People in Tanjong Pagar: at least 3 Himalayan Vultures (very rare occasional visitors to Singapore) have been spotted in the vicinity of Orchid Hotel. If you see some really big birds flying high up, it's probably them. Also, be prepared for the crowd of photographers.
The Himalayan Vulture is Asia's 2nd largest vulture, with a wingspan that can supposedly reach 3.1 metres. It's a rare migrant that makes an appearance in Singapore every few years. More info about this species here: bit.ly/2s3fknw
The Himalayan Vulture is usually a resident of the uplands of Central Asia, from Afghanistan and Kazakhstan to the Himalayas, western China, including the Tibetan Plateau and Tien Shan Mountains, and Mongolia.
Photo: flic.kr/p/2b9p8Rd
Himalayan Vultures are important scavengers in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, and are one of the species that participate in the famous 'sky burials' (bit.ly/36DzHXp).
Photos: flic.kr/p/h8tuSP
flic.kr/p/nNmfSZ
Although the Himalayan Vulture does not usually migrate large distances, it is known to disperse outside of the breeding season, and these vultures, especially juveniles, have been seen at lower elevations in India and Myanmar during the winter months.
Every once in a while, juvenile Himalayan Vultures have #wanderlust and fly as far as Singapore. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that there's enough carrion for them, and it's unknown if any of these young vultures survive and make it back to the Himalayas.
The first definite record of Himalayan Vultures in Singapore was in January 1992, when a flock roosted at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
(The Straits Times, 10th February 1992, pg 12)
The next sighting of Himalayan Vultures in Singapore was in 2005, when with a pair seen near Holland Road in January 2005. A few days later, a pair, likely the same birds, were spotted in the Orchard Road area.
nus.edu/NDFhiM
However, one of the vultures was eventually encountered at Nanyang Girls' High School off Dunearn Road. Weak and unable to fly, it was rescued and sent to the Jurong Bird Park. The other bird was last seen near the Botanic Gardens.
(The Straits Times, 12th January 2005, pg 1)
January 2006 saw another vulture at Changi, and one more turned up in Ang Mo Kio in December that same year. In both cases, the vultures appeared weak, exhausted, and hungry, and were rescued.
nus.edu/37Psq7k
(The Straits Times, 29th January 2006, pg 10)
More Himalayan Vultures appeared in January 2008, with an individual seen in Upper Seletar, 3 in Bukit Timah, and a single bird that was seen soaring over a grassland in Sembawang before flying over to Johor.
bit.ly/37YPFfl
bit.ly/2uwzO9e
Himalayan Vultures popped up in Singapore yet again in January 2010, with a single bird above MacRitchie Reservoir. In March 2010, a pair were reported (but not photographed) flying above Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
bit.ly/36Bxzjd
bit.ly/2QEOjR3
In January 2016, another Himalayan Vulture fell to the ground in Toa Payoh, thin and malnourished. It was rescued by ACRES and sent to the Jurong Bird Park.
nus.edu/2T53O6n
In 2018, a bird photographer was lucky enough to spot a lone Himalayan Vulture soaring above Bukit Timah from his balcony.
Photo: Francis Yap
bit.ly/2QAoiC5
bit.ly/39KQCJE
Just last year, a friend of mine (Shirley Ng) posted this on Facebook on 28th December:
"Two griffons over Hindhede Quarry"
That sparked a rush of bird photographers to Bukit Timah.
Facebook status and photo: Shirley Ng
bit.ly/2N6xOLc
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A selection of photos by various photographers, uploaded to Facebook; the Himalayan Vultures departed Hindhede Quarry in the morning of 29th December.
Photos: Wong Chung Cheong (bit.ly/39NUOZn)
Francis Yap (bit.ly/2uybYtN)
Dorcas Fong (bit.ly/2NaTaXT)
The crowd of photographers at Hindhede Nature Park that morning (29th December 2019), all there for the Himalayan Vultures.
Photos: Lim Kim Chuah (bit.ly/2T6Gi8Q)
Lim Kim Seng (bit.ly/2N8Fqgu)
As the vultures departed, they were chased by the local White-bellied Sea Eagles (Singapore's largest resident raptor). Even with a wingspan that can reach more than 2 metres, the White-bellied Sea Eagle looks small in comparison.
Photo: Zacc HD (bit.ly/3053G88)
Fast forward to yesterday evening. An acquaintance posted a video on her Instagram stories, of several large birds flying above the Oasia Hotel.
Video: Germaine Phoo
My assumption was that this was another flock of Asian Openbills - huge numbers of these storks have been seen passing overhead the past month all over Singapore.
Photo: flic.kr/p/2i7rtbe
Germaine couldn't confirm whether the flock of large birds she saw were raptors or storks, but I told her that while my hunch was that these were Asian Openbills, it was possible that yet more Himalayan Vultures could have visited Singapore.
This morning, when I opened Facebook, I saw this in a local birdwatching group:
"Himalayan Griffon Vulture now perched above Orchid Hotel at Tanjong Pagar. 7.55am
Very good n solid views, hurry down now!
Total of 3 birds so far"
by Adrian Silas Tay (bit.ly/2QzSQ7e)
As expected, there are the "OMG" comments, the complaints by other birders that they are in the area but don't have their gear with them, handphone photos of vultures on camera preview screens, and then, more comments of more sightings of vultures from the area.
"Seven birds now soaring over Frasers (Tower)!"
"8 is circling She(n)ton Way now"
"11 birds over Fort Canning"
I wonder how many bird photographers are skipping lunch and rushing to the CBD in search of the Himalayan Vultures.
Here's one of the Himalayan Vultures seen this morning.
"Spotted a Himalayan Griffon Vulture on roof of Orchid Hotel. Digiscoped via my 8x22 and Note10. Lol."
"I think i will keep a set of birding gear in office."
by Elvin Tan (bit.ly/305Kt6h)
The 2019-2020 migratory bird season is turning out to be quite remarkable for Singapore. Quite a few rarities and unexpected sightings, and some of these birds are showing up in unprecedented numbers.
Some of the Himalayan Vultures that were rescued in the past and sent to the Jurong Bird Park still live there. I know they probably would have starved to death otherwise, but seeing them in their small enclosure is sad.
Photos: flic.kr/p/hmRr47
flic.kr/p/h61wqW
Turns out that one of the Himalayan Vultures actually landed on Peck Seah Street yesterday evening, and someone posted it on STOMP. Hope it didn't get run over:
bit.ly/2sZALXa
And yup, photographs of the Himalayan Vultures in Tanjong Pagar are starting to trickle in. Looks like the bird photographers are on standby at Pinnacle@Duxton.
Photo: Francis Yap (bit.ly/2Fuhy2q)
There's something surreal about seeing vultures soaring above the urban landscape of downtown Singapore, rather than the mountains of the Himalayas.
Photos: Angie Cheong (bit.ly/2Fuhy2q)
I don't agree with baiting birds with food for photos, but given that these vultures are a long way from home, probably aren't finding many carcasses and are likely starving, I'm half-wishing that someone would leave a goat or sheep carcass in a field somewhere nearby for them.
Not sure if the vultures are still in town, but about 10 of them were reported soaring above Bukit Timah around noon.
More photos of the Himalayan Vultures seen at Tanjong Pagar this morning.
Photos: Zacc HD, Peck Seah Street (bit.ly/2FAv6cQ)
Pary Sivaraman, Tras Street (bit.ly/2tM03s0 & bit.ly/39SB72v)
Bp Chua (bit.ly/2FvqR2f)
They apparently moved to the Bukit Timah area; at least 10 vultures were seen soaring above Bukit Timah around noon. No further information on their whereabouts since.
Photo: Siew Mun (bit.ly/2QTKzty)
Not sure if they'll still be around tomorrow; they may scatter or simply fly somewhere else. There's also concern that they might not be able to find enough food, and that some, if not all of these vultures will eventually starve if they don't head back north.
More photos of the Himalayan Vultures seen above Tanjong Pagar last Thursday morning.
Photos: Francis Yap (bit.ly/36VJnNi)
Francis only got into bird photography as a hobby about a decade ago, but he's now a prominent member of the local birding community.
The vultures were not seen on Friday, but on Saturday, another bird photographer spotted about 8 or 9 of them above West Coast Park. One of the Himalayan Vultures was chased by one of the resident Brahminy Kites.
Photos: Tan Chuan-Yean (bit.ly/388gbml)
There have been no reported sightings of the Himalayan Vultures since that encounter on Saturday afternoon; hopefully they managed to fly somewhere else and found food, or better still, headed back north to the Himalayas.
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