I managed to make a trip to Singapore over the holidays, despite the ever-changing travel restrictions. It’s been a few years since I last visited, and immediately on arrival the wildlife was overwhelming my senses. The constant calling of songbirds, the swaying tree branches weighed down by families of monkeys, the sudden appearance of huge wild boar while jogging in the morning- unfamiliar species were everywhere. Comparatively, the Netherlands is ecologically barren. So as you might imagine, I was really excited to take some photos and learn to recognize some new animals.
My bias for birds goes without saying (I even spent one whole day explicitly birding). Therefore, I find it convenient to group the photos into the categories of “birds” and “not birds”. If you see something with the wrong name, please let me know so I can fix it!
Birds
Laced Woodpecker
Low-light shot, so a bit grainy.
Red Junglefowl
The red junglefowl is the undomesticated cousin of the chicken. Although it walks like a chicken and crows like a chicken, it is not the same thing. Red junglefowl are quite capable of flying across streams or to the tops of trees where they roost. You can easily tell the difference between a domesticated rooster and a male junglefowl- the junglefowl has bright white ear patches.
Basically a lean and healthy rooster. It really can fly though.
Stork-billed Kingfisher
On the right, the largest kingfisher species in Singapore. Photobombed by a Pink-necked Green Pigeon on the left.
Long-tailed Shrike
A shrike landed close to me and was patient enough to have a portrait taken. Like butcherbirds, they will impale their prey on thorns for later.
From the side on some barbed wire.
Olive-backed Sunbird
Female. Males have more color, including a blue throat.
Asian Glossy Starling
Unlike humans, these are not glossy as juveniles. They do act juvenile, however.
Common Sandpiper
Sandpiper hunting on the shore of Pulau Ubin. It shares its habitat with monitor lizards.
Racket-tailed Drongo
There were a lot of these drongos around in the wildlife area known as Dairy Farm. They have a wide and distinctive range of vocalizations. There were also some monkeys at Dairy Farm, and unlike the other birds the drongos seemed to tolerate and even follow the monkeys. Maybe the monkey’s movement in the treetop was stirring up the insects that the drongo was after.
Long tail feathers clearly visible. One of the monkeys on the left, the drongo watching on the right.
Crimson Sunbird
The Crimson Sunbird is really active and I have plenty of photos containing only a bright red streak. Only a few times were my amateur photography skills enough to capture a decent photo of this stunning bird. The crimson sunbird is also the national bird of Singapore.
Eating from unblossomed flowers. Different bird, different tree. Same stunning crimson.
Banded Woodpecker
Banded Woodpecker hunting in a coconut tree. Banded Woodpecker making a hole in a dead trunk.
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Its actually a pretty common bird, hunting in a wide range of habitats.
Oriental Darter
Not a great shot of the bird, but I like the color of the water.
Buffy Fish Owl
The fish owl can have impressive ‘horns’ but I didn’t get to photograph them. Unlike other owls, it does not need to fly silently. This is because fish don’t have ears.
Spotted in a tall tree near Hampstead pond.
Oriental Pied Hornbill
This pair of hornbills made their home in a heritage tree- with its own webpage!
Hornbill pair making a nest near Hampstead pond.
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Bee-eaters on break at Hampstead pond.
Red-breasted Parakeet
In the branches above Hampstead pond.
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Flycatcher at Hampstead pond.
Crested Goshawk
Almost fledged goshawks at Pasir Ris Park. These cannot hunt yet, so are waiting for the food to be delivered. The old trees covered in ivy and moss are really beautiful and just as compelling as the birds. Fully grown goshawk on the reservoir in the zoo.
Collard Kingfisher
At Pasir Ris Park.
Indian Cuckoo
Spotted from the boardwalk in the Pasir Ris Park wetland area.
Oriental Magpie-Robin
At Pasir Ris Park.
Others
In addition to the birds in the photographs above, I also photographed the following birds on this trip, but the images were not interesting or clear enough to share:
- Black-naped Oriole
- Tanimbar Corella
- Javan Myna
- Straw-headed Bulbul
- Grey Heron
- Spotted Dove
- Pink-necked Green Pigeon
- White-bellied Sea Eagle
- Brown Hawk Owl
- Scaly-breasted Munia
All told, I photographed over 30 species of birds!
Not Birds
Malayan Water Monitor
Huge specimens of this lizard can be found wherever there is water in Singapore.
Lounging in the mangroves at Pasir Ris Park.
Red-Eared Slider
A common turtle around the world, its even an invasive species in Michigan.
The clear water in the flooded quarry in Buket Timah has such a compelling deep blue color.
Long-tailed Macaque
Browsing the blooming tree tops at Dairy Farm
Snakes in the Mangrove
I don’t know how to identify snakes, but there were a couple sleepy snakes in the mangroves at Pasir Ris Park. My guess is they are pit vipers.
Golden coloured snake. Black coloured snake.
Canis familiaris
Singapore is home to a huge variety of domesticated dog. Smaller dogs can be found occupying strollers, laps, and backpacks. Larger dogs typically occupy air-conditioned living rooms or go on walks with the housekeeper.
A pack of domesticated dogs on a walk in the shade of Pasir Ris Park
Nevertheless, there are also wild dogs in Singapore. They often come out at night and like to relax on the on the road in the cool of the night. They are not scared of vehicles at all.
A pack of wild dogs on the road after hours.
Pandas
Finally, while in Singapore, I had the chance to visit the Zoo and see some pandas. I was not sure I should include them because they were in captivity, but I think they are cute enough to deserve a mention. Perhaps not the greatest shots but just look at their sleepy faces…
Sleepy red panda. Sleepy big panda.
