Sabah, Borneo
10th – 22nd June 2007
Leader: James Eaton
Participants: John Eyre, Ha Luong, Stella Martin,
Mike Shaw, Hanno Stamm & Denis Walls
Giant Pitta, Kinabatangan River © James Eaton / Birdtour Asia
It is difficult to know where to begin selecting highlights from the 276 species recorded during our second 2007 scheduled tour to Borneo. We began with relax boat-bound birding along the impressive Kinabatangan River were we encountered an adult and immature Bornean Ground-cuckoo strolling along the open shoreline as early as our first morning, and ended with a Storm’s Stork feeding just metres away from us below our lodge veranda as we packed our bags ready to depart. In between these two species, we had unforgettable encounters with numerous Wrinkled and perched pair of White-crowned Hornbills, 12 Buffy Fish-Owls in 2 hours and prolonged views of Giant, Black-crowned and brief Blue-headed Pitta. Despite the quality of the aforementioned birds, the three male Orang-Utans and numerous Proboscis Monkeys were equally exciting.
Our next destination was the Borneo Rainforest Lodge of Danum Valley, one the finest eco-lodges in south-east Asia and it certainly did not disappoint. Numerous Blue-headed Pittas performed, we watched in amazement as a Great Argus performed his grand display in front of our eyes, Helmeted Hornbills were sighted twice, a pair of diminutive White-fronted Falconets perched atop exposed snags, a Chestnut-necklaced Partridge running back and forth across the trail, a pair of Blyth’s Frogmouths spotlighted one evening, male Rufous-collared Kingfisher, both Bornean and Black-throated Wren-babblers, a plethora of bulbuls, flowerpeckers, barbets and Pygmy Ibons in one of the largest fruiting trees I have ever come across - and just when we thought we were going to dip - up popped 3 strawberry-headed Bristleheads!
Finally the mighty Mt Kinabalu played host to the majority of endemics. Highlights here were undoubtedly the Whitehead’s trio, including a family of trogons, both Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridges, Bornean and Mountain Barbets, typically confiding Mountain Wren-babblers and Friendly Bush-Warbler which eventually proved very showy.
We started the tour at Likas Bay, on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, the coastal capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah. A few of the more familiar oriental species were encountered along the fringes of the roadside marsh while dapper Black-backed Swamphens shone in the sunlight, Black-headed Munia zipped by, Plaintive Cuckoo, Pink-necked Green-Pigeon, a huge White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Collared Kingfisher all showed and we watched a variety of herons busy feeding in the marsh. A nice bonus was the Ruddy-breasted Crake that kept walking back and forth through a relatively open area.
On our first morning we took an early flight to Sandakan and drove straight to our first birding stop at Sepilok, in search of the most famous Bornean endemic – Bristlehead. Unfortunately they weren’t proving too co-operative but a fine Black-crowned Pitta perched for several minutes was good compensation. Other sightings here included our first endemics in the form of Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker and Dusky Munia, and a supporting cast of Rufous Piculet, Green Iora, Yellow-eared Spiderhunter and Grey-and-Buff Woodpecker.
Buffy Fish-Owl, Kinabatangan Black-crowned Pitta, Sepilok
Moving on, our next stop was the famous Gomantong Caves, home not only to huge numbers of bats but also 4 species of breeding swiftlet including the Edible-nest Swiftlet whose nests are harvested here for sale to lucrative Chinese markets. Three of the swiftlet species – Black-nest, Edible-nest and Mossy-nest – are only safely identified by virtue of their unique nest-structures and we were lucky to identify all three nests with attendant adult birds. We spent some time birding the forest surrounding the caves; a nice mixed babbler flock produced a very cool Black-throated Babbler and further along the trail a superb white male Asian Paradise-Flycatcher danced in the mid-story while a family party of Black-and-Yellow Broadbills sat quietly at eye-level. Eventually we arrived in time for lunch at our wonderful lodge along the shores of the mighty Kinabatangan River, accessible only by boat. Birding along the Kinabatangan is a wonderful experience, slowly cruising along the river that cuts through the forest, taking in the sights and sounds of the rainforest. First came a pair of raucous Black Hornbills, quickly followed by a pair of the much rarer Wrinkled Hornbills, and as we were soaking in these wonderful birds a huge male Orang-utan was spotted clinging to the side of a riverside tree, we manoeuvred our boats, enabling us to get right alongside the ‘old man of the forest’, watching him as he sat watching us, he would prove to be our first of three big males over the course of the next 2 days. Our purple patch wasn’t to stop there as a much-wanted Storm’s Stork flew low-overhead, this would be our first of 5 to be seen along the river over the coming days. As the temperatures dropped and the light began to fade, large number of primates ventured to the forest edge, one of the popular specialties is the comical Proboscis Monkey, of which several playful groups sat in the open along with Silvered Leaf-Monkeys and Long-tailed Macaque.
After another scrumptious meal at our riverside lodge we took the boats out once more, for a moonlit night-ride, an absolute minimum of 12 Buffy Fish-Owl were encountered, several of which offered stunningly close views as they fished from exposed perches. Mammals were notably scarce but we were fortunate to encounter two huge Reticulated Pythons sat waiting for potential prey, one measuring more than 4 metres in length. Other highlights were the roosting diurnal species; Black-and-Red Broadbill and both Stork-billed & Blue-eared Kingfisher were encountered at close quarters.
Proboscis Monkey, Kinabatangan Storm’s Stork, Kinabatangan
On our boats early next morning, we rode through the low mist, setting an eerie mood with the backdrop of raucous Black, Oriental Pied and Wrinkled Hornbills, a pair of Wreathed also put in a brief appearance as we eased our way to a small tributary in search of one of Borneo’s least known endemics. After a brief snatch of playback the birds responded from afar, becoming qieu just a few moments later. After a tense wait an adult and immature Bornean Ground-Cuckoo strolled into view at the waters edge, before casually walking through a large open area for us all the enjoy the splendid green, purple and black tones of these pheasant-sized terrestrial birds. With these enigmatic birds safely under our belts we spent the rest of the morning and afternoon gently cruising along the river system through the heart of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Raptors featured prominently throughout, most importantly, an endemic White-fronted Falconet was perched rather distantly on its usual perch, Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles were regularly seen, both Lesser and Grey-headed Fish-Eagles also featured, as did Rufous-bellied Eagle, Brahminy Kite and a partially obscured perched Bat Hawk as dusk approached. Shortly after the Bat Hawk, Ha skilfully located a beautiful pair of White-crowned Hornbills by the river, perhaps the most difficult hornbill in Borneo. Overhead Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrots continually zipped by, as did the odd Long-tailed Parakeet and numbers of Slender-billed Crow at dawn and dusk. In the canopy Grey-and-Buff Woodpecker, flocks of Fiery and Scarlet Minivets, Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes and a variety of bulbuls all put in appearances. At the rivers edge White-chested Babbler, Crimson and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and endemic White-crowned Shama all proved confiding. A short walk along the river proved productive, orange-throated ‘Bornean’ Brown Barbets were regularly recorded, often betraying their presence with their distinctive hissing vocalisations, Banded Bay Cuckoo, a heavy-knocking White-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird and the recently-split Bold-striped Tit-babbler.
Enjoying breakfast on our final morning a single call emanating from the undergrowth nearby sounded familiar but rather out of place but when the usual White-crowned Shama starting to sing we dismissed the calls as this master ventriloquist at work. As we wandered down to our boats the call began again and much to the astonishment of the group we quickly located a huge female Giant Pitta hopping towards us! The bird then proceeded to perform at close quarters for the next 30 minutes! Just to highlight the birding potential around our lodge, as we packed at lunchtime the regular Storm’s Stork appeared beneath our veranda having been absent for a week and performed admirably as the photographers clicked away at this beautiful stork.
Departing this wonderful area took us south through a seemingly never-ending drove of Palm-Oil plantations before reaching the wonderful Danum Valley Conservation area, an area of untouched lowland rainforest nestled within a huge logging concession. Our journey here was quiet except for a fine perched Helmeted Hornbill - a real bonus - close to the road. Our final destination was the luxurious Borneo Rainforest Lodge, situated in the conservation area, our base for the next four-nights.
Our first morning was spent walking along the access road. The forest along the road is relatively open and with plenty of birds often on show, allows for a great introduction to this wonderful area. Obviously the endemics are big targets but the sheer number of sundaic bulbuls, babblers and hornbills was a joy to behold. A Helmeted Hornbill put in another appearance which was especially welcome for those in the wrong vehicle the previous day. During the mornings proceedings, a wide range of sundaic lowland specialties were encountered; Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler approached us closely in the dense undergrowth, while the mid-story held a Maroon-breasted Philentoma and vocal Scarlet-rumped Trogon competed strongly for the most beautiful bird of the morning, something which couldn’t be said for a surprise Brown-streaked Flycatcher. The open forest here gives a good view of the canopy, despite much of it being 60 metres above us and here we found a feisty looking pair of diminutive White-fronted Falconets which showed much better than our previous encounter on the Kinabatangan. Both Grey-rumped and Whiskered (a personal favourite) Treeswifts sallied from nearby perches, as did Bronzed and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, while an Oriental Honey-Buzzard sat motionless in the telescope as both Spectacled and Long-billed Spiderhunter noisily zipped around us. Frugivores were noticeably thin on the ground, with just Thick-billed Green-Pigeon and the usual Red-eyed Bulbuls, Greater and Lesser Green-Leafbirds making appearances - this would be the case right until our final morning…..
During a relaxing lunch on the lodge veranda a family of Malaysian Blue-Flycatchers flew around just below us and these delightful birds would remain and entertain throughout our stay, even often sitting on the hand-rails next to our idyllic chalets. During our siesta a Great-billed Heron popped into view along the river, a pleasing sighting of this generally scarce species. We then walked one of the many forested trails near to the river and it wasn’t long before we found a spanking male Blue-headed Pitta just feeding by the side of the trail. After some careful manoeuvring we all enjoyed views of this, perhaps Borneo’s most beautiful endemic as it hopped back and forth across the trail, a big relief after three glimpses of this jewel of the forest which had left most of the group frustrated. Moving onto the canopy walkway, comprising three walkways suspended 30 metres above a forested gulley, we stopped to admire a pair of territorial Bornean Blue-Flycatchers before spending the afternoon waiting for the birds to come to us. It wasn’t long before we completed the hornbills of Borneo, as a gigantic Rhinoceros Hornbill flew past then perched high up in the telescope, then as we walked back a flock of the much smaller Bushy-crested perched up nicely further along the walkway - all 8 hornbill species within 3 days - nice! Reaching our chalets before dark we admired some of the tame ‘Bornean’ Firebacks that often stroll around the resort at dawn and dusk. At dinner a Brown Wood-Owl flew in next to the veranda as we tucked into another fine meal, though a Colugo that flew in over the leaders head before dinner could only be re-located as it glided away in the spotlight!
The following morning the birding was split between the roadside and trails; Raffle’s Malkoha, Diard’s Trogon, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird, another singing Bornean Blue-Flycatcher but of greater pleasure was the troop of Müller’s Bornean Gibbons that swung overhead before staring down at us from their lofty positions - wonderful creatures. A familiar call beckoned us onto a nearby trail where after several glimpses the difficult Bornean Wren-babbler eventually showed to all, perched on a large root calling away. Several other babblers showed today; Sooty and Scaly-crowned, Moustached, Black-capped, more Horsfield’s and Short-tailed all showing well. Further along the trail another male Diard’s Trogon performed impeccably as did a huge male Great Argus, we were even fortunate enough to watch as he performed a display on his dancing-ground, swinging his wing right over-head before strutting around his leaf-less space and sitting motionless on a log for 5 minutes, a real highlight for everyone present. On our way back for lunch a Rufous-winged Philentoma perched close-by as did a singing Spotted Fantail and a Black-backed Kingfisher typically zoomed-by.
Our afternoon was rather quiet but during a short bout of rain yet another Diard’s Trogon came into view and as the rain ceased a White-crowned Forktail appeared on the roadside, picking away at the leaf-litter, and another Black-crowned Pitta flashed in the undergrowth before sitting motionless in the telescope. Late afternoon on the canopy walkway also quiet but Whiskered Treeswifts, Lesser Cuckoo-shrike and Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot perched nearby all provided entertainment. The seemingly resident Rhinoceros Hornbill was found once again, this time actually above the walkway thus giving wonderful views.
A regular feature after dinner at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge are the night-drives, which overall lived up to expectations and provided little in the way of mammals except for Malay Civet, Greater and Lesser Mouse-Deers and some distant flying-squirrels despite some of us being ever-present on all three drives. Fortunately tonight the avian highlight went beyond the roosting White-crowned Shama that was shown to us on a nightly basis as we found a pair of Blyth’s Frogmouth sat in our beam for 5 minutes by the roadside!
Bristlehead, Danum Valley © James Eaton / Birdtour Asia
Thus far Bristlehead had eluded us, and as two of the group had a mission of seeing every family in the world, the idea of missing this nomadic species was inconceivable. Since it had not been recorded from the lodge for quite some time, we decided for a day trip to the other side of the conservation idea. Previous experience had led me to believe a more reliable site was to be found here, and after just 30 minutes on the trail my thoughts were confirmed as 3 Bristlehead soon moved into view, sitting overhead for the next few minutes, enabling us to soak in these strawberry-headed miniature crows, a completely unique bird resembling nothing else we have ever encountered! Hand-shakes and pats-on-the-back all round soon ensued! We spent the reminder of the morning along this trail which turned out to be highly productive. Two more Blue-headed Pittas ahead of us on the trail included a very showy male, enjoyed by all as he bounced along the trail ahead of us. Rounding the corner produced another familiar shape, this time in the form of another huge male Great Argus near its dancing-ground. We mopped up a few of the more common species still missing including Ferruginous and hyper Chestnut-rumped Babblers. After lunch and a rest we hit another trail that always produces. We were not to be disappointed as we racked up an impressive list; Red-naped and Diard’s Trogon within 50 metres of each other, a pair of roosting Brown Wood-Owl, rare Rufous-tailed Jungle-Flycatchers feeding young, 4 electric Green Broadbills, Spotted Fantail and a fine male Rufous-collared Kingfisher perching up right on-queue. Our two main targets frustrated us however; a ‘Bornean’ Banded Pitta crossed the track as expected giving great close views only for those looking the right way! This yellow-banded form schwaneri, endemic to Borneo is very different to the races most birders are accustomed to from the Malay Peninsula and also differs slightly in vocalisations and possibly habitat preference. Just as we had to turn round the final endemic pitta, a Blue-banded Pitta started calling. We could only allow ourselves 10 minutes for this bird, which proved too short as despite our best efforts the bird refused to show to all but the leader, very frustrating! Typically on a race back to the vehicle yet another male Blue-headed Pitta (our 9th in a week!) bounced in front of us and the usually difficult Bornean Blue-Flycatcher once again appeared, singing by the trail.
Our final morning was devoted to searching for our four remaining target birds. The first was found next to the veranda as a flock of Pygmy Ibons busily fed in a flowering tree. Our plans changed slightly when a helpful tip-off for a fruiting tree resulted in us selecting a different trail. This was an amazing stroke of luck as on our way to the tree our next target called close-by – a Chestnut-necklaced Partridge which eventually revealed itself as it crossed the trail no less than 5 times in front of us all! As we continued a Black-throated Wren-babbler finally revealed itself with its mournful whistles and it wasn’t long before we had the bird circling us, eventually perching over 5 metres above the trail, it’s supposed to be a wren-babbler, not a tree-babbler! Just 100m further along the trail the distinctive song of a Large-billed Blue-Flycatcher was heard and the bird quickly located singing above the trail - all three targets in 10 minutes, why can’t it always be this easy?! We could hear the commotion emanating from the fruiting tree way before we even reached the spot, this would be exciting…..reaching the tree was an experience that few observers have witnessed – hundreds of birds flying in, out and around a huge fruiting tree, the sounds were amazing and keeping up with the all birds was mission impossible, masses of flowerpeckers included Yellow-rumped, Thick-billed, Orange-bellied, Yellow-breasted and Yellow-vented. Barbets - a family we had hardly heard since we arrived - were plentiful; Yellow-crowned, Red-throated, ‘Bornean’ Brown, Gold-whiskered and Blue-eared. Our bulbul total reached 13 species with Finsch’s, Puff-backed, Streaked and beautiful Scaly-breasted following Ha’s Black-and-White Bulbul near the chalets the previous day. A whole host of other frugivores included Asian Fairy Bluebird, Dark-throated Oriole and yet more tiny Pygmy Ibons. After this fitting end to another wonderful stay at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge we drove back to the coastal town of Lahad Datu to connect with our late afternoon flight back to Kota Kinabalu to begin the final leg of the tour.
Great-billed Heron, Danum Valley Blyth’s Frogmouth, Danum Valley
On way to the famous Mount Kinabalu we spent the morning at the Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve in the Crocker Mountain Range. A vast expanse of mid-altitude forest has been preserved here and birding along a road that bi-sect this, provides ample opportunity for some great roadside birding. Upon jumping out of the vehicle we were soon greeted by one of the more tricky endemics as a Whitehead’s Spiderhunter called as it flew across the road giving rather obscured views as it favoured the roadside canopy. A number of endemics are much easier to find than at Mount Kinabalu, making these our priority before it got too hot along the road. Roving parties of Bornean Leafbirds were soon encountered feeding busyily, this is a recent split from Blue-winged, the most obvious feature being that the female shows a face mask similar to the male. Another recent split, Cinereous Bulbul, was also present with the leafbirds, this is split from the sino-himalayan Ashy Bulbul and is restricted to the sundaic region. Eventually we located a tree seemingly full of both our target barbets; Mountain and the difficult Bornean, a great relief as we were able to watch both sat next to each other in the telescope for a prolonged period. Frustratingly we could only record Whitehead’s Broadbill and both Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridges as heard only, their time would have to wait for a later date. As the sun rose we decided to move on, and pleasingly the road-works had been completed so our passage to Mt Kinabalu was only delayed by stops for soaring Black and Blyth’s Hawk-Eagles. Other highlights during our morning included the taxonomically perplexing Bornean Spiderhunter, some Ruddy Cuckoo-doves among the abundant Little Cuckoo-doves, a pair of manic Crested Jays allowing some excellent views, Scarlet Minivets, Black-and-crimson Orioles, Grey-throated Babbler, endemic Black-sided Flowerpecker, distinctive stigmatops Ashy Drongo (along with similar looking birds for Sumatra and Java, surely a good split from those in, northern Asia), Yellow-breasted Warbler, Bornean Treepie, Chestnut-capped and Sunda Laughingthrushes and Chestnut-crested Yuhina, the latter species were all to become familiar sights at Mt Kinabalu.
Unsurprisingly the weather on arrival at the mountain was misty with light rain, this would usually be the case in the afternoons during our 4-night stay with sunshine dominating the mornings. We concentrated our birding along the road as the roadside forest allows for easy, more open birding and gave us the majority of species. Birding around our accommodation in the heart of the national park provided us with activity during the showers; fiery Temminck’s Sunbirds a constant highlight as they fed at close range with Indigo Flycatcher, Black-capped White-eyes, Bornean Whistlers, Bornean Treepie and comical Short-tailed Green-Magpie also providing us with plenty of entertainment along with the often elusive Temminck’s Babbler and, one lunchtime, a fantastic Mountain Serpent-Eagle was watched circling overhead during lunch.
Our first morning was spent along one of the various trails that cut through the beautiful, moss-glad montane forest, a fine morning which produced an array of endemics; first was a typically-confiding family party of Mountain Wren-babblers, after a quiet spell it all started happening as the unmistakable shape of a trogon was eyed at the bottom of a gulley, raising the binoculars revealed the black and silver throat of a female Whitehead’s Trogon. Patient waiting brought along a freshly-fledged tailless juvenile and eventually a flash of scarlet produced perhaps Borneo’s most beautiful endemic, a male Whitehead’s Trogon, we were all able to enjoy scope views of the family before they disappeared further down the gulley. Round the next corner an active feeding flock contained another tricky endemic, Bare-headed Laughingthrush, a short burst of tape soon brought the birds overhead and we watched in amazement as they performed their superb display, rocking back and forth on a branch as they spread their wings and puffed their backs while exposing a blue throat poach as they ‘boomed’ back at us. Sunda Cuckoo-shrike and Sunda Cuckoo completed our impressive haul along the upper reaches of the trail, lower down White-crowned Forktails gave us the run-around and just as the rain began pouring down a tiny Bornean Stubtail was found feeding by the side of the trail.
This afternoon, like most others, was spent dodging showers as we searched the higher trails in search of Everett’s Thrush which continually gave us the slip. During our time on this trail some of us encountered Crimson-headed Partridge twice before it ran off the trail and also on a later date a pair of Red-breasted Partridges scuttled across the trail before us all as we waited for them to cross back. Birding the road produced some good feeding flocks at times, generally comprising the more common species we regularly encountered around our chalets, occasional surprises included yet another male Whitehead’s Trogon, a pair of Pygmy Blue-Flycatchers, Wreathed Hornbills flying overhead, unobtrusive Eye-browed Jungle-Flycatcher and finally, thanks to the leg-work of Kym & Trevor, two independent birders, a fantastic pair of Whitehead’s Broadbill, completing the ‘Whitehead’s trio’, the holy grail of the Bornean mountains.
One morning we took a break from the mountain and birded the lowlands above Poring Hot Springs. Poring is a risky spot to visit; typically it can appear to be bird-less but because of the impressive list of potential rarities it is a must for any keen birder. Unfortunately for us it more or less stuck with the norm, despite a promising start; once again Crested Jays put on a fine display, Black-and-yellow Broadbills put on a typically showy performance and an understory flock contained a pair of Grey-headed Babbler, our 26th species of timaliidae of the tour, a young Grey-chested Jungle-Flycatcher sat quietly in amongst the stands of bamboo as Yellow-bellied Warblers fed quietly overhead. Walking back things were noticeably quiet; the only species of note was a singing White-crowned Shama watched at length in the telescope as it sat above the trail.
Our final task on the mountain was the small matter of climbing up the mountain in search of the Kinabalu Friendly Warbler. At first-light birdlife was positively buzzing, several Bornean Whistling-thrushes were feeding along the road, as were ‘Kinabalu’ Bulbuls, this isolated population differs significantly from Asian mainland forms of Flavescent Bulbuls, the closest population being in Vietnam and should perhaps be best considered a separate species. Mountain Black-eye, another higher-altitude endemic was our next addition, giving a fine performance as it sat motionless just feet away. A substantial breakfast was briefly interrupted by a showy White-browed Shortwing, the birds here representing yet another vocally distinct taxon. We then started our walk up-hill with ever-present Sunda Bush-Warblers for company but we had to walk more than a kilometre before we heard our first Friendly-Warbler. This individual was to prove rather un-friendly and refused to come any closer, so on we continued for another 500m before we eventually located one feeding quietly next to the trail, we were able to enjoy great views of this rather drab endemic as it circled close to us before disappearing back into the dense undergrowth. On our return to the car park we were finally greeted by fine views of a Golden-naped Barbet, surprisingly absent thus far, a welcome relief!
Due to our successes on the mountain we decided to head off early and return to Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve for some late afternoons birding, this provided us with some of the finest birding we had experienced during the tour and was a great ending. Bornean Bulbuls finally appeared in numbers - yet another recent split - this time part of the five-way split of Black-crested Bulbul. An area full of fruiting trees also drew in Cinereous Bulbuls, yet more Mountain, Bornean and ‘Bornean’ Brown Barbets, Black-sided Flowerpeckers, a family group of electrifying Long-tailed Broadbills and, finally finishing off with yet another pair of scintillating Whitehead’s Broadbill. A fitting finish to this fantastic, endemic-filled tour.
Bornean Barbet, Rafflesia Reserve Whitehead’s Trogon, Mt Kinabalu
Click here to view the Systematic Bird List
Click here to download the report as a pdf
For further information on our tours to Borneo please contact us via e-mail or follow the links for our scheduled departure tours, please click here
