Excuse this off-limit e-mail. During a stopover in Singapore Saturday evening I saw from the airport’s rooftop “Cactus Garden” next to some typical species (such as Javan Myna and House Crow) a few more birds: 1. a very quick fly-by swiftlet (didn’t get any details) – are there Edible-nest Swiftlets around the airport? 2. a fly-by crow with a very large appearing bill (didn’t get any further details) – are there Large-billed Crows around the airport? 3. and finally in one of the cacti on the airport’s roof a Yellow-fronted Canary (Serinus mozambicus)! Is there a feral population of these African finches or is this rather a fresh release?
Cheers,
Nikolas
Nikolas, Germain s swiftlet Colocalia (fusciphaga) amechana is the most common swiftlet in Singapore. Black-nest and Glossy swiftlets are also there. Himalayan Swifltlet is not officially on the list but may be a regular winter migrant. Large-billed Crow is a common resident but not such an urban scrounger as the only other, nd more common crow there, House Crow. No Canaries are recorded for Singapore as far as I am aware.
Thanks David & Ingo for your responses! Yep, I am not surprized that there is a small population of Yellow-fronted Canaries in Singapore! http://orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=2862&Bird_Image_ID=47660
Cheers,
Nikolas