather similar, and good photographs will be required to view the presence of a yellow eye-ring or the thickness of tail bands to make an identification.Besra at Mount FaberShikra at Khao Dinsor, ThailandOctober Week 3Start to look for: Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Common Buzzard, Eastern Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Black Kite, Rufous-bellied Eagle, White-throated NeedletailIn the third week of October, several more species will start to make their way over Singapore through to mid November.Firstly, keep a lookout for Eastern Marsh Harrier and Pied Harrier. You may also encounter them over open grassland habitats such as Tuas which has been the only known wintering area for them in recent years.Juvenile Eastern Marsh Harrier at Mount FaberJuvenile Pied Harrier at Mount FaberCommon Buzzards and Eastern Buzzards will also make their way through during this period. Buteo taxonomy is still not well understood, and we currently treat birds with more contrasting...