Birdwatching at Gardens by the Bay - Migratory birds

October to March/April are good months for birdwatchers and bird photographers. Some migrants will stop by Singapore for a few weeks in October/November before flying further south to their final destinations for winter. Some will find Singapore good enough for winter and stay here until it is time to return home for summer. Birdwatchers and photographers will be out in full force with their gear, hoping to get a glimpse or photo of these not-so-frequently seen birds.

I love visiting Gardens by the Bay to take bird photographs because it is only about 50 minutes from home by public transport and I get to enjoy breakfast at my favourite stall at Satay by the Bay. Prata and Teh Tarik!

These are some of the birds I have photographed over the last few years and these birds (who knows, they may be the same ones!) still show up every year during the migratory period.

Oriental Reed Warbler.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher.

Common Kingfisher. Common elsewhere but uncommon in Singapore.

Arctic Warbler.

Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Tiger Shrike.

Barn Swallow.

Juvenile Chinese Pond Heron.

Part of the fun is looking for these birds and in my case, photographing them. Most of them are very shy and the best time to see them easily is before the busloads of tourists start arriving at the Gardens from 9am. I usually go to the quieter areas, stop, and wait for the birds to appear. Seeing bird photographers is also a good sign there are interesting birds nearby. I follow some of the local Facebook bird groups. Some birders are so helpful that they even post the locations online.

Birdwatching at Gardens by the Bay

It may surprise many to hear that Gardens by the Bay is quite a good location for birdwatching, considering the fact that it is right in the heart of the city. The many water features at the Gardens are attractive to both local residents and migrants. On a good day, one can see as many as 25 to 30 species of birds during a morning birding session.

My favourite site at the Gardens is the area near or at the Satay by the Bay. There is a lotus pond right next to the food centre and a larger Kingfisher Lake nearby. Standing on the bridge overlooking the Kingfisher Lake can yield local residents such as the White-throated Kingfisher, Ashy Tailorbird, Oriental White-eye, White-breasted Waterhen, Asian Koel and Olive-backed Sunbird. During the migratory months, you may even see the Brown Shrike, Common Kingfisher and Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Birdwatcher in action at the lotus pond.

Kingfisher Lake.

Female Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea).

The Asian Koel is a noisy bird, often calling at the break of dawn. The easily recognisable male territorial call is a very loud KO-EL, with emphasis on the second note and repeated with increasing emphasis. The male bird may be mistaken for a crow, except that it has glossy blue-black plumage, a stout greenish bill and red eyes. An increase in the population of House Crows in Singapore also means more Koels because they are brood parasites. The female Koel lays her eggs in another bird's nest, usually the House Crow's, and lets the other bird bring up her chicks.

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus).

Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica).
This bird is easy to recognise because it has a habit of fanning out its tail.

Pied Triller (Lalage nigra) .

Male Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).

Female Olive-backed Sunbird feeding from the Scarlet Spiral Flag flower.

The Olive-backed Sunbird is commonly found in our parks and gardens. One can easily find them at the Gardens, busily drinking nectar from the Scarlet Spiral Flag (Costus woodsonii) flowers. Their call sounds like tswi-tswit-tititititi, or twit-twit-twit-twit. Small bird, loud voice!

White-bellied Sea eagle. Often found soaring above Marina Bay area.

This particular male Laced Woodpecker likes to peck on metallic lampshades.

An elusive resident - Ruddy-breasted Crake.

Another elusive resident - Red-legged Crake.

Some of the birds I have seen at the Satay by the Bay area were:

Javan Myna
Common Myna
Asian Glossy Starling
Pink-necked Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Olive-backed Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Oriental Magpie Robin
Asian Koel
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Ashy Tailorbird
Common Iora
Red-breasted Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
House Crow
Spotted-necked Dove
Zebra Dove
Greater Coucal
Little Bronze Cuckoo
Plaintive Cuckoo
Little Tern (at the reservoir)
Grey Heron
Great-billed Heron
Yellow Bittern
Pacific Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Waterhen
Red Junglefowl
Pied Triller
Pied Fantail
Large-tailed Nightjar
White-throated Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Stock-billed Kingfisher
Black-naped Oriole
Scaly-breasted Munia
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Sunda Woodpecker
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Brahminy Kite
Changeable Hawk-eagle

Migrants
Common Kingfisher
Tiger Shrike
Brown Shrike
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Arctic Warbler
Oriental Reed-warbler
Black-browed Reed-warbler
Common Sandpiper
Oriental Honey Buzzard

Happy birding!