One of Singapore’s three main coastal wetland areas, Sungei Khatib Bongsu, features a significant amount of mangrove and secondary forest. The mangrove can be considered the largest in the north-eastern shoreline of Singapore.
The Sungei Khatib Bongsu mangroves are situated between Sungei Khatib Bongsu and the left bank of Sungei Seletar at its mouth, which is beyond the Lower Seletar Dam and has been designated as South Simpang in the southern area of a sizable plot of land set aside for public housing that will eventually become the Simpang New Town.
The location was originally home to orchards and traditional aquaculture ponds, with the majority of the plantings being durian and rambutan.
The region now is very abundant in birds, drawing a wide range of local and migratory species. It was also a significant breeding location for Black-crowned Night Herons. The region is still home to many unique and endangered bird species.
Endangered birds include the Changeable Hawk Eagle, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle, and Straw-headed Bulbuls. Wild orchids can also be found in the Simpang neighborhood, which is to the west of Sungei Khatib Bongsu. Two orchid species that are nationally rare have been discovered in this area.
