“Regular… Regular… Okay now, now, now!” somebody shouts, as tens of digicam shutters flutter round me. I’m at an unassuming HDB carpark in Queenstown, the place round forty folks have gathered round a tree underneath the searing noon solar. The supply of the thrill? A barely grumpy-looking fluff ball balanced on a department – a child Gray-rumped treeswift whose dad is elegantly swooping right down to feed her lunch. I coo over the heartwarming scene from the barrels of my binoculars, and realise there’s no denying it: I’m now a full-fledged birder.
“Birding in Singapore has undoubtedly grown as a interest during the last 5 years or so,” says Raghav Narayanswamy, a 21-year-old volunteer on the Singapore Birds Venture.
“Whereas a part of that was resulting from folks having extra time on their arms throughout Covid-19, a rising curiosity in pictures may additionally be [a contributing factor] as folks wish to take good footage of birds and construct a ‘assortment’ of types.”
Given Singapore’s comparatively small measurement, most naturalists favor flocking to neighbouring international locations like Malaysia and Indonesia for some fowl play. Nonetheless, based on the Singapore Birds Venture’s guidelines, over 428 species have been sighted right here. The motion will get particularly thrilling between October and March, when migratory birds cease by our shores earlier than persevering with their lengthy journeys.
“Singapore is an efficient location for watching chicken migration,” shares Richard White, a 58-year-old lecturer, expedition chief and wildlife skilled who has been based mostly right here for the previous decade. “Each season, there are scarce and weird migratory species to seek for within the parks, gardens and nature reserves.”
Up to now few months, as an example, star appearances have been made by a Nice slaty woodpecker on the Singapore Botanic Gardens – main to at least one groom pausing his wedding ceremony speech for an opportunity to {photograph} it – and a critically endangered White-crowned hornbill at Pulau Ubin.
Birding’s low barrier to entry makes it a simple interest to select up, particularly given how pleasant and knowledgeable the local people is.
“We’ve an extremely excessive density of birdwatchers over a small land space,” says Raghav. “The instance that at all times involves thoughts for me is the Tree pipit, a chicken that had by no means been seen in Southeast Asia earlier than 2021. It turned up on the unlikeliest spot – behind a random bus cease on Clementi Street – and was noticed by a birdwatcher!”
With the Chicken Paradise at Mandai Wildlife Reserve now open, new birders also can study extra about species from all over the world whereas practising their pictures abilities in a extra managed surroundings. Irrespective of the place you start your birding adventures, preserve a curious eye out, and revel in attending to know a few of our fabulous feathered buddies.
5 birding ideas for newbies
- Decide your timing: The early chicken catches the worm, and the early riser catches the chicken – head out between 7am and eight.30am on a sunny day to maximise your probabilities. Actually not a morning individual? You too can attempt your luck simply earlier than sundown, between 4pm and 6pm.
- Collect your intel: Be a part of Fb teams corresponding to Chicken Sightings or Singapore Birders for the most recent hotspots, whereas the SG BIRDS (Sightings/Reside Replace) Telegram group is nice for real-time updates.
- Let apps assist: Merlin is greatest for visible identification, whereas BirdNET is basically Shazam for chicken calls. To maintain a file of the birds you’ve sighted whereas contributing to scientific analysis, eBird is the worldwide authority.
- Join with others: Birders are usually completely happy to share sightings, information and recommendation. So be happy to say hiya to fellow birders in your stroll, and test in the event that they’ve seen something attention-grabbing!
- Be respectful: Lastly, it’s essential to make sure we preserve the birds – and every each other – protected. As a common guideline, don’t feed wild animals, don’t make or play chicken calls (known as “pishing” and “playback” respectively), and don’t get too near nests or disclose their areas.
What to pack
- Binoculars: A pair of 8×42 binoculars are excellent for novices. The primary quantity refers back to the magnification energy, and the second is the target lens diameter. A better zoom will make the picture extra unstable resulting from hand shake, whereas a wider lens will add weight – so greater is just not at all times higher.
- Digital camera: Choices from Canon, Nikon, or Sony are protected bets, and you’ll pair your digicam with a 100-400mm zoom lens to begin. A tripod can be helpful, if you happen to don’t thoughts lugging it round.
- Apparel: Darkish, earth-toned outfits preserve you inconspicuous, whereas a hat and cozy, waterproof sneakers will defend you in opposition to the surroundings.
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Water
The place to go
North: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park is a 202-hectare sanctuary, with habitats starting from mangroves to coastal wetlands to forests. This spot turns into particularly standard through the migratory season, when shorebirds just like the Widespread redshank and Pacific golden plover may be noticed alongside the 2km-long Migratory Chicken Path.
West: Jurong Lake Backyard
A phenomenal park in its personal proper, this underrated spot typically sees cameos from putting migrants such because the Blue-winged pitta and Japanese paradise flycatcher.
East: Pasir Ris Park
There’s at all times one thing to see right here, together with a pair of Noticed wooden owls which were dwelling within the park for over a decade, the resident Crested goshawks, and a tree close to the Sungei Tampines Bridge that’s dwelling to a colony of Gray herons.
Central: Singapore Botanic Gardens
Over half of all birds recorded in Singapore on the eBird database had been sighted right here. The Eco-Lake is standard with birds such because the Cinnamon bittern and Widespread kingfisher, whereas the Gray nightjar and Better racket-tailed drongo can typically be discovered on the Therapeutic Backyard or Aromatic Backyard.
