Sightings of elusive vulture and drongo delight local birdwatchers

The birds are likely to be migratory visitors that flew unusually far south

- Angelica Ang

Mr Lee Zhi Heng was relaxing on his couch in his living room on Feb 5 when he saw a large bird fly by outside the window of his 10th-floor Commonwealth condo.

It was a Himalayan griffon (Gyps himalayensis), a migratory vulture usually spotted soaring high up in the sky.

The majestic raptor then landed on the rooftop of a nearby HDB block. Upon confirming its identity via a shot on his camera, the 20-year-old birdwatching enthusiast was elated.

"I was basically shaking with excitement while fumbling with my phone to send out alerts to everyone," he told The Straits Times.

"It's rare to capture this bird usually, if anyone's lucky, they'll just see it soaring very high up in the air." perched Mr Lee, who will start his university studies later in 2025, shared his sighting on various birding group chats, which quickly became abuzz with excitement.