I don’t consider myself a twitcher, as I generally avoid traipsing across the country chasing a single rare species. While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, it’s simply not my preferred style of birding. But when news came to me of a ‘twitchable’ Fairy Pitta in Singapore, I felt an itch coming. After viewing a friend’s photos of the bird, I suddenly felt the desire to spend time and money to chase one single bird. For the first time in a long while, I felt the need to twitch.
Twitching for the Fairy Pitta in Singapore
But what do I mean by ‘twitching’? In the birding world, ‘twitching’ means travelling long distances specifically to see a previously located rare bird, to add that species to their life list. Another term often used is ‘chase’. Twitchers are especially common in countries where the birding hobby has been established for a long time, for example, the United States and the UK.
In Malaysia, the birding community is still comparatively small. Nevertheless, twitchers do exist here as well, and some of them are quite hardcore. As for me, I’ve only twitched in Malaysia a couple of times throughout my 15 years of birding.
The Decision
Will twitching for the Fairy Pitta be worth it? Singapore is notoriously expensive for Malaysians, and my bank account has already taken multiple hits this year. Whether I go or not depends on how badly I want to see this pitta!
Ultimately, the decision to chase it was an easy one. Firstly, the Fairy Pitta, like all pittas, is high on my most wanted list. Secondly, this pitta has never been recorded in peninsula Malaysia, even though it has appeared in Singapore previously. Finally, Singapore is not that far, ‘merely’ 375 km away from my home. This was as good a chance as any to see a Fairy Pitta so close to home. Otherwise, I may have to travel to Bangkok or Taiwan to see this bird, which would of course be much more expensive.
Since it was already April, the pitta may depart for its breeding grounds at any time. The window to chase for it was getting smaller by the day. It was now or never.
The Plan
My plan was simple. It was going to be just a daytrip, to minimize costs. Taking the overnight express coach was much simpler than the train, as the bus will drop me off right at Beach Road in the heart of Singapore’s CBD. Then, it’s a simple matter of taking the MRT to reach the Singapore Botanic Gardens. After that, head back to Beach Road for the return bus home. In and out. Should be straightforward, right?
The Journey
Mercifully, the whole experience went as well as I could expect. The bus journey to/from Singapore was comfortable, as the coaches were luxurious. Immigration at the Tuas checkpoint was a breeze. Once at the Botanic Gardens, finding my way was easy enough as a Singaporean friend has so kindly supplied me with the general area the pitta was frequenting. Then, finding the bird was as simple as following the people carrying the big lenses!
The Fairy Pitta in Singapore
Astoundingly, unlike all other pittas I’ve seen, this particular one wasn’t skittish at all. Despite the throngs of interested people gawking at it, the bird simply went about its business, without a care in the world. The bird approached the crowd multiple times without any prompting, and even ‘posed’ a couple of times, much to the delight of the onlookers. It’s almost as if this Fairy Pitta knew it was the most desired thing in town, and wasn’t afraid to flaunt it.
I spent quite a while observing the bird. It was utterly fascinating to watch the behaviour of a bird that is normally so secretive. The pitta meticulously scoured the leaf litter for food, flipping over dried leaves and poking its bill around as it searched for worms, insects and other invertebrates. Curiously, it always came back to the same area, thus its movements were somewhat predictable. Anyone who missed the pitta earlier in the day simply had to wait until the bird came back. Easiest pitta, ever!
Farewell, Fairy!
After having my fill of the fairy, I wandered around the botanic gardens looking for other avian attractions. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a well-known birding hotspot, and there were plenty of birds during my visit. Notable ones include a flock of Pied Imperial-Pigeons and a pair of roosting Collared Scops-Owls. Additionally, I also met several Singaporean birders and photographers, who were more than eager to share bird locations and their birding stories.
Twitching stats:
Distance travelled: 752 km (return)
Total travel & birding time: 25 hours (10pm 2/4/26 – 11pm 3/4/26)
Time spent at Singapore Botanic Gardens: about 6 hours (7am to 1 pm)
Amount of Singapore dollars spent: SGD 3.96 (MRT fare)
Bus ticket: MYR 190 return.
A Bit About the Fairy Pitta
The Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha) is one of about 46 species of pitta found in the world. It is the most northerly species, breeding in northeast Asia in countries such as China, Korea and Japan, with a stronghold in Taiwan. This species is fully migratory, and escapes the winter by migrating to southeast Asia.
Having said that, the migration routes of this bird are still cloaked in mystery. For instance, the Fairy Pitta has wintered in Singapore at least 3 times now, but the route they take to reach the island is unclear. They probably pass through Peninsula Malaysia yet have never been recorded there. Similarly, this species winters in Borneo but has only been recorded in the Philippines, their most obvious over sea route, once. Clearly, there’s still so much to discover about this enigmatic bird.
Unfortunately, the Fairy Pitta is globally threatened, being classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN. Threats include habitat loss in its breeding and wintering grounds, climate change, as well as other anthropogenic disturbances. Thankfully, conservation programmes are underway to ensure this species doesn’t go the way of the dodo.
Conclusion
My trip to Singapore for the Fairy Pitta was successful. My mission was complete, and my twitch itch was scratched. But was it worth the time and the MYR 200+ that I spent? A resounding yes!
I may consider a similar twitching trip to Singapore again, should something interesting turn up there in the future.
References:
- Wikipedia contributors. (2026, February 27). Fairy pitta. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:46, April 17, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fairy_pitta&oldid=1340714219
- BirdLife International (2025). Species factsheet: Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/fairy-pitta-pitta-nympha 17/04/2026
- Puan, C.L., Davison, G. & Lim, K.C. (2020). Birds of Malaysia. Covering Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysian Borneo and Singapore. Lynx and BirdLife International Field Guides. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
- Allen, D. (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Lynx and BirdLife International Field Guides. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.