Various
birds can be seen on and flying over the sandflats of Chek Jawa.
Migratory shorebirds
Between September and March you are likely to see flocks of birds
feeding on the sand bars of Chek Jawa at low tide. These are shorebirds
visiting from afar.
Why do shorebirds migrate? Many
shorebirds breed in the northern regions, some as far as the sub-Arctic.
Summer in such places is short but hot, with the sun overhead almost
24 hours a day. During this season, plants and insects are plentiful.
Shorebirds are among those that take advantage of this seasonal abundance
to breed.
Route a migrating
shorebird might take on the
East Asian-Australasian Flyway |
Winter
in such places, however, is sharsh. Thus shorebirds migrate
southwards in autumn. In spring, most journey back north to
their breeding grounds.
On their long journeys, shorebirds depend on wetlands and intertidal
flats such as Chek Jawa. Here they rest and refuel on 'fast
food': high-energy food that can be harvested quickly. |
A chain of such wetland stopovers forms a flyway. Singapore is part
of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Often,
migratory birds must fly non-stop between such stopovers as there
are no suitable habitats for them in between. The destruction of such
'stepping stones' can affect the continued existence of these marvellous
birds.
Besides the migratory shorebirds, other birds may be seen on Chek
Jawa.
Raptors
Birds of prey or raptors are predators with strong talons to grasp
prey and sharp beaks to tear them up. Some raptors that specialise
in hunting fish may be seen flying over Chek Jawa, spiralling up on
the columns of rising warm air. They are daytime hunters.
Seabirds
Seabirds hunt mainly fish on open waters or coastal areas, rather
than feeding on the mudflats like shorebirds. Chek Jawa is among the
few places in Singapore where you can view migratory seabirds like
the Crested terns. They occasionally rest on the seaward tip of the
north sand bar at low tide. |
|
A shorebird
Pacific golden-plover
A shorebird
Whimbrel
A raptor
Osprey
A seabird
Great crested-tern
|
