SINGAPORE: News that a pair of peregrine falcons attempted to breed in the Central Business District - on a ledge of the OCBC Centre, no less - came as a surprise to many. We typically associate wildlife in Singapore with our parks and nature reserves.
In fact, the presence of the two peregrine falcons in the heart of the city goes back until at least 2017. The pair have taken advantage of the abundant supply of urban pigeons.
Their breeding attempt last year was unsuccessful as the eggs were abandoned, but the experience can still contribute valuable information and guide future conservation work in Singapore.
Out of over 420 species of birds observed in Singapore, around 140 are considered residents, meaning they are believed to breed in Singapore, with local populations present year-round.
A further 60 or so birds are visitors, breeding regularly in Peninsular Malaysia or the Riau Archipelago, but only occurring in Singapore sporadically for short periods. Why are they unable to maintain a constant presence in Singapore?
When compared with other birds, the peregrine falcon is the exception, not the rule. Its natural breeding areas - crevices in cliffs - vaguely resemble service ledges of skyscrapers.
By contrast, most birds in Singapore have specific habitat preferences. Some are restricted to dense forests, others are only found in wetlands, and many have even stricter requirements within these broad categories. The bridge from these habitats to urban landscapes is one too far to cross for these birds, restricting them to the pockets of these habitats scattered across our small island.
With all these layers, there's just very little space in Singapore to sustain some kinds of birds. Habitat fragmentation can also be a problem. Even though many birds are able to move between areas of suitable habitat easily, some birds, like babblers, are unable to traverse across modified landscapes and end up confined to small pockets of forest, with unsustainably small populations.
Another challenge, particularly for birds dependent on freshwater wetlands and open grasslands, is the role of invasive fauna species. Invasive predatory fish such as snakeheads in waterways have been recorded preying on the young of locally endangered lesser whistling ducks. Invasive birds like the golden-backed weaver appear to compete with our native baya weavers for food.
A pair of Lesser Whistling Ducks seen at Pekan Quarry on Jun 11, 2022. (Photo: Cheryl Teo)
These challenges mean that the diversity of breeding birds in Singapore will always be limited. Yet, this does not mean that conserving spaces for birds in Singapore is a futile task.
The peregrine falcons’ attempted nesting in the CBD reminds us that conservation demands adaptability to the diverse requirements of different birds. The falcons’ specific case - whether successful or not - isn't representative of most birds and urban nesting. Understanding the specific needs of different species, beyond adaptable generalists like the peregrine falcon, is key to effective conservation within our city-state.
Our existing green spaces provide good coverage for more forest-dependent species, and invasive species have not considerably threatened their breeding success. We've recently seen a growing number of non-breeding visiting birds from forests elsewhere in our surrounding region. These include the globally endangered white-crowned hornbill, recently recorded at the Chek Jawa Wetlands on Pulau Ubin.
With ongoing deforestation in the region, preserving spaces for visiting forest birds is important even if it does not lead to breeding. Our forests might be too small to support breeding populations of larger birds like the white-crowned hornbill, but they can at least serve as a bridge between other forests in the region, contributing to increased success elsewhere.
Understanding Singapore not as an isolated unit but as a part of a wider network of forests will allow us to reframe conservation priorities with both breeding and non-breeding fauna in mind.
Pulau Ubin, which is visible from Johor Bahru's coast, is particularly valuable in this sense, as one of Singapore's northernmost forest patches alongside Pulau Tekong. The island has temporarily hosted the majority of visiting forest birds in recent years, and increasing its legal protection will bolster Singapore's avian conservation efforts.
Wetland birds can benefit from more aggressive efforts to deter the release of invasive fauna such as non-native birds and predatory fish. Many freshwater wetland-dependent birds are adept at recolonising suitable habitat, and eliminating these barriers to their breeding success could lead to rapid progress.
The story of the CBD peregrine falcons has captured the attention of many. It is always heartening to see such positive conservation stories in our public discourse.
As we highlight the adaptability of birds like the peregrine falcon, channelling attention to biodiversity across the whole spectrum of habitats, from forests to marshlands, will allow us to celebrate more small victories for our local bird species.
Raghav Narayanswamy is Chair of the Data and Tech Committee at the Bird Society of Singapore.
Continue reading...
In fact, the presence of the two peregrine falcons in the heart of the city goes back until at least 2017. The pair have taken advantage of the abundant supply of urban pigeons.
Their breeding attempt last year was unsuccessful as the eggs were abandoned, but the experience can still contribute valuable information and guide future conservation work in Singapore.
WHY SOME BIRDS DO NOT BREED IN SINGAPORE
Out of over 420 species of birds observed in Singapore, around 140 are considered residents, meaning they are believed to breed in Singapore, with local populations present year-round.
A further 60 or so birds are visitors, breeding regularly in Peninsular Malaysia or the Riau Archipelago, but only occurring in Singapore sporadically for short periods. Why are they unable to maintain a constant presence in Singapore?
When compared with other birds, the peregrine falcon is the exception, not the rule. Its natural breeding areas - crevices in cliffs - vaguely resemble service ledges of skyscrapers.
By contrast, most birds in Singapore have specific habitat preferences. Some are restricted to dense forests, others are only found in wetlands, and many have even stricter requirements within these broad categories. The bridge from these habitats to urban landscapes is one too far to cross for these birds, restricting them to the pockets of these habitats scattered across our small island.
With all these layers, there's just very little space in Singapore to sustain some kinds of birds. Habitat fragmentation can also be a problem. Even though many birds are able to move between areas of suitable habitat easily, some birds, like babblers, are unable to traverse across modified landscapes and end up confined to small pockets of forest, with unsustainably small populations.
Another challenge, particularly for birds dependent on freshwater wetlands and open grasslands, is the role of invasive fauna species. Invasive predatory fish such as snakeheads in waterways have been recorded preying on the young of locally endangered lesser whistling ducks. Invasive birds like the golden-backed weaver appear to compete with our native baya weavers for food.
A pair of Lesser Whistling Ducks seen at Pekan Quarry on Jun 11, 2022. (Photo: Cheryl Teo)
LESSONS IN CONSERVATION
These challenges mean that the diversity of breeding birds in Singapore will always be limited. Yet, this does not mean that conserving spaces for birds in Singapore is a futile task.
The peregrine falcons’ attempted nesting in the CBD reminds us that conservation demands adaptability to the diverse requirements of different birds. The falcons’ specific case - whether successful or not - isn't representative of most birds and urban nesting. Understanding the specific needs of different species, beyond adaptable generalists like the peregrine falcon, is key to effective conservation within our city-state.
Our existing green spaces provide good coverage for more forest-dependent species, and invasive species have not considerably threatened their breeding success. We've recently seen a growing number of non-breeding visiting birds from forests elsewhere in our surrounding region. These include the globally endangered white-crowned hornbill, recently recorded at the Chek Jawa Wetlands on Pulau Ubin.
With ongoing deforestation in the region, preserving spaces for visiting forest birds is important even if it does not lead to breeding. Our forests might be too small to support breeding populations of larger birds like the white-crowned hornbill, but they can at least serve as a bridge between other forests in the region, contributing to increased success elsewhere.
Related:
Understanding Singapore not as an isolated unit but as a part of a wider network of forests will allow us to reframe conservation priorities with both breeding and non-breeding fauna in mind.
Pulau Ubin, which is visible from Johor Bahru's coast, is particularly valuable in this sense, as one of Singapore's northernmost forest patches alongside Pulau Tekong. The island has temporarily hosted the majority of visiting forest birds in recent years, and increasing its legal protection will bolster Singapore's avian conservation efforts.
Wetland birds can benefit from more aggressive efforts to deter the release of invasive fauna such as non-native birds and predatory fish. Many freshwater wetland-dependent birds are adept at recolonising suitable habitat, and eliminating these barriers to their breeding success could lead to rapid progress.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The story of the CBD peregrine falcons has captured the attention of many. It is always heartening to see such positive conservation stories in our public discourse.
As we highlight the adaptability of birds like the peregrine falcon, channelling attention to biodiversity across the whole spectrum of habitats, from forests to marshlands, will allow us to celebrate more small victories for our local bird species.
Raghav Narayanswamy is Chair of the Data and Tech Committee at the Bird Society of Singapore.
Continue reading...