Hornbill appears twice outside Tampines flat window, ‘unexpected visits’ delight Stomper
Tampines resident and Stomper MJ73 had a pleasant surprise when he looked out his kitchen window on Sept 25.
Outside was a hornbill in all its glory, just “chilling and basking” in the evening air. Sadly, the Stomper did not manage to capture any footage of the bird when it appeared after 4pm that day.
Luckily for him, the hornbill decided to return for a surprise visit a few days later, on Sept 28, stopping by the eighth-floor bedroom window this time, at around 5.46pm.
Videos shared with Stomp show the bird perched on an air-conditioning compressor unit, looking around, as if taking in its surroundings.
The Stomper said that it even knocked on the window twice.
Another clip shows the bird facing the bedroom window front-on, as though it is waiting to be let in.
MJ73, who has been living at the block near Sun Plaza Park in Tampines for more than 20 years, said that these incidents were the first time he had encountered a hornbill up close. He claimed he had not seen the birds anywhere in the area before either.
When asked how he felt about what he described to be “unexpected visits”, the Stomper said: “Surprised and excited.”
What to do if you spot a hornbill in your neighbourhood
According to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), the Oriental Pied Hornbill is a common resident bird in Singapore, protected under the Wildlife Act.
Often seen in forest edges, gardens and parks, hornbills may also sometimes be spotted in urban environments. Their presence in an estate apparently indicates “a healthy ecosystem that enables them to thrive”.
Members of the public who spot any hornbills are encouraged to observe them from a distance and to not feed them, as this increases their reliance on humans for food, which changes there natural foraging habits.
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
