At the mention of the word “eagle”, most Singaporeans would probably picture the national bird of America – the majestic bald eagle, with its snow-white head and golden-brown body. They would probably also imagine a stereotypical screech in the background to accompany the image. If you told them that we had wild eagles in Singapore, they might even think you are pulling their legs. Before I got into the hobby of bird photography last year, this was also my school of thought.
This field trip to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was very meaningful for three main reasons. Firstly, I got to view and photograph white-bellied sea eagles closer than I ever did before. Secondly, I learned many new things; for instance, the aforementioned screech is only made by the red-tailed hawk, which resides in North and Central America and the West Indies. Lastly, I made a few new friends during the field trip who share a common passion with me. Overall, I really enjoyed the visit and am looking forward to more similar outings in the future.
BFF Biodiversity Challenge 2020 
It was indeed a treat to watch the White-bellied Sea Eagles soaring overhead! And the Red-tailed Hawk sound effect was interesting to learn about.
Singapore has many other raptor species, do try to spot them the next time you’re out birding: https://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/birds/raptors.htm
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