Singapore birds

INDONESIA SCOUTING TRIP REPORT

BIRD REPORT for SINGAPORE BOTANICAL GARDENS

June 5, 2014

Weather: Overcast with intermittent showers; 75F to 83F.

Time: 0510-1100 hrs.

Area Covered: Singapore Botanical Gardens: Located near the Little India district of Singapore, the botanical gardens include lowland Dipterocarp rainforest, assorted ornamental trees and shrubs, lawns and three small lakes, comprising a total of 183 acres. I walked the pathways through the gardens, covering most of the property two or three times. Most of the birdlife was found around Eco Lake, where shrubs and tall trees provide shelter and food for insectivorous and frugivorous birds. Increasing numbers of visitors arrived by 0900 hrs. Intermittent light showers forced me to find shelter on several occasions while surveying birds in the gardens.

BIRDS NOTED (Taxonomy follows Clements, 2004 and the Avibase Bird Checklist, 2013).

ANSERIFORMES

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus - introduced from Australia) 2 edge of lake, Eco Lake

Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica) 12 Eco Lake (photo).

Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica) Singapore Botanical Gardens 5 June 2014

PELICANIFORMES

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 5 around Eco Lake.

GRUIFORMES

White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) 12 on lawns and shore, Eco Lake (photo).

White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) Singapore Botanical Gardens 5 June 2014

COLUMBIFORMES

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) vocal, ubiquitous (photo).

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) Singapore Botanical Gardens 5 June 2014

Pink-necked Pigeon (Treron vernans) 5 in canopy of fruiting tree, Eco Lake.

Domestic Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) 20; flying around the gardens and open areas.

PSITTACIFORMES

Long-tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda) 4 fly, call.

Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) 3 fly, call.

CUCULIFORMES

Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) 2 calling repeatedly from edge of forest.

APODIFORMES

Edible-nest Swiftlet (Collocalia fuciphaga ) 2 flying 20-100 ft. agl., Eco Lake.

Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus) 4 flying high, back and forth over open areas, Eco Lake.

CORACIIFORMES

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) 1 perched in small tree at the edge of the lake, Eco Lake.

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) 1 vocal; perched in tree next to lake.

PASSERIFORMES

Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) 2 flying low over lawns, Eco Lake.

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) 2vocal in tall trees, Eco Lake.

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia) 1 active in subcanopy, Eco Lake.

Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) 10 ubiquitous, esp.on lawns.

Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis) vocal, active in shrubs.

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier ) 5 vocal, ubiquitous.

Philippine Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) 2 foraging on ground in a small garden.

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus - introduced from Indonesia) 15 vocal, gregarious; adults feeding young on lawn, Eco Lake (photo).

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) Singapore Botanical Gardens 5 June 2014

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) 2 active in shrubs (photo).

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) female Singapore Botanical Gardens 5 June 2014

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) 1 (f) in canopy of trees and shrubs, Eco Lake.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 30 ubiquitous.