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.

Birds

Laced Woodpecker

Olive-coloured woodpecker with red crest feeding.

Low-light shot, so a bit grainy.

Red Junglefowl

The red junglefowl is the undomesticated cousin of the chicken. Red junglefowl are quite capable of flying across streams or to the tops of trees where they roost.

A male red junglefowl that basically looks like a domesticated rooster

Basically a lean and healthy rooster. It really can fly.

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Kingfisher is blue and yellow, with a bright orange beak.

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.

Small grey and black bird with orange highlights

From the side on some barbed wire.

Common Sandpiper

Small bird on a sandy beach.

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. It’s likey the monkey’s movement in the treetop was stirring up the insects that the drongo was after.

Dark blue bird with two extra long tail feathers like rackets

Long tail feathers clearly visible.

Drongo watching monkey climb along a branch.

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.

Small bird with bright read head.
Small bird with bright read head.

Different bird, different tree. Same stunning crimson.

Banded Woodpecker

Red woodpecker on a coconut tree
Red woodpecker on a coconut tree

Banded Woodpecker hunting in a coconut tree.

Red woodpecker on a dead trunk.

Banded Woodpecker making a hole in a dead trunk.

Oriental Darter

Deep blue water and a heron on a log.

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.

Brown owl with yellow eyes.

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!

Black and white birds with huge beaks perched around a hole in a tree branch.
Black and white birds with huge beaks. Male is perched outside a hole, female's head is visible inside the hole.

Hornbill pair making a nest near Hampstead pond.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Rainbow-coloured birds on a branch.
Rainbow-coloured birds on a branch.

Bee-eaters on break at Hampstead pond.

Asian Brown Flycatcher

This one was hyperactive and hard to shoot.

Flycatcher at Hampstead pond.

Crested Goshawk

Brown juvenile hawk in tree.
Brown juvenile hawk in tree.
Brown juvenile hawk in tree.

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.

Brown hawk in tree.

Fully grown goshawk on the reservoir in the zoo.

Collard Kingfisher

Blue bird on a branch.
Two blue birds on a branch.

At Pasir Ris Park.

Indian Cuckoo

Grey bird on a branch.
Grey bird on a branch.

Spotted from the boardwalk in the Pasir Ris Park wetland area.

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:

  • Asian Glossy Starling
  • Black-naped Oriole
  • Brown Hawk Owl
  • Grey Heron
  • Javan Myna
  • Olive-backed Sunbird
  • Oriental Magpie-Robin
  • Pink-necked Green Pigeon
  • Red-breasted Parakeet
  • Scaly-breasted Munia
  • Spotted Dove
  • Straw-headed Bulbul
  • Tanimbar Corella
  • White-bellied Sea Eagle
  • Yellow-vented Bulbul

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.

Huge lizard lying in the sandy muck of the mangrove.

Lounging in the mangroves at Pasir Ris Park.

Long-tailed Macaque

Monkey pulling a flower to its mouth.

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.

Snake sleeping between two tree branches.

Golden coloured snake.

Snake sleeping between two tree branches.

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.

Many dogs on leashes standing around some dog walkers.

A pack of domesticated dogs on a walk in the shade of Pasir Ris Park

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 at the top of a tree in the indoor enclosure.

Sleepy red panda.

Sleepy big panda completely sprawled out on the floor of the indoor enclosure.

Sleepy big panda.