Tuesday 21 April 2020

Birdwatching at Tampines Eco Green

Tampines Eco Green is a 36-hectare park bordered by Sungei Tampines (Tampines River), Tampines Expressway (TPE) and Tampines Ave 12. As the human traffic in this park is low, it is an excellent place for birding. With the exception of the pathways, many parts of the park are left as is. There is a secondary forest, freshwater wetlands and open grasslands. This is a green oasis among the housing estates in the Tampines/Pasir Ris area. It is not uncommon to see raptors perched on some of the dead trees found all over the park.

Start of trail near main entrance.
Open grassland.
Shaded trails.
Ashy Minivet.
Lesser Coucal.
Rufous Woodpeckers.
Oriental Honey-buzzard.
Black-winged Kite.
Blue-throated Bee-eater.

Some of the birds I have seen here are:

Red-breasted Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
White-breasted Waterhen
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Common Flameback
Laced Woodpecker
Sunda Woodpecker
Rufous Woodpecker
Brown Shrike
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Dollarbird
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Black-winged Kite
Brahminy Kite
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Jerdon's Baza
Malaysian Pied Fantail
Oriental Magpie Robin
Javan Myna
Ashy Minivet
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Little Bronze Cuckoo
Plaintive Cuckoo
Large-billed Crow
Common Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
Olive-backed Sunbird
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Common Tailorbird
Baya Weaver
Pied Triller
Common Iora
Black-naped Oriole
Zebra Dove
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
Rock Pigeon

How to get there

The main entrance is located at the junction of Tampines Ave 9 and Ave 12. There are no car parks here. If you are driving, please park at one of the public car parks near Sun Plaza Park.

If going by train, alight at Tampines MRT and make your way to Sun Plaza Park and follow the MRT track. After crossing Tampines Ave 9, walk a short distance along Tampines Ave 12 and you will find the entrance to the park.

There are buses from the bus interchange at Tampines MRT that will take you a little closer to the park entrance, but I find that the wait for the buses are not worth it and the walking distance saved is not very much.