Sabah, Borneo
10th - 23rd June 2007
Leaders: James Eaton
Maximum Group Size: 6
Please note: Full
Click here for our second scheduled tour date
Borneo has one of the richest
avifauna on earth and our trip explores several different areas, from the
mighty Mount Kinabalu to the pristine rainforest of Danum Valley, which
will give us the opportunity to record the majority of the islands endemic
birds.
We begin our tour in one of the world's oldest and most magnificent rainforests
at Danum Valley. Based at the superb Borneo Rainforest Lodge, we will enjoy
some of the best lowland rainforest birding in the world; seeking out some
of Borneo’s lowland specialities, including the bizarre Borean Bristlehead
and the stunning Blue-headed Pitta.
Our next stop is Sukau on the banks of the Kinabatangan River, home to the
comical Proboscis Monkey and the rare Storm’s Stork.
We will then move on to the Rafflesia Forest Reserve in the Crocker Range,
named after the largest flower in the world for which this reserve is famous,.It
also gives us a chance to record many mid-altitude specialities which are difficult
elsewhere.
Finally, we visit the endemic hotspot of Mount Kinabalu, reaching a spectacular
4101metres. This area is filled with lush forest, mountain streams, and most
importantly, many fascinating bird species that are unique to the highlands
of Borneo.
Day 1:
Afternoon arrival at Kota Kinabalu. We’ll take an evening walk along
the coast to visit a small marsh and estuary. Here we will hope to find a lingering
Chinese Egret among the commoner Egrets, whilst a few Rufous Night Herons often
accompany the numerous Black-crowned Night Herons. Many other marshland birds
are plentiful here, and should include Striated Grassbird and White-browed
Crake.
Day 2:
We shall take a morning flight to Lahad Datu, situated on the Southeast coast
of Sabah, from here we will travel by minibus into the heart of the fabulous
Danum Valley Conservation Area to our base for the next 4 nights, the luxurious
Borneo Rainforest Lodge. The spectacular rainforest here is home to some
of the rarest and most stunning birds in Southeast Asia, including several
endemic to Borneo, and this area is renowned for being one of the best
spots to search for them.
Day 3-5:
Our lodge at Danum Valley is located in superb primary rainforest and excellent
birding begins in the grounds, an extensive trail system allows us to search
for some of the more elusive forest species and the fantastic canopy walkway
allows a unique insight into species which often remain hidden in the treetops.
Among the specialities we will be searching for are 6 species of resident Pitta,
including endemic Black-crowned, Blue-headed, and Blue-banded; the spectacular
Bornean Bristlehead, Black-throated and Bornean Wren-Babblers together with
a fantastic supporting cast of innumerable Woodpeckers, Babblers, Trogons and
Hornbills.
The area is also rich in mammals and highlights are likely to include Orang-utan,
Bornean Gibbon and possibly Bornean Pygmy Elephant. Night
birding is also worthwhile, the rarely seen Bonaparte’s Nightjar has
recently been recorded here and Large,Javan, Gould’s and Sunda Frogmouths
are all possible, along with several species of owl, from the tiny Reddish
Scops to the huge Buffy Fish and Brown Wood Owls. Whilst searching for these
by foot or jeep we can hope to see mammals too, alien-like Western Tarsiers,
Slow Loris, and Leopard Cat are not uncommon here.
Day 6:
This morning we will have to tear ourselves away from this fantastic area and
bid farewell to Danum Valley, as we head for Sukau on the banks of the
Kinabatangan River. Cruising along the River we will hope to find the rare
Storm’s Stork and will make a special effort to see the unique Proboscis
Monkey, with a good chance of several other mammals including Bornean Pygmy Elephant
and Orang-utan. We’ll spend the night in the gorgeous setting of
the banks of the Kinabatangan.
Day 7:
We will spend all day in this area. Our main target here is the Bornean Ground-cuckoo one of Borneo’s most mysterious and least-known birds, which has regularly been recorded here. As we cruise along the river and its tributaries in the comfort of our boat we have the opportunity to observe many of the canopy dwellers that can be more difficult to see at Danum Valley, especially hornbills, with all 8 species possible here, as well as a variety of raptors, 4 species of pitta and frugivores. Night near Sukau.
Day 8:
This morning we will visit the Gomantong Caves, well known for their
huge numbers of breeding Swiftlets and bats. This offers us the chance
to identify the four
Swiftlet species by studying the structure of their nests, undoubtedly the
easiest way to separate this difficult group!
In the afternoon we’ll take a short flight from Sandakan back to Kota
Kinabalu. In the late afternoon those who wish will again have the opportunity
to visit the nearby marshes in search of more wetland and open-country birds.
Night in Kota Kinabalu.
Day 9:
We’ll set off early this morning to make the most of our morning visit
to the Rafflesia Reserve in the Crocker Mountain Range. This site, which is
set at a lower altitude than Mount Kinabalu, gives us the chance to see several
birds, which are rarely recorded elsewhere. As the sun rises we will enjoy
the relative cool by birding along the roadside before retreating into the
forest to explore the trails as the heat begins to rise. Our main targets in
area are the localised Bornean and Mountain Barbets, both of which are easily
heard but difficult to locate as they stay motionless, calling for long periods.
In the past we have also recorded Mountain Serpent Eagle, Red-breasted and
Crimson-headed Partridges, Whitehead’s Broadbill, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter,
and the unique Fruithunter.
We will then transfer to the Kinabalu National Park for a four-nights stay
on the slopes of the magnificent Mount Kinabalu.
Day 10-13:
At 4101 metres, Mt Kinabalu is the highest peak between the Himalayas and Papua
New Guinea. The slopes of the this mountain are still cloaked in lush,
montane forest, containing a huge diversity of plants, insects, mammals,
amphibians, and most importantly for us birds, many of which are endemic
to the highlands of Borneo.
We will split our time here between birding along the quiet road towards the
summit and working the excellent series of trails.
We’ll be searching in particular for some Kinabalu specialities, including
Mountain Serpent-Eagle, Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridges, Bald-headed
Laughingthrush, Mountain Wren-Babbler, Bornean Stubtail, Fruithunter, the superb
Whitehead’s Trio (Trogon, Broadbill, and Spiderhunter) and the elusive
Everett’s Thrush.
On one of the days we have the opportunity to ascend the lower levels of the
summit trail in search of some high altitude specialities including the aptly
named Kinabalu Friendly Warbler, Mountain Black-eye, Island Thrush, and if
we are fortunate,Tawny-breasted
Parrotfinch.
We’ll also take a day trip to the lower slopes of Kinabalu, to Poring
Hot Springs, which has a markedly different avifauna. Here along with the subtle
Bornean Spiderhunter we have a further chance of the dazzling Blue-banded Pitta,
and the distinctive endemic race of Banded Pitta.
Day 14:
Early morning departure from Kota Kinabalu Airport.
Click here to download the Sabah tour description
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