Birding Borneo - The Best of Sabah

The Malaysian state of Sabah, in the north-east corner of Borneo, is widely recognised as one of the most exciting and productive birding destinations in south-east Asia. Such mouth-watering possibilities as Bornean Bristlehead (in its own monotypic family), sumptuous pittas (including the endemic Blue-headed and Black-and-crimson Pitta), several species of broadbills and trogons, the endangered Storm’s Stork, the amazing Rhinoceros Hornbill (and up to seven other hornbill species), and raptors such as Wallace’s Hawk-eagle, Bat Hawk and the endemic White-fronted Falconet await us, together with a wealth of other rainforest birds. We will cover all the key habitat types, beginning in the lowland rainforest and ending in the mossy cloudforest of Kinabalu National Park.

After a flight via Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan, we will begin this holiday with a 2-night stay at the Sepilok Wildlife Resort, where we will enjoy some excellent birding from a nearby canopy walkway. Highlights here could include the striking Bornean Bristlehead, Blue-headed and Giant Pittas, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Blue-throated Bee-eater, up to eight species of hornbill, Red-naped and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Black-and-red and Black-and-yellow Broadbills and Grey-rumped Treeswift, to name just a small selection. Whilst here, we will also visit the Bornean Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, and make a special visit to the nearby Sun Bear Centre to enjoy close-up views of these wonderful mammals.

We will head next to the mighty Kinabatangan River. The longest river in Sabah, and the second longest in Malaysia, it is flanked by some marvellous protected rainforest. We will explore the Kinabatangan and its tributaries by boat, hoping for our first views of wild Bornean Orang-utans. Herds of Bornean Pygmy Elephants are also possible, and this is the best place to find troops of bizarre Proboscis Monkeys, including adult males with their extraordinary bulbous noses. Birding here is easy and some of the special birds we will hope to find include Changeable Hawk-eagle, Wreathed, Wrinkled, Asian Black and White-crowned Hornbills, and Stork-billed, Collared and Blue-eared Kingfishers, as well as the very rare and range-restricted Storm’s Stork. Orang-utans are often seen at our lodge, and the birding here is excellent, with the chance of Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Rufous Woodpecker, Lesser Cuckoo-shrike and Dark-throated Oriole. Night walks often produce Philippine Slow Loris, Western Tarsier and a variety of civets. On one evening we will visit the amazing Gomantong Caves, timing our visit for dusk to observe the spectacular exodus of millions of bats (eight or more species roost in the caves), and to watch the Bat Hawks and Peregrine Falcons exploiting this abundant food supply.

Moving on, we will travel to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve — a vibrant mix of mature secondary and primary lowland rainforest, where we will go birding along an extensive network of tracks and trails. Over 250 bird species have been recorded in this large reserve and with luck it is possible to see 70 or 80 species in a day, including many Bornean specialities such as Great Argus and Crested Fireback Pheasant, Great-billed Heron, and Large Green, Thick-billed and Little Green Pigeons, plus leafbirds, pittas, malkohas, trogons, and all eight hornbill species; the list is almost endless! We will also go in search of the resident Bornean Gibbon family and undertake night drives in search of Sunda Leopard Cat, Malayan Civet, Sunda Flying Lemur (Colugo) and other nocturnal mammals, as well as such birds as Buffy Fish Owl and Sunda Frogmouth.

Following a varied and exciting stay at Tabin, we will complete our holiday with a flight to Kota Kinabalu and a drive to Kinabalu National Park. Rising to a height of 4,095 metres, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the eastern Himalaya and New Guinea and its forested slopes hold a rich diversity of montane and sub-montane fauna and flora. Amongst the flocks of feeding birds that rove the forest we will find such species as Chestnuthooded and Sunda Laughing-thrush, Chestnut-crested Yuhina and Mountain Leaf-warbler, and we will, of course, search for the legendary ‘Whitehead’s trio’: Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter and Whitehead’s Broadbill. The delightful Tufted Pygmy Squirrel will be another target.

This highly varied tour will cover the very best habitats of Sabah, focusing on finding a great many of the region’s birds while also targeting the key mammal species.