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Malaysia

Buffy Fish Owl Bubo ketupa ŠLaurence Poh http://www.laurencepoh.com/

Malaysia has a well-deserved reputation as one of the world`s major birding destinations. Over 720 species of birds have been recorded in Peninsular and Bornean Malaysia. This richness of birds combined with the wonderful scenery and friendly people makes any visit an unforgettable experience for the birder, be he a first timer or veteran. For the intrepid, there are 39 endemic species to go after (37 in Borneo and 2 in the Peninsular). This entails a visit combining sites in Peninsular Malaysia and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

A typical itinerary covers two-three weeks and usually takes in the montane forest species of Fraser`s Hill and the lowland forest species of Taman Negara National Park and Gombak before jetting across to Borneo for the mossy forest species in Kinabalu National park and the lowland forest species of Danum Valley or Kinabatangan River. Over 300 species can be seen if taking this option and commonly encountered birds include such gems as Rhinoceros Hornbill, Red-naped Trogon, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Garnet and Banded Pittas and several babbler, bulbul and sunbird species. In Borneo, savour the endemics like Crimson-headed Partridge, Bornean Barbet, White-fronted Falconet, Whitehead`s Broadbill, Bornean Bristlehead, Blue-headed Pitta and Whitehead`s Spiderhunter.

For those with only a couple of days to spare, there are accesible sights near Kuala Lumpur (Gombak); Malaysia`s Capital City, and Singapore (Panti Forest Reserve). And don`t forget the cultural and food attractions!

This page brought to you in association with:
Birdwatching and wildlife tours in Peninsular Malaysia

contributor

Lim Kim Seng and Lim Seng Chuah
denislim@cyberway.com.sg

numbers

Number of bird species:747

numbers

Number of endemics:13
Mountain Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron inopinatum Crested Argus Rheinardia nigrescens Double-banded Argus Argusianus bipunctatus Malayan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus robinsoni Everett`s Thrush Zoothera everetti Black-breasted Fruit-hunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher Rhinomyias gularis White-crowned Shama Copsychus stricklandii Pygmy White-eye Oculocincta squamifrons Mountain Blackeye Chlorocharis emiliae Bornean Stubtail Urosphena whiteheadi Friendly Bush-Warbler Bradypterus accentor Mountain Wren-Babbler Napothera crassa

useful reading

* Field Guides & Bird Song

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

A Birdwatchers Guide to Malaysia

John Bransbury Waymark (1993)
ISBN: 0646145592
Buy this book from NHBS.com

A Photographic Guide to Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore

Geoffrey Davison, Chew Yen Fook, New Holland 2003
ISBN: 1859746985
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Birds: A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore

M Strange and A Jeyerajasingam 273 pages, 290 col photos. Sun Tree Publishing 1997
ISBN: 9810032900
Buy this book from NHBS.com

useful information

Proact

Coordinator: none (why not apply?) see http://www.proact-campaigns.net/coordinators
Members: 1
Join us at http://www.proact-campaigns.net/team

clubs

Malaysian Nature Society

http://www.mns.org.my/
P0 Box 10750, 50724 Kuala Lumpur. + 603 2873820 natsoc@po.jaring.my
Established in 1940, the Malaysia Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-government organisation in Malaysia dedicated to nature conservation and appreciation.

reserves

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 600m and 1,000m and on the Conservation Area`s highest point, Gunung Danum (1,093m). The Conservation Area is part of a larger zone (c. 10,000km2) 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.

Malaysias National Parks & Preserves

http://www.interknowledge.com/malaysia/nationalparks.htm
It would be difficult to overstate the attraction of Malaysia for anyone who appreciates the natural world. Its primal forests, ranging from shoreline mangrove to mountaintop oak, are of the sort that most of the world now knows only in myth. Although Malaysia`s size is similar to that of Norway, natural trees and forests cover almost three quarters of the land, an area equivalent to almost the entire United Kingdom. One can walk for hundreds of miles in Malaysia under a continuous canopy of green, marveling at an abundance of plant and animal species equaled by no other location in the entire world.

Taman Negara

http://www.macroworld.com/tnegara/main.htm
Taman Negara, the oldest national park in Peninsular Malaysia was established in 1939. Formerly known as the King George V National Park, this park houses one of the oldest rainforest in the world

Wetlands

http://www.ramsar.org
Malaysia presently has 1 site designated as a Wetland of International Importance, with a surface area of 38,446 hectares...

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 cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

1996 [June] - Sabah, East Malaysia

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 northeast 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 - Susan Myers - Peninsular Malaysia

http://users.wired.net.au/susan/Malaysia.htm
e.g.This park is run by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and consists of about 200 hectares of mangrove woodland and a large lagoon. The park manager is Mr. Rasainthiran, or Rajan for short, he lives on site and is extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

1997 [September]

http://www.aviceda.org/
During September 1997 we returned to the UK with a two-week stopover in Malaysia and managed to visit 3 main sites, Kuala Selangor, Bukit Fraser (Fraser`s Hill) and Taman Negara; This is a brief description of the wildlife seen during that period. If you have any questions or require more detailed information please contact us by email

1998 [May] - Malaysia & Singapore

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/malay3/index.htm
David & John F. Cooper Our greatest thanks go to Ed & Linda Hagen who looked after us whilst in Singapore with Ed birding with us until we left Pasoh and keeping the promise he had made a year earlier to find us a Rail-babbler! Thanks also to Richard Fairbank for his usual pre-trip advice and help, to John P. Shaugnhessey for allowing us access to his notes and providing sketch maps for species he had seen at both Fraser`s Hill and Taman Negara a year earlier, to Richard Thomas for sending us a draft of the OBC Bulletin article on how to see Aleutain Tern in South-east Asia which we were able to put to good use and to the birders we encountered during the trip, especially to Fred and Ivan both of whom were willing to share their knowledge of productive sites at Taman Negara.

1998 [September] - Peninsular Malaysia

http://www.wheatear.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/malaysia%20report.htm
e.g. We only had ten days and with hindsight we should have tried to go for a full fortnight in order to have a couple more days at Taman Negara and we should have spent a night at the Gap Resthouse both for the birding at lower altitudes and...

2000 [Feb-Mar] - Susan Myers - Sabah

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...

2000 [March] - Susan Myers - Peninsular Malaysia

http://users.wired.net.au/susan/penmal.htm
We arrived well before the ranger was due so went straight into the forest for the morning`s birding. Almost immediately we heard a Banded Pitta. Walking in off the track I glanced to my left after a flash of orange caught my eye. Low and behold a simply gorgeous male Banded Pitta perched on a waist high liana was watching us.

2001 [May] - Bill & Doreen Stair

http://wholewideworld.tripod.com/MalaysiaBirding.htm
Fraser`s Hill - This hill station is easy to reach by public transport from Kuala Lumpur, and once there you can easily walk to all the birding locations. Accommodation isn`t particularly cheap, and the filthy Puncak Inn is a must-to-avoid; better, but more expensive, is the Quest Resort. The Bishop`s trail was good, but very leechy and, as usual in dense forest birding, the birds were often hard to see. (Bring your own DEET spray for clothing, you can`t get it here). We had better luck along the roads - the road down to the Gap is very good, and there was a good fruiting tree near Ye Olde Smokehouse. Roadside highlights: a Black Laughingthrush near the entrance to the Bishop`s trail, a pair of Blue Nuthatches on the way to the Gap, the Fire-tufted Barbet near the Smokehouse, and the Collared Owlet being buzzed by a very brave Black-throated Sunbird on the way to High Pines...

2001 [May] - Moira and Graeme Wallace

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/malaysia/malay7/tour2001.htm
The trip was fairly successful recording 335 species seen and 15 heard. On occasion, and in particular at Danum Valley, we had to work pretty hard to achieve this but overall a trip list that included 21 of the 33 realistic Bornean endemics, Gurney`s Pitta and a species count that included a further 5 Pittas, 7 Broadbills, 6 Hornbills, 15 Woodpeckers and 10 Barbets was ample reward...

2004 [August] - Craig Robson

http://www.birdquest.co.uk/tripreports.cfm?trip=353
...Some of the more memorable birds seen this time included Crested Fireback with chicks, Malaysian Honeyguide, Rufous Piculet, Orange-backed Woodpecker, all ten species of barbet on our list, including the outrageous Fire-tufted, good views of both Rhinoceros and Helmeted Hornbills, Wrinkled Hornbill, Blue-banded, Banded and Rufous-collared Kingfishers all through the scope, an awesome male Red-naped Trogon and several Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Red-bearded Bee-eater...

2005 [February] - Lt Colonel Tim Hallchurch Army Ornithological Society

http://www.berkeleyinternational.net/birdwatching_malaysia_in_february_2005.htm
This visit to Malaysia included the major birdwatching sights of Kuala Selangor, Fraser's Hill, Taman Negara, Langkawi

2006 [March] - David Shackelford

http://www.rockjumper.co.za/02_destination_b_reports_malaysiaandborneo_2006_mar.htm
Our incredible trip total of 415 bird species encountered in 19 days reflects the immense birding potential of Peninsula Malaysia & Borneo...

2007 [January] - Cheong Weng Chun - Kuala Selangor & Frasers Hill

http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/view_birding_tripreport.php?id=184
This is a 2-days exploration (and the first for this year) together with endemicguides from 25-26 January 2007. We had Frank from New York to bird with us for 3 days. But I had to cut short the trip and came back home in Kajang - leaving Town Centre, Frasers Hill at 7.07pm and reach my home at 9.33pm...

Trip Reports - Birding In Malaysia

http://members.fortunecity.com/tkkhong/bird_report.htm
A number of trips to different parts of Malasia over a number of years - mostly 2003, 2004 and 2005...

tour operators

Birding Pal

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

Endemic Guides

http://www.endemicguides.com/Birding.htm
Offer some birding programmes as well as general wildlife tours...

Jungle Walla

http://www.junglewalla.com
Malaysia Birdwatching & Wildlife Holidays - Northern Malay Peninsula is one of the most diverse bio-geographical regions on earth. Some 640species of resident avifauna, including 120 common migrant, birds to be found in Peninsular Malaysia.

Malaysia & Borneo Bird Watching Tour

http://www.endemicguides.com
Bird Watching Tour in Malaysia & Borneo With Affordable Price

Nature2pixel

http://www.nature2pixel.com/blog/
Birding trips and reports...

Rainforest Birders

http://www.geocities.com/rainforestbirders/
My name is Jimmy and I am a Malaysian freelance birding guide with years of birdwatching experience in the rainforest. Birding in the rainforest is an amazing experience as there are many remarkable and exotic birds like hornbill, barbets, babblers, flycatchers, broadbills and many others to be seen. I feel that every birder should have the opportunity to see those fantastic birds in the tropical rainforest in Malaysia. I am willing to be a guide for anyone who is interested to go birding in the rainforest and make their birding trip to Malaysia a memorable journey...

places to stay

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.pinganchorage.com.my/sabah_sukau_rainforest_lodge.htm
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.

mailing lists

birders

http://www.egroups.com/group/birders
To post to list:birders@yahoogroups.com
List contact:birders-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:birders-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
This is a mail list started for MNS (the Malaysian Nature Society). The objectives of starting this list is to promote information exchange between birders who are mostly but not necessarily MNS members. Our focus will be on birding in Malaysia but any other relevant matters will also be welcomed.

Pigeon-holes

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pigeon-holes
To post to list:pigeon-holes@yahoogroups.com
List contact:pigeon-holes-owner@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to list:pigeon-holes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
A mailing list for nature-lovers & birdwatchers in Singapore & Malaysia. Discussion of birds, bird sightings, birding events and other nature related activities. Members can post their sightings & topics on birding, birdwatching or nature related topics, sharing of wildlife & nature pictures. Annoucement of upcoming birding related events & trips to birding spots in Singapore & the region.

Birders of Borneo Island

http://horukuru.blogspot.com
birding and digiscoping birds of borneo

Birds of Malaysia

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/6980/birdpix1.html
Photographs

Birdwatching in Malaysia

http://malaysianbirds.myphotos.cc/
Over 100 images of Malaysian birds, photographs and location of countless number of birding sites, also field reports providing updates on the latest...

Broadbill-Birdwatcher`s site

http://bluebonnet.at.infoseek.co.jp/M-lowland-e.htm
Jungle Birds in Malaysia...

Destination for Birding in Malaysia

http://members.fortunecity.com/tkkhong/bird_sites.htm
List of sites, many of them with a page of directions and info...

Highland Birds of Malaysia

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/2277/97_001.html
Malaysian highland birds are generally colourful and relatively tame. These features make them easy to find and watch, at fairly close range. Well-known bird watching sites such as Frasers Hill, Cameron Highlands and Kinabalu Park attract Malaysians and tourists from around the world. About 134 bird species are largely or exclusively dependent on montane forest. This is less than the total in lowland forest, but in a much smaller area. Several of the birds which are entirely or almost entirely confined to Malaysia can be found only in the mountains: for example, the Kinabalu Friendly Warbler, the Mountain Peacock-pheasant and the Kinabalu Serpent-eagle. This makes the conservation of the highlands vital for the survival of such birds.

jasnjohn's Nature Website

http://nature.jasnjohn.com
This site is dedicated to Malaysia's plant and animal kingdom, where you can find an array of photos of subjects ranging from birds to lizards, bugs, butterflies, dragonflies and plantlife. To view photos of the various categories of life, you can click on the various menu buttons which will display a list of links for photographs of those species...

Mikebirder - Birding in Malaysia

http://mikebirder.multiply.com
Birding to somebody out there is a disease, a waste of time, bloody madness.........but once hooked there is no turning back. Be warned!

Status And Conservation Of Shorebirds

http://www.mima.gov.my/mima/htmls/papers/bulletin/articles/wetlands.pdf
The Malaysian coastline is famous for its mangrove forests, mudflats, sand beaches and coral reefs. Most people are well aware of the spectacular coral reefs that fringe the coastal shorelines and thrive around inshore and offshore islands. The reefs serve important ecological functions, as major nursery grounds for fisheries, and form the basis of a growing ecotourism sector...

The Birds Page

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/6980/brdpage1.html
Checklists, photos etc...

artists

Cheong Weng Chun

http://wengchun.fotopages.com/
More photographs...

Photographer - C S Ling

http://cslingphotography.com
Many very fine images from all over S E Asia...

Photographer - Choo Tse Chien

http://www.pbase.com/tsechien/birds
I'm just an aspiring amateur trying to get a grip on some level of creative consistency and after seriously fooling around 5+ years, I think I am finally starting to develop an emerging style that is reproducible and one that I feel comfortable doing.... so he says but his work is very professional! Fatbirder

Photographer - Dr Chan Kai Soon

http://members.fortunecity.com/kaisoon/
Unless otherwise specified, they are from interlaced videos and so do not expect the resolution to match those of digiscopers...

Photographer - John Steed

http://nature.jasnjohn.com/
This page is constantly being updated with names and photographs of bird species found in Malaysia...

Photographer - ken

http://kenfoto.multiply.com/
I could like to share my photo to all of you there... I mainly do lot of bird photography cos d only hobby that i can do whenever i like,no need to wait for friend that always have excuse to be late or not able to attend.I also like to venture to forest,to get the nature air and feeling. I hope all my friend over a other end of monitor could enjoy what i manage to put on my gallery...

Photographer - Kevin Chooi

http://nivekd200.multiply.com
Welcome and hope you will enjoy the photographs in this site. Comments and critism are most welcomed for me to further improve on my photography techniques. Always willing to share and learn from all of you out there...

Photographer - Khong Tuck Khoon

http://malaysianbirds.myphotos.cc/
Beside the photographs that I have selected as passable, what happened to the lot & lots of excesses and those not so good pictures? Well, I thought it will be good if I create my own pictorial guide. It will take some time for me to extract all the images I have on video. The listings will be slowly extended...

Photographer - Laurence Poh - Laurence`s Digital Birds

http://www.laurencepoh.com/
The late, great Laurence Poh - This site is a collection of bird pictures I have taken since Feb 1999 with the Nikon Coolpix 950 and Coolpix 990 digital camera in combination with a Leica Apo-Televid 77mm spotting scope. All photos were taken by natural available light with exception of one nightjar which was lit by incandescent bulb. Most of the birds are Malaysian species with some foreign birds shot abroad. In Malaysia we have over 600 species of birds. Some are migratory birds that are seen only during the northern winter months. What I have here is just a small collection. In my own way, I am trying to promote Malaysia as a birding destination as the birds are much prettier in real life than my pictures can depict.

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