The reappearance of a rare bright-green-feathered bird has rustled up excitement among birdwatchers in Singapore.
For a few fortunate birders, seeing the green broadbill was a “lifer”—a rare sighting of a new species.
The green broadbill once populated Pulau Ubin, according to the Singapore Birds Project, but they’ve been “hardly seen in Singapore” since 1941. Although declared extinct in Singapore over a half-a-century ago, the bird has made a number of reappearances on the island city-state over the past decade.
On April 11, an adult male green broadbill appeared on Pulau Ubin. Seven years earlier, in 2014, two juvenile green broadbills were sighted—one on Pulau Ubin, the other in East Coast Park, according to the National Parks Board.
The June 27 specimen is likely a male, judging by its coloration and markings. Males are distinct for their emerald-green plumage, dark “comma”-shaped markings behind the eyes, and bars of dark color on their wings. Females look similar to males, except they’re duller in color and have no markings.
Visitor or otherwise, the return of the green broadbill—listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN—got lavish attention from bird lovers near and far.
