Hi!
Thought you may find this article from today's [19 Sep 97] Singapore's
Straits Times interesting.
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Fewer migratory birds seen in Singapore
By William Phuan
MANY migratory birds are giving Singapore a miss because of the haze, said
bird watchers from the Nature Society (Singapore).
They said that of the different species seen in August last year, fewer
than half were visiting Singapore this time.
Mr Lim Kim Seng, the society's bird recorder, said: "We spotted 10 species
in August last year, but so far we have seen only four."
The 37-year-old engineer added that the number arriving here has also been
reduced by as much as half.
Dr Navjod Sodhi, 35, who lectures on animal behaviour at the National
University of Singapore, said the haze may have made the birds lose their
way and may have even caused them to die during migration.
He said that birds use the sun and the moon to help them navigate.
But if the sun and moon are shaded by the haze, they may lose their
bearings, he said.
Birds are also under great physical stress during their journey.
The haze may make their breathing more difficult and cause respiratory
problems, such as coughing.
"The harsher environment can increase their fatality rate," said Dr Sodhi.
He is doing a study on trends of migrant birds coming to Singapore.
More research must be done before he can know the exact effects of the haze
on the birds, he said.
At the Jurong Bird Park, the resident birds are coping quite well despite
the haze.
Mr Ken De La Motte, 41, its curator of birds, said most had not fallen
sick.
"We do not detect any sore eyes or coughing," he said, adding that the
birds had not shown any symptoms when the haze worsened in the past few
years.
But Dr Jon B. Sigurdsson, 59, a zoology lecturer at the National University
of Singapore, said birds might fall prey to the haze easily.
They need to take in a lot of oxygen to give them the energy to fly.
So the fine particles in the haze might be breathed in too. And it is very
likely that birds would have respiratory problems, he said.
Mr Lim, the author of Birds: An Illustrated Field Guide To The Birds Of
Singapore, explained that the birds migrate to escape the northern winter.
They fly from countries in mainland Asia, such as Siberia and China, to
warmer countries in the south.
"They stay here from August to April, until winter is over, before flying
back again," he said.
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Victor
Victor Yue Seong Swee
34 Upper Cross St #15-168
Singapore 050034
SINGAPORE
Email:
http://www.singnet.com.sg/~yuess
Phone: +65 533-3177
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