21/09/2025
Story of the Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting)
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
17.08.2025
The Blue-eared Kingfisher is one of only two breeding residents in Sri Lanka that I have yet to see, and it’s now considered locally extinct as a breeder and extremely rare. Because of this, I had given up hope of seeing it in Sri Lanka, but I always dreamed of spotting this beauty somewhere in the world.
This time when I was coming to Sri Lanka, I booked a ticket with a 10-hour layover in Singapore. For the cheapest option, that long transit was perfect for a quick look at the country as I haven't been to Singapore in around 12 years. A few days before the flight, I remembered that the BEK could sometimes be seen in Singapore. I asked Bao, a fellow member of the Melbourne University Birdwatching Society and a brilliant birder from Singapore, about my chances. He suggested several locations but reminded me that this was off-season, so sightings might be difficult. The BEK is rare in Singapore too.
Following his advice, I checked the Blue-eared Kingfisher’s eBird profile and found two recent sightings, both near the Malaysian border.
As the flight approached, I messaged my batch mate Chathushka who was working in Singapore to see if he’d like to join me. He was happy to join and help, and another batch mate, Gevindu, who recently went there for his higher studies decided to come along as well. The night before my flight I checked eBird again and saw that the most recent sighting was at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, with a specific hut mentioned in the observation notes.
I landed in Singapore around noon with a single mission: I’m going to see the Blue-eared Kingfisher. The three of us hopped into a taxi and headed to Sungei Buloh, about an hour away. We explored the reserve and began walking toward the waterhole near the hut from the eBird report.
We searched for about an hour and a half without luck. I was a little worried but still excited to spot some lifers in the area. A bird guide who was guiding a foreign couple mentioned he had seen a BEK at a different waterbody about 100 m ahead that morning, which gave me hope. We checked there too. Still nothing....
I decided to keep walking back and forth between the two waterbodies. After a while, on the first waterbody (forgot to mention that it was covered in a lot of vegetation) I suddenly heard a splash, like a small kingfisher (like a Common Kingfisher) diving for fish. I quickly and quietly scanned the trees, and there it was... about 15 m away, right in front of me. Heart pounding, I fired off a burst of photos. After a few quick shots, I called Chathushka and Gevindu to see the bird as they were bit far. The bird was like a living blue sapphire and it was absolutely stunning. After about five minutes it flew into the forest, leaving us thrilled.
We left the wetland and later visited the Singapore Botanic Gardens to watch more birds. Afterwards we went to Chathushka’s place, celebrated with a delicious biryani, and then headed back to the airport. It was an unforgettable 10-hour layover: 19 lifers in total, with the spectacular Blue-eared Kingfisher as the highlight.
Mission accomplished. 💪❤️
PS - Special thanks to Bao for all the advice, and Chathushka and Gevindu for the support during the day.
