As dusk fell over Singapore late Fri afternoon, a small corner of CCNR was abuzz with activity. Nature photographers were scrambling to photograph a rare bird sighted in the area before the reserve closed at 7pm. Their excitement was understandable, for the sighting of the fairy pitta, a colourful songbird, is the first record of this species in Singapore. The bird was first sighted early Fri morning by nature photographer Francis Yap. “The fairy pitta usually breeds in Taiwan and China, and when they migrate south, they usually do so via Borneo instead of via Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore,” said Mr Yap. It is the second exciting bird find in Singapore within the span of just one week. On Tues, ornithologist Yong Ding Li spotted another bird never before seen on the island: a cinereous tit. The sighting was not just the first record of the species in Singapore. It was also the first record of a tit – a group of songbirds – that are largely found in boreal and temperate areas.... Continue Reading