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Singapore Raptor Report Early Autumn Migration, July-September 2020

An ernesti Peregrine Falcon, note the dark 'helmet' and dense barring on underparts,

Marina East Drive, 26 September 2020, by Francis Yap Summary: A total of 67 observations were made for the Oriental Honey Buzzards, the highest numbers ever during the July to September period : 17 in July, 15 in August and 35 in September. Notably, all the honey buzzards photographed were sub-adults, right up to end September, suggesting that all the honey buzzards were over-summering birds. Over the 3-month period, moult of the primaries (feathers) progressed steadily and symmetrically on the wings, for the birds photographed. In July, the honey buzzards had 4-5 new primaries; in August, they had 5-6 new primaries; and in September they had 6-7 new primaries. While the moult in primaries was consistent between individuals, the moult for secondaries and tail feathers varied.

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An over-summering sub-adult male OHB on 19 July 2020

showing symmetrical moult of the primaries on both wings, 4 new primaries (P1-P4), P5 missing, and old P6-P10,

at Pasir Ris Park, by Ko Engwee

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An over-summering sub-adult male OHB on 8 August 2020 showing symmetrical moult of the primaries on both wings,

5 new primaries (P1-P5), P6 partly grown & obscured, and old P7-P10, at Holland Plain, by Angie Cheong

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An over-summering sub-adult female OHB on 27 September 2020

showing symmetrical moult of the primaries on both wings, 6 new primaries (P1-P6), new P7 partly regrown, P8 missing, and old P9-P10,

at Pasir Ris Park, by Saravanan Krishnamurthy.

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Three torquatus Oriental Honey Buzzards were recorded - one photographed at Pasir Ris Park on 11 July by Chung Wah; one photographed at Changi in August by Wang HM; and a tweeddale morph photographed at Jurong Lake Gardens on 5 September by Chan Kumchun.

A torquatus tweeddale morph Oriental Honey Buzzard,

Jurong Lake Gardens, 5 September 2020, by Chan Kumchun

A total of 20 Japanese Sparrowhawks were recorded in September, with the first arrival on 18 September. The only record for the Chinese Sparrowhawk was a male at Jelutong Tower on 30 September.

Three Western Ospreys were recorded, one at Seletar Reservoir area, another at Sungei Buloh – Neo Tiew area and the last one at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin.

Three Peregrine Falcons were recorded – a probable ernesti at Pulau Ubin on 5 July, far and high up a pylon tower, by Martin Kennewell; an adult ernesti feeding on a bird at Jurong Lake Gardens on 12 September, by Kok M Lee; and an adult male ernesti at Marina East Drive on 26 September by Francis Yap, the East Coast Park sighting by Mike Hooper on the same day may be of the same individual.

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For the resident raptors, seven diurnal species were recorded. Apart from the usual ones, there were records of the rare Crested Serpent Eagle at Pulau Ubin on 5 & 12 July; Pasir Ris Park on 17 September; Malcolm Park on 23 September; and Kent Ridge Park on 30 September.

Crested Goshawk caught a lizard, Pasir Ris Park, 26 September 2020, by Derrick Wong

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There were nesting-related records for 3 species of diurnal raptors. A pair of Black-winged Kites were nest-building on 16 August, with mating observed on 12 September, at Seletar. At Neo Tiew side, another pair of Black-winged Kites were observed mating on 29 August. For the White-bellied Sea Eagle, 2 fledglings were out of the nest at Fort Canning on 11 July; another 2 fledglings at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve were in and around the nest on 26 July, and the adults were observed mating on 19 September; at Kent Ridge Park, 1 adult was flying with a branch on 24 September, presumably to build a nest. At Pasir Ris Park in September, a pair of Crested Goshawks were re-using their old nest (their nesting attempt in March appear to have failed), while another at West Coast Park was carrying a stick on 12 September, presumably for nest-building. The prey items of the Pasir Ris Crested Goshawks included Changeable Lizards, Javan Mynas, feral junglefowl chicks, rats, and on 25 September, a young water monitor lizard. For nocturnal raptors, a pair of Buffy Fish Owls at Pasir Ris Park were observed mating on 9 September; another 2 Buffy Fish Owls were found together at Changi Business Park; while an Eastern Barn Owl made a 1-day show at Elias Road on 27 September. 1. Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus (3) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 1 Jul 1 Upper Seletar Reservoir Martin Kennewell 10 Jul 1 Lower Seletar Reservoir Martin Kennewell

16 Aug 1 Yishun Dam Andy Lee 24 Aug 1 Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin Wang HM 26 Aug 1 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Angie Cheong

Sep 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Lane Benny Ng Sep 1 Rowers’ Bay Park, near Yishun Dam Darren Leow

2. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus (orientalis mainly) (17, 15, 35, +3R) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 4 Jul 1 Jurong Lake Gardens Norhafiani A Majid 6 Jul 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park, sub-adult male pale

morph with 5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Siew Mun

7 Jul 2 West Coast Drive Tay Kian Guan 7 Jul 1 Mandai Track 15 Choong YT 8 Jul 1 Botanic Gardens Oliver Tan 10 Jul 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, sub-adult female pale

morph with 4 new inner primaries (P1-P4), P5 growing but hidden, and 5 old juvenile primaries (P6-P10).

Norhafiani A Majid

11 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, torquatus photographed Chung Wah 12 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with

5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Clarence Tan

13 Jul 2 Cashew Heights, 1 pale morph, 1 dark morph Raghav Narayanswamy

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19 Jul 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with 4 new inner primaries (P1-P4), P5 missing, and 5 old juvenile primaries (P6-P10).

Ko Engwee

19 Jul 3 Henderson Waves, 1 sub-adult male pale morph with 4 new inner primaries (P1-P4), P5 missing, and 5 old juvenile primaries (P6-P10).

Ros Qian

23 Jul 1 Changi Business Park, sub-adult female pale morph

Ramesh T.

26 Jul 1 Kranji Marshes Con Foley 28 Jul 1 Ulu Pandan Park Connector, sub-adult female

pale morph with 5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Derrick Wong

1 Aug 1 Changi Business Park, sub-adult male Han YK 8 Aug 1 Holland Plain, sub-adult male pale morph with

5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Angie Cheong

10 Aug 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, sub-adult pale morph with 5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Ted Kiku

10 Aug 2 Lazarus Island Sandra Chia August 1 Changi, torquatus photographed Wang HM 12 Aug 1 Bukit Panjang Park Dillen Ng 22 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with

5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 missing, and 4 old juvenile primaries (P7-P10).

Darren Leow

22 Aug 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, sub-adult female pale morph

Martin Kennewell

22 Aug 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, sub-adult male pale morph

Kok M Lee

25 Aug 3 Sembawang Wharves Martin Kennewell 28 Aug 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, immature Brenda Chua 29 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with

5 new inner primaries (P1-P5), P6 half grown, P7 missing, and old juvenile P8-P10. Afternoon 5pm

Jaysie Ong

30 Aug 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with 6 new inner primaries (P1-P6), P7 half grown, P8 missing, and old juvenile P9-P10.

Vincent Yip / Siew Mun

1 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with 6 new inner primaries (P1-P6), P7 missing, and old juvenile P8-P10.

Jason Lim

2 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph Alvin Seng 2 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult male pale morph with

6 new inner primaries (P1-P6), P7 half grown, P8 missing, and old juvenile P9-P10.

Ang Hwee Yong

2 Sep 1 East Coast Park, sub-adult female pale morph Khoo Meilin 5 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, torquatus tweeddale

morph photographed Chan Kumchun

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11 Sep 1 Satay by the bay, sub-adult female Siew Mun 12 Sep 1 West Coast Park, pale morph Peng Ah Huay 13 Sep 3 Lorong Halus Adrian Silas Tay 15 Sep 1 Botanic Gardens Oliver Tan 17 Sep 3 Hindhede Nature Park Raghav Narayanswamy 18 Sep 1 Sentosa, pale morph John Marriott 20 Sep 6 St John’s Island Darren Leow 21 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, immature pale morph Kok M Lee 23 Sep 1 Lorong Halus, sub-adult male pale morph with

6 new inner primaries (P1-P6), P7 half grown, P8 missing, and old juvenile P9-P10.

Laurence Eu

25 Sep 1 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap 27 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult female pale morph

with 6 new inner primaries (P1-P6), P7 half grown, P8 missing, and old juvenile P9-P10.

Saravanan Krishnamurthy

27 Sep 1 Fort Siloso, flew southwest calling a lot, between 9-10am, sub-adult female pale morph with 7 new inner primaries (P1-P7), P8 half grown, P9 missing, and old juvenile P10.

Adrian Silas Tay

27 Sep 4 Pasir Ris Park Han YK 28 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, sub-adult female pale morph Chiang Mun Wai 30 Sep 2 Kent Ridge Park Zacc HD 30 Sep 2 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap

3. Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis (1) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 30 Sep 1 Jelutong Tower, male Francis Yap

4. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (20) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 18 Sep 1 Central Catchment Forest Oliver Tan 20 Sep 2 Henderson Waves Tan Kok Hui 22 Sep 2 Pulau Ubin Oliver Tan,

Martin Kennewell 25 Sep 3 Jelutong Tower Francis Yap 26 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens Mike Hooper 27 Sep 2 Henderson Waves, 1 male and 1 female See Toh Yew Wai 29 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, female, 12:29pm Angie Cheong 30 Sep 7 Kent Ridge Park Zacc HD 30 Sep 1 Jelutong Tower, male Francis Yap

5. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (3) Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, far and high up on a pylon tower,

probably ernesti Martin Kennewell

12 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens, adult ernesti feeding on a bird

Kok M Lee

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26 Sep 1 Marina East Drive, adult male ernesti photographed

Francis Yap

26 Sep 1 East Coast Park, ernesti Mike Hooper Resident Raptors Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 7 Jul 1 Bedok Reservoir Road Wang HM 18 Jul 1 Neo Tiew area Herman Phua

1 Aug 1 Neo Tiew Harvest Link Herman Phua 16 Aug 2 Seletar, nest building Ender Tey 22 Aug 1 Marina South Shandy Lee 29 Aug 1 Marina South Shandy Lee 29 Aug 2 Neo Tiew Harvest Link, mating Kelvin Leong /

Tan Heng Liang

12 Sep 2 Seletar Aerospace Drive, mating, 9am Danny Khoo Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Date No. Location and Details Reported By -- common resident --

White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Date No. Location and Details Reported By 10 Jul 4 SBWR, 2 adults, 2 fledglings on the nest tree Norman Wu 11 Jul 2 Fort Canning Park, fledglings out of the nest Anthony Nik 26 Jul 4 SBWR, 2 adults, 2 fledglings in and around the

nest Evelyn Lee

August 2 SBWR, 1 fledgling and 1 adult on nest Benny Ng

19 Sep 2 SBWR, adults mating Teo Chee Yong 24 Sep 1 Kent Ridge , adult in flight with branches in its

talons Alan OwYong

Grey-headed Fish Eagle Haliaeetus ichthyaetus Date No. Location and Details Reported By 22 Jul 1 Jurong, juvenile Brenda Chua

8 Aug 1 Holland Plain, adult Angie Cheong 8 Aug 1 Ulu Pandan, adult Brenda Chua 23 Aug 1 Holland Plain, adult Art Toh 30 Aug 1 SBWR, juvenile Herman Phua

2 Sep 1 Little Guilin, adult perched on a bush on the cliff face, morning

Ulf Remahl

21 Sep 1 SBWR, sub-adult Siew Mun 26 Sep 1 Little Guilin, adult with a fish in its talons,

6:05pm – 6:15pm Ulf Remahl

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Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 5 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, adult Martin Kennewell 12 Jul 1 Pulau Ubin, adult Adrian Silas Tay

17 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, adult, circling and calling Tan Gim Cheong 23 Sep 1 Malcolm Park Ryan Lim 30 Sep 1 Kent Ridge Park, adult, calling Zacc HD

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 21 Jul 1 Hort Park Alvin Yeo 22 Jul 1 Satay by the Bay, juvenile, caught a rat Siew Mun 23 Jul 2 Stevens Road Ian Rickword 3 Aug 1 Hort Park Marcel Finlay 9 Aug 1 Yio Chu Kang Gardens Ng Wei Khim

6 Sep 2 West Coast Park Richard Davis 9 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, adults break off live twigs for

nest building Khoo Meilin

9 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, juvenile Bryan Seah 10 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, nestbuilding Alvin Seng 12 Sep 1 West Coast Park, carrying a stick Lai Yeu Huan 15 Sep 1 Hyderabad Road, adult Yip Jen Wei 17-18 Sep 1 Capella Sentosa, adult Herman Phua 18 Sep 1 West Coast Park, adult Avadi L Parimalam 19 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating Ah Lee 22 Sep 1 West Coast Park, juvenile Avadi L Parimalam 24 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating, and collecting nesting

materials Christopher Tham

25 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating GaoJian LiuJia 25 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, feeding on a young monitor

lizard Tan Chuan Yean

26 Sep 1 Pasir Ris Park, caught a lizard Derrick Wong 27 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating Eddy Moey 27 Sep 1 Henderson Waves, juvenile See Toh Yew Wai 28 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating, 6pm Eddy Moey

Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus

Date No. Location and Details Reported By 2 Jul 1 Kranji Marshes, pale morph Angie Cheong 22 Jul 1 Jurong, dark morph Brenda Chua 28 Jul 1 Kranji Marshes, pale morph Herman Phua

9 Aug 1 Mount Faber, adult pale morph Ros Qian 13 Aug 1 Jalan Asas, pale morph Art Toh 19 Aug 1 Satay by the Bay, juvenile pale morph Siew Mun Aug-Sep 1 Bukit Batok Nature Park, seen or heard daily Ulf Remahl’s

daughter

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4 Sep 1 Dairy Farm Nature Park, dark morph Siew Mun 19 Sep 3 Pasir Ris Park, 2 adult pale morphs and 1 adult

dark morph Chen Boon Chong

19 Sep 1 Tuas South, adult pale morph Art Toh Sep 1 Marina East, dark morph Tuck Loong 22 Sep 2 Botanic Gardens, 1 dark morph, 1 pale morph Steve Ang 23 Sep 1 Pandan River, immature pale morph Vincent Yip 24 Sep 2 Kent Ridge Alan OwYong 30 Sep 2 Kent Ridge Park Zacc HD

Eastern Barn Owl Tyto javanica Date No. Location and Details Reported By 27 Sep 1 Trees outside Block 620, Elias Road Martin Abbugao

Buffy Fish Owl Owl Ketupa ketupu Date No. Location and Details Reported By 14 Jul 3 Yishun Avenue 8 Calista Tan

9 Sep 2 Pasir Ris Park, mating Kelvin Pang 17 Sep 2 Changi Busines Park Ko Engwee

Spotted Wood Owl Strix seloputo Date No. Location and Details Reported By 31 Jul 3 Pasir Ris Park Ra Kay

4 Sep 3 Pasir Ris Park Calista Tan 7 Sep 1 Botanic Gardens Ian Rickword 18 Sep 2 Botanic Gardens Geoff Lim 30 Sep 1 Jurong Lake Gardens Steve Ang

Compiled by Tan Gim Cheong Many thanks to everyone for their records and to Francis Yap, Ko Engwee, Angie Cheong, Saravanan Krishnamurthy, Chan Kumchun, and Derrick Wong for the use of their photos.