Singapore Raptor Report Early Autumn Migration, July-September 2017 Peregrine Falcon (ernesti subspecies), at Pulau Ubin, 17 August 2017, by Xu Weiting Summary: The Osprey, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon were recorded during the July to September period. The Osprey was recorded in small numbers all 3 months, at the Kranji-Mandai and Yishun Dam areas. The 5 Oriental Honey Buzzards recorded from 13 July to 6 September are more likely to have stayed for the summer; and the first autumn arrival was on 24 September at Lorong Halus, followed by another on 25 September at Bidadari and small flocks on 30 September at Tuas. A torquatus Oriental Honey Buzzard tweeddale morph was photographed at Toa Payoh on 30 September. The first arrival of the Japanese Sparrowhawk was on 24 September at Lorong Halus (3 birds), followed by singles at Bidadari and Jelutong Tower before the month ended. The first arrival of the Chinese Sparrowhawk was also on 24 September at Lorong Halus (2 birds), followed by an individual at Jelutong Tower later on. A Peregrine Falcon (ernesti subspecies) was recorded at Pulau Ubin on 17 August; another reported from the 39th floor of OCBC Building on 24 August was also seen feeding on feral pigeons on previous occasions. Page 1 of 5
For the resident raptors, highlights included the locally rare Crested Serpent Eagle on 13 July at South Buona Vista Road. On 18 August at Little Guilin, a juvenile Grey-headed Fish Eagle was observed whining constantly in the presence of an adult, but just 2 weeks later, on 1 September, the adults were seen building a new nest on a tall tree. A juvenile Crested Goshawk was recorded at Pasir Ris Park on 13 July, and Changi Village on 10 September, with a shrew in its talons; adults were recorded on 17 August at Kent Ridge Park, 21 August at Aljunied (2 birds), and 7 September at Sentosa, with a Plantain Squirrel in its talons. The Black-winged Kite was recorded on 9 July at Kranji Marsh, 10 July at Punggol Barat (2 birds) and 20 August at Changi Point Ferry Terminal. A Changeable Hawk-eagle which probably fledged sometime in June or earlier was seen on the nest at Dairy Farm area on 1 July and 15 July, maybe it was 'homesick'. A Changeable Hawk-eagle, adult pale morph, at Springleaf, 3 Sep 2017, by Laurence Eu 1. Osprey Pandion haliaetus (3) 16 Jul 1 Kranji Marsh Cindy Yeo 11 Aug 1 Kranji Marsh, morning Veronica Foo 10 Aug 1 Yishun Dam Jacky Soh 26 Aug 2 Yishun Dam Tan Kok Hui 1 Sep 1 Mandai Hattorii San 9 Sep 1 Yishun Dam Wang HengMount 2. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (orientalis mainly) (42) 13 Jul 2 West Coast, 1 dark morph juvenile, both Kristie Yeong birds mobbed by a few crows 23 Jul 1 Singapore, pale morph female Jamez Sicarius Page 2 of 5
5 Sep 1 Marina East Drive, immature Adrian Silas Tay 6 Sep 1 Woodlands, male Han YK 24 Sep 1 Lorong Halus Low Choon How 25 Sep 1 Bidadari, juvenile Alan OwYong 30 Sep 18 Tuas South Low Choon How 30 Sep 16 Tuas Link, heading south Russell Boyman 30 Sep 1 Toa Payoh Lorong 2, Blk 99C, torquatus tweeddale morph Alex Lee Boyman 3. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis (3) 24 Sep 2 Lorong Halus Low Choon How late Sep 1 Jelutong Tower, adult See Toh Yew Wai 4. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (5) 24 Sep 3 Lorong Halus Low Choon How 30 Sep 1 Bidadari Low Choon How late Sep 1 Jelutong Tower, adult male See Toh Yew Wai 5. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (2) 17 Aug 1 Pulau Ubin, juvenile ernesti on red pylon, Xu Weiting 9am 24 Aug 1 OCBC Building, Chulia Street 39th floor, 7:15pm. Observed feeding on feral pigeons on previous occasions. Laila Remahl Resident Raptors Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 9 Jul 1 Kranji Marsh Con Foley 10 Jul 2 Punggol Barat Veronica Foo 20 Aug 1 Changi Point Ferry Terminal Kerry Pereira Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus 9 Jul 12 Kranji Marsh Con Foley 10 Jul 1 Punggol Barat, juvenile Veronica Foo 21 Jul 3 Geyland Road & Paya Lebar Road junction, 11:29am Kerry Pereira 5 Aug 4 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, 1 adult & 3 juveniles, dawn Ulf Remahl Page 3 of 5
5 Aug 7 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Aerie Hide, Ulf Remahl 7 juveniles, 10am 11 Aug 2 Kranji Marsh, 1 adult & 1 juvenile, morning Veronica Foo 5 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile Alvin Seng 9 Sep 1 Mandai mudflats, 5:04pm Kerry Pereira 13 Sep 2 SAFRA Punggol, adults, 4:45pm Kerry Pereira 13 Sep 1 SAFRA Punggol, juvenile, 5pm Kerry Pereira 21 Sep 1 Unity Secondary School, 6:10pm Kerry Pereira 27 Sep 2 SAFRA Punggol, 12:23pm Kerry Pereira 30 Sep 3 Pulau Ubin, 9:57am Kerry Pereira White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster 1 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, 9:56am Kerry Pereira 2 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, 9:28am Kerry Pereira 2 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, 1:36pm Kerry Pereira 10 Jul 1 Punggol Promenade Veronica Foo 17 Jul 1 Coney Island, 9:54am Sarah Martens 18 Jul 1 SAFRA Punggol, 1:13pm Kerry Pereira 19 Jul 1 Waterway Woodcress, Punggol, 6:20pm Sarah Martens 20 Jul 1 Bugis Junction, 7:19pm Kerry Pereira 22 Jul 2 Marina East,1 adult & 1 immature Alvin Seng 26 Jul 1 Coney Island, 9:19am Sarah Martens 26 Jul 1 Punggol, 9:23am Sarah Martens 16 Aug 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, juvenile Meena Vathyam 18 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult, morning Veronica Foo 20 Aug 1 Pulau Ubin Nature Gallery, 9:32am Kerry Pereira 20 Aug 1 Pulau Ubin Sensory Garden, 9:47am Kerry Pereira 21 Aug 3 SAFRA Tampines, 5:53pm Kerry Pereira 3 Sep 1 Waterway Woodcress, Punggol, 6:34pm Kerry Pereira 7 Sep 1 Yishun Dam, immature Wang HengMount 15 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Town Park, adult Alvin Seng 13 Sep 1 Waterway Woodcress, Punggol, 4:26pm Kerry Pereira 13 Sep 1 SAFRA Punggol, 4:45pm Kerry Pereira 20 Sep 1 Punggol Waterway, 12pm Ferren Zeng 26 Sep 1 Lorong Halus Wetlands, juvenile Alvin Seng 30 Sep 1 Pulau Ubin, 9:35am Kerry Pereira 30 Sep 2 Pulau Ubin, 1 adult, 1 juvenile, 10:09am Kerry Pereira Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus 4 Aug 1 Bukit Brown, juvenile Thana Sinnathamby 18 Aug 2 Little Guilin, 1 adult & 1 juvenile, the juvenile was constantly uttering a begging high-pitched whining call; the juvenile had light brown eyes while the adult had bright yellow eyes, 9-11am Ulf Remahl Page 4 of 5
1 Sep 1 Mandai, adult Hattorii San 1 Sep 2 Little Guilin, adults, 8:45-10:45am, no sign Ulf Remahl of the juvenile; saw one eagle twice bringing branches to build a new nest 3 Sep 1 Springleaf Drive, adult Laurence Eu 10 Sep 2 Little Guilin, adults, 9-10:40am, both eagles Ulf Remahl bringing branches to build a new nest 21 Sep 1 Kranji Marsh, adult Alvin Seng Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela 13 Jul 1 South Buona Vista Road, adult Francis Yap Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus 13 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile, morning Mac Ng 17 Aug 1 Kent Ridge Park, adult Khoo Meilin 21 Aug 2 Aljunied MRT area Joseph Lim 7 Sep 1 Sentosa, caught a Plantain Squirrel Ang Siew Siew 10 Sep 1 Changi Village, juvenile, caught a shrew, Chen Boon Chong 3pm Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus 1 Jul 2 Dairy Farm, 1 adult pale morph and 1 pale Bill Sinclair morph (full grown) chick on nest 4 Jul 1 Sports Hub, dark morph Marcel Finlay 6 Jul 1 Sports Hub, dark morph, mobbed by 3 Marcel Finlay House Crows 9 Jul 2 Kranji Marsh Con Foley 15 Jul 1 Dairy Farm, 1 juvenile pale morph on nest 26 Jul 1 Coney Island, dark morph, 9:22am Sarah Martens 27 Jul 1 Hume Avenue, adult pale morph Anuj Jain 11 Aug 1 Kranji Marsh, dark morph, morning Veronica Foo 3 Sep 1 Springleaf Drive, adult pale morph Laurence Eu 10 Sep 1 Kranji Marsh Russel Boyman Unidentified Raptors 29 Sep 1 Queenstown Primary School, suspect Brahminy Kite Kerry Pereira Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong Many thanks to everyone for their records and to Xu Weiting and Laurence Eu for the use of their photos. Page 5 of 5