CONTENTS
Flora index
Fauna index
guide to the mangroves of singapore
Vertebrates: Birds
Peter K L Ng and N Sivasothi (editors)
  Mangrove forest and other birds

The mangrove forest is inhabited by a variety of small birds.
pied fantail Pied fantail
Rhiphidura javanica
Family Corvidae
Size: 18 cm
One of these mangrove forest birds, the Pied fantail, flits about in the underbrush, fanning out its white under-tail feathers.
ashy tailorbird Ashy tailorbird
Orthotomus ruficeps
Family Sylviidae
Size: 12 cm
As their name suggests, tailorbirds build their nest by sewing large leaves together with spider silk. The Ashy tailorbird occurs mostly in the mangrove habitat.
copper-throated sunbird Copper-throated sunbird
Nectarinia calcostetha
Family Nectariniidae
Size: 14 cm

While both fantail and tailorbird are insectivorous, the Copper-throated sunbird feeds largely on nectar.
It inserts its long, curved beak into the centre of blossoms, and extracts the nectar with its long tongue. It will also take insects. Sunbirds are sexually dimorphic, the males tending to be brightly-coloured in contrast to the plain females.

A number of birds that are common in housing estates and public parks also frequent the mangroves.

javan myna on grass Javan myna
Acridotheres javanicus
Family Sturnidae

Size: 25 cm 		Examples of such familiar species include the Javan myna and the House crow.

Opportunistic feeders like these are probably attracted by the abundance of marine organisms on the mud, and to rubbish trapped among the mangrove root system and on the mudflats.
House crow
Corvus splendens
Family Corvidae

Size:43 cm
house crow perched on tree
white-breasted waterhen on water lily leaves
 White-breasted waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus
Family Rallidae

Size: 33 cm
The White-breasted waterhen is characteristic of freshwater ponds and marshes, but it often wanders into the mangroves where its distinct croaking calls may be heard. Its chicks, however, are black in colour.

<<Back to mangrove birds
What is mangrove?
Introduction

The Ecosystem
Abiotic
Biotic

Value
Intro
Products
Indirect uses
Potential uses

About Mangroves
in Singapore
History
Mangroves to visit
Conservation
 
From "A Guide to Mangroves of Singapore", Peter K. L. Ng and N. Sivasothi (editors)
Volume 1: The Ecosystem and Plant Diversity and Volume 2: Animal Diversity
Authors: Kelvin K. P. Lim, Dennis H. Murphy, T. Morgany, N. Sivasothi, Peter K. L. Ng,
B. C. Soong, Hugh T. W. Tan, K. S. Tan & T. K. Tan
BP Guide to Nature Series published by the Singapore Science Centre, sponsored by British Petroleum
© 2001 Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore & The Singapore Science Centre