2 kingfishers that survived oil spill take to skies after extended care

Two collared kingfishers that survived the June 14 oil spill – the worst in Singapore in over a decade – have recovered well enough to be released back into the wild on July 26.

- Lee Li Ying

The birds, with turquoise-blue feathers still stained black from the oil, took to the skies after receiving extensive care from wildlife rescuers for over a month.

They have a high chance of surviving in the wild, said the rescuers who nursed them back to health.

Four kingfishers were rescued from different parts of Singapore after a dredging boat hit a bunker vessel and caused nearly 400 tonnes of fuel to be spilt into the waters. Two of the rescued kingfishers died shortly after.

One survivor was treated at the National Parks Board’s (NParks) Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation after being rescued on June 16.

The other was under the care of wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) after being saved on June 17.

The bird cared for by NParks was released into a forested patch in East Coast Park, near where it was rescued.

The collared kingfisher is the most common species of kingfisher in Singapore. It can be found throughout the country, including in urban areas away from water.

Dr Petrina Teo, veterinarian at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation, said the board decided to release the kingfisher near the site where it was rescued because it is “the environment that it’s most familiar with, so it is most likely able to locate the necessary resources for survival”.

Another reason is that “kingfishers are territorial and we do not want to reintroduce it back into an area where there is an existing kingfisher that has claimed that territory”, she added.

Early on the morning of July 26, Dr Teo had to chase the kingfisher around in its enclosure in order to catch it and bring it to the release site.