Birding Singapore (2024)

17/02/2024

Spent a fantastic day birding yesterday with a seasoned birder from Florida, USA. We covered five sites and saw a ton of goodies including Savanna Nightjar, Milky and Painted Storks, Lesser Adjutant, Oriental Darter, Great-billed Heron, Purple Heron, Buffy Fish Owl, Spotted Wood Owl, Banded Woodpecker, Long-tailed Parakeet, Long-tailed Shrike, Straw-headed Bulbul, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Copper-throated and Crimson Sunbirds, and Little Spiderhunter. Other wildlife included the ubiquitous Plantain Squirrel, Long-tailed Macaque, Clouded and Asian Water Monitors and a magnificent 3-m long Estuarine Crocodile. The weather was fine by the way and what an awesome way it was to spend a Friday. We had quite a few candidates for Bird of the Day. The Straw-headed Bulbul came in a close second to the Lesser Adjutant with the two owls and Great-billed Heron making up the top five. Thanks very much to Sam for being such a sport. See you next time!

08/02/2024

Spent two of the last four days birding with a lovely couple from the USA. We explored eight different sites on the island ranging from rainforests to parkland and were successful in seeing and photographing some of Singapore's most exciting birds. We also did well in seeing some of the other animals as well. Highlights of the two full days are illustrated in the photos below. Special thanks to Elizabeth and Steve for being such enthusiastic companions. Hope to see you soon!

03/02/2024

Spent the last two days birding with friends from the USA. The weather was superb and birds were more cooperative this round. Highlights of the two-day tour are included below including some lovely mammals and reptiles. These included 3 species of owls, 4 kingfishers, 4 sunbirds and 6 parrots as well as the critically endangered Straw-headed Bulbul. As always, thanks go to my lovely companions for the tour, Gordon and Peggy. See you again soon!

29/01/2024

Spent the weekend birding with friends from the USA and the Netherlands. We did really well in excellent weather and managed to see some of Singapore's most desired birds. Highlights included Plume-toed Swiftlet, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo, Common Emerald Dove, Green and Pied Imperial Pigeons, Asian Openbill, Crested Honey Buzzard, Crested Goshawk, Sunda Scops Owl, Buffy Fish Owl, Spotted Wood Owl, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Tanimbar Corella, Straw-headed Bulbul, White-crested Laughingthrush and Copper-throated Sunbird. Thanks to Marc, Karolien and Niels for being such great sports. See you again next time!

22/01/2024

Spent 4 of the last 5 days birding with friends from the USA, UK and Turkey around Singapore. The weather was freakish at best, being woefully wet on Saturday and back to its sunny self on Sunday.

Highlights included Red Junglefowl, Grey-rumped Treeswift, Plume-toed Swiftlet, Green and Pied Imperial Pigeons, Terek Sandpiper, Milky Stork, Asian Openbill, Great-billed Heron, Crested Honey Buzzard, Black Baza, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Spotted Wood Owl, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-tailed and Blue-throated Bee-eaters, Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Long-tailed Parakeet, Crow-billed Drongo, Straw-headed Bulbul, White-crested Laughingthrush and Crimson Sunbird.

My hats are off to Joe, Mike, James, Kadir and Wilmer for the pleasure of their company. See you again next time!

12/01/2024

Spent the day birding with a couple from the USA. The weather wasn't kind to us but we soldiered on and managed to do pretty well in exploiting the gaps between downpours. We visited five sites.

Below are some of the highlights captured on digital media. We were pleased to see most of our targets such as Oriental Pied Hornbill, Long-tailed Parakeet, Buffy Fish Owl, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Long-tailed Shrike, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Straw-headed Bulbul and Copper-throated Sunbird. We also saw some cool animals like Clouded and Asian Water Monitors, Slender and Plantain Squirrels, Long-tailed Macaque, Common Fruit Bat and a pack of at least eleven Smooth-coated Otters.

Thanks go to Doryce and John for being excellent field companions. See you next time!

04/01/2024

Kicked off 2024 with a two-day birding tour with friends from Washington and Texas, USA. The birds were out and about as usual even though continuous rain forced an early end to the second day.

Avian highlights included Oriental Pied Hornbill, Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo, Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Spotted Wood Owl, Buffy Fish Owl, Plume-toed Swiftlet, Crested Goshawk, Milky Stork, Straw-headed Bulbul, Ashy Tailorbird, and Crimson and Copper-throated Sunbirds. Other interesting wildlife encountered included Estuarine Crocodile, Asian Water Monitor, Giant Mudskipper, Mangrove Horseshoe Crab, Long-tailed Macaque and Smooth-coated Otter.

Thanks go to Adam, Doug and Mary for being such wonderful birding companions despite the sometimes challenging weather. See you next time!

29/12/2023

The odds were not in our favour. Two days ago, I was completing my last birding tour of the year for friends from Italy and the Netherlands. We were greeted by heavy rain at Dairy Farm Nature Park - forest birding at its most challenging! The rest of the day was more or less the same. Bird, rain, bird, overcast, bird, rain... Luckily, we did reasonably well as we saw and photographed three species of owls, the critically endangered Straw-headed Bulbul, the vulnerable Long-tailed Parakeet and the range-restricted mangrove specialist Copper-throated Sunbird. Also worth an honourable mention were Sunda Colugo, Long-tailed Macaque, Asian Water Monitor and Estuarine Crocodile. Thanks to Simone and Mariska for being great field companions despite the inclement weather. See you all in 2024! Happy New Year!

27/11/2023

Spent the whole of Sunday birding with a friend from Hong Kong in generally excellent weather. We visited five sites and had a wonderful time seeing some of Singapore's special birds. The photos below captured some of the birding highlights of the day that was cut short by heavy rain towards the end. Nevertheless, it was a great day with the birds and I have to thank Alex for being such a wonderful companion. See you next time!

25/11/2023

Spent the middle of the week birding with friends from Australia and the US in search of birds. We didn't have ideal weather as it rained quite a bit and was overcast most of the time. However, we managed to see quite a few interesting birds and other wildlife. Some of the highlights are captured below. Once again, thanks go to my intrepid companions Brian, Nola, Paul and Frances for being such fantastic partners in the field. See you again next time!

13/11/2023

Spent the weekend birding with friends from Turkey and Germany. We had good weather until the last stop on Sunday but it was otherwise fantastic birding at eight sites all over Singapore. Some of the highlights are captured in photos below. Thanks to Bahar and Thomas for their company in search of Singapore's fabulous birds! It was so much fun! See you next time!

25/10/2023

Spent a full day with a friend from the UK. We were blessed with good, dry weather and managed to see some interesting birds from all over the island. Thanks to Oliver for the pleasure of his company and see you again!

20/10/2023

Spent the last two days birding with friends from the USA. The weather was challenging to say the least with heavy downpour and overcast conditions on the first day and hot and humid weather on the second. Despite the crazy weather we still managed to see most of our target species across different habitats and sites in Singapore. Some of the highlights can be seen in the photos taken during the tours. Thanks go to my faithful companions, Janine, Alyssa, Phil and Barbara for the one-and-a-half day of birding. It was great fun! See you next time!

17/10/2023

Spent the last three days birding Singapore with two friends from the US of A. We tried to cover as much of the country as we could and did quite well in seeing some of the more spectacular birds. The weather was dry and slightly hazy, and at times really warm and humid. But we were not complaining as the birds kept coming! Thanks go to Nathan and Valerie for being such fun and adventurous folks. See you guys again next time!

11/10/2023

Spent a full day birding yesterday with a couple from Sydney, Australia. We did well despite the slightly hazy weather. Below are some of the photos taken during the tour. Thanks to Stephanie and Daniel for being such wonderful companions on an eventful day. See you next time!

05/10/2023

Spent a wonderful day birding (yesterday) with friends from Australia. It started a little slower than normal with the forest quieter than normal perhaps because of a slight haze. The action picked up when we reached the mangroves with the highlight being a snake rather than a bird although the Oriental Pied Hornbill that flew by to say hello was very welcome. Next was a slow walk in the heat of the day at Lorong Halus where Grey-headed Fish Eagle and Savanna Nightjar were the highlights. Last but not least, Pasir Ris provided some respite from the heat and joining us was a delightful pack of Smooth-coated Otters to end the day on a brilliant note! Thanks to Peter and Rachel for the pleasure of their company. See you soon!

01/10/2023

Spent a full day looking for owls and kingfishers for a friend from Switzerland. In the end, we managed to see three species of kingfishers, three species of owls and a host of other bird species including Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Tanimbar Corella, Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Long-tailed and Red-breasted Parakeets, Straw-headed Bulbul and Common Hill Myna. Five of the targets are shown below, with White-throated Kingfisher a seen only. Thanks to Alex for a really wonderful day of birding. Hope you had a whale of a time and do come back again!

27/09/2023

Spent a full day yesterday, birding with a family from Oregon, USA. The weather was great without a drop of rain and not overly hot. Below were some of the birds that we saw during a visit of four places interrupted only by breaks for chow. Migrants were more evident this round as we approach the end of September. Thanks once again to Morgan and Quinton for being such sporting birders. See you next time!

23/09/2023

Spent a full day yesterday birding with a couple from the UK. The weather was good in the morning but became wet in the afternoon. We had a great day seeing Singapore's avian treasures like Straw-headed Bulbul and Copper-throated Sunbird, and interesting wildlife such as Smooth-coated Otter, Saltwater Crocodile and Oriental Whip Snake despite the wet conditions. Below are some of the highlights of the day. Finally, a word of thanks to Helen and Colin for being such great company on a memorable day!

02/09/2023

Spent the last three days birding around Singapore with friends from Australia, UK and the Netherlands. The weather was cloudy and windy, so perfect for exploring the island for its birds. Some highlights of the three days are reproduced below. Thanks to Sarah, Bart, Jupp, Roger and Sonia for the pleasure of their company.

22/08/2023

What a super Sunday it was last week! Other than the super birds, we also got to see some other superb animals. Below is a brief mention of some of the highlights at two of our wetland parks. Enjoy!

21/08/2023

Spent a very successful weekend with friends from France and England. We visited just five sites. The wet weather in the afternoon made it challenging but we were successful in having a nice time discovering the birds of Singapore including some rarities. Highlights captured in digital media are produced below. Thanks to Matthieu and Rich for a fun-filled weekend of birds. Hope to see you again!

14/08/2023

Spent the weekend with a birder and photographer from New York, USA. It was generally warm and humid, with only brief showers on the two days. Birding was good as migrants have started appearing on our shores. Seven sites were visited and below were some of the highlights. Thanks to Rubina for the fantastic company and see you again soon!

08/08/2023

Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans), Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, 8 Aug 2023. Present earlier in the week and still around today.

31/07/2023

A late post from the field. I was out all day Saturday with a birder from London. It was his last day in Singapore and thankfully, the weather held and remained dry throughout. We visited four places ranging from rainforests to parkland. Below are some of the highlights of the day. All photos were beautifully taken by Rob McCormack. Thanks Rob for sharing and hope to see you soon!

24/07/2023

Spent a morning birding at just two places with a friend from Hong Kong yesterday. Logged 45 species as we started off with a fine foray into the forest. Our last hour of birding was interrupted by a tropical downpour but it was still a fruitful day. Below are some of the highlights of the morning captured in digital media. Thanks to Christopher for the pleasure of his company.

22/07/2023

We never know what will happen when we go birding. This Ruddy-breasted Crake is an example of an encounter that was so close, we had problems getting the bird in view. As it turned out, I have got the tail cut-off in the photo!

Ruddy-breasted Crake (Zarponia fusca), Jurong Lake Gardens, 19 July 2023.

19/07/2023

Our birding tour with a friend from Finland (yesterday) started with a heavy tropical downpour! Thankfully, the rain stopped when we started birding although it was gloomy and quiet in the forest. The weather improved later in the day. Highlights of an eventful day included Red Junglefowl, Plume-toed Swiftlet, Slaty-breasted Rail, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Greater Painted-snipe, Little Tern, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Tanimbar Corella, Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Long-tailed Parakeet, Long-tailed Shrike, Straw-headed, Asian Red-eyed, Cream-vented and Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Blue-winged Leafbird and Baya Weaver. The photographs below were some of the bird highlights of the day. Thanks to Jarmo for a really wonderful day!

10/07/2023

Spent the whole of yesterday birding with a friend from Melbourne, Australia. The weather was good at the start but started becoming rainy in the late morning and overcast for the rest of the day. It was difficult conditions for birding and bird photography but we managed to see most of our targets. Below are some of the highlights. Thanks to Peter for the great company!

05/07/2023

While on a mission to find birds around Singapore yesterday (4 July 2023), we also found time to observe the other critters. Below is a selection of some of our animal encounters. Enjoy!

Birding Singapore