by Geoff Lim & Alan OwYong, edited by Tan Gim Cheong
March 2019 continues to witness the return migration of birds back to their northern breeding grounds. We were also treated to the arrival of a solitary Asian Openbill, a small species of stork that last visited us in January 2013.

The Asian Openbill photographed at Sungei Buloh on 23 March 2019 by Francis Yap.
Openbill Visitation
On 14 March 2019, an Asian Openbill Anastomus ocsitans was spotted at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) by visiting Australian birders, Grant and Clare Morton, who sent an email to Nature Society (Singapore) to report the sighting. The bird was subsequently spotted again at SBWR, sparking off an intense hunt for the bird in the days that ensued.
The first record of the species occurred three years ago, on 23 January 2013, when six birds were found feeding in a waterlogged grass patch close to Seletar Airport. These were thought to be part of larger groups of birds that flew southwards down Peninsula Malaysia. The appearance in 2013, along with the current record, represent the southernmost record of the species to date. Further information about the sighting can be found here.
Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR)
Migrants continued to be observed within the CCNR in the month of March. A Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka was seen on 5 March 2019 from Jelutong Tower by Kelvin Ng while Eastern Crowned Warblers Phylloscopus coronatus were spotted at Venus Drive and Windsor Nature Park on 10 March 2019 by Benson Brighton and Russell Boyman, respectively. On 15 March 2019, a juvenile Malayan Night Heron Gorsachius melanolophus was seen at Hindhede Nature Park as it stalked along the forest floor and was stumbled upon by Fadzrun Adnan and Richard White. The last time we had a publicly recorded sighting of the heron was at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in April 2018.

A Malayan Night Heron photographed at Hindhede Park on 15 March 2019 by Goh Yew Lin and discovered by Richard White.
The following week yielded reports of flycatchers in Singapore’s central green core. A Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia was spotted at Dairy Farm Nature Park on 17 March 2019 by Zhang Licong, as was an Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone species, which was fleetingly seen at Lower Pierce by Vincent Lao, who did not have sufficient time to identify it further. A Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda was seen at Venus Link on 22 March 2019 by Richard White, while a Black Bittern Dupetor flavicollis was spotted at the Singapore Quarry on 24 March 2019 by Veronica Foo.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher photographed at Dairy Farm Nature Park on 17 March 2019 by Zhang Licong.
Residents species observed include an Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster on 11 March 2019 at the Hindhede Quarry by Richard White, quite possibly the same bird as the one seen at the Singapore Quarry; three male Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus chasing and calling to a female for more than 30 minutes in the high boughs of a stand of Albizia trees in Hindhede Nature Park on 16 March 2019 by Alan Owyong; and a male Jambu Fruit Dove Ptilinopus jambu on 24 March 2019 at Dairy Farm Nature Park by Vincent Lao.

Jambu Fruit Dove at Dairy Farm Nature Park on 24 March 2019 and photographed by Vincent Lao
Northern Singapore
A Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea was seen around the vicinity of Seletar Camp on 13 March 2019 by Timothy Chua, who also spotted a Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica on 17 March 2019 at Woodlands Town Park.
Eastern Singapore
Birders at Pasir Ris Park noted the movement of cuckoos during the month of March. A Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx nisicolor was seen on 8 March 2019 by Wong Sangmen, as was another spotted on 26 March 2019 by Alvin Seng. Three sightings of a Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus were made on 17 March 2019 by Feroz, while a Large Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparveroides was seen on 19 March 2019 by Fabius Tan. The last week of March yielded a male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia on 26 March 2019 by Wong Sangmen, a Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki on 28 March 2019 by Khoo Mei Lin and a Von Schrenck’s Bittern Ixobrychus eurhythymus on 31 March 2019 by Wong Keng.

The Large Hawk Cuckoo photographed on 19 March 2019 by Fabius Tan.
Further afield, two Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni was spotted at the Pasir Ris Farmway 3 on 10 March 2019 by Vincent Lao, while a Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes was seen on 23 March 2019 on Pulau Tekong by Frankie Cheong. Rare non-breeding visitors reported from this regions included a pair of Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis species on Pulau Ubin on 7 March 2019 by Chris Sanderson.
Central Singapore
A Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx nisicolor was spotted lurking in the remnants of Bidadari on 10 March 2019 by Mike Hooper.
Southern Singapore
The southern green lung that is collectively formed by Gardens-by-the-Bay and Satay-by-the-Bay attracted several species of migratory and resident birds during the month of March 2019. On 2 March 2019, a Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus was spotted in the Gardens by Martine Ruane. A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax was seen at the pond next to Satay-by-the-Bay on 14 March 2019 by Veronica Foo, while a Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting made its appearance in the canals near the Meadow on 25 March 2019.

The Blue-eared Kingfisher at Gardens by the Bay. This photograph was taken on 27 March 2019 by Siew Mun.
A Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata appeared in a tree near the pond next to Satay-by-the-Bay on 26 March 2019 as reported by Andy Chew. This is an unusual location for the species which is usually seen/heard around the central forests only. It continued to be seen over the next few days until the last report on 31 March 2019 made in social media.

Brown Hawk Owl by the Bay and photographed in March 2019 by Herman Phua.
Farther afield, we received a report of a Pacific Swift Apus pacificus over Henderson Wave on 5 March 2019 by Keita Sin, who also reported movement across the hills of Kent Ridge Park on 8 March 2019 of one Common Buzzard Buteo buteo and three Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indus.
Western Singapore
The Kranji Marsh-Neo Tiew area continued to yield reports during this month as well. Social media continued to report the presence of wintering Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus at Harvest Lane, while five Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum were spotted on 22 March 2019 at the same location by Deborah Friets. Twelve Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola were also spotted at Harvest Lane on 24 March 2019 by Alan Chou, as was a “Swintail” Snipe Gallinago sp. on 26 March 2019 by Gabriel Koh, and a Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri on 29 March 2019 by Alan Owyong, which is later than the previous extreme date of 28 March for this species (note: the individual was still around well into April). Within Kranji Marsh, a Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa was spotted on 23 March 2019 by Lim Kim Seng.

Alan Owyong captured this Stejneger’s Stonechat on 29 March 2019 at Harvest Link
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) continued to support shorebirds and waterbirds. Apart from the spectacular report of a solitary Asian Openbill mentioned above, the Reserve continued to attract species such as Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinerus on 23 March 2019 by Gabriel Koh, Khoo Mei Lin and friends, the regular congregation of Great Egrets Ardea alba reported on 30 March 2019 by Lee Van Hien, one male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone artrocaudata on 31 March 2019 by Marvin Heng, and five thermaling Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, also on 31 March 2019 by Adrian Silas Tay.
Birders and photographers drawn by the Grey-headed Fish Eagle along Pandan Canal reported other species. A Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus was seen on 3 March 2019 by Steven Wong, as was an Abbott’s Babbler Malacocincla abbotti and Little Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx minutillus on 20 March 2019 by Alan Owyong. A Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata was reported on 29 March 2019 by Ash Foo, a new record for the location.
Other species reported from this region include a pair of Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus sauluris on 6 March 2019 at Tuas Naval Base by Kerry Pereira, a first for this part of Singapore. Within the compounds of the Jurong Bird Park on 31 March 2019, two Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis were seen together before one of them surreptitiously flew to an embankment and waited for about a minute and a half or so before walking into the undergrowth and disappearing into the thick scrub, leaving Geoff Lim to wonder if they were nesting.
Breeding-related activities
Nesting by Collared Kingfisher Todirhampus chloris was reported on 10 March 2019 at Queens Drive by Cheng Li Ai; another pair was followed by many bird photographers in Clementi during the same period, reported by Khoo Mei Lin, and the chicks fledged on 19 and 20 March 2019. Other breeding behaviour reported include the sighting of the critically endangered Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus on 9 March 2019 at Bukit Batok Nature Park by Lim Kim Chuah, who saw a pair with a juvenile, suggesting that breeding had taken place within the Park.
Abbreviations:
BTNR: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
CCNR: Central Catchment Nature Reserve
DFNP: Dairy Farm Nature Park
JEG: Jurong Eco-Garden
SBG: Singapore Botanic Gardens
SBWR: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
TEG: Tampines Eco-Green
This report is written by Geoff Lim based on listings compiled by Alan OwYong, and edited by Tan Gim Cheong. We are grateful for the birders and photographers whose postings in various Facebook birding pages, bird forums, individual reports and extracts from eBird make up this report. This compilation is not a complete list of birds recorded for the month and not all the records were verified.
Many thanks to Francis Yap, Goh Yew Lin, Zhang Licong, Vincent Lao, Fabius Tan, Siew Mun and Alan Owyong for the the use of their photos.
List of Species seen:
Family | Species | Date |
Ciconiidae | Asian Openbill | 14-Mar-19 |
Asian Openbill | 17-Mar-19 | |
Lesser Adjutant** | 31-Mar-19 | |
Ardeidae | Von Schrenck’s Bittern | 31-Mar-19 |
Black Bittern | 24-Mar-19 | |
Malayan Night Heron | 15-Mar-19 | |
Black-crowned Night Heron## | 14-Mar-19 | |
Chinese Pond Heron | 3-Mar-19 | |
Javan Pond Heron | 23-Mar-19 | |
Great Egret | 30-Mar-19 | |
Chinese Egret | 23-Mar-19 | |
Anhingidae | Oriental Darter* | 11-Mar-19 |
Accipitridae | Jerdon’s Baza | 10-Mar-19 |
Grey-faced Buzzard | 8-Mar-19 | |
Grey-faced Buzzard | 13-Mar-19 | |
Common Buzzard | 8-Mar-19 | |
Scolopacidae | Swinhoe’s Snipe | 26-Mar-19 |
Wood Sandpiper | 24-Mar-19 | |
Terek Sandpiper | 23-Mar-19 | |
Glareolidae | Oriental Pratincole | 22-Mar-19 |
Columbidae | Jambu Fruit Dove* | 24-Mar-19 |
Cuculidae | Greater Coucal | 31-Mar-19 |
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo | 30-Mar-19 | |
Violet Cuckoo## | 16-Mar-19 | |
Little Bronze Cuckoo | 20-Mar-19 | |
Plaintive Cuckoo | 17-Mar-19 | |
Large Hawk-Cuckoo | 19-Mar-19 | |
Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo | 8-Mar-19 | |
Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo | 10-Mar-19 | |
Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo | 26-Mar-19 | |
Strigidae | Brown Hawk-Owl | 26-Mar-19 |
Caprimulgidae | Grey Nightjar | 5-Mar-19 |
Apodidae | Pacific Swift | 5-Mar-19 |
Alcedinidae | Ruddy Kingfisher## | 22-Mar-19 |
Black-capped Kingfisher | 29-Mar-19 | |
Collared Kingfisher | 10-Mar-19 | |
Collared Kingfisher | 20-Mar-19 | |
Blue-eared Kingfisher## | 25-Mar-19 | |
Picidae | Buff-rumped Woodpecker | 7-Mar-19 |
Dicruridae | Black Drongo | 17-Mar-19 |
Monarchidae | Asian Paradise Flycatcher | 17-Mar-19 |
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher* | 31-Mar-19 | |
Pycnonotidae | Straw-headed Bulbul##** | 9-Mar-19 |
Phylloscopidae | Yellow-browed Warbler | 2-Mar-19 |
Eastern Crowned Warbler | 10-Mar-19 | |
Eastern Crowned Warbler | 10-Mar-19 | |
Pellorneidae | Abbott’s Babbler | 20-Mar-19 |
Muscicapidae | Oriental Magpie-Robin## | 6-Mar-19 |
Dark-sided Flycatcher | 17-Mar-19 | |
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher | 17-Mar-19 | |
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher | 26-Mar-19 | |
Green-backed Flycatcher | 22-Mar-19 | |
Mugimaki Flycatcher | 28-Mar-19 | |
Stejneger’s Stonechat | 29-Mar-19 | |
Motacillidae | Grey Wagtail | 13-Mar-19 |