Almost half of Singapore’s bird species have been sighted in the Singapore Botanic Gardens; new photography exhibition launched to feature community’s efforts in photographing and documenting bird sightings

- First ever exhibition of birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens showcases around 160 photographs by the community selected from over 830 submissions

- Highlights role of the Gardens in supporting biodiversity and transforming Singapore into a City in Nature

A new community photography exhibition, “A Garden of Birds”, opens today at the CDL Green Gallery in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Put together by the National Parks Board (NParks) and made possible with the support of City Developments Limited (CDL), this is the first ever exhibition dedicated to the birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens – Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Gardens has shown to be an important habitat for both resident and migratory birds – over 180 species of birds have been recorded at the Gardens, almost half of the over 400 species that have been sighted in Singapore. Many of these sightings were contributed by our community of bird watchers who have provided sighting information as well as records of the activities of some of the birds and duration that they have spent at the Gardens. This is a valuable source of information on the habitats and conditions preferred by birds as the observations help to inform our conservation strategies and plans, and allow us to better enhance the Gardens for both birds and visitors as we transform Singapore into a City in Nature.

Conservation of key habitats in the Singapore Botanic Gardens supports bird diversity

The conservation of key habitats is one of the main thrusts of Singapore’s Nature Conservation Masterplan. Within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, five locations are identified as nature areas for habitat conservation and enhancement – the primary Rain Forest, the Southern Forest of the Learning Forest, the Keppel Discovery Wetlands, the natural freshwater stream at the Gallop Extension, and the Eco-Lake. The diversity of habitats, both terrestrial and wetlands, and the long-term ecological research and horticultural works undertaken by the Gardens in conserving and restoring natural habitats and flora of Singapore have contributed to the diversity of bird species that have been sighted in the Gardens. The birds, in turn, contribute to enriching the habitats by playing their part in the complex food webs that underpin our urban and forest ecosystems.

Partnering the community to enhance monitoring and conservation efforts

The community plays an invaluable role in our efforts to conserve our natural heritage. Under NParks’ Garden Bird Watch (GBW), a Community in Nature initiative, citizen scientists help to survey birds at various green spaces across Singapore. The Singapore Botanic Gardens has been one of the GBW locations since the launch of the GBW in 2015 and five-year data collected from the GBW showed that the Gardens is one of the top ten sites for species richness. The insights from such surveys, as well as information on sightings from bird photographers, help guide our conservation and management measures to ensure that the Gardens is conducive not just to visitors, but to avifauna as well.

Dr Tan Puay Yok, Group Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, said, “Interest in the bird life present in the Gardens is not new. As far back as 1898, the Gardens’ then-director H.N. Ridley wrote a paper on the birds of the Gardens published in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in which he shared about the monitoring of a White-bellied Sea Eagle which had built a large nest on a big tree within the Gardens. It is heartening that our avian visitors and rich natural heritage continue to be appreciated and treasured by Singaporeans today, and they also contribute to our conservation efforts through their observations. Through this exhibition, we hope to share with our visitors the joy and pride of our bird watching community, the role of the Gardens in avian biodiversity conservation and the role of our avian friends in maintaining the ecology of our natural habitats, and to inspire more people to join us to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.”

The public can find out more about our citizen science programmes and how they can get involved at: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/community-in-nature-initiative/citizen-science-programmes.

About the exhibition

The exhibition is made possible with the support of CDL and features around 160 photographs from 49 photographers that have been selected from more than 830 community submissions. Featuring numerous resident and migratory bird species, the exhibition is a curated selection of photographs shared by the community of birding enthusiasts who come to the Gardens to observe, admire, study and research the remarkable diversity of birds found in Singapore Botanic Gardens. Through photographs, illustrations and interactive displays, the exhibition showcases the vibrant bird diversity of the Gardens, conservation and habitat enhancement efforts, and the role of green spaces like the Gardens to support Singapore’s biodiversity conservation efforts. The public can also find out more about Singapore’s rich natural heritage and how they can contribute at the upcoming Festival of Biodiversity on 25 and 26 May at One Punggol.

Visit www.go.gov.sg/sbg-agardenofbirds for more information on the exhibition.

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