“Two Pairs of Young Kings”

Observation Records of Juvenile Stork-Billed Kingfishers and White-Throated Kingfishers

Text and photos by Veronica Foo

The months of April and May provide many opportunities to see young birds.

On 15^th April 2021 during a walk at Kranji Marshes with Kwek Swee Meng, I chanced upon a pair of juvenile White-throated Kingfishers (Halcyon smyrnensis) perched on a rail by a drain with an adult. The White-throated Kingfisher is a common resident in Singapore. It is polytypic and the subspecies in Singapore is the perpulchra. Both juveniles had darkish bills and some vermiculation on their throat and breast areas.

The adult was seen diving down to the drain once and returning to the rail without any catch. Subsequently, one of the juveniles dived and returned to the rail seemingly without a catch. These birds feed on fish, small amphibians and insects.  It was suggested that the juveniles were probably attempting to learn to feed.  The adult bird subsequently flew off, followed by the 2 juveniles one after another.

The Adult White-Throated Kingfisher with two juveniles.

The remaining juvenile White-throated Kingfisher that eventually flew off

On 4^th May 2021, during a walk at MacRitchie Reservoir with Lim Kim Keang, two birds swooped to a tree in front of us followed by another larger bird a few seconds later. The two obscured birds were making calls to each other. They subsequently flew to different trees on the opposite side of the reservoir boardwalk where we had a better view of them. They were the uncommon resident Stork-Billed Kingfishers (Pelargopsis capensis), our largest Kingfisher species in Singapore. Rarely do we see a juvenile Stork-Billed Kingfisher lest a pair of them? This species is polytypic and the ones resident in Singapore is the subspecies malaccensis.

Both juveniles had brown crowns, head-sides and napes, brown vermiculation on their breasts, darkish bills unlike the bright red in adults.  These kingfishers feed on fish and crabs but the juvenile birds did not attempt to dive to fish nor were they fed by the adult.  The juveniles continued making calls while the adult remained perched on a different tree. The birds eventually flew off into the forest.

Pictures of the two juvenile Stork-billed Kingfishers

The adult Stork-Billed Kingfisher perched and overlooking the reservoir water.

Based on this observation, the Stork-Billed Kingfishers were probably looking for better hunting grounds.

Documentation of nesting and breeding records of Kingfishers especially that of Stork-Billed Kingfisher are very scant. These two confirmed breeding records add to the knowledge of our resident kingfishers. Based on a previous record by Lim Kim Chuah and Marcel Finlay on the nesting and breeding record of Stork-Billed Kingfisher can be read on this link.  https://singaporebirdgroup.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/nesting-and-breeding-record-of-stork-billed-kingfisher-in-singapore/ . The juvenile Stork-Billed Kingfisher photographed by Marcel Finlay on 4 July 2017 has a darker bill base with some red towards the tip. This juvenile may be of a younger age than the two that were observed recently.

Stork-billed Kingfisher calling

Kingfishers generally dig and build nests in river-banks, decaying trees or termite nests in trees in obscurity.  From the above observations and sightings, we can deduce that these two kingfisher species are building nests here. Their successful nestings that resulted in these four juveniles is a positive occurrence and we hope for their continuous survival with records of their sightings.

REFERENCES

1.Lim, K.S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). 

2.Wells, D.R. (1997). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Volume 1: Non-Passerines. Academic Press.  

3. Yong, D.L., Lim, K.C. and Lee T.K. (2017). A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Singapore. John Beaufoy.

4. Craig Robson (2016). Birds of South-East Asia (Concise Edition).

5. Nesting and Breeding Record of Stork-Billed Kingfisher by Lim Kim Chuah and Marcel Finlay  https://singaporebirdgroup.wordpress.com/2017/10/21/nesting-and-breeding-record-of-stork-billed-kingfisher-in-singapore/

The Red Breasted Parakeet’s Production Factory at Serangoon Garden Circus.

By Mike Smith.

Red breasted parakeets are not native to Singapore but successfully breed in the wild after being released as pets many years ago. They are found at Changi Village, Serangoon Gardens, Pasir Ris Park, the West Coast and undoubtably many other places.

I decided to observe the birds which live in a colony in Serangoon Gardens between late December 2020 and April 2021

The Alexandri subspecies live in Serangoon Gardens.

Summary

 My conclusion is that RBP’s are successful in Singapore because:

1. They live in permanent colonies.
2. They have adapted to rural and urban locations.
3. They select their trees and environment wisely.
4. They defend their nest holes.
5. They use the same nest holes on multiple occasions.
6. At least two birds monitor the nests and feed chicks.
7. The male often feeds the female in the nest so there is less incentive to leave the nest unattended.
8. Breeding is prolific and most babies fledge so a colony can grow by 50% in a breeding season.

 If it is determined that the RBP population is growing too fast, to the detriment of other parakeets in Singapore, its population could be controlled by aggressively trimming tree branches in the colony or closing holes.

 Details.

RBP’s in Singapore live in “permanent communities” and take over a whole tree or group of trees. The colony in Serangoon Gardens has been around for several years for example and continues to do well.

RBP’s have adapted to both rural & urban settings eg PRP, Changi Village and Serangoon Gardens.

 The Angsana is a regular choice of tree for a RBP colony to live in. This makes sense because Angsana trees are tall, healthy, hard wood trees that are common in Singapore. They are often planted alongside roads and thus need branches that grow over the roads cutting off, presenting opportunities for woodpeckers, barbets etc to drill out nests, which when abandoned can be taken over by RBP.

 The holes/nests at Serangoon Gardens are at a safe height, offer good views against potential adversaries and are in a location with few predators.

 I would estimate there were initially 20 – 25 RBP at Serangoon Gardens, primarily living in one tree.

 RBP’s are clever and efficient because they keep using the same holes for breeding rather than looking for a hole and abandoning it after fledging.

 Once established a nest is seldom left unguarded for more than 20 or 30 minutes. Once babies have hatched there are often two or more birds monitoring the nest.

 Male adults feed the female in the nest when required. No large protein eg worms or caterpillars was fed to the babies so I suspect protein was from seeds or possibly small bugs on the tree (adults were seen gnawing at branches). Males & females are involved in looking after the nest and feeding chicks but 1 bird, female, dominates sitting in the nest or at the entrance.

 Between January and April 2021, I witnessed 10 successful fledges. In simple terms the population increased by almost 50% in less than 4 months! If this colony is typical then no wonder the population is growing so quickly.

 In all instances, within twenty – four hours of the chicks fledging the nest was “choped” again by another pair of RBP, thus making sure no other type of bird could take over the hole or tree.

 I am not sure what the ethics of preventing RBP from continuing to grow are but perhaps one way to stem the growth is to target angsana trees with significant populations and fill in some of the holes or severely trim the trees and remove some holes which would probably be more politically correct.

Conclusion.

 RBP are thriving in Singapore and will continue to do so unless efforts are taken to control their numbers.

References: ikcnhm.nus.edu.sg, wiki.nus.edu.sg, desgroup.org

The Gangster Monitor Of PRP

by Seng Alvin

The Malayan Monitor Lizard, Varanus salvator, is the most common of the three lizard species found in Singapore. It is also the largest, growing up to 3 meters in length. They feed on crabs, fish, frogs and small vertebrates. They are also not fussy eaters helping to clean up rotting fish and carrion.

As an apex predator, their numbers have grown in many parts of Singapore including Pasir Ris Park, my backyard. I likened them to “gangsters” here, attacking all the other species in the park whenever there is an opportunity

One such opportunity came on the morning of 10 March 2021, I was on my usual birding walkabout stopping first at the main bridge across Sungei Tampines. Every thing was calm and peaceful. A few Black-crowned Night Herons, Little Egrets and Striated Herons were happily foraging by the bank of the river.

Suddenly I saw a Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, dropped into the river. I did not see how and why it fell. It was struggling in the water trying to get out, sending ripples across the river. This attracted a Malayan Water Monitor lurking nearby. Immediately it swam over and start attacking the heron in the water. There was nothing I can do except to document the attack.

Most unusual for an adult heron to suddenly fall into the water.

The heron put up a fight and managed to fend off the monitor lizard. But it was clearly injured from the bite of the lizard. I can see a few of it’s white feathers floating in the water.

A few feathers came off after the first attack, It must have been injured.

The monitor lizard bid its time, circling the wounded heron waiting for the right time to attack again. It’s main concern is from other lizards trying to steal its prize.

After a few minutes the monitor lizard launched a second attack. This time round the heron was too weak to resist. It took less than a minute. It was game over for the heron.

The second and fatal attack giving the heron no chance at all.

With it’s prey in its mouth, the lizard quickly dragged it to the bushes along the river bank to finish the meal away from the prying eyes of the other lizards. After close to an hour, this “gangster monitor” came out of the bushes with the half eaten carcass and swam across the river, showing off its trophy to the many birders and visitors to the park.

Showing off its trophy prey as it swam out of the bushes.

While we have to accept that this is part of the life and death cycle in the natural world, where predation is nature’s way of maintaining the biodiversity, this balance can easily be unhinged if a dominant species expanded out of proportion and becomes a threat to the other wildlife in the ecosystem.

The Black-crowned Night Heron is listed as critically endangered in the 2008 Singapore Red Data Book. The main reason is the destruction and disturbance of its feeding and nesting sites and pesticide poisoning. Our largest colony of 1,200 birds at Khatib Bonsu was wiped out in July 1990 when officials from the Ministry of Environment’s Vector Control and Research Division (VCD) start fogging the mangrove island continuously for months in response to complaints of culex mosquitoes. Since then only a few smaller colonies of 20 odd pairs were found at Jurong Lake, Sungei Buloh and Pasir Ris Mangroves. We need to protect all the breeding sites across the island if we are to see this nocturnal heron survive and thrive.

Reference: Nick Baker & Kelvin Lim. Wild Animals of Singapore.

Yong Ding Li, Lim Kim Chuah and Lee Tiah Khee. A Naturalist Guide to the Birds of Singapore.

G.W.H Davidson, P.K.L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew. The Singapore Red Data Book.

Lim Kim Seng. Vanishing Birds of Singapore.

White-faced and Kentish Plovers- a side by side comparison.

By Alan OwYong and Yong Ding Li.

Dave Bakewell and Peter Kennerley first alerted us to a distinct looking Charadrius plover in their 2008 paper titled “Malaysia’s Mystery Plover” after studying them at Tuas, Singapore in winter of 1993-1994 and in Penang in 2006-2007. This led to a comprehensive study of the plover in question, in collaboration with Philip Round in 2008. They then coined the name “White-faced Plover” for its predominately white looking face.

Following the publication of the article, birders in China started searching for them along the coast. In 2011, a China-based birder Brian Ivon Jones stumbled a breeding population on China’s southern coast. 270 birds were counted at two sandy beaches at Dahu, Haifeng in Guangdong Province.

Further research found that renown British ornithologist Robert Swinhoe had described the form in 1870 based on a specimen collected from Taiwan and had it named Aegialites dealbatus. This was treated as a subspecies of the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus.

So it was more of a rediscovery and the bonus was that it was accepted by the IOC as a new species following the name given by Bakewell and Kennerley, White-faced Plover, Charadrius dealbatus after the split. Numerous studies have been conducted by researchers thereafter to better understand is taxonomic relationship with other similar plovers.

The granite seawall by Marina East Drive where all the three Charadrius Plovers can be found.

On the 31 January 2021, all three Charadrius plovers were present at the seawall along Marina East Drive. There were a few pairs of Malaysian Plovers, several Kentish and at least one male White-faced Plover moulting into breeding plumage.

Both the Kentish and White-faced Plovers were seen mixing together and came close to each other for these photos. With these we are able to compare them better side by side.

Male Kentish (back) and White-faced Plovers.

At first glance, both plovers look similiar. But the first thing you will notice are the lores or rather the absence of the black loral patch for the White-faced. The patch behind the eyes are also visibly darker for the Kentish. Another useful feature for birders to take note of is the black breast typical of the Malaysian and Kentish Plovers, this feature is less pronounced in the White-faced. The black band across the crown is further back on the White-faced Plover, giving it the appearance of a much whiter forehead and an overall paler face. Lastly the Kentish Plover has a darker brown upperparts compared to the lighter, ‘milky tea’ color for the White-faced.

Side profile of the female Kentish Plover ( left ) and the male White-faced Plover (back).

This side profile photo shows that the two plover species are of about the same size with a slightly rounder body for the Kentish. The flanks of the Kentish has more white than the White-faced. The legs of the Kentish do look darker but the length is hard to judge. The most contrasting feature is the shape of the head. The White-faced has a steeper forehead compared to the sloping forehead of the Kentish Plover, giving it a more “dome-shaped” look.

This White-faced Plover has been accepted into the International Ornithological Congress’s checklist after the split, and has now been added into the 2021 Nature Society (Singapore)’s Birds of Singapore Checklist.

References:

Bakewell, D.N. & Kennerley, P.R. (2007). Malaysia’s Mystery Plovers. Available at http://www.surfbirds.com/Features/plovers1108/malayplovers.html

Kennerley, P.R., Bakewell, D.N., & Round, P.D. (2008). Rediscovery of a long-lost Charadrius plover from South-East Asia. Forktail, 24, 63-79.

Swinhoe’s ( White-faced Plovers)-Birdingbeijing.com

Sadanandan, K. R., Küpper, C., Low, G. W., Yao, C. T., Li, Y., Xu, T., … & Wu, S. (2019). Population divergence and gene flow in two East Asian shorebirds on the verge of speciation. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). Singapore.

Birds of Singapore Checklist 2021 Edition.

The 2021 edition of the NSS Bird Group Checklist is attached for your reference.

There are no changes to the order and number of species, 407, as the one attached in the Bird Records Committee Report (Jan 2021), except for the corrected scientific names of 12 species namely Slaty-breasted Rail, Baillon’s, Ruddy-breasted, Band-bellied and White-browed Crakes, Black-and-white, Black-headed and Black-crested Bulbuls, Chestnut-winged, Pin-striped Tit, Short-tailed and White-chested Babblers, following IOC Version 10.2.

The names of Red Collared Dove and Barred Eagle-owl have also been updated while the status of Himalayan Vulture is now a Non-breeding Visitor.

White-browed Crake Poliolimnas cinereus, uncommon breeding resident.

birds-of-singapore-checklist-2021-editionDownload

Birds Records Committee Report ( Jan 2021)

By Lim Kim Seng.

Chairman, Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group Records Committee.

The Records Committee continues to receive records of new bird species to the Singapore List and rarities. This report updates the findings of the period, November 2019 – December 2020.

New Species

Nine new bird species were added to the Singapore List, bringing the total number of species to 407. These included three firsts – Common Swift, White-bellied Erpornis and Hair-crested Drongo – that had been recorded in the period under review. In addition, six species that had been previously categorized under Categories B or D had been re-reviewed by the committee and found to fit Category A. 

Common Swift Apus apus

An individual seen and photographed flying over Jelutong Tower on 9 Oct 2019 by Richard White, Francis Yap and Martin Kennewell was the first record for Singapore. Amazingly, this was followed by a second record from Henderson Waves on 27 Oct 2020 seen by Keita Sin, Tan Gim Cheong and Deborah Friets. The subspecies recorded is pekinensis which breeds in Northeast China and Transbaikalia, winters in Africa and have recently been seen in Thailand.

Common Swift Apus apus at Jelutong Tower, 9 Oct 2020. Photo by Francis Yap.

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon Treron bicincta

A male photographed at Chinese Garden on 22 Dec 2007 by Jonathan Cheah and Jimmy Chew is the only record for Singapore (Lim 2009). Previously assigned to Category D.

White-faced Plover Charadrius dealbatus

This is a taxonomic split accepted by IOC. The first Singapore records were up to four birds at Tuas from late Oct 1994 to Mar 1994 by Peter Kennerley (Lim 2009). Subsequent records were received from Changi and Marina East. Previously treated as a distinct subspecies of Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus.

White-faced Plover, Charadrius dealbatus, a taxonomic split accepted by IOC,
Photo taken at Marina East Drive by Alan OwYong.

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

A bird seen at Punggol on 18 Sep 1994 by Alfred Chia, Kenneth Kee, Lim Kim Chuah, Lim Kim Keang, Lim Kim Seng and Alan Owyong was the first record for Singapore (Lim 2009). This species was recently seen in southern Johor, Malaysia during the northern winter. It was previously assigned to Category D.

Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus

Up to two birds seen at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve between 5 Nov 2001 and 16 Feb 2008 by Todd Birzer, Reuben Braddock, Andrew Chow, Lim Kim Seng and Yong Ding Li were our first records since 1970 (Lim 2009). Another record from Singapore Botanic Gardens on 16 Oct 2004 could not be confirmed. This species was previously assigned to Category B.

Green Broadbill Calyptomena viridis

1 photographed at East Coast Park by Seetoh Yew Wai on 27 Nov 2014 and another at Pulau Ubin by Keita Sin on 25 Dec 2014 were our first records since 1970 (Lim 2009). Previously assigned to Category B.

Green Broadbill Calyptomena viridis, at East Coast Park on 27 Nov 2014. Photo by See Toh Yew Wai.

White-bellied Erpornis Erponis zantholeuca

One seen and heard at the summit of Bukit Timah on 16 Jun 2020 by Richard White was the first record for Singapore. Martin Kennewell who arrived later was able to capture some excellent photos of the individual.

White-bellied Erpornis, Erpornis zantholeuca at Bukit Tiamh NR on 16 Jun 2020. Photo by Martin Kennewell.

Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus

An individual videoed at Changi Business Park on 26 Nov 2019 by T Ramesh and Steven Cheong was misidentified as a Crow-billed Drongo. Excellent detective work by Frank Rheindt proved that it was actually the subspecies brevirostris of Hair-crested Drongo, which is the migratory subspecies that breeds in China and northern Vietnam and winters in subtropical Southeast Asia and – this once – also in Sundaic Southeast Asia.

Hair-crested Drongo, Dicrurus hottentottus, at Changi Business Park on 26 Nov 2020. Video grab by T. Ramesh

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

An individual seen at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve on 14 Jul 1996 by Lim Kim Chuah was our first record of this lowland Sundaic forest species. It was subsequently seen by other observers and last seen on 6 Jul 1999 (Lim 2009). Previously assigned to Category D.

Updates to the Checklist

In addition to the new species, the Records Committee have also been reviewing the checklist with a view to producing a checklist that is up-to-date, accurate and user-friendly.

One minor change was to use the term “Vagrant” instead of “Accidental” to describe the status of birds that do not breed in the Thai-Malay Peninsula region but occasionally stray into Singapore. An example would be Booted Warbler. Vagrants are denoted by “V” in the checklist.  

Perhaps the most important change was to Categories A and C. The committee decided to apply a 30-year timeframe instead of the traditional 50 years. The rationale for this is to better reflect the presence of extant breeders and to exclude extinct species in Singapore. Therefore, the cut-off for Categories A and C would be January 1^st 1991. Any record that pre-dates 1991 would be transferred to Category B.

These are the species that have been removed from categories A and C due to the absence of records for the last thirty years:

English Name	Scientific Name	Remarks
Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca	Reassigned to Category B
Christmas Frigatebird	Fregata andrewsi	Reassigned to Category B
Hen Harrier	Circus cyaneus	Reassigned to Category B
Eurasian Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	Reassigned to Category B
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Reassigned to Category B
Roseate Tern	Sterna dougallii	Reassigned to Category B
Black-thighed Falconet	Microhierax fringillarius	Reassigned to Category B
Plain Sunbird	Anthreptes simplex	Reassigned to Category B
White-capped Munia	Lonchura ferruginosa	Removed from Category C
Java Sparrow	Lonchura oryzivora	Removed from Category C
Yellow-breasted Bunting	Emberiza aureola	Reassigned to Category B

The committee has also taken the opportunity to review a number of records that were deemed to lack conclusive evidence of occurrence. As a result, the following species have been removed from the checklist proper:

English Name	Scientific Name	Remarks
Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle	Nisaetus alboniger	Removed from Category A
Western Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus	Removed from Category A
Oriental Hobby	Falco severus	Removed from Category A
Richard’s Pipit	Anthus richardi	Removed from Category A

Another action was with regards to the occurrence of seabirds within Singapore territorial waters. As both the Straits of Johor and Singapore Straits are shared with Malaysia and Indonesia respectively, there is a need to ascertain that birds seen are inside Singapore territory. Therefore, seabird records were scrutinized to confirm that they were all seen in and not outside Singapore by referring to the GPS coordinates for these records. Records outside Singapore territorial waters or without verifiable GPS data are therefore categorized under Annex 1.    

The following species have been assigned to Annex 1:

English Name	Scientific Name	Remarks
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus	Assigned to Annex 1
Pomarine Skua	Stercorarius pomarinus	Assigned to Annex 1
Bulwer’s Petrel	Bulweria bulwerii	Assigned to Annex 1

Acknowledgements

We would like to thanks the following observers for submitting their records for review and for the use of their photographs in this report:  Steven Cheong, Deborah Friets, Martin Kennewell, T. Ramesh, Tan Gim Cheong, Richard White, Francis Yap, See Toh Yew Wai and Alan OwYong. Finally, thanks are also due to my fellow committee members for their expertise in the deliberation process:  Alfred Chia, Kenneth Kee, Benjamin Lee, Lim Kim Chuah, Lim Kim Keang, Movin Nyanasengeran, Dillen Ng, Alan Owyong, Frank Rheindt, Keita Sin, Tan Gim Cheong and Yong Ding Li.

birds-of-singapore-checklist-2021-edition-1Download

Reference

Lim, K.S. (2009). The avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore), Singapore.

Allopreening of a pair of Common Ioras.

Allopreening of a Common Iora pair at NTHL Singapore.

By Joseph Lim

This bird report wishes to record observations on the allopreening of a Common Iora pair at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane this October.

In birds, allopreening is a conspicuous feature of interactions between breeding partners and has been hypothesized to play a role in strengthening and maintaining pair bonds within and across breeding attempts. Usually, one bird nibbled the other’s head and face feathers with its bill, and the bird being preened usually lowered its head and moves its head to facilitate preening in whatever area that is being preened.

On a morning of 31 October this year, I was checking on the Pallas Grasshopper Warblers at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane when I noticed a pair of Common Iora Aegithina tiphia, preening each other. The male and the female Common Ioras started off by picking a firm perch before getting ready for allopreening. They picked a good spot with the morning sun shining directly on their body, most likely for the purpose of sunning.

Both the male and the female performed self-preening first before continuing with allopreening (See Plate 1). The female then moved on to initiate preening on the male by using the beak to nib on the chest features in a gentle manner. It then continued to preen on the male while the male also nibbed itself concurrently on the neck area (See Plate 2). The male then reciprocated by preening on the female on the mid chest area (See Plate 3). Subsequently, the female then continued to preen on the male on the throat area.

The whole process lasted for about 6-7 minutes. After the preening process, the couple perched for about a minute before flying off together.

These are some key notes of the observations :

• The female preened more thoroughly and intensively on the male. The male preened on its partner only once and briefly as compared to the female.
• The male was very cooperative and moved its body, mainly the head and neck to facilitate preening in whatever area that is being preened.
• Both seemed relaxed and was quiet during the process. They also seemed unconcerned of the observer’s presence standing approximately 5 metres away.

Plate 1- Female (left) with male (right) performing self-preening before proceeding with allopreening.

Plate 2- Female (left) continued to preen on the male (right) while the male also nibbed itself concurrently on the neck area.

Plate 3- The male (right)then reciprocated by preening on the female (left) on the mid chest area.

References:

1. ‘Allopreening in birds is associated with parental cooperation over offspring care and stable pair bonds across years’, Behavioral Ecology, Volume 28, Issue 4, July-August 2017, Pages 1142–1148,
   source: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/28/4/1142/3865432
2. ‘A bird Preen it’s feathers’ ,’Through the Lens’, Fujingaho Magazine, November, 2019 . Source : https://www.birdlife.org/asia/news/bird-preens-its-feathers.

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The Farmland Marshes of Kranji. Part 2.

The Farmland Marshes of Kranji. Part 2.

A Personal Observation by Pary Sivaraman

In my previous article ‘The Farmland Marshes of Kranji. Part 1’, I had described an ‘accidental site’ comprising muddy parts, marsh-like and water-logged areas that attracted migrant birds and local birds.  In the second part of my write up, I will highlight how some of our resident birds have managed to breed in this accidental site, signaling the ultimate success of such a place. Most of the observations on the breeding of these birds were taken exclusively from outside the fence near one of the lamp posts. Not unexpectedly, it was impossible to photograph the chicks.

The White-breasted Waterhen is a relatively common bird seen at many locations in Singapore. It was one of the first birds seen here to have chicks. The chicks were rather small when first seen and did not venture beyond a specific area located to the left of the Farmland. A pair of Cinnamon Bitterns were also sometimes seen perched on the low-lying shrubs in the deeper parts of the Farmland. Subsequently I would see one of them intermittently fly in to catch what was possibly insects and fly off. With careful observations I tracked it to another Farmland. It would go regularly to the same location with food in its mouth leading me to believe there could be a nest there.  I did not attempt to search for the nest in the other Farmland as it would highly likely have disturbed the nesting. Anyway, it was in another Farmland. The Slaty-breasted Rails with three juveniles have been seen to walk regularly in this Farmland. They would also walk outside the Farmland. Since I did not see the chicks in this Farmland, I cannot be certain whether they had bred here though it is possible since they appeared comfortable walking around.

Chestnut Munia (Black-headed Munia), Scaly-breasted Munia, Common Waxbill and Golden-backed Weavers have been busily seen bringing nesting materials. The nests cannot be seen but I have seen fledglings of the Chestnut Munia and Scaly-breasted Munia. I did not pay too much attention to the other two birds and thus may have missed the fledglings. The Red-wattled Lapwings would fly in an extremely aggressive manner above this Farmland when disturbed. Its chicks were seen in the Farmland behind this plot of land.

Lesser-whistling ducks have been seen regularly visiting this plot of land. The maximum number of Lesser-whistling ducks I had seen at one time was twenty-eight (28) as they flew away from the Farmland.  They would fly in, wade in the water-logged areas or stand at various places (Photos 1 to 3).

Photo 1. Lesser-whistling ducks flying into the Farmland.

Photo 2. Lesser-whistling ducks wading in the water-logged areas.

Photo 3. Lesser-whistling ducks standing at one part of the Farmland.

The area shown by Photo 3 may be especially important as I have seen one pair of Lesser-whistling ducks spend a considerable portion of their time there. It was in the water-logged area near this site, I first noticed the seven (7) ducklings wading with its parents.

Photo 4. Showing the areas where the adults would be seen wading with the chicks.

The Lesser-whistling ducks and ducklings would be seen intermittently wading in the areas marked by the three red arrows. They would usually move in the direction of the blue arrows and reverse back. Whilst I could see the chicks with my binoculars partially hidden by the vegetation, it was not possible for me to get any photos standing outside the fence. The other angle that allowed observation from outside the fence in the past unfortunately was blocked by significant overgrowth of vegetation (hatched purple) and prevented any clear line of sight.

The Common Moorhen has also been seen at various parts of the Farmland. They would either wade in the water-logged areas or stand at a few chosen spots on the solid ground (Photos 5 & 6).

Photo 5. Common Moorhen wading in the water-logged areas.

Photo 6. Common Moorhen standing at one of its usual sites.

The maximum number of adult Common Moorhens I had seen in this Farmland was four (4). I was unable to capture all four in a single frame (Photo 7).

Photo 7. Three Common Moorhens. The fourth one was hidden to the left of this photo.

Photo 7 is interesting as this was the same area where I had seen the pair of Lesser-Whistling ducks spend a considerable portion of the time. Similarly, a pair of the Common Moorhens would spend time here and move to the water-logged area (Photo 8).

Photo 8. Pair of Common Moorhens would be seen regularly at this location.

Two chicks were subsequently seen wading in the water-logged areas with the parents in this location. The chicks were much smaller than the adult and appeared almost completely black, except for the beak which looked possibly tan/pinkish. Despite all my attempts I could not get a single photo standing outside the Farmland. I was terribly disappointed in not being able to get any photos but was still happy to have seen the chicks of the Common Moorhen!

The movement of the Common Moorhen with its chicks was more restricted and usually would be restricted to the leftmost red arrow of Photo 4. I was somewhat puzzled as to whether the Lesser-whistling ducks and the Common Moorhens would get along. I had seen them on multiple occasions sharing the same area (Photo 9) in close proximity.

Photo 9. Lesser-whistling duck and Common Moorhen in proximity.

The final bird that had bred here would be the White-browed Crake. I did not see the chicks but saw the juvenile White-browed Crakes moving within the reeds. They had brownish heads. They would never venture out into the open and I do not have any decent photos of them. Unlike the Lesser-whistling ducks and the Common Moorhens, they preferred a slighly different location that included marsh-like and water logged areas (Photo 10). The head can usually be seen near the purple circled area and they would move within the area marked in blue.

Photo 10. Showing where the juvenile White-browed crakes would be seen.

From July to August 2020, the workers had started more intensive work around the Farmland to clear vegetation, move the bags of sand/fertilizer, etc. With permission from the Farmland supervisiors, I managed to enter and attempted to look for the Common Moorhens. They were not found making me suspect they had left the location due to the regular and significant human activity especially at the place where they were seen to be resting most of the time. Prior to this, the workers did walk around intermittently without doing any clearing of vegetation and I suspect the Common Moorhens remained at the site as they were not threatened.

The Lesser Whistling ducks still continue to come to the Farmland but in lesser numbers and would wade and rest at different locations. The White-browed Crakes can still be found in the Farmland as its usual movement area has not been affected by human activity.

At the start of September 2020,  I was fortunate to witness two chicks of the White-browed Crake with its parents. In the ensuing days only one of the chicks was regularly seen, making me suspect that one of the chicks might have either died or fallen prey. Since my entry into the Farmland was not restricted, I was able to obtain photos of the slightly grown-up chick of the White-browed Crake and subsequently the Juvenile White-browed Crake (Photos 11 & 12). Many other birders have also been successful in capturing precious images of this bird.

Photo 11. White-browed chick with its parent

Photo 12. Juvenile White-browed chick

This accidental site in the Farmland consisting of muddy parts, marsh-like and water-logged areas has attracted both migrant birds and local birds. Recently, the Pallas-grasshopper Warbler and Oriental Reed Warbler have been spotted here. The site has also supported breeding of some of the most uncommon birds we have in Singapore.

In my opinion, this site has been successful as a habitat for both migratory and uncommon local birds. The muddy areas provided a resting and feeding spot for birds like the Long-toed stint and Little-ringed plover. The water-logged areas had relatively shallow portions and even the deeper portions were possibly at most only 0.5 meters. This allowed birds like the White-browed Crakes walk in the shallow areas and Asian Openbills in the deeper areas to forage for food. The interspersed vegetation with reeds provided cover from predators and yet allowed the birds to move freely and forage for food. Excessive human activity like clearing of vegetation would be a threat to these birds as exemplified by the disappearance of the Common Moorhens from this Farmland. Finally, my wish would be such a similar site would be reproduced in a nearby vicinity and it would allow birders like me to watch, photograph and enjoy birdlife.

The Farmland Marshes of Kranji. Part 1.

The Farmland Marshes of Kranji. Part 1.

A Personal Observation by Pary Sivaraman

Many of the birders and bird photographers were sad that the vacant land next to Kranji Marshes was tendered out for farming. During the preparation stage, the land was left to fallow. We can only scan for the birds from the outside or on top of the tower. Already many of the freshwater waders were seen wintering there.

Aquatic plants like mimosas, reeds, sages and grasses began to colonize the open land. After the plots were sold, fences and boarding were erected and clearing of the land started. We were able to drive in, bird and photograph the many grassland species and migrants foraging at some of the open plots.

My focus was one of the plots that was fenced around by low plastic sheets and netting. The farm had significant work done with areas dug out that resulted in the collection of rainwater and other parts were used for growing vegetable. With time some of the water filled areas became covered with various types of vegetation including reeds. Interestingly some areas looked like a marshland and other parts were mud covered areas. With time and rain, it offered three types of ‘habitats’: muddy areas, marsh-like areas and even a pond all rolled into one location!

Photo 1. Shows a wide-angle view from the lamp post

Photo 2. Shows a closer view of the right side with reeds, water collection etc.

During the migratory season, birds like the Common Kingfisher, Oriental Pratincoles, Wood Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints, Little-ringed Plovers and Snipes (both Common & Pintail) were seen at this location (Photos 3 to 7). I have not included photos of Wagtails (Eastern Yellow & Grey) that have also been seen here nor the Barn Swallows that would rest at various locations and fly low to catch insects in flight above the water covered marsh-like areas.

The migratory birds that were seen from outside the farm near the lamppost would come regularly and land on the mud-covered areas to rest, forage for food, etc. I have seen as many as 16 Wood Sandpipers, 7 Little-ringed Plovers, 4 Long-toed Stints, 3 Snipes and 2 Oriental Pratincoles at any one time, though not all these birds would come together at the same time! Some of these observations have been shared previously on eBird.

Photo 3. Common Kingfisher with food it captured from the pond.

Photo 4. Wood Sandpiper (left) with Long-toed Stint (right).

Photo 5. Long-toed Stint (left) with Little-ringed Plover (right)

Photo 6. Oriental Pratincole with Little-ringed Plover.

Photo 7. Snipe species.

Whilst not a migratory bird, the Asian-Pied Starling (Photo 8) has been seen here several times and on one occasion even a pair was seen. The origin of this bird is usually believed to be an ‘escapee’ with some speculating that its may have flown over from Johor Malaysia.

Photo 8. Asian Pied Starling.

The site would also be visited by our common birds like the Mynahs (Common & Javan Mynahs), Munias (Black-headed, White-headed & Scaly breasted), Waxbills, Weavers (Baya & Golden-backed), Yellow-vented Bulbul, etc. Since these birds can be found in various parts of Kranji, I did not consider them to be especially interesting.

Moving to the marsh-like & pond area it was common to see Little Egrets and Intermediate Egrets foraging for food. The Asian Openbill would come in significant numbers to forage for food in the water-logged area that were like a pond (Photos 9 & 10).

Photo 9. Intermeditate Egret with food in its mouth that it had captured from the “pond”.

Photo 10. Asian Openbill with food in its mouth. Some areas must be relatively deep!

The story fortunately did not end there. It was not uncommon to see the Lesser Whistling Ducks fly, wade in the ponds, hide in the reeds or stand by the solid ground. Apart from these, the Common Moorhens would wade in the pond-like area and similarly one would see White-browed Crakes foraging for food (Photos 11 to 13). Both the Common Moorhen and White-browed Crakes are extremely difficult to see in Singapore except at certain locations.

Photo 11. Lesser Whistling Ducks flying in.

Photo 12. Common Moorhen moving in the water-logged area.

Photo 13. A pair of White-browed Crakes foraging for food.

This ‘accidental site’ comprising of marsh-like areas, muddy parts and water-logged areas that look like a pond has continued to attract migrant birds and local birds. I have intentionally only used those photographs that are below par in this write up as my interest was to document the birdlife there.

In fact, I have met many other birders who called this the ‘real Kranji Marsh’. On reflection, I would agree with them.

I hope this write up would create an awareness and support for natural “accidental” places like this for migratory birds in our land scarce island.

In the second part of my write up I will highlight how certain birds have managed to breed in this accidental site signaling the ultimate success of such a place.

Note: The observations and photos were taken exclusively from outside the fence near one of the lamp posts. If you intend to bird in private land parcels, do seek permission when possible and respect the rights of the property.