“Geri Lim visited Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve this afternoon and witnessed the exciting scene as illustrated by the images in this post.
“An Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) was hanging by the side of the shore waiting for a chance to strike at the many Egrets (Egretta sp.) gathering nearby. These birds got complacent … they never knew they could end up on the crocodile’s dinner menu.
“When one Egret got snatched by the crocodile, all the other egrets suddenly just flew over the crocodile and circled above it. They then proceeded to land on the opposite bank and stood in a row watching their fallen conspecific being swallowed by the croc.
“One egret kept circling above the crocodile and crying out (I am guessing it could be the partner of the one eaten). It was very emotional to watch… like the circling turkey I wonder if there was any significant behind the behavior of the birds observed.
“This is birding from a very different perspective.”
Geri Lim
Singapore
5th January 2019
Note: The crocodile population at the Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve has been slowly increasing through the years LINK. These reptiles are the top predators of this mangrove habitat. Their presence thus confirms that the habitat is slowly maturing. Visitors should take note of their presence and keep their eyes open when visiting the reserve LINK.
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behaviour through photography and videography to a wider audience.