Rare Birds in Singapore
Our list for Singapore has 16 rare birds recorded regularly there: 1 winter visitor, 13 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Singapore in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 16, most common first
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorRare25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
BuzzardButeo buteoPassage migrantRare51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
House SparrowPasser domesticusPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Nov
KestrelFalco tinnunculusPassage migrantRare32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoPassage migrantRare31–35 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Mandarin DuckAix galericulataPassage migrantRare41–49 cmRegularly Nov
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaScarceRare40–44 cm
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusScarceRare21–24 cmRegularly Jan
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusPassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaPassage migrantRare33–42 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Oriental Scops-owlOtus suniaPassage migrantRare16–20 cmRegularly Nov
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusPassage migrantRare38–44 cmRegularly Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataPassage migrantRare50–60 cmRegularly Sep
Grey ParrotPsittacus erithacusPassage migrantRare33–40 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboPassage migrantRare80–100 cmRegularly Jul–Feb
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Oriental Scops-owl 16–20 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Kestrel 32–39 cm
- Grey Parrot 33–40 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Black-headed Gull 38–44 cm
- Black-tailed Godwit 40–44 cm
- Mandarin Duck 41–49 cm
- Booted Eagle 42–51 cm
- Buzzard 51–57 cm
- Curlew 50–60 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made