
Western Osprey, Rower’s Bay Park, 8 Dec 2022, by Rovena Chow
Summary for migrant species:
Nine migrant raptor species were recorded in December 2022. Three Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus in a month is pretty good, one at Pasir Panjang on the 5th, one at Marina East on the 12th and 13th, and one at Tuas on the 25th. Six Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni were recorded, with four of them wintering at Coney Island through the month, one at Changi Business Park on the 5th, and another at the Botanic Gardens on the 12th.
For the five Chinese Sparrowhawks Accipiter soloensis, the site faithful at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West was recorded on the 22nd, one at Jurong Lake Garden on the 16th, one at Neo Tiew Lane 2 on the 21st, and two wintering at Coney Island. Some of the 13 Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis were in moult, showing four or six ‘fingers’ instead of the usual five.

Black Baza, Pasir Ris Park, 24 Dec 2022, by Wong Sangmen
There were ten Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus, including site faithfuls at Anchorvale and Sembawang. There were also 22 Black Bazas Aviceda leuphotes, 62 Oriental Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhyncus, and four Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus.
For nocturnal raptors, there was a single record of an Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia that was rescued from crows and released safely.

Jerdon’s Baza, Coney Island, 12 Dec 2022, by Tan Gim Cheong
Highlights for sedentary species:
The most amazing sighting was that of a Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus photographed in flight at Lim Chu Kang on the 3rd, this being the third verifiable record for Singapore, some 13 years after the second one in 2009.
Breeding-related activities were noted only for the Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela, for which a pair at Neo Tiew Road mated on the 9th, this being only the second breeding-related record. The other resident raptors recorded were the Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus, Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus, Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus, Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus, and the common Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus and White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster.
For nocturnal raptors, a Barred Eagle Owl Bubo sumatranus was recorded near Singapore Quarry on the 26th, and the pair of Buffy Fish Owl Ketuoa ketupu at Hampstead Wetlands had a chick on their nest on the 31st.
Escapee
The Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus reported in November 2022, a bird with falconry anklets on both tarsi, was still around Mountbatten area on the 26th of December.
Many thanks to everyone who had reported their sightings in one way or another, and especially to Rovena Chow and Wong Sangmen for the use of their photos.
For a pdf version with more details, please click Singapore Raptor Report – December 2022