Jurong Eco-Garden:
A Green Space for the Community
As Singapore’s first eco-business park, CleanTech Park in Jurong Innovation District houses a tranquil five-hectare garden which was once a secondary forest. The Jurong Eco-Garden offers lush greenery and wildlife for the working and residential community in the vicinity to reconnect with nature. Comprising four areas — the Summit Forest, Wildlife Corridor, Stream Ravine and Freshwater Swamp — the Eco-Garden is home to over 300 species of flora and fauna.
Today, it is a popular spot for birdwatching and butterfly spotting and student tours. Join us and explore the garden’s diverse wildlife and greenery through these snapshots, courtesy of the avid birdwatchers and butterfly interest groups.
Text: Fiona Liaw
Crimson Sunbird
Although just 11cm long, these tiny birds are a sight to behold, with brightly coloured feathers and curved bills adapted to feed on nectar. It emerged as the top pick for Singapore’s national bird in a public vote organised by the Nature Society.
Chestnut-bellied Malkoha
Malkoha means “flower-cuckoo” in Sinhalese, a deserving name for these large birds with colourful plumage. These beauties are found in Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, but are threatened by habitat loss.
Rufous Woodpeckers
A male Rufous Woodpecker has a red patch on its cheek that distinguishes it from a female. These birds lay eggs within the nests of Acrobat Ants that they feed on.
Little Bronze Cuckoo
The Little Bronze Cuckoo is a resident bird in Singapore but is easily confused with the rarer Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo. It can be identified by its greenish-bronze mantle. Only males have bright red rings around their eyes.
Blue-Eared Kingfisher
This small kingfisher is found mostly in dense, shaded forests with streams for it to hunt. Females are distinguishable by their red lower mandible.
Violet Cuckoo
Living high up in the canopy, the Violet Cuckoo is more often heard than seen. They are usually spotted while in flight, so listen out for their sharp whistle!
Plain Tiger
As its name suggests, the Plain Tiger is identifiable by its orangey-brown colour with a white-spotted black border. It is commonly found in areas where Giant Milkweed or Blood Flowers are found, as these plants are food for its caterpillars.
Common Mime Butterfly
The Common Mime Butterfly is an expert at mimicking other distasteful species to protect itself from predators. It is relatively common in Singapore, although only this black-and-white striped version has been seen.
Common Bluebottle
This eye-catching butterfly has large eyes and blue-green iridescent wings, which it uses for visual communication. It has 15 different classes of light-detecting cells in each eye, giving it extreme colour vision.
Harlequin
For many years, the Harlequin was believed to be extinct in Singapore. After some were spotted on Pulau Tekong in 2001, a colony of Harlequins was finally discovered on the mainland Singapore in 2006.
Peacock Flower
Peacock Flower shrubs are commonly found in gardens and along roadsides in Singapore. The seeds are mostly poisonous.
Seashore Ardisia
This shrub grows up to eight metres tall and can usually be found along the banks of tidal estuaries. Its leaves are edible.
Mexican Petunia
Also called the Wild Petunia, the Mexican Petunia is native to Mexico and was introduced to Singapore as an ornamental plant. Despite its name and trumpet-shaped flowers, it is not closely related to Petunias. These hardy perennials can be found in pink, blue or purple.
Jungle Flame
The unopened flowers of the Jungle Flame are thin and pointy, earning them the name Jarum-jarum, which means “bunch of needles” in Malay.
Scrambled Egg Bush
With its bright yellow flowers, the Scrambled Egg Bush is also called the Sunshine Tree or Glossy Shower. It is a popular ornamental plant found along roadsides and in Jurong Eco-Garden.
