Singapore’s first-ever guidebook on migratory birds has been launched just in time for this year’s migratory season! Titled Migratory Birds of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, this book features vivid photos along with specific details of 108 migratory birds. Aspiring bird-watchers and other visitors to Sungei Buloh will find this guide extremely helpful in identifying the birds they see there.

The book also contains little known facts and trivia about the migratory birds. For instance: while most of these birds fly thousands of kilometres from their native breeding grounds to Singapore, did you know that the Bar-tailed Godwit can fly continuously for more than 10,000 km within eight days? Another bird, the small Pacific Golden Plover, weighs about 100g – about the same as your mobile phone – and is known to fly over 6,000km from Siberia to Singapore, and then another 4,000km to Australia.

Get your own copy at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, and at other nature reserves around Singapore. For the month of October only, Migratory Birds of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is available at a special launch price of $8. It will be sold at $10 subsequently.

We have 20 copies of Migratory Birds of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to give away to My Green Space readers!

The first five readers who present a printout of this page at the information counter at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve’s visitor centre on 24 – 25 Oct and 7 – 8 Nov will receive a free copy of this book.

Alfred Russel Wallace’s exploratory journeys in Southeast Asia led him not only to Singapore, but also to Malaysia, the Indonesian islands, and the island of New Guinea. His eight-year foray (1854 – 1862) into Southeast Asia’s natural history is chronicled in his book,The Malay Archipelago.

First published in 1869, this book was one of the most popular and influential journals of scientific exploration of its time. It remains a classic work of natural history even till now.

The Malay Archipelagodescribes the region’s flora and fauna, and provides some initial evidence of the modern theory of evolution. Wallace also included amusing personal anecdotes about the cultures he encountered, which give readers an interesting perspective on Wallace as an explorer.

Some of his comments would be considered highly politically-incorrect today, though: in one chapter, he describes a group of islanders as “a strange half-civilized, half-savage lazy people”.

We have two copies of The Malay Archipelago to give away!

Take part in our simple quiz for your chance to win a copy.

1. When was The Malay Archipelago first published?
2. The Malay Archipelago catalogues many plants and animals that are found in Southeast Asia. True or False?

Contest closes on 31 December 2009. Email your answers toinfo@nparks.gov.sgwith the subject title ‘My Green Space Contest’, together with your name and contact number.

We will pick two winners from among all the entries with correct answers.