
Northern Boobook, at Gardens by the Bay, 27 Mar 2022, by Lam SG
Summary for migrant species:
In March 2022, 146 raptors of eleven migrant species were recorded. A shy Northern Boobook Ninox japonica was photographed at Gardens by the Bay on the 27th, while an Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia was photographed at Thomson Nature Park on the 4th and 5th.
Wintering migrant raptors that were still around included the juvenile Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus at Telok Blangah Hill Park on the 11th; two Rufous-bellied Eagles Lophotriorchis kienerii – a sub-adult and a juvenile at the Dairy Farm Nature Park / Singapore Quarry area; the female Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis at Ang Mo Kio on the 5th (another four Chinese Sparrowhawks were recorded, probably passing through); three Jerdon’s Bazas Aviceda jerdoni were still at Coney Island on the 12th (while another four – two at Sentosa on the 9th, and 2 at Ubin on the 30th were recorded).
There were also four Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus, seven Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus, 17 Japanese Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis, 33 Black Bazas Aviceda leuphotes,and68 Oriental Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhynchus.

Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Ulu Pandan, 2 Mar 2022, by Julian Wong.
Highlights for sedentary species:
Breeding-related activities were observed for four resident raptor species. The two chicks of the Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus nest at Turut Track had fledged and were seen grabbing prey from their parent’s talons in mid-air on the 26th. The chick of the Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus nest at East Coast Park had also fledged by the 11th. A chick of the Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus fledged at the Dairy Farm area on the 9th. And there were two nests of the White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster – one at Lorong Halus had 1 chick, while the one at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve had 2 chicks.
March was a good month for the Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela, with records from Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the 5th (adult), Kent Ridge Park on the 15th (adult), Pasir Ris Park on the 16th, Telok Blangah on the 17th, Goldhill Avenue on the 20th, Changi Business Park on the 24th (immature), Botanic Gardens on the 25th (adult), and Choa Chu Kang park on the 28th. The other diurnal resident raptors recorded were the Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus, and Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus, both reported from various localities.
At Hampstead Wetlands on the 12th, an adult Buffy Fish Owl Ketupa ketupu was on the ground ‘sunning’ its feathers, and it was apparently a daily routine. In the leafy compounds at the zoo, two Spotted Wood Owl Strix seloputo were spotted in late March.

Buffy Fish Owl ‘sunning’ its feathers on the ground, Hampstead Wetlands, 31 Mar 2022, by Wong Sangmen.
For a pdf version with more details, please click Singapore Raptor Report – March 2022
Many thanks to everyone who had reported their sightings in one way or another, and especially to Lam SG, Julian Wong, and Wong Sangmen for the use of their photos.