BORNEO BIRDS - Giant Pitta, Blue-banded Pitta, Black-and-crimson Pitta, Bornean-banded Pitta and Blue-headed Pitta

Recently, the Giant Pitta and Blue-banded Pitta are very active, both of these pittas are very rare and most serious birders from the worldwide are looking for it. Especially Giant Pitta, it is a near threatened species. Now, there are 2 adult male and 1 juvenile male was found in the same trail. Whereas Blue-banded Pitta is "The Jewel Of Borneo" , it is beautiful, unique, scarce and rare. Apart of the above two unique scarce and rare species, you also have a chance to find the Black-crowned Pitta, Blue-headed Pitta and Bornean Banded Pitta. Those are the endemic to Borneo especially Black-crowned Pitta, if we say Blue-banded Pitta is "The Jewel Of Borneo" then Black-crowned Pitta should be "The Jewel Of Sabah", it is the only pitta strictly found in Sabah.  

If you interested to join our "Borneo Pitta Search" Birding Tour, please do not hesitate to contact us. Email: stephen@birds.my

An elusive bird of Borneo - Giant Pitta was found!

GIANT PITTA (Pitta caerulea) is scarce and patchily distributed within its range, and is likely to have a moderately small global population, which is suspected to be declining moderately rapidly as a result of deforestation throughout much of its range. It is therefore considered Near Threatened.

A Borneo species GIANT PITTA (Adult male hosei) with a male juvenile was found in lowland dipterocarp forest, Sabah, Malaysia. It is rare and very elusive endemic subspecies in Borneo.

Sukau Kinabatangan River Birding Tour

World-Class Birding Spot And Nature Photography Destination@Sukau

Borneo, Malaysian Sabah, Sukau is one of the world-class birding spot and nature photography destination due to the abundance of food plants at fresh water riverine and swamp forest. 

3D2N Tour in the dept of Sukau, Kinabatangan River 

The floodplain of the Lower Kinabatangan River is a low-lying wilderness covered by a patchwork of natural rainforest and ever-encroaching oil-palm plantations. The whole area is dotted with oxbow lakes and limestone outcrops, and is home to a wealth of wildlife including, hopefully, our first wild Orang-utans and the remarkable Proboscis Monkey.
Our focus will however be on the birdlife and there is much to look for including Storm’s Stork (Kinabatangan River represents one of the most reliable sites for this endangered species anywhere). Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Hooded Pittas, Black-Crowned Pittas and with an outside chance of Giant Pitta ( rare and scarce resident ), Trogons, Stork-billed, Blue-eared and Oriental Dwarf Kingfishers, Moustached Hawk-cuckoo, Wallace’s Hawk-eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Bat Hawk, Buffy Fish Owl, Whiskered Treeswift, up to four species of Malkoha, Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Rhinoceros, Purple Heron, Helmeted, Asian Black, Oriental Pied, Bushy-crested, Wreathed and Wrinkled Hornbills. Of course there are many smaller birds as well, though photograph to these from the boats is not too easy. However, a boardwalk behind our lodge offers access to the jungle on foot and between boat trips we will explore this in hope of finding various babblers and bulbuls and other lowland forest species. Many birds can also be seen from the lodge veranda, while we can relax with a cold drink, especially if one or two of the adjacent trees are fruiting. It is also a great place for photographing dragonflies and butterflies. We will take early morning and afternoon and night boat trips along the river and its tributaries. Once off the main river channel the boatmen of our motorised canoes will turn off the noisy diesel engine motor, enabling us to really enjoy the sights and sounds of this rich wilderness. Here we hope to see wild Orang-utans making their way slowly through the canopy of riverside trees or, in late afternoon, watch them making their night-time nests. We can also watch troops of the bizarre Proboscis Monkey crashing through the branches, these comical creatures often sit in the trees and watch us float by, hands resting beside their huge pot bellies and the males with their extraordinary floppy nose. In addition we may see Long-tailed Macaques and occasional Silvered Langurs and there is always a chance of coming across a herd of Bornean Pygmy Elephants in this area.

Tour Fee USD850 included:
a) Foods and accommodation
b) Birds/Photography guides
c) Destination/Operation Management
d) Transportation
*2 way domestic flight Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan-Kota Kinabalu
*Land transfer Sandakan-Sukau-Sandakan
*2-3 birding tour per day at Kinabatangan River (boat ride)

BORNEO BIRDS: ELUSIVE BORNEO BIRDS - Mount Kinabalu

BORNEO BIRDS: ELUSIVE BORNEO BIRDS - Mount Kinabalu: There are 52 types of endemic birds in Borneo and Kinabalu National Park has 24 types itself. There are specifically 3 species of birds nam...

World Class Birding Spot And Nature Photography Destination @ Sukau, Kinabatangan River

Borneo, Malaysian Sabah, is one of the world class birding spot and nature photography destination due to the abundance of food plants at freshwater riverine and swamp forest along Kinabatangan River at Sukau.
Magnificent riverside forest known for a large primate population of Proboscis Monkey (endemic to Borneo), Maroon Langur, Orangutan, gibbons, macaques, Pigmy Elephant, crocodile and snakes. There are more than 200 species of Borneo birds found in this area along the freshwater riverine and swamp forest, they are included the elusive rare endemic Bornean Ground-cuckoo, and others elusive rare Bornean bird species like Giant Pitta also can be found. Storm's Stork, Darters, Hornbills  (8 species), Kingfishers are the signature in this area. Dawn to dust river ride also an interesting activity in our tour package, no matter they are serious birder or common visitor, it would be an exciting experience to observe the birdlife and others wildlife activities in day and night.
                                                     

 http://birds.my/

ELUSIVE BORNEO BIRDS - Mount Kinabalu

There are 52 types of endemic birds in Borneo and Kinabalu National Park has 24 types itself. There are specifically 3 species of birds namely “3W”, they are the Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill, and the Whitehead’s Spiderhunter. Many bird lovers around the world come here mainly for these birds.

Here you can find also others elusive sub montane to montane endemic called BORNEAN LAUGHING-THRUSH ( Bare-headed Laughing-thrush ) Melanocichla calva, it was formerly considered conspecific with Black Laughingthrush.

Identification
25.5 - 27cm. A medium-sized laughingthrush:
Glossy blackish to blackish-grey plumage
Bluish-slate to violet orbital skin
Bluish-white postocular skin
Orange-red bill
Brownish to yellowish bare head and red bill
Sexes similar. Juveniles are browner and duller.

HabitatBroadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge and secondary growth. Found at 800 - 1800m.

Behaviour
Feeds on insects, spiders and sometimes seeds.
Moves around in small noisy groups. Keeps mostly to thick cover, does not engage in long laborious flight, preferring to glide from place to place.
Breeding season October to April. The nest is a bulky cup made of vegetable fibres and leaves. It's placed about 2.5m above the ground in a tree fork. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species.

A tiny elusive montane endemic warbler called BONEAN STUBTAIL Urosphena whiteheadi also an uncommon resident which you can find only at montane forest up to 3,100 meter.

TRAVEL SABAH - BORNEO BIRDING TRIP

9D8N BORNEO BIRDWATCHING AND BIRDS PHOTOGRAPHY  TOURS (RDC–BILIT–KNP – PORING) 

A tour brought to you the different experience in searching of different bird species from the different geographical  level of tropical rainforest – Lowland forest bird species ( at RDC ), Riverain and peat swamp forest bird species ( at Bilit ), Montane and high mountain bird species ( at Mount Kinabalu / Kinabalu National Park ), Sub montane bird species ( at Poring ).

Endemic Birds Of Borneo - BORNEAN BANDED PITTA

BORNEAN BANDED PITTA  Pitta guajana 
The Banded Pitta has been split into three new species, one endemic to Borneo, one endemic to Java and Bali, and one found in Sumatra and the Thai-Malay Peninsula.

It is beautiful........ one of the most colorful pitta I have ever seen with its black color crown, bright yellow supercilium, black color broad mask, white throat to yellow sides of neck, underparts barred deep purplish-blue and yellow with deep purplish-blue patch in centre of belly, black chestnut-brown, wing-coverts black with broad white stripe, rump and tail deep blue, iris dark brown, bill black, legs and feet pinkish-grey.

Borneo Sabah - The Best Birdwatching / Birding Destination In South East Asia

Borneo Sabah is a very strategic land with the advantage of different high level for different species of birds, ie.Upper montane forest (1,800m-3,500m) bird species, Montane forest (900m-1,800m) bird species, Hill and submontane forest (300m-900m) bird species, Lowland rainforest bird species, Peat swamp forest bird species, Freshwater swamp, river, lake and padi fields bird species, and secondary forest bird species. With all these geographical advantage in BORNEO SABAH make all different interest of birder satisfactory in searching different kind of bird species.

Endemic Birds Of Borneo - WHITEHEAD'S BROADBILL

Recently, we have found this elusive bird very active in Sabah. They are in a group of six ( 3 pairs ) nesting at a very close distant each ( around hundred meter each ).

Whitehead’s Broadbill  Calyptomena whiteheadi 
( montane endemic birds of Borneo)
This is a species of bird in the Eurylaimidae family. It is restricted to montane forest in northern Borneo. It is the largest member of the genus Calyptomena.

Best Birding & Birdwatching & Birds Photography Tour Searching Of The Most Elusive Borneo Endemic Birds

Birding at BORNEO SABAH, searching of  the elusive Borneo wild birds in Sabah such as Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill, Bornean Laughing-thrush, Golden-naped Barbet , and many others unique bird species are not something you can find easily in other places such as Black-breasted Fruithunter, Mountain Black-eye, Bornean Stubtail, Everett’s Thrush and variety of montane Borneo endemic bird species like Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Bornean Flowerpecker, Bornean treepie, warbler, jungle flycatchers, wren babbler, laughing-thrush, forktail, bulbul, and many more. 

Fruithunter                                        Bornean Treepie                       Whitehead's Trogon

                  Golden-naped Barbet                                                              Mountain Black-eye
Borneo Sabah is known as “Land Below the Wind” as it is away from typhoon-hit areas. Due to its proximity to the equator, 82% of the land area in Sabah is covered with dense tropical rainforests where   many unique bird species live. There are 669 species of birds being recorded across the state. For example, there are 6 types of Trogons, 8 types of Broadbills, 8 types of Hornbills, 10 types of Pittas, 9 types of Barbets, 12 types of Kingfishers, 21 types of Woodpeckers, 31 types of Flowerpeckers, 8 types of Spiderhunters, and 10 types of Sunbirds. Among all these,  there are also 52 types of endemic bird species. Bird watchers are often given surprises and remarkable memories by the variety of bird species.