This record was submitted by Angus Lamont on 21 May 2026. All user submissions will be reviewed by the Records Committee. Entries listed here may be edited for brevity and clarity while the original record is left unchanged.
This record was submitted to the Records Committee for review.
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| Species | Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 11500 |
| Date | 20 May 2026 |
| Location | Sungei Selatar |
| Count | 1 individual |
| Sex | female |
| Date added | 21 May 2026 |
This record remains under review by the Records Committee.
| Identification |
|---|
| Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex along the Sungei Seletar Canal on 20 May 2026 While walking along the Sungei Seletar Canal at 07.45 on a clear bright sunny morning I came across an active dull, nondescript sunbird fossicking in the lower part of the mid-story of an open-leafed tree about three to four metres away from me where it appeared to be feeding on insects. I had excellent views of the bird for a couple of minutes before it took off and flew across the canal, landing in a tree. My immediate reaction to seeing it was the bird’s size. It was too large to be an Ornate Sunbird Cinnyris ornatus and was too small to be a Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malaccensis both species that I am very familiar with. Later I was able to confirm this observation after checking in various field guides. I noted a rather heavy dark bill that was significantly shorter and less decurved than that of other sunbirds. It had a black eye and a greyish head. As the bird was above me, I only had limited views of what appeared to be a darkish olive-green back and a browner tail. The underparts were a very pale grey, darkest on the throat and breast and becoming even paler on the belly and vent. The bird had no trace of yellow in its plumage. It had dark legs and gave a call that was much lower pitched than that of other sunbirds with which I am familiar. From this description I consider this bird to be a female Plain Sunbird. I have a previous record from the same area on 22 August 2022 but didn’t have a good enough view to consider it as a recordable record. I believe this species to be a very rare resident in Singapore, and without excellent views, could easily be overlooked and dismissed as a female sunbird due to its dull plumage. |
| Habitat/behaviour |
|---|
| see above |
| Viewing conditions |
|---|
| Excellent. Clear bright morning with a cloudless sky |
| Observer's experience |
|---|
| Suspect previous sighting at the same location. |
| Observer's experience w/similar species |
|---|
| Very familiar with common sunbird species in Singapore and Malaysia. |
Bird Society of Singapore. (2026). Record 11500: Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://records.singaporebirds.com/record/11500/.