On June 16, we hiked up Bukit Timah at 0700, arriving at the summit at sunrise, around 0716. As the sun hit the top of the trees, we began to hear and then see birdlife.
On June 17, 1999 we joined a birding trip around Singapore organized by the International Fellowship of Birdwatching Rotarians. Margie Hall, a freelance nature guide and a member of the Singapore Nature Society, organized the trip from her end. Joining her was birding guide Sumaraj (Raj) Rajathurai.
By 0730 we were in the mist at the Singapore Country Club with birds flying overhead. We walked from the car park there down a trail through Sime Forest, part of the Catchment Reserve of rain forest for the island of Singapore. At the other end of the trail we were picked up by bus and taken to Sungei Buloh Nature Park. Once a mangrove forest along the river, the area was cleared for prawn and fish farming. It was soon realized that migratory birds stopped on the mudflats and mangroves. With the help of the Singapore Nature Society, the park was established in 1993. There are walkways and blinds where one can sit and watch for waterfowl.
Since this was not migration season, we did not see as many birds as one could see at other times. In the list below, habitats are listed as BT (Bukit Timah), SF (SimeForest) and SG (Sungei Buloh).
Grey Heron SG
Little Egret SG
Cattle Egret Roadside
Brahminy Kite SG
White-bellied Fish Eagle SG
White-breasted Waterhen SG
Pink- necked Green-Pigeon SF
Spotted Dove SF
Zebra Dove SG
Long-tailed Parakeet SF
Asian Koel SG
Swiflet species SF carpark
House Swift BT
White-throated Kingfisher SF
Collared Kingfisher SG
Blue-throated Bee-eater SF
Banded Woodpecker SF
Pacific Swallow SF
Yellow vented Bulbul SF
Olive-winged Bulbul SF
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo BT, SF
Black-naped oriole BT,SF
House Crow city
Large-gilledCrow SF
Striped Tit Babbler SF
Common tailorbird SF-heard
Dark-necked tailorbird BT
Ashy tailorbird SG
Yellow-bellied Prinia heard
Pied Fantail SG
Asian Glossy Starling SF
Javan Myna SF
Hill Myna SF
Brown throated sunbird SF, SG car park
Purple throated Sunbird SF
Crimson Sunbird BT, SF
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker SF
Javan Munia SG
Yellow bittern SG
Changeable Hawk-Eagle SF
Thick-billed Green Pigeon-SF in fig tree in fruit
Emerald Dove SF
Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot SF
Red-crowned barbet BT
Blue-winged Leafbird SF
Black-crested Bulbul BT
Short-tailed Babbler-SF was lured out with tape recording
Chestnut-winged Babbler SF
Common Myna parks throughout city
Greater Leafbird SF
Additional animals seen:
Asian toad
Common Sun skink
Clouded Monitor
Longtailed Macaque--BT,SF
Slender squirrel
Plaintain squirrel
Green crested lizard
Black marsh terrapin
Changeable lizard
You may contact Subaraj Rajathurai, Birding Consultant and Guide by
Tel/Fax: 065-787-7048 or email :
serin@swiftech.com.sg