Injured peregrine falcon found in Sengkang HDB estate, likely crashed while hunting pigeons

A man in Singapore was walking his furbaby in Sengkang at around 6:30am on Nov. 29 when he spotted something lurking in the shadows at the multi-purpose hall of Block 217 Compassvale Drive.

When the man, who wishes to be known only as Nigel, turned on his flashlight to find out what it was, he realised that it was an injured peregrine falcon.

Nigel told Mothership that while the raptor was conscious, it "looked afraid" and could not stand up.

A photo he took also showed there were blood stains on the ground where the falcon was found.

As the raptor panicked and screeched at Nigel when he approached it, the resident became worried that he might hurt it more if he were to pick it up by himself.

Hence, Nigel alerted the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Acres statement

In response to Mothership's queries, Acres co-CEO Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan confirmed that they were alerted to the grounded falcon on Nov. 29.

When the Acres team arrived at the scene, they discovered the raptor to be "badly injured and stressed".

The team subsequently contained the falcon safely, checked for its injuries, and rushed it back to Acres' rescue centre, said Kalai.

"Our vet team have been actively trying to stabilise the bird," read the statement.

According to Kalai, the bird was "in a state of stupor" and had been given painkillers, as well as fluids to address hydration concerns.

While "it is too early to say" if the bird will pull through, Kalai said Acres is monitoring its condition.

Might be seeking pigeons before injuries

In his statement, Kalai also shared that peregrine falcons, which are rare visitors to Singapore, are famous for having the title of being the world's fastest animal.

They are capable of achieving incredible speeds when they dive to hunt, and one of their favourite prey is pigeons, added Kalai.

According to him, this propensity might explain why the injured falcon was found in the Sengkang estate, as it was "most probably seeking pigeons when something went wrong".

"We are hoping the raptor will recover fully for a successful release soon," shared Kalai.

Kalai also urged the public to call the Acres Wildlife Rescue Hotline at 9783 7782 should they spot an injured or distressed wild animal.

Falcons spotted nesting in Singapore

The troubled falcon in Sengkang was not the first sighting of this species of birds in Singapore this year.

In a biodiversity record published in scientific journal Nature in Singapore on Aug. 30, a falcon was spotted flying around the SingTel building along Pickering Street on Jan. 30.

A day later, a pair of falcons were seen copulating on the One George Street building, with the female entering a recess 37 floors up on the exterior of the OCBC Centre building later that night.

The pair were observed copulating a second time on Feb. 1, and the female disappeared into the recess afterwards.

To monitor the falcon's activity, remote cameras were placed on the balcony below the recess, and a telescopic tripod was raised to the recess to determine the birds' breeding status.

Although two eggs were seen sitting on the bare concrete on Apr. 23, the adult falcons were not seen incubating the eggs or flying to the nest.

While the breeding eventually turned out to be unsuccessful, the sighting of the raptors at OCBC Centre made headlines in November 2024 as it was the first record of falcons nesting in Singapore.

Top images courtesy of Nigel