Sabah, Borneo

5th - 19th June 2006

Leader: James Eaton

Blue-headed Pitta – Sungei Kinabatangan (James Eaton/Birdtour Asia)

A total of 258 species were recorded on this years scheduled tour of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah. This included 28 (on current taxonomic knowledge) of Borneo’s endemic species, including several sightings of the enigmatic and seldom-seen Bornean Ground-cuckoo at two localities, prolonged views of stunning Blue-headed, Black-crowned and Hooded Pittas, Bornean Bristlehead, 7 species of Hornbill, a very friendly Friendly Bush Warbler, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, a variety of flycatchers, including Large-billed Blue, Bornean Blue, Eye-browed and Grey-chested Jungle. As usual mammals were a big part of this tour, with several Orang-Utans encountered and Bornean Gibbons performing their chorus above our heads among a variety of primates and a huge herd of Bornean Pygmy Elephants swimming and feeding right next to our boat on the Kinabatangan River.

After our arrival in the seaside capital, Kota Kinabalu, we headed immediately inland, to the slopes of the mighty Mt Kinabalu, at 4101m the highest point between the Himalaya and Papua New Guinea. We based ourselves here for 5 nights to enjoy the birding on both the mountain the surrounding mid-altitude forests. The often unpredictable weather proved slightly less so this year, as each morning we were treated to clear views of the summit and this often remained the case beyond lunch before clouds and mist decided that enough was enough and duly put a stop to any activity. Arriving in the afternoon we resisted the jet lag and headed straight for the trails, producing a group of Red-breasted Partridges scuttling off the trail in the mist and a solitary White-browed Shortwing. After a heavy downpour we wandered back down along the road. A couple of feeding flocks soon notched up the comical Short-tailed Magpie, Chestnut-capped and Sunda Laughingthrush, Hair-crested Drongo, Little Cuckoo-dove, Sunda Cuckoo-shrike and some of the commoner endemics of the park; Bornean Whistler, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Golden-naped Barbet and the ever vocal Bornean Treepie.

Over the following days we birded the extensive network of trails and roads that access one side of the mountain. One morning was spent birding along the summit trail in the quest for the parks higher ranging endemics including the Friendly Bush Warbler. It wasn’t long (surprisingly low in fact) before we soon heard the distinctive grating, high-pitched call of the species. Within minutes we were treated to exceptional views as the bird remained true to it’s name and preceded to crawl literally around our feet alongside the ever numerous Sunda Bush Warblers. Birding the higher altitudes also enabled us to connect with flocks of another endemic, Mountain Black-eye, and confiding Flavescent Bulbul, Mountain Leaf Warblers and Bornean Whistling Thrushes. As the clouds crept back in we retreated back to the lower reaches to search for the other specialities of the mountain. Though birding was surprisingly slow at times, we connected with a number of the wanted species, in particular some exceptional views of Bare-headed Laughingthrush - displaying by inflating their blue moustachial pouch and raising mantle feathers while producing their deep booming calls, fantastic! Birding along the road produced some nice feeding flocks, mainly comprising of Black-capped White-eyes, Yellow-breasted Warblers, Grey-chinned Minivets, Indigo Flycatchers, Bornean Whistlers and Temminck’s Sunbirds although searching the flocks did produced a smart pair of Pygmy Blue Flycatchers, vocal Maroon Woodpecker, several Black-sided Flowerpeckers and on one occasion the surprisingly scarce Temminck’s Babbler, finally we spotted an Oriental Cuckoo perched up on dead snag calling away as it had done unseen throughout the previous days.

Friendly Bush Warbler – Mt Kinabalu                                 Bornean Whistling Thrush – Mt Kinabalu

Quieter inhabitants of the park were to be found along the trail system, though vocal at dawn, it took some time to produce sightings of the elusive Crimson-headed Partridge, several sightings were had of odd looking Eye-browed Jungle Flycatchers and after a hearing them twice, stunning views of a confiding Bornean Stubtail, busy feeding on the ground around our feet before singing in the under story giving further exceptional views.
Twice we made the journey along the Crocker Range to the forested slopes of the Raffelsia Reserve, unfortunately there were no Raffelsia in bloom so we birded the roadside forest with many fruiting trees and it wasn’t long before we located one of Borneo’s hardest frugivores, Bornean Barbet, at least two of these tiny, quick moving barbets showed on two occasions in the same fruiting tree, though Mountain Barbet was frustratingly just heard distantly. A long line of fruiting trees held astonishing numbers of Spectacled Spiderhunters and it wasn’t long before we located the two Bornean endemics; Bornean and Whitehead’s Spiderhunters, both showing particularly well for prolonged periods. Constant scanning of the fruiting trees continued producing more spiderhunters along with Kinabalu Leafbird (this distinctive taxon is split from Blue-winged, both the male and females show a black throat), Bornean Bulbul (this yellow-throated species is split from Black-crested) Ruddy Cuckoo-doves, Golden-bellied Gerygones and White-browed Shrike-babblers. An eye to sky finally paid off as a calling Mountain Serpent Eagle circled overhead, as did Blyth’s Hawk Eagle twice. We ventured off the road once, following a trail through the forest with little to show for our efforts except for a pair of Red-breasted Partridges which crept in ever so close allowing some exceptional views of this often difficult species.
A morning’s excursion to the forested lowlands at Poring Hot Springs produced few birds as usual, though some notable write-ins including a family of White-tailed Flycatchers, Brown Barbets (of the orange-throated, pale-billed Bornean race), White-crowned Forktail (of the genetically distinct montane form, confined to the Bornean highlands), endemic Ducky Munias and White-crowned Shama (a dubious split), Maroon-breasted Philentoma and Striped Tit-babblers (of the stripy endemic race).
Following a brief overnight stay back in our comfortable hotel in Kota Kinabalu, we took an early morning flight the following day to Sandakan, the gateway to the lowland forest that surrounds the Kinabatangan River. Sabah’s continuing economic growth is noticeable on the drive to the Kinabatangan as the seemingly never ending Oil Palm plantations cover the surrounding flood plains, eventually the Palm’s gave way to the lowland forest and we were soon seeing Black and Oriental Pied Hornbills perched and flying overhead. Thanks to the recent heavy rains, Wallace’s Hawk Eagles were especially numerous, with multiple sightings over the following days as they perched, wings spread trying to dry themselves. Our first stop were the caves at Gomantong, famous for the huge swiftlet colonies that are harvested annually to supply the Chinese market with the growing demand for the precious saliva the birds produce to make their nests. Four species of swiftlet nest here, Glossy, Edible-, Black- and Mossy-nest and the latter three are only safely identifiable by the content of their nests! It is fascinating to observe and listen to the great lengths that the locals make to harvest the nests, as the income is huge. The real highlight here though was outside the cave entrance, as a mother and child Orang-Utan fed quietly in the vegetation on the hillside.

Bornean Stubtail – Mt Kinabalu                      Blue-eared Kingfisher – Sungei Kinabatangan

Upon arrival at our charming lodge, hidden in the forested banks of the Kinabatangan River we were greeted by a herd of no less than 50 Bornean Pygmy Elephants, feeding on the bank side vegetation, they didn’t batter an eyelid as we pulled up alongside them in our boat, watching them feed, scratch and play with each other, we were really enjoying this place and we hadn’t even done any birding yet!
Over the course of the next 2 days we quietly birded from the comfort of a boat as we followed the river both up- and downstream and along various tributaries. This was a most enjoyable experience and birds, mammals and weather all stayed firmly on our side. On our first afternoon we enjoyed a steady ride upstream, hornbills were particularly evident, Black and Oriental Pied both notably common with odd sightings of Rhinoceros, Wreathed and the universally scarce Wrinkled. As the afternoon slowly drew to a close, primates became conspicuous, Silvered Leaf Monkeys and Long-tailed Macaques flocked on the bare branches getting comfortable for the night and finally, our first of many wonderfully coated Proboscis Monkey’s. Watching them at dusk is a humorous event, as they soon fall asleep, sitting on a bare branch, arms dangling and their heads drooped, leaving their noses dangling vertically from their cute faces!
We spent much of our time riding up and down the quieter tributaries away from all the tourists gathering to observe the wildlife along the river. This paid off wonderfully, after watching yet another mother and child Orang-Utan feeding in a fruiting tree it wasn’t long before we heard the soft whistle of our first Black-crowned Pitta from the riverside vegetation. Within 5 minutes we were soon staring at this wonderful pitta in the dark under-story as it sat just a metre off the ground, flashing its blue and red iridescent plumes against its jet-black upperparts. The rest of the morning produced many of the expected and hoped for species including 3 ‘Bornean’ Crested Firebacks (a sure spilt), Banded Bay Cuckoo, more Wallace’s Hawk Eagles, a distant Storm’s Stork, several Lesser Adjutants and both Grey-headed and Lesser Fish Eagles. We headed back for a lunch though our planned siesta came to an abrupt halt as a Storm’s Stork fed on fish scraps next to the veranda causing a mild panic to reach for the cameras! 
Setting off after a fine lunch another endemic pitta was to be next, this time the scarcer Blue-headed, a personal favourite of the leaders so there was little chance of us giving up on this beauty. Thanks to some gentle whistling and tape play we were once again treated to prolonged, perched views of arguably the finest of all pittas. The bird even circled us, eventually calling from the end of a fallen log that we were sat on! Obviously delighted with how the day had worked out we suddenly noticed in the distance the distinctive ‘whoo whoww’ of the enigmatic Bornean Ground-cuckoo. After what appeared to be a very long 20 minutes the Ground-cuckoo was obviously coming towards the bank, not only that but another bird started calling on the other side of the tributary. We decided to slowly edge towards the bank of the second bird. Just when we thought we were close the bird shut-up. Maybe it stopped because it could see us? So surely we should be able to see it! With this philosophy we quickly started scanning, then in the undergrowth, perched just a metre off the ground was a large pheasant shaped bird, staring straight at us, its bright green bill and orbital skin shining through the undergrowth, that’s the boy! A quick panic ensued as we all got on to the bird, admiring every detail of this rarely seen bird before it dropped to the ground and disappeared in to the forest. Despite the views, we wanted more and amazingly, there were now 3 birds calling from the other side of the river. Over the course of the next hour we managed several views of two of these birds as they walked along the river bank as well as additional views of our first bird as it perched 5 metres above the ground, pumping its tail with each call, even given it’s bizarre pig like alarm call. This was instantly the trip highlight! High-fives and handshakes all round as we made our way back for yet another superb, hearty meal. We decided to try our luck with a night cruise, heading down the river then up a tributary gave us many prolonged views of several Buffy Fish Owls, roosting Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfishers and on the way back, Elephants bathing next to the boat under the moonlight, a fitting end to a simply stunning days birding (and nature watching!).
Our final morning was always going to struggle to compete with the previous day though it didn’t disappoint with a number of new species added to the trip, a group of ‘Bornean’ Black Magpies flew overhead before producing their incredible vocalisations, perching up for us all to see. A Black-backed Kingfisher shot by and amazingly, we were once again treated to views of 2 Bornean Ground-cuckoos, this time with the sun shining on their green and purple wings and black hood as they wandered elegantly along the rivers edge, though still frustratingly out of reach for the photographers present!

Storm’s Stork – Sungei Kinabatangan                              Proboscis Monkey – Sungei Kinabatangan

Just as we pulled up back at the jetty the familiar call of a Hooded Pitta started from beside the lodge, we quickly assembled at a chosen spot and after a brief play of the tape, the bird responded by calling profusely before perching up at point blank range trying its best not to be outdone by the other two species of pitta. Our lunch was ready for us once again and after a fill-up and quick bag pack we ran to the boats, unfortunately not quick enough as during the 15-minute boat ride the heavens really opened and we got a complete drenching! Fortunately our bags were well packed and just our bodies and the clothes we were wearing got a good soaking.

Our next destination was in the heart of the Bornean lowlands, the luxurious Borneo Rainforest Lodge (‘BRL’) set amongst some of the finest lowland rainforest to be found anywhere in the world in the heart of the Danum Valley Conservation Area. Arriving at dusk gave us no further opportunity to bird that day so we had a well-deserved rest, recharging our energy levels for the coming days.

The extensive trail system was put to good use during our 5-night stay here and each day would produce plenty of surprises. On just our first morning at BRL we were surprised to hear a familiar sound, at least to our ears, as the distant cries of a Bornean Ground-cuckoo could be heard. We ignored the calls for the early part of the morning as we got to grips with the new trip species. A female Daird’s Trogon was a welcome addition and a view into the canopy produced vocal Dark-throated Orioles, several Lesser Cuckoo-shrikes and a male Scarlet-rumped Trogon. Eventually we realised the Ground-cuckoos (now two calling!) were very close to the trail and after a brief delay the head of this incredible bird popped up by the side of the trail, the bird then wandered along the side of the trail before quickly crossing and running off into the forest, once again, superb views were had of this amazing bird. Just as this bird vanished, the distinctive calls of White-crowned Hornbill could be heard and after an anxious wait a female flew in above our heads, watching this prehistoric species completed with punk-rocker hairstyle looking at us was fantastic and we enjoyed several low fly-pasts of this bird as we waited by the riverside. Further sightings included vocal Chestnut-naped Forktails, Black-crowned Pitta and a host of sundaic babblers, including Chestnut-winged, Sooty-crowned and Scaly-crowned.

As usual food was excellent here and after a siesta we birded along the road heading towards the canopy walkway, stopping en-route for a nest-building adult male Orang-Utan and both Banded Bay and Drongo Cuckoos as a pair of Whiskered Treeswift sallied from perches just metres from us. The canopy walkway was a bit an anti-climax with little activity as we made our way back a male ‘Bornean’ Crested Fireback strutted its stuff on the road in front of us until darkness fell and we once again enjoyed the fabulous meal on offer in the wonderful setting.

Buffy Fish Owl – Sungei Kinabatangan           Bornean Pygmy Elephant – Sungei Kinabatangan

Following a similar pattern over the remaining days we birded around the resort before breakfast as a number of the exotic bushes and trees were in flower, hosting a variety of Flowerpeckers, including Yellow-breasted and the endemic Yellow-rumped, Sunbirds, including Plain, Red-throated and Ruby-cheeked and Spiderhunters with Spectacled, Yellow-eared and Grey-breasted all commonly encountered. We ventured further afield one morning in search of some of the more elusive endemics, this proved a great move as 4 species of pitta were recorded, both Blue-headed and Black-crowned once again putting in appearances and two sightings of the endemic schwaneri Banded Pitta (once again, a certain future split of this distinctive race); a juvenile and vocal female at first followed by a fabulous male, complete with dazzling yellow supercillium, and finally but frustratingly a Blue-banded Pitta remained a heard-only as its called distantly in the bottom of a gulley. Between the pitta sightings we enjoyed a host of species, first was a Rufous-tailed Shama, followed by both singing Large-billed Blue and Grey-chested Jungle- Flycatchers. Eventually the two-note whistle of the brilliantly patterned Bornean Wren-babbler was heard and we eventually all had cracking views of this elusive endemic as it crept around us, hopping from perch to perch. As we turned around and started to head back we flushed a male Rufous-collared Kingfisher, fortunately we quickly relocated both it and its mate as they gave great views. Waiting under a large fruiting trail proved a neck-strainer but the pain was worthwhile as a Black-and-white Bulbul was quickly located with several barbets, including Yellow-crowned and finally a fine male Rhinoceros Hornbill was located in the crown of the impressive tree. Nearby the hooting and wailing of Bornean Gibbons started and it wasn’t long before we were staring back at each other as they then swooped from branch to branch in quick precession, before jumping overhead, crashing into the next tree and carrying on into the forest. Our final bird of the morning performed right on time, just as I pointed out scratch marks on the trail of some species of Galliform we looked up to see 2 immature male Great Argus walking slowly away from us providing great looks at this usually retiring species, one bird even dropped a tail feather as a memento! Happy with the final bird of the morning we made a swift walk back for a well-deserved lunch.

The rest of the time was spent on the trails closer to the lodge, eventually this paid off as we located 2 Bornean Bristleheads, another taxonomically challenging Bornean endemic! This was followed by an unusually co-operative Moustached Hawk-Cuckoo, which showed itself several times, we ended up with a total of 7 Great Argus, including an adult male with 2 females strutting his stuff on the trail in front of us, a Short-toed Coucal came in tentatively to playback before perching in the sub-canopy for all to see, Striped Wren-babblers were noticeably vocal with several showing particularly well, a large flock of comical Dusky Broadbills showed well once, along with several view of both Banded and Black & Yellow and flycatchers were well represented with several Malaysian and Large-billed Blue Flycatchers and eventually a male Bornean Blue Flycatcher feeding its recently fledged young. Under story feeding flocks were occasionally found along the trail and with patience and persistence we located several Spotted Fantails, Brown Fulvettas, Chestnut-rumped, Black-capped and noisy Ferruginous Babblers among the commoner babbler species.
Early mornings and the late afternoons were regularly spent walking along the road listening to the sounds of nature penetrating through the forest, frugivores were noticeably scarce along the road but with persistence many other good species were located; a Chestnut-necklaced Partridge eventually called close enough to the road to warrant a search and after a tense wait we were treated to stunning views of this species as it wandered towards us, oblivious to our presence and continuing to feed just metres from us, a family of Red-bearded Bee-eaters performed their aerobatics beside us, a pair of White-crowned Hornbills performed once more, jumping along the branches in the sub-canopy, Crested Jays showed briefly (of the brown, coronatus race) and a family of Bushy-crested Hornbills were a familiar sight. Regular visits to the canopy walkway provided welcome rest bites, though not a hive of activity, constant scanning revealed some nice birds, noisy White-bellied Woodpeckers were often in evidence as were Black and Rhinoceros Hornbills, Violet Cuckoo and Large Woodshrike.

Striped Wren Babbler – Danum Valley                           Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker – Danum Valley

After dinner we made short sorties into the forest to search for mammals and night-birds and on one night-drive we were treated to prolonged views of a Brown Wood Owl perched next to the vehicle, along with Thomas’s Flying Squirrel and both Greater and Lesser Mouse-deer.
Bidding farewell to our beautiful surroundings we took the short flight back to Kota Kinabalu just in time for a quick wander around the nearby marshes of Likas Bay, producing a few new species for the trip, including a host of Egrets and Herons in the water bird colony as Black-backed Gallinules and Striated Grassbirds favoured the margins of the marsh.

We recorded a total of 258 Species, of which 28 are endemic to Borneo. We were particularly successful in the hot and humid lowlands, with no less than 4 Bornean Ground-cuckoos seen at 2 sites, several stunning views of both Blue-headed and Black-crowned Pitta, Storm’s Storks and a plethora of flycatchers, bulbuls and babblers. In the mountains we recorded many of the montane endemics, including both Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridge, Friendly Bush Warbler, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter and Mountain Serpent Eagle.

Click here to view the Systamatic Bird List

Click here to download the report as a pdf

For further information on scheduled or custom tours to Borneo please contact us via e-mail at info@birdtourasia.com or follow the links for our scheduled departure tours, please click here

*All the photos contained in this report were taken during the tour and are © James Eaton / Birdtour Asia.