Surveying Pulau Ubin Central for the 2023 Mid-Year Bird Census

by Yap Wee Jin

White-rumped Shama, Pulau Ubin seems to be the stronghold of the species

The morning census on Sunday, 9 July 2023, started off at 7.30am in relatively warm weather under partly cloudy conditions with 2/5 cloud cover. From the end of Jalan Nordin on the central part of Pulau Ubin, the first 9 species heard and sighted were:

1\ Asian Glossy Starling
2\ White-Rumped Shama
3\ Blue-throated Bee-eater
4\ Ashy Tailorbird
5\ Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker
6\ Straw-Headed Bulbul
7\ Collared Kingfisher
8\ Olive-Winged Bulbul
9\ Pink-Necked Green Pigeon
10\ Swiftlets

As I passed the rubber plantation, the number of bird counted dipped (monocultures are known to support less diversity). Commonly seen and heard are Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Olive-winged Bulbuls.

Upon reaching the NPCC gate, there is a relatively open area. Here, I was able to see and count species that fly over the open field in the NPCC compound. Abbott’s Babbler can heard quite often from this area. Previously, many birds used to perch over the cables over the NPCC compound. However, on this day, the species count was not so high compared to previous counts.

Further along this road, approaching the mangrove area, notable calls from the Mangrove Pittas and Blue-Winged Pittas can be heard. The calls are similar but can be differentiated after spending much time in the field.

By 0920am, walking towards Belatok Hut (near the former headman’s house), the sky turned dark. The birds seem quiet for a while. Luckily, about twenty minutes later, the dark clouds passed as the sun comes out again.

Soon, I reached the Sensory Trail pond’s open area. Species sighted and heard here were:

1\ Brown-throated Sunbird (very common here)
2\ Common Tailorbird
3\ White-throated Kingfisher
4\ Yellow-vented Bulbul
5\ White-breasted Waterhen
6\ House Crow (begins to be sighted)

After the mangrove patch, a lone Oriental Dollarbird was seen perched on a bare branch at the top of a tree, probably overlooking the Sensory Trail pond.

At the Vegetables, Herbs and Spices Garden, I was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of Dark-necked Tailorbirds looking for breakfast underneath the leaves of a tree nearby. It was an adult male with its characteristic dark neck with a juvenile. Both were making their characteristic calls. It was my first observation seeing them foraging close to the village centre.

Nearing the Police Post, House Crows were easily sighted. They were seen picking on scraps left on the beach nearby. The Olive-backed Sunbird was also sighted here.

At about 1030am, the count ended at the Police Post. Strangely, not a single raptor was seen or sighted during this census. Nevertheless, 263 birds were counted, with 33 species represented, plus the ever present swiftlets.

24th Mid-Year Bird Census Report (2023)

The 24th Mid-Year Bird Census (MYBC) coordinated by the NSS Bird Group was conducted during the weekend of 8-9 July 2023, involving 31 volunteers who covered 23 sites.

Altogether 4,610 birds of 109 species were recorded. Compared with the Annual Bird Census in March 2023, the Asian Glossy Starling leapfrogged the next two species to become the most abundant species with 458 birds counted. It is followed by the Javan Myna with 338 birds counted, and the Pink-necked Green Pigeon with 244 birds counted. The Yellow-vented Bulbul (229 birds counted) maintained its placing, as did the House Crow which also saw an increase in numbers to 223 birds counted (from 175 birds in the Annual Bird Census in March 2023). The top twenty species are shown in the table below.

The sites with the most species were Sungei Serangoon with 46 species, followed by Kranji Marsh with 43 species, Dairy Farm Nature Park with 42 species, Admiralty Park with 39 species and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve route 1 with 37 species. The top fifteen sites by species are shown in the table below.

The sites with the most number of birds were Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve route 1 with 369 birds, followed by Kranji Marsh with 322 birds, Dairy Farm Nature Park with 307 birds, the Botanic Gardens with 272 birds, and Pulau Ubin Central with 263 birds. The top fifteen sites by number of birds are shown in the table below.

Species recorded in small numbers during the MYBC included:
1 Greater Green Leafbird at Upper Seletar Reservoir (USR) Park
1 Chestnut-bellied Malkoha at Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR)
2 Plaintive Cuckoo (1 at CCNR & 1 at USR Park)
2 Greater Coucal (1 at Admiralty Park & 1 at SBWR route 2)
2 Eurasian Whimbrel at Pulau Ubin East
2 Banded Bay Cuckoo (1 at Sungei Serangoon & 1 at Pulau Ubin East)
and for the globally critically endangered Straw-headed Bulbul:
40 Straw-headed Bulbuls over 11 sites

Thanks to all the volunteers for their tireless efforts for the census.

Adam Brown	KP Teh	Phua Lao
Alan OwYong	Lee Ee Ling	Spencer Yau
Alex Lim	Lee Poh Ling	Susan Knight
Alyce Ang	Lim Hui Choo	Tan Gim Cheong
B.R. Prakash	Lim Kim Keang	Tan Kok Hui
Cheryl Lao	Lim Kim Seng	Wing Chong
Florence Lian	Lim Kim Chuah	Wong Chung Cheong
Geoff Lim	Mithilesh Mishra	Yap Wee Jin
Goh Yue Yun	MY Chan	Yeo Seng Beng
Jane Rogers	Nessie Khoo
John Spencer	Ng Chay Tuan