Why DIDN'T the chicken cross the road?

Because it can fly! So says Subaraj Rajathurai about our wild Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). Other ways this wild bird is different from domesticated chickens are outlined in the photo below posted by Sivasothi much earlier.
Amanda Tan of the National University is studying these birds. Members of the public have been contributing their sightings to her study too. So what has she found out?

Yesterday, there was a fascinating article by Grace Chua in the Straits Times about Amanda's study.

From the article, it seems in Singapore, there are no records of red junglefowl until the 1980s, when bird-watchers began spotting them on Pulau Ubin and speculated they had flown in from Malaysia. Today, they are seen in far eastern and western Singapore, in Changi and Lim Chu Kang. With new sightings in Bukit Batok!

The wild birds are likely to be spreading around the island through green spaces and corridors, as they live at forest edges and adapt well to various environments. Subaraj highlights that this is a good thing as they would fill an important ecological niche. 'They feed on invertebrates and grain or seeds from grasses, and would be able to control the population of bugs that would have few ground-dwelling predators,' he explained.

Full article also on wildsingapore news.

You too can share your sightings of the Red jungle fowl!

Please submit records of sightings to
Habitatnews: Records of Singapore's fauna and flora
http://tinyurl.com/habitatnews-records

In the form you can add details such as location, number and behaviour.
Pictures are most helpful; please email Amanda at:
habitatnews@sivasothi.com

More details on habitatnews.