Allan Teo sent in an image of a pair of waders taken in India. Ong Tun Pin very kindly identified them to be non-breeding Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa).

Allan thought the birds were fighting and he was right. They are usually peaceful, feeding as a flock. But as soon as food is limited, each bird vigorously defends its feeding territory. And when another moves in, there will always be a quarrel. In the image above, the two birds are engaged in a “mandibular clash” using their long bills to settle a territorial dispute.

This godwit is a winter visitor and passage migrant to Singapore and Malaysia. It breeds in Northeast Asia, moving south through the Indian subcontinent to reach Southeast Asia and even further to south New Guinea, north and west Australia. Fewer birds are now stopping over in Singapore, probably because of habitat loss.

The bird winters in sheltered waterways where there are intertidal mudflats and in sandy beaches, marshes, lake shores and rice fields. Food is chiefly invertebrates like insects, spiders, worms, molluscs, crustaceans, tadpoles and some seeds and berries.

Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) are large brown waders with a prominent curved bill. These birds breed in the subarctic and arctic regions and winter south, moving to Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, as well as all the way down to the southern parts of South America and Africa. In Singapore it is a common winter visitor and passage migrant, as shown in the image above, taken at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Researchers from the College of William and Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology and The Nature Conservancy in the US have observed the record-setting migration of a female Whimbrel named Winnie from its feeding grounds on the Delmarva Peninsula in the east coast of the US to breeding grounds on the McKenzie River near the Alaska-Canada border (see map, left).

Fitted with a state-of-the-art satellite tracking device weighing just over a third of an ounce, Winnie (left, insert) left the study area on 23rd May 2008, flying northwest at an average flight speed of nearly 22 miles per hour, covering more than 5,000 kilometers (3,200 miles) in no more than 146 hours. This is a new distance record in the flight range of this species. For more information, check out this LINK.

We thank Erin Zagursky, University Relations, College of William and Mary for updating us.

Image of Whimbrel by Dr Eric Tan, that of Winnie and her migrating route courtesy of the Center for Conservation Biology, US.

Jonathan has been monitoring the White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) at Kranji since 2005.

In that early period when he was new to birds, he was rather puzzled by the “chocolate chip” tern he photographed and had difficulty getting it identified (above). He now knows that it is a White-winged dressed in a transitional plumage.

The White-winged, also known as White-winged Black Tern, breeds in Siberia. It winters south, moving down the Malay Peninsula to Singapore and beyond to as far as Australia.

In Singapore, it is possible to see the bird both in its non-breeding (above) and breeding plumages (below). The image below shows the breeding plumage, although “not quite though, judging from the white flecks on the head” – according to our bird specialist R Subaraj. Similarly, the “chocolate chip” bird at the top shows early transitional stage, as only some black feathers have developed.

Adds Subaraj: “White-winged Terns usually start arriving as migrants in September. They occur in numbers, particularly during passage, in coastal and offshore areas (and freshwater too). Numbers have declined over the years due to a reduction in foraging areas around our coastlines; such as the original Sg. Serangoon estuary where pig swill would empty out of the Sg Serangoon Kecil from the pig farms and this would attract hundreds of terns.

“Northbound return passage is often late in April/May and during that latter period is when you may have more birds in transitional or near-breeding plumage, as they moult in preparation for their return to their breeding grounds in the north.”

All images by Dr Jonathan Cheah Weng Kwong.

“I received a tip-off on February 8th, 2008 from Martin Kennewell, that he had encountered a flock of the mysterious ‘White-faced’ Plovers at Changi that morning. The next morning, Martin Daniel and I set off for the site (with the help of my wife, Sham, who drove us to the end of the road).

“The site was at the northern end of the large area of reclaimation at Changi. Here, on the coast, a sand-bar extends out in a semi-circle but does not re-connect with the coast. Both of us reached the site after a walk that produced a few birds, including an Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus spilonotus) and several Himalayan Swiftlets (Aerodramus brevirostris) migrating north.

“Walking out on to the sand-bar, we noticed that the large flock of shorebirds, mentioned by Martin Kennewell from yesterday, was largely absent. Instead, toward the end of the bar were a few shorebirds. We identified 3 pairs and an immature female Malaysian Plovers (Charadrius peronii) (above: 2 females and a male), 8 of the ‘White-faced’ Plovers, 2 Lesser Sand Plovers (Charadrius mongolus), a Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) and Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos). A flock of about 50 Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fluva) also flew over.

“I took a few photos but the White-faced Plovers were somewhat cautious, moving away when we got too close (above). Hence, my Panasonic Lumix was only good enough to make record shots.

“Lin Yangchen also visited the site a few days later, with a group of birders that included Martin Kennewell and David Blakewell. He managed a couple of much better shots of the White-faced plover, as seen here (left).

“Is this really a new species? They certainly looked quite distinctive when we saw them. A good case is certainly being built up by a few overseas birders and we now await capture of a bird to take a blood sample for final confirmation. Best of luck everyone!”

Images by Subaraj Rajathurai except close up of bird by Lin Yangchen.

The Oriental Plover (Charadrius veredus) breeds from Mongolia to NE China (including a part of Russia). It migrates through Eastern China, Eastern South-East Asia, Wallacea and Micronesia to winter in Northern Australia, with a few reaching New Zealand. Its usual route bypasses Singapore. However, freak weather conditions or biological factors may cause the occasional Oriental Plover to make landfall on the east coast of Singapore.

One such plover was spotted at Changi Cove by David Bakewell and several fellow birders on a sunny morning on 17th February 2008. Apparently feeling ostracised amongst the flock of Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) with which it arrived, it harassed the latter birds by chasing them around.

This is only the eighth record of the Oriental Plover in Singapore. The first two were actually old records from 1891 (2 birds) and 1898 (2 skins). The next record was from 1985/1986, one at Changi. This was followed by 2-4 birds at Tuas in 1993 (Richard Ollington). Then came the 5th & 6th records; single birds in 1998 and 1999 at Seletar Estuary/Dam. The 7th record was one bird at Changi in 2006.

This latest record is even more special - it is the first time the plover is seen in Singapore in breeding plumage. The characteristic dark breast band of the male bird in breeding condition can be clearly seen in the photograph by Lin Yangchen.