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 birding...

         Malaysia Sabah

 







Borneo Blue Flycatcher Cyornis superba ©Horukuru http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/

Sabah, located in north Borneo, is a heaven for birders searching for montane bornean endemic such as whitehead's spiderhunter, trogon and broadbill at a cool place of Kinabalu National Park; the view of Mount Kinabalu, highest mountain in Malaysia is amazing. Looking for endangered species at kinabatangan river, the longest river in Sabah is a must, with such species as Storm's stork, lesser adjutant and the elusive Bornean ground-cuckoo. other wildlife that inhabit this area include the Bornean pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey and orang utan.

In the south east of Sabah lies another birding hot spot; Danum Valley Forest Reserve, which is famed for its lowland rainforest that is a must-visit place for birders. A walk around the nature trails would yield the secrets of the forest such as blue-headed and black and crimson pitta, the legendary Bornean bristlehead as well the shy black-throated wren-babbler.

Other birding areas in sabah include:

Tambunan Rafflesia Centre - this is excellent for Bornean bulbul, Bornean and mountain barbet together with black-breasted fruit hunter, which is uncommon at Kinabalu National Park could be seen here.

Kota Belud Paddyfield - This huge area of paddy field in Sabah is an interesting place to visit where waterbirds and raptors from north Asia spend their winter, which here is during the migratory season from September until April. Here such as common kestrel, western marsh harrier, black-winged stilt, bar-tailed godwit and grey-headed lapwing. Recently other species have been found such as buff-banded rail in 2006 added another excitement among local birders in this area too.

To properly cover the special birds of Sabah 2 to 3 weeks birding is recommended which would cover different zones of vegetation from montane to riverine and lowland rainforest. Access is easy with good places to stay, fantastic food and friendly peoples who will make your birding trip such a unique experience.

  contributor

 

Jason Bugay Reyes
(Kota Kinabalu, Sabah)
horukuru@yahoo.com
http://horukuru.blogspot.com

  useful reading

 

*Field Guides & Bird Song

For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering Malaysia as a whole - please see the Malaysia page of Fatbirder

A Photographic Guide to Birds of Borneo, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan

Geoffrey Davison and Chew Yen Fook Series: PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDES SERIES (NEW HOLLAND NATURAL HISTORY) 144 pages, 280 col photos, 1 map. New Holland Publishers Due May 2007
ISBN: 9781845378318
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Birds of Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas and Sabah

R Thomas and S Thomas Frogmouth Publications - In preparation
ISBN: 156570
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Checklist of the Birds of Sabah

CM Francis 16 pages Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology 1986
ISBN: 21976
Buy this book from NHBS.com

  clubs

 

Malaysia Nature Society - Sabah Branch

http://www.mns.org.my/state.php?stid=9
Contact info...

  reserves

 

Birds of Tabin Wildlife Reserve

http://www.borneowetnwild.com/tabinguide/birds/htm/birds_index.htm
As serious birders explore Tabin further species probably await discovery. Many of the species recorded require undisturbed waterways or tall forest such as Tabin`s core area and Virgin Jungle Reserve; both habitats that have unfortunately become scarce elsewhere. Tabin is inhabited by eight species that are confined to Borneo including the Bornean bristlehead, the large-billed blue flycatcher, the Asian paradise flycatcher, the dusky munia, the blue-headed pitta, the blue banded pitta, the black-throated wren-babbler and the Bornean wren-babbler...

Crocker Range

http://www.interknowledge.com/malaysia/crocker.html
Located south of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Although there are no tourist facilities at this park, Crocker Range is densely populated with wildlife and is a trekker`s paradise.

Danum Valley

http://www.malaysiasite.nl/danumeng.htm
The Danum Valley Conservation Area covers 438 km2 and is located on the western side of the upper reaches of the Segama River about 70 km to the east of Lahad Datu, the nearest town. The area is mostly primary lowland dipterocarp rain forest but small areas of hill forest, also dominated by dipterocarp tree species, occur on the higher ridges between 600 m and 1,000 m and on the Conservation Area`s highest point, Gunung Danum (1,093 m). The Conservation Area is part of a larger zone (c. 10,000 km2) comprising the Sabah Foundation forest concession. The Foundation`s objective is to produce timber for the benefit of Sabah`s economy, so the forest surrounding the Conservation Area has either already been logged or is scheduled for logging during the next few years. A Conservation Area is designated in recognition of outstanding wildlife value.

Kinabalu National Park

http://www.interknowledge.com/malaysia/kinabalu.html
One hundred and thirty eight kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah, rises the majestic Mount Kinabalu.

Kinabalu National Park

http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/kinabalu.html
...bird varieties including the Mountain Bush Warbler, Kinabalu friendly Warbler, palefaced Bilbul and Mountain Blackeyes. More the 250 bird varieties have been recorded...

Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary

http://www.sabah.org.my/kkcbs/page1.htm
Kota Kinabalu City Bird Sanctuary or KKCBS is a haven for wildlife right in the heart of the city. This 24-hectare patch of mangrove forest is the only remaining patch of an extensive mangrove forest that once existed around the coastal town of Kota Kinabalu. It was designated as a bird sanctuary by the state government in September 1996 to help foster a better understanding and awareness on the value of wetlands. In 1998, it was declared as a State Cultural Heritage Site. This sanctuary will not only become a priceless landmark for future generations, it is also the only one of its kind in the city...

Sepilok Forest Reserve

http://www.interknowledge.com/malaysia/sepilok.html
A twenty-minute drive from Sandakan, Sabah will bring you to Sepilok Forest Reserve, a enormous area of virgin equatorial rainforest. The wealth of indigenous and rare plants, animals and birds that have found sanctuary here are to be seen to be believed.

Tabin Wildlife Reserve

http://www.tabinwildlife.com.my/
Tours to this newest reserve...

Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

http://www.interknowledge.com/malaysia/tunku.html
Situated just off the west shore of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, the five emerald isles that comprise this park are fringed with white sandy beaches, surrounded by the sparkling aqua waters of the South China Sea.

  trip reports

 

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!

1996 [June]

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/sabah/sabah1.htm
This report is based on a birding trip to Sabah in East Malaysia from 2nd June to 16th June 1996. I was accompanied by my Belgian friends Vital van Gorp and Eric Wille. Malaysia is currently one of the most accessible countries of South East Asia and holds a good proportion of the region`s avifauna. Sabah is a semi-autonomous region within the federation of Malaysia located in the north east corner of Borneo and is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for visiting birdwatchers to South East Asia. Frequent direct flights from Kuala Lumpur make Sabah an ideal extension to a trip to Peninsula Malaysia, but more importantly a first class destination in its own right.

1997 - Tony Coatsworth

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tony.coatsworth/trips/fareast.htm
Species seen during our trip in 1997...

2000 [March] - Susan Myers

http://users.wired.net.au/susan/sabah.htm
I`ve wanted to go to Borneo since the age of about 12 in 1975 when my parents bought the Time-Life series of the World`s Wild Places, which included an especially good volume on the island. So this was to be the year and we weren`t to be disappointed. Actually, I was heading to Sabah as part of a reccy trip for my new job at Birding Worldwide so I needed to check out some of the top birding spots as well as just get a feel for the place...

2001 [June] - Update on birding Sabah - David Massie

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/sabah2/sabahjune2001.htm
The very name Borneo conjures up an image of superb, steamy rain forests, craggy mountains, primitive, forest dwelling tribesmen, Orang Utans, Gibbons, spectacular endemic birds etc. etc. The idea that Borneo is a difficult site to bird couldn`t be further from the truth The northern part of the island, Malaysian Sabah has an excellent tourist infrastructure, efficient transport and comfortable accommodation, incorporating all of the sites you need to visit to have a chance of picking up all but a very few of the specials...

2002 [August] - Simon Harrap

http://www.birdquest.co.uk
[Go to trip reports & click Borneo 2002] Once out of the airport it was straight into the fray, with a look at the Water Village, where a few Greater Sand Plovers and Grey-tailed Tattlers were seen, but, try as we might, we could not turn any of the egrets into a Chinaman. After a rest we then visited Likas, another wetland spot on the outskirts of the ever-expanding KK, where we had nice views of White-browed Crakes and a variety of herons including Cinnamon Bittern and Rufous Night Heron, as well as Red-necked Stints, Purple Swamp-hens and Scaly-breasted Munias - the last a very local species in Sabah.

2002 [June] - Richard Rae

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/sabah4/sab-may-june02.htm
This report covers a two week birding trip to Sabah. The main sites visited were the Danum Valley Field Centre, the Kinabatangan River around Sukau and Mount Kinabalu National Park. The trip was fairly successful, with highlights including Bornean Bristlehead, 4 species of Pitta, 7 species of Hornbill, Storm`s Stork, Pygmy White-eye and Whitehead`s Broadbill, although a number of key species were missed particularly at Mount Kinabalu due to lack of time and logistical difficulties.

2003 [August] Don Roberson

http://montereybay.com/creagrus/Borneo2003.html
This is a report of a month-long bird & mammal watching trip in Borneo, visiting the Malaysian states of Sabah & Sarawak...

2003 [June] Stuart White & Mike Clarke

http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/trips/borneo-sw-0703.html
The aim of our trip was to see as many pittas and endemic birds as possible, a total of 22 endemics was deemed respectable. Also the two hornbills we had missed in Thailand and Western Malaysia and a wild Orang-utan. On the whole the trip was a huge success, we saw 250 species of bird and lots of animals. Danum Valley proved as hard as everybody had warned but Mount Kinabalu was more than enough compensation...

2006 [November] - Rob Hutchinson

http://www.birdtourasia.com/sabahnovreport06.html
This 10-day custom tour to Sabah, Borneo was deliberately slow-paced allowing ample time to thoroughly explore and enjoy the wonderful areas visited in search of the diverse flora and fauna but with an emphasis on finding some of the most spectacular endemics birds and mammals. It was immensely successful with great views of all four endemic pitta species (Blue-headed, Black-crowned, Bornean Banded and Blue-banded), Storm’s Stork, a pair of the enigmatic Bornean Ground Cuckoo along the Kinabatangan River and fantastic views of Bornean Bistlehead. Mount Kinabalu gave great views of Whitehead’s Trogon and Whitehead’s Broadbill and the shy and rarely seen Everett’s Thrush, the ever-friendly Friendly Bush-Warbler at higher altitudes and the spectacular green and cobalt Hose’s Broadbill in the sub-montane forest of Poring Hot Springs.

2007 [February] - Björn Anderson

http://www.club300.se/Files/TravelReports/Borneo2007_BA.pdf
These days were spent at Bornean Rainforest Lodge at Danum Valley. This lodge was not built at the time of my previous visit and proved highly productive in terms of birding. Top of the pops was my second last family, Bornean Bristlehead, which in all honesty was one of the reasons we went to Borneo at all. Other goodies were four species of Pittas seen exceptionally well with Blue-banded as the crown jewel. Great Argus and Bornean Crested Fireback and a nice selection...

2007 [November] - Ashley Banwell

http://worldbirders.com/index.asp?PageId=53
The aim of this short trip was to see Bornean Ground Cuckoo with a few days to try for a couple of the missing endemics that I need for Borneo. I had two nights at Poring Hot Springs looking for Blue-banded Pitta and Hoses Broadbill without any luck. A morning was spent at the Raffelesia centre looking for Bornean Barbet, only getting poor views as it moved around in the canopy. I then had a quick visit to Mount Kinabalu before flying to Sandakan and then onwards to Kinabatangan Jungle Lodge for three nights...

  local guides

 

Birding Pal

http://www.birdingpal.org/Malaysia.htm
Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Birding Tours of Sabah

http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com
Birding tours of Borneo for Kinabalu National Park, Danum Valley Forest Reserve and Kinabatangan River…

Borneo Ecotours

http://www.borneoecotours.com/
Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary is one of two known places in the world to be inhabited by ten species of primates four of which are endemic to Borneo. It is also one of two places in the world where four colobines inhabit the same place - namely proboscis monkey, silvered langur, maroon langur and Hose`s or grey langur. It has the highest concentration of proboscis monkeys and orang utans in Malaysia. Other wildlifes include long-tailed macaque, pig-tailed macaque, Bornean gibbon, two nocturnal primates namely western tarsier and slow loris and other mammals including Asian elephant and Sumatran rhinoceros.

Footloose

http://www.footlooseadventure.co.uk/Itineraries/borneosabahnature.html
Proceed overland to Gomantong Caves, the largest birds nests cave in Sabah, famous for its swiftlets and their edible nests. Followed by a short briefing on the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary...

Intrepid Tours

http://www.bruneibay.net/sabah/
Flora and fauna are abundant in this area with over 1,000 species of orchid, 27 species of rhododendron, 9 species of Nepethes, Rafflesia, 450 species of fern, 28 species of squirrel, and more than 300 species of birds...

Kota Kinabalu Travel

http://www.kotakinabalu-hotels.com/bki301.htm
Originally created ornithology (study of birds) researchers, the program has been modified to suit enthusiasts, who would like to see the winged creatures of Sabah...

  places to stay

 

Labuk B&B

http://www.wildasia.net/main/contact.cfm?contactID=573
One of the friendliest accomodations on the outskirts of Sepilok Forest Reserve...

Mesilau Nature Resort

http://members.tripod.com/kundasang/place/mesilauresort.html
Located in the Kinabalu area, Mesilau stands in between the Kinabalu Park and the Poring Hot Springs. Its elevation is at approximately 2,000 metres above sea level. One will feel a strong sense of nature as Mesilau is on the Pinousuk Plateau which is richly endowed with flora and fauna. The cool climatic condition in the highlands combines with the mist and evergreen environment creates an exotic and mysterious atmosphere.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge

http://www.sukau.com/public/default.asp
Among the 200 species found in the region are 8 species of hornbill (rhinoceros, helmeted, black, pied, wreathed, wrinkled, white crowned and bushy crested); oriental darter, several species of egret, Storm`s stork, Sunda ground cuckoo, kingfisher, brahminy kite, crested serpent eagle, greater coucal, red-crowned barbet, black and yellow broadbill, white-rumped shama, white-chested babbler, heron, hawk, osprey, falcon, pheasant, parakeet, buffy fish owl, frogmouth, nightjar, trogon, bee eater, roller, woodpecker, pitta, swallow, bulbul, forktail, warbler, flycatcher, flowerpecker, spiderhunter, drongo, oriole and crow.

  other links

 

Annotated Bird Species List , Sabah, Malaysia and South Thailand

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/malay7/species.htm
Just what it says - supplied by Moira and Graeme Wallace...

Birds of Borneo

http://www.cedeprudente.com/gallery/subcategory.asp?maincatid=1&maincatname=Birds%20of%20Borneo
...among other things...

BLOG - Birders of Borneo Island

http://horukuru.blogspot.com:80/
Bird news and views from Horukuru...

BLOG - Jordan Sitorus - Amazing Borneo

http://amazingborneo.blogspot.com
Birds and Wildlife found in Borneo…

Fire Bird

http://degullacion.blogspot.com
Birding and Tours, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

  artists

 

Photographer - Paul Huang

http://www.naturestops.com/gallery/list.php?exhibition=8&pass=public&lang=eng
This gallery showcase some of the birdlife that can be found in Kinabalu National Park and the lowland forest around Poring Hot Springs, Sabah, Malaysia. The national park is now a world heritage site and is considered to be one of the best places in the region for birding...

Photographer - Wong Tsu Shi - Wild Birds of Borneo

http://www.pbase.com/wtshi/birds_of_borneo
Welcome to my collection of images for Birds of Borneo. A record of my humble efforts to photodocument the avifauna of Borneo in general and Sabah in particular. My starting point is to record the varied avifauna so the images are geared towards this objective. All birds photographs are of wild birds…

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