Bird enthusiasts, rejoice! A rare sighting of the once extinct green broadbill bird in Singapore has created a stir among bird watchers, who have flocked to the offshore isle of Pulau Ubin to see the emerald green creature. The bird, which gets its name for its highlighter-green plumage, was spotted on the rural island, northeast of Singapore, two weeks ago by a local birdwatcher.
The green broadbill used to populate Pulau Ubin, but the bird was “hardly seen in Singapore” since 1941, according to the Singapore Birds Project. Though the bird was declared extinct decades ago, it was spotted on a number of occasions, including this April and seven years ago in 2014.
Experts said the green broadbill seen at Pulau Ubin is “likely a male, distinguishable by its deep green feathers and the broad tuft of fluffy feathers atop its beak,” reports The Independent. The male also has a distinct black patch behind its eyes and broad black bars on its wings.
While the birds can be found in many parts along the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo, their population has been declining in recent years. The nonprofit Nature Society now considers the green broadbill a “rare, non-breeding visitor.” Although it’s most likely to see them in forests, they have also been spotted in wooded areas and gardens in Singapore.
