THE BIRDS OF SINGAPORE ISLAND 
"During the last two years the writer remembers whole 
days spent in the field with unprofitabW results, including a 
week-end in the Bajau district at the end of the Chua Chu 
Kang- Road with scarcely the sight of a bird, and other dis- 
astrous outini^s. But there are saving graces. Even on tht! 
return journey of tJie unsuccessful trip to Bajau, very late at 
night, a large fishing-owl flying low over the car for qutte a 
long distance was a redeeming feature; and there are memories 
of delightful days spent in bird-watching chiefly in the western 
half of the Island, days when there were interesting birds to be 
seen at almost every turn of the river, blue bitterns flying: 
from the mangrove before the approach of the sampan, large 
wary king-fishers splashing into the water in tern-like fasb'on 
yet further up stream and sun-birds of four or hve species all 
seen in a morning. The sight of family parties of cuckoo- 
shrikes and baby pittas in the mangrove is satisfactory work 
for one day. 
"The scarcity of even our resident birds is, without doubt, 
to a great extent due to the clearing of the island with the 
spread of the town but it is clear that the week-end 'sportsman' 
has wrought ternl>le havoc. A youth armed with a gun is a 
factor not to be ignored. Such a person shoots at everything 
he sees and 1 have seen such individuals returning from a 
shoot carrying a bunch of bulbuls strung together by the 
necks. One has to only to visit the Botanic Gardens in the 
late afternoon or early nioniing of any day to note the good 
results which it is possible to olitain by rigidly protecting birds, 
for there, more of the beautiful black and white songsters, 
Copsyclnts musicns {the Magpie Robin) can be seen in one hour 
than in most other districts on the island in a week, 
'*The writer is frequently asked as to the whereabouts of 
the best places for bird- watching on the islandt but he would 
recommend that each person should tind out the best places for 
himself for in the process we are likely to gain new observa- 
tions. 
"As a hint, however, we could mention that |)robal>ly as 
many birds could be seen by an obser\'er sitting on the to[> of 
Bukit Timah as in any other selected locality. Working the 
mangrove of the rivers and creeks is apt to be rather dull. 
[ 6 ] 
