These beautiful birds possess brilliant blue and yellow bills which are easily recognised in the field. The females are similar to the males except for a slightly smaller size.
Residents of forests and prefer areas with access to rivers, water edges, mangrove areas with Sonneratia trees and salt-water plants like Pandanus sp. Untidy nests jointly built by mating pair.
Feed on arthropods, berries, molluscs, crabs and small fish.
Locally extinct but rare visitors from Peninsula Malaysia drop by Singapore precincts, sending bird photographers into wild excitement.
Sim Chip Chye was tipped by his buddy Art Toh of this rare sighting at 1600 hrs. Since he had missed the opportunity at Pulau Ubin’s Chek Java, he hurried to record this birdie in the mainland. By the time he picked up his gears, travelled there and brisk walked to the location, he walked pass many of his birding friends who assured him that the bird was still around. He reached the location around 1700 hrs! Lighting had diminished somewhat and the bird was rather fleet-winged and flying all over the tall trees. With the help of some buddies, he managed to take home some records of this lovely avian species that he had also missed during a trip up north some years back.
Photographs ©Sim Chip Chye
28 May 2022
∼1706 hrs
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Texts by Teo Lee Wei
References:
- Black and Red Broadbill, Birds of Borneo by YC Lee https://youtu.be/Br4t-sP-yeg
- A Pocket Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Charles M. Francis © 2005
- The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula Volume Two by David R. Wells © 2007
- Biodiversity of Singapore: An encyclopedia of the Natural Environment and Sustainable Development © 2011 Edited by: Peter KL Ng, Richard T. Corlett and Hugh T. W. Tan
- Black and Red Broadbill by WF Chin (video documents a bird calling) https://youtu.be/PmYxfOLsjF8
- Black and Red Broadbill building nest in slow motion by Liewwk https://youtu.be/663tObRD7Is
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