Peninsular Malaysia
25 June - 18 July 2009
Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers, Panti Bird Sanctuary, Malaysia, 5 July 2009
Vincent van der Spek
August 2009; updated June 2013
introduction
In the summer of 2009 I made a three-week trip to Peninsular Malaysia. Even
though this was already my fourth trip to Southeast Asia, I still managed to see no
less than 71 lifers: a very good score. During the trip I mainly stayed in the west and
south of the Peninsula. The following areas were visited: Fraser’s Hill, Cameron
Highlands (highlands), Panti Bird Sanctuary, Taman Negara (lowlands) and Penang
(coastal/mangroves). The trip list included my most wanted bird in the region: Railbabbler. Panti, popular with Singaporeans, but previously seldom on the itinerary of
visiting birders, must be the most accessible and easiest place in the world to see
this species. Other goodies e.g. included an unexpected Cutia, both Marbled Wren
Babbler, White-necked Babbler, Rusty-naped Pitta, Malayan Peacock-pheasant and
you get the picture: Southeast Asia has been good to me again. Despite a lot of
effort, I managed to dip on all three endemics. I did however include the latest info
on finding Mountain Peacock-pheasant in the report. I visited a few places not
interesting for birds: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang’s beaches.
highlights
Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Crested Fireback, Great Argus, Streak-breasted
Woodpecker, Rufous-collared and Banded Kingfisher, Rhinoceros, Helmeted and
Black Hornbill, Jambu Fruit Dove, Blyth’s Hawk Eagle, Bat Hawk, Brown Wood,
Spotted Wood, Buffy Fish and Oriental Bay Owl (latter heard only), Garnet and
Rusty-naped Pitta, six broadbills, all three forktails, Rail-babbler, Rufous-chested and
Grey-chested Jungle-flycatcher, Chestnut-capped, Chestnut-crowned (‘Malayan’) and
Black Laughingthrushes, Marbled Wren Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler, Chestnutrumped, White-chested and White-necked Babblers and (Himalayan) Cutia.
Garnet Pitta, male, Jenut Muda, Taman Negara, Malaysia,
7 July 2009(© Vincent van der Spek)
missed birds
Mountain Peacock-pheasant, Malayan Partridge and Malayan Whistlingthrush, (yes,
all three endemics…), Rufous-vented Niltava, Banded and Mangrove Pitta, any
frogmouth and all the stuff no one ever sees (the other partridges, Crestless
Fireback).
acknowledgements
As usual Remco Hofland provided me with loads of info and, more importantly,
forced me to go to Panti. James Eaton and Rob Hutchinson, the boys from Birdtour
Asia, gave me a recent update and Rob also sent me hard-to-find bird sounds.
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A bunch of Singapore based birders took me to Panti. Simon Cockayne, Martin
Kennewell and Richard Carden are especially thanked for arranging everything.
Simon and Martin also provided info, mainly about the Cameron Highlands. I’m sure
you guys will come across a White-necked Babbler sometime! Clive and Alastair are
thanked for willing to share the back seat with me in Panti. It was a bit crammed in
there, wasn’t it? Last but not least, David Bakewell and Tan Choo Eng are thanked
for their hospitality at Penang. Thanks a lot for the effort guys, you both showed me
some good birds there. Make sure you visit Dave's weblog (with excellent photos):
http://digdeep1962.wordpress.com/
Dave Bakewell, James Eaton and Ben Wielstra checked an earlier draft of this report.
Thanks boys.
Last but not least it was good old Ben Harper that forced me push the repeat button
over and over again during the plane and bus rides.
Silver-eared Mesia, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
timing & weather
Due to work I had to take time off during the summer period. A big disadvantage of
birding in summer is, of course, that no migrants are around, which greatly reduces
your bird list. Banded Pitta was not active at all and Mangrove Pitta already finished
breeding, but Rail-babbler and Rusty-naped Pitta were active. Mountain Peacockpheasant had been active for months before my visit but could not be found.
Whether this was seasonal, I don't know. Though there’s a slight increase of visiting
Western tourists, there are no Malay and Singaporean holidays, so during the week
most places are not too crowded. Make sure you avoid weekends in Taman Negara
and especially the Cameron Highlands. At the latter site we actually ended up in a
long traffic jam twice… The weather is good during the summer period. Apart from a
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very bad day in the Cameron Highlands the usual ritual was hot and dry days, with a
heavy downpour in the afternoon. In Penang it was hot and dry all day. Take a
raincoat/poncho, waterproof boots, and also bring a light jacket when you visit the
mountains. Especially in the Cameron Highlands the mornings were somewhat chilly.
logistics, money & costs
As I found a very affordable, direct KLM flight from Amsterdam to KL (€ 630,-), we
decided to treat ourselves with mid-range hotels. In all we spent around € 1.550,each (including the flights). I booked accommodation in Taman Negara, and Richard
Carden booked the resort near Panti. The major part of the trip was done with public
transport, which is easy for most of the sites visited. To get to Fraser's Hill, the
resort in Tanjung Sedili Besar (near Panti) and Gunung Brinchang in Cameron
Highlands, I used taxis. In Panti and Penang I got a ride from resident birders. On
the last day, we took a domestic Air Asia flight from Penang to KL, which we booked
two days in advance (140 RM each). Check accounts per site for further travelling
details.
I mention as many prices as possible in this report, but note that things change
quickly. Compared to the Lonely Planet guide we used (from 2007), most prices had
gone up already.
The currency is the Malaysian Ringit. During our stay the exchange rate was € 1 :
4,9 RM. ATM's are widely available, though I did not see any in Taman Negara.
Maximum cash withdrawal is 1.500 RM a day.
At the birding spots we used the following accommodation:
Fraser's Hill
Hotel: Shazhan Inn
Price: 140 RM/n for a double
Note: good and clean hotel. Breakfast (till 10.00) included.
Tanjung Sedili Besar (near Panti)
Hotel: Tanjung Sutera
Price: 300 RM/n for a bungalow
Website: not working anymore in June 2013.
Note: All meals included in the price. Packed meals possible. Great place, very good
bungalows, good service. But when birding all day, there's no real need to be in a
resort. My girlfriend Keete however, who stayed behind, very much enjoyed it.
Taman Negara
Hotel: Rainforest Resort
Price: 180 RM/n for a double (Deluxe Room)
Website: www.tamannegara-rainforest.com
Notes: Breakfast (till 10.00) included. Best rooms of the trip. Very clean, spacious.
With fridge.
Cameron Highlands
Hotel: Hillview Inn
Price: 140 RM/n for a double
Note: very nice, spacious room; friendly staff.
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In Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang there's plenty of accommodation available for
all budgets.
Crested Fireback, male, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 8 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
literature & bird sounds
Trip reports were all downloaded from the now (in 2013) dead travellingbirder.com
Books:
* Robson, C. 2000 & 2008. A field guide to the birds of South-East Asia. New
Holland.
Note: in the field I only used the 2000 guide. The 2008 version stayed on the
bookshelf at home.
* Jeyarajasingam, A. & A. Pearson. 1999. A field guide to the birds of West Malaysia
and Singapore. Oxford Press.
Note: Good book to use in addition to Robson.
* Francis, C M . 2008. A field guide to the mammals of South-East Asia. New
Holland.
Note: best source of info you can get on mammals of this region, though identifying
smaller mammals will remain virtually impossible
* del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot & D. Christie. 2007. Handbook of the birds of the world
volume 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions.
Note: excellent reference for babblers and parrotbills.
* Lonely Planet, 2007. Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
Sounds:
All recordings were downloaded from www.xenocanto.org/asia
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taxonomy
In Robson's latest edition there are some taxonomic changes, especially within the
babblers. For HBW-readers this won't come as a surprise, as Robson was the coauthor of this section. The most important change for Malaysia is that the ssp. of
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush is now considered a full species: the endemic
Malayan Laughingthrush. More taxonomic notes can be found on the bird list.
equipment
I had some problems with my iPod, so I used an old-fashioned, portable CD-player +
Phillips speakers to tape out birds instead. Also old-fashioned, but still very
productive is the Sony hand recorder that I used for playback. As all visited birding
sites were forests, I did not use a telescope. I used a Nikon D5000 with Nikon 70300mm and 18mm-55mm lenses for some 'opportunistic' photography: I
occasionally took some snaps while birding. I'm not a photographer interested in
birds, I'm a birder with a camera. I had some serious problems with the camera, as
the menu wasn't working anymore. Within two days after arrival, the fully automatic
mode was the only one I could use. I couldn't adjust the ISO-values (stuck at 800), I
couldn't change the focal point et cetera, which greatly reduced the quality of some
of the pictures. On the bright side: when I returned home I found out that all the
pics I made were actually on the memory card – I didn’t even know that for sure, as
I couldn’t check the images I made either.
itinerary
24 June
25 June
26 June
27 June
28 June
29 June
30 June
1 July
2 July
3 July
4 July
5 July
6 July
7 July
8 July
9 July
10 July
11 July
12 July
13 July
14 July
15 July
16 July
17 July
18 July
evening flight Amsterdam – KL
arrived in KL in the afternoon
sightseeing KL all day
KL - Fraser's Hill
Fraser's Hill
Fraser's Hill
Fraser's Hill
Frasers' Hill in the morning, travelling to Melaka in the afternoon
sightseeing Melaka
travelling Melaka - Tanjung Sedili Besar (near Panti)
Panti
Panti in the morning, travelling to KL in the afternoon
KL - Taman Negara
Taman Negara
Taman Negara
Taman Negara
Taman Negara - Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands in the morning, travelling to Penang in the afternoon
Penang
Penang
Penang
Penang in the morning; afternoon flight to KL; evening flight KL Amsterdam
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birding spots
1=
2=
3=
4=
5=
Fraser's Hill
Panti
Taman Negara
Cameron Highlands
Penang
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Streaked Spiderhunter, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Kuala Lumpur (25-26 June)
Not interesting for birds. The Bird Park in the Lake View Gardens was all right (they
have some Malayan specialties, like Malayan Peacock-pheasant) and the Lake View
Gardens themselves had some wild birds like Common Flameback, Black-naped
Oriole and Common Iora.
Fraser's Hill (27 June-1 July)
Introduction
One of the hill stations in Pahang, and after Taman Negara this probably is the most
famous birding destination in the country. See the Cameron Highlands section if you
have to choose between these two areas. The birding at Fraser's Hill (FH) is superb.
There are several hotels and a few restaurants, but compared to Cameron Highlands,
the choice is limited. Though there's an increase of visitors during the weekend, FH
retains its relaxed charm, especially away from the main road and the village centre.
Even during the weekend, I did not see other people on the trails. If you use public
transport, like we did, it's quite a walk to reach most trails. We intended to stay at
the Gap for a night, but the famous guesthouse was closed for renovation. As I had
no car, I was unable to bird there. One afternoon I did hitch down approx. 5 km
along the Old Road and walked back. There's a large forested area down the Gap as
well, which seemed interesting. I wonder how often people bird, let's say, 5 km down
from the Gap.
There are many trails at FH, and they were all well-maintained and easy to follow.
There’s a map with the trails on page 11. The trails I birded were Bishop, Hemmant
and Pine Tree. I didn't visit other 'famous' spots like Maxwell and the Telekom Loop.
Several hotels, like the Shazhan Inn where we stayed, have bird feeders. The
following species were seen on the feeders: Fire-tufted Barbet, Chestnut-capped and
Chestnut-crowned ('Malayan') Laughingthrush, Silver-eared Mesia and Long-tailed
Sibia. Tip: a stay at Ye Olde Smokehouse, the oldest Tudor-style building at FH, is
expensive. But what you can do if staying there doesn’t suit your budget is to have a
lovely high tea. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and they have bird feeders, too. So
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chill out in the gardens, enjoy your scones and watch some birds. You'll encounter
plenty of mixed feeding flocks at FH, which are even good during the summer.
Species that are seen in many (and some in virtually all) bird waves include Bronzed
Drongo, Blue Nuthatch, White-throated Fantail, Mountain Fulvetta, Golden and Greythroated Babblers, Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush,
Silver-eared Mesia and Blue-winged Minla (the latter two also in homogeneous
flocks). The best flock I had, held twelve species. Not bad without migrants around!
Less often encountered birds included Black-and-crimson Oriole, Little Pied and
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied and Chestnut-crowned Warbler,
Lesser and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.
The hill station at Fraser's Hill on a foggy day. The large white building is the
Shahzhan Inn, Malaysia, June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
Forest along the Old Road, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
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Best birds at FH: Brown Wood Owl, Long-tailed Broadbill (2), Rusty-naped Pitta (3,
with two heard only), Slaty-backed Forktail (2), Marbled Wren Babbler, Chestnutcrowned ('Malayan') Laughingthrush (common), Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush
(common) and Black Laughingthrush (4).
Logistics:
There are two ways to reach Kuala Kubu Bahru (the gateway to FH) by public
transport from Kuala Lumpur. First is to take Metro bus 43 to Rawang (1.50 RM),
than change to Metro bus 36 to KKB (3.00). In all this should take around an hour
and a half. Option two is to take the KMT train and change in Rawang (5.30 RM).
From Kuala Kubu Bahru we took a taxi to Fraser's Hill (70 RM). The taxi driver
agreed to pick us up a few days later.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the New Road (11 km) was partly destroyed in a landslide.
Therefore during my visit the situation was like in the old days: traffic is only via the
Old Road (8 km), with upcoming vehicles during odd hours, and descending traffic
during the even hours. The situation had been like this for over a year, I was told.
Hemmant Trail
Two mornings and one afternoon were spent here. Hemmant Trail (almost) connects
with Bishop's, so if you stay in the centre of the village, you can walk Hemmant first
and than go to Bishop's and vice versa. The trail is flat and without birding it takes
some 20 minutes to walk it. Hemmant Trail is one of the best spots to find Malayan
Partridge, though I didn't see any. A pair should be around at the start of the trail.
Good flocks were found along this trail. Buff-breasted Babbler was common. A Longtailed Broadbill was very nice, but best was probably the Brown Wood Owl flying
around in daylight, on my very last morning at FH. Excellent bird! Apparently this is
a stake-out for the species. More birders saw the owl here, and young birds were
photographed there last year (see OBC pictures). Like at all other trails, Rufousbrowed Flycatchers are common.
Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Hammant Trail, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
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Bishop Trail
I birded this trail during one afternoon and on three mornings. Not flat, but not
extremely hard to walk. This is the place where I (finally) saw Rusty-naped Pitta! In
all I heard no less than three individuals in this area. The first one was in a steep
gully west of the trail, along the road (a little bit right of the area indicated as
'Termeloh' on the map. Both other birds were heard along Bishop Trail. The first one
at the first stream crossing (the trail crosses a stream quite soon: there are steps to
make the crossing easier), the second one in a big gully 100 m after the observation
platform and the large clearing. I tried to see one of the birds on three days, and
spent a total of five hours finding one. They are extremely shy, more than any other
pitta I've seen. As soon as they see you, they’re gone. On the last morning I
managed to see the one at the first stream crossing. This bird was calling uphill. As
it's hard to be invisible from the trail I went off-trail, downhill along the stream.
There I hid behind my back-pack and played the tape. It immediately responded and
came down from the hill. Soon the bird was really close, but I just couldn't find it! A
classic Rusty-naped story. This went on for some time until I got a fly-by. A good
one, actually. The bird landed behind a tree (of course) and started calling from
there for a long time (I wasn't playing the tape anymore btw). It just wouldn't move.
After about twenty minutes I played the tape once more, but again: it just wouldn't
move. As all my limbs were hurting from the strange position I was in, and as I was
dying to get another view, I moved. Not the smartest thing to do. The bird stopped
calling immediately, and I saw it hopping away. And that was it. Five hours, on three
days and what I got was a fly-by and a bird hopping away that quickly disappeared.
A hide would be very useful here. But, of course, there was more to see. Like
everywhere in FH, the flocks were good. Two Streaked Wren Babblers were found,
Pygmy Wren Babbler was heard only. As I spend so much time on the pitta, I did not
walk the trail very far, and I never reached Maxwell Trail. The partridge is sometimes
seen along this trail, too.
Pine Tree Trail
Two afternoons. Should be the spot for Cutia and Mountain Peacock Pheasant in FH.
This trail is hard work, with a lot of climbing and descending. The trail is wellmaintained however, with steps and ropes to make it easier. It does take hours to
finish it, so we turned back mid-way. The birding was very, very slow during the two
visits. I don't know what it's like in the morning. Best observation was of a group of
Siamang calling close by. Unfortunately the view was obscured.
Jeriau Waterfalls
The waterfall is often mentioned as a stake-out for the whistling-thrush. David
Bakewell emailed me after the trip: ‘The only whistling-thrush I have recorded at
Jeriau is Blue. I strongly suspect many visitors tick this/these birds off as Malayan!’
We walked all the way from the Shazhan Inn and back: a nice hike and a very good
strategy to see birds, even though the forest is degraded in most parts. We made a
well-deserved tea stop at Ye Olde Smokehouse on the way back. Anyway, along the
road I saw several good flocks, and other good stuff too, like Black Eagle (at the
Smokehouse), Lesser Yellownape (2), Javan Cuckooshrike (common), the much
wanted Sultan Tit (2-3), several Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Leafbirds, Longtailed Broadbill and Red-headed Trogon (male). The latter two birds were observed
along the road, near the entrance of the waterfall. The biggest flock of the trip (at
least 12 species) was seen along this road. At the waterfall no whistling-thrush was
found (I didn´t visit the area around dusk), but a Slaty-backed Forktail was seen
near the swimming people. A flock of Grey-chinned Minivets is nothing special
around FH (you'll see plenty), but is worth mentioning as they were very confiding.
Excellent birding along this road, though it was busy with many passing vehicles. The
waterfalls are a real tourist attraction!
Sultan Tit, road to Jeriau Waterfalls, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Old Road
The area around the gate is reportedly one of the best places on the panet to see
Malayan Whistling Thrush. Make sure you arrive before dawn (it's an early bird!) and
listen for its calls. Often it´ll cross the road that splits the bird´s territory.
Sometimes the bird forages under the street lights at the gate. On three mornings I
was at the gate half an hour before dawn (listening to the calls of Mountain Scops
Owl dying out), and I waited till half an hour after dusk. I also tried my luck at dusk
twice. Eventually the high pitched calls I heard early in the morning seemed to
belong to a Slaty-backed Forktail. There was no sign of a whistling-thrush
whatsoever. Apart from the daily routine with the whistling-thrush, I birded along
this road during one morning and two afternoons. Twice I did not go down further
than 2 km from the gate, once I went down 5 km. There are some birds you need to
see along this road, as you won't find them higher up. Furthermore, roadside birding
is of course easier than birding from trails. One such species you won't find higher up
is Black Laughingthrush. It took me some effort to find them, but eventually I saw a
group of three and a single bird at some bamboo patches. Yellow-bellied Warblers
are common in these bamboo patches and Pygmy Wren Babblers were regularly
heard. The best bird however was a species high on my wish list: a beautiful Marbled
Wren Babbler, one of the highlights of the trip! See description of the spot below this
section. Several Little Cuckoo-doves were seen along the road, including a recently
fledged juvenile. An adult and two juvenile Sultan Tits were very nice. Once I went
down 5 km, where I tried to find White-hooded (now ‘Collared’) Babbler (I didn't). I
expected many different species to occur at this altitude, but I was surprised to find
only a few (e.g. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike and Hill Blue Flycatcher). Species
generally associated with a higher altitude, like Silver-eared Mesia and Mountain
Fulvetta, were still common. Maybe I didn´t go low enough? Mammals included
White-thighed Langur and White-handed Gibbon (latter heard only).
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Description of the spot for Marbled Wren Babbler:
The bird was actually found much higher up than I expected. It was seen and heard
very well, and I found it without playing a tape. Man, they are huge! It's easiest to
explain coming from the Gap, though it's much closer to the Gate. Anyway, coming
from the Gap it's 6 km up, until you see a sign on the left with "Fraser's Hill 2 km".
Continue. Soon after the sign there’s a streetlight on the left. About 20 m. up from
the light, also on the left, is where I found the bird. Note that this is only 2 km down
from the Gate. There was bamboo nearby, but the bird was seen in some dense
bushes. First I heard it sing. Before I played the tape the bird actually came out to
see what was going on. Like babblers do more often, I was the one that was checked
out! I got good views on two occasions before it disappeared. When I finally played
the tape I had excellent views again. I couldn’t relocate it the next day.
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Other places
Other trails visited briefly were Mager and Abu Suradi. The first one actually seemed
rather good, with lots of birds around, including a Sultan Tit. Abu Suradi was walked
on the same afternoon, with two Speckled Piculets, a trip exclusive, as the only
notable species. Along the very short Kindersley Trail (ten minutes) I saw a Wild
Boar. The roads are good: flocks can be seen at most places. Bird feeders are found
at the hotels. Around Shazhan Inn I saw Small-toothed Civet and both White-thighed
and Dusky Langurs. A Black Eagle flew by on one afternoon. Most Little Cuckoodoves were seen from the roads.
Panti Bird Sanctuary / Panti Forest Reserve (4-5 July)
Introduction
Panti (Johor) is not on the itinerary (at least: not up to 2009) of many foreign
birders. It is, however, very popular with Singaporeans and expats from Singapore.
This degraded lowland forest site is excellent for birding and it might be the most
accessible spot on the planet to see Rail-babbler (it's common). Many species were
much easier to find here than they were in Taman Negara, like trogons and several
babblers. There were several species I did not see in Taman Negara (Bat Hawk, Red-
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bearded Bee-eater, White-necked and Chestnut-rumped Babbler). On the other
hand, other species seem to be (virtually) absent in Panti (like pittas, with the
exception of Giant, and pheasants, with the exception of Great Argus). The unpaved
road is excellent for birding, and there are several (unnamed) side trails. There's a
visitor's centre, but reportedly it is never open. At this site you do need a car (your
own or a taxi; see logistics below). Don't expect to be the only one around here in
the weekend: we met numerous other birders. The site is big enough to avoid
crowds. I was invited to go birding together with a group of five Singaporean expats
and two fellow tourists. Not only did I enjoy their company very much, it was also
very helpful that they knew the birds and the best birding spots and their knowledge
of bird sounds was of great value. Especially Simon Cockayne, Martin Kennewell and
Richard Carden organized an awful lot for someone they never met before! Very
much appreciated, guys. I birded here for a full day and a morning, but you can
easily spend a couple of days there. Night birding is recommended!
Back-naped Mornarch, Panti Forest, Malaysia,
5 July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
Logistics
The forest is not hard to find. From Kota Tinggi take Road 3 towards Mersing and
drive for about 20 kms. After you pass the Tanjung Sedili sign, it's still a good ten
minutes (so if you come from the resort like we did, take a right turn once you reach
the main road). At km post 267 there are obvious bunkers on both sides of the road.
The forest is on your left. There's a big sign with Panti Bird Sanctuary, so you can't
really miss it. Right after you take the turn, there's a parking lot and a visitor's
centre, but the road continues a long way into the forest. It's possible to do this site
by public transport. We took a KLL bus from Melaka to Johor Bahru for 19 RM (2,5
hours) and changed to Kota Tinggi there (RM 5.30; 1,5 hours; company name:
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Maju). There are Kota Tinggi - KL buses, though changing in Johor Bahru is probably
easier. There are hotels in K. Tinggi, so it's possible to visit the forest from there by
taxi. We continued to the resort in Tanjung Sedili Besar (taxi; 45 mins; can't
remember the price). On the first morning the owner of the resort brought me to
Panti for 50 RM.
Birding
The main road, usually named Bunker Trail, is good. We drove 4 km from the main
entrance and started birding from there. Occasionally we took some unnamed side
trails, which makes spots hard to explain. But the birding is good anywhere. The
main goal was to see the already mentioned Rail-babbler, the main target of the trip.
In May my friend Remco Hofland recorded several here, and yes, we were
successful, too. The undergrowth is not very dense, so the birds are also easier to
see than in other places. The accessibility, the number of birds present and the
relatively open undergrowth make Panti perhaps the best spot on the planet to see
one. On the first day we got close to a calling bird right next to the road. It
responded to playback, but we just couldn't get our bins on it. Late in the afternoon,
while we were walking a trail, we heard another one. Simon successfully taped it out
and perched on a log it showed really well to eight people for 15 minutes. It lived up
all the expectations: an amazing bird indeed, of which only the plates in HBW
resemble the real deal. Another one was calling in this area as well, though it refused
to come out. The second day none were heard or seen. Along the main road, e.g.
Whiskered Treeswift, broadbills and Scarlet-rumped Trogon were fairly easy to find.
Checker-throated Woodpecker is the common woodpecker, though a Buff-rumped
was also seen. I was lucky enough to see a male Jambu Fruit Dove. Babblers and
flowerpeckers are common. Fiery Minivet is the common Pericrocotus and Redcrowned Barbet seemed to be everywhere. A male Banded Kingfisher took some time
to find, but eventually it showed well. At the same time a White-crowned Forktail
showed up at the scene. The trails were good for more broadbills and babblers. Here
we heard three Rufous-collared (one showed briefly) and Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
(several). Malkohas were both seen from the main road and along the trails. Birding
around the parking lot was good. Here we found Red-bearded Bee-eater, Black-andred Broadbill and several Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers. Best however was a Whitenecked Babbler right behind the visitor's centre, during a lone toilet stop. After I
started shouting it unfortunately flew away before the others arrived, never to be
seen again.
It's worth doing some night birding as well. On the first morning the Sing crew (I
arrived after dawn) saw Buffy Fish-owl and heard Javan Frogmouth. At dusk we saw
Malaysian Eared Nightjar and Bat Hawk from the parking lot. The second morning
(we were there at 4.00), some 2 km from the entrance, along Bunker Trail, we
chased an Oriental Bay Owl for a long time, though it simply refused to show. We got
really close! At dawn another Malaysian Eared Nightjar passed by. Fresh tapir prints
can be found, and there are fairly recent reports of Tigers and Leopards.
Best birds
Great Argus (several heard only), Jambu Fruit Dove (perched male), Bat Hawk,
Oriental Bay Owl (heard only), Malaysian Eared Nightjar (2), Black-and-yellow (2),
Black-and-red, Banded (2) and Dusky Broadbills (4), Rufous-collared Kingfisher (1
seen briefly + 2 more heard only), Red-bearded Bee-eater, White-necked and
Chestnut-rumped Babbler (5), Fluffy-backed tit-babbler (6) and Rail-babbler (1 seen
+ 2 heard only)
16
Taman Negara (6-9 July)
Introduction
Taman Negara (Pahang) doesn’t really need any further introduction. Being one of
the oldest lowland rainforest on the planet, this simply is a must-visit area for any
birder interested in Asian avifauna. In all I stayed here one afternoon and three full
days, which was great, but it’s not really enough to do the area justice. I met a
birder who spent nine full days in the forest and he still saw new birds every day.
Apparently Banded Pitta was not active at all, as all birders I met during this trip did
not even hear, let alone see one. With so little time, I decided to focus on a few
specialties: Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Great Argus, Crested Fireback, Crested
Partridge and Garnet Pitta. I almost succeeded in this mission, with great views of
the peacock-pheasant, fireback and pitta. The argus was heard only (no birds
displaying on or near the trails) and Crested Partridge was neither heard or seen. I
picked up plenty of other good birds in the process.
Best birds: Great Argus (heard only), Crested Fireback, Malaysian Peacock-pheasant,
Red-naped and Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Oriental Dwarf ("Rufous-backed") Kingfisher,
Oriental Pied, Black, Helmeted and Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buffy Fish Owl, Garnet Pitta,
Banded, Black-and-yellow, Black-and-red and Green Broadbills and to name a few
more: Grey-chested Jungle-flycatcher, Rufous-chested Flycather, Straw-headed
Bulbul, Chestnut-naped Forktail and many babblers.
The floating restaurants at Kuala Tahan, Taman Negara Malaysia,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
Logistics
From the Pekeliling bus station in KL there are four daily buses to Jerantut (three
hours; 35 RM). We took a ten o'clock bus. I decided to take the bus instead of the
boat to Kuala Tahan, after I heard several stories from birders who were rather
disappointed. The boat ride on the Tembeling river goes through degraded forest,
though there's a good chance you'll see some kingfishers. The bus ride (a few RM)
takes about an hour, the boat ride three. You can either stay in the village (Kuala
Tahan) or in the (expensive) resort in the national park. A third option is Nusa
Holiday Village (see section below). At the village you'll find everything you need:
17
plenty of accommodation, several restaurants and some shops. This is the only place
in Malaysia were I didn’t find an ATM, but this might change of course. To go to the
national park, go to the floating restaurants at the river. Boats (1 RM one way) to
the national park run constantly between 7.00 and 23.00. With the last boats
returning so late in the evening, it's even possible to do some night birding in the
park with plenty of time to return to the village, so there's no real need to stay inside
the national park. Buy a permit at the HQ office (1 RM for as long as you stay).
Tahan River Trail
This trail, which runs along the Tahan River, starts at the left side of the HQ, behind
the campsite. This trail leads to Lubuk Simpon - a popular swimming spot - and to
the entrance trail to Bukit Teresek (a viewing point), so don't expect to be alone out
there later in the day. The famous Jenut Muda trail (see below) is a side trail of the
Tahan River Trail. The first part of the trail has a boardwalk. The campsite is a
traditional site for Crested Fireback. They come out around dusk and dawn. As the
campsite is one of the few open spots in the forest, it's a good place to watch birds. I
saw some small flocks during one afternoon. Just behind the campsite I saw a Lesser
Mouse Deer one early morning. Other goodies along the trail included Grey-and-buff
Woodpecker (male) and both Red-billed and Chestnut-breasted Malkoha. I didn't
spend a lot of time along this trail, but reportedly it's very good.
Tembeling River Trail
The trail along this river starts on the right side of the HQ, and runs along the
Tembeling River. This is the trail to the canopy walkway and to the junction of the
trail to Bukit Teresek and Jenut Muda. Tembeling River Trail passes Swamp Loop.
Both Bukit Teresek and the canopy walkway (opening hours: 11.00 - 14.45; not very
interesting for birds) are popular with tourists, so don't expect to be alone, especially
in the afternoon. The first part of the trail is a (noisy) boardwalk, right up to Swamp
Loop. Along the boardwalk I saw, amongst others, Banded and Buff-necked
Woodpecker, Rufous-backed Kingfisher (2), several White-chested Babblers, Blackand-red Broadbill (near the Swamp Loop entrance) and Rufous-chested Flycatcher (a
male, just outside the HQ). Blue-winged Pitta is said to occur along this stretch. The
best area was near the canopy walkway, where I birded during two afternoons. Here
I e.g. saw Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (2), Black-capped (2) and White-chested
Babblers (1), Green (1) and Black-and-yellow Broadbills (several) and Rufous-winged
Philentoma (two pairs). Spotted Fantail was common along this trail. A Four-lined
Coral Snake, a beautifully coloured, small, but highly poisonous snake was seen on
the trail. On the trail up to Bukit Teresek I saw Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher.
18
Moustached Babbler collecting nesting material, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 7 July 2009.
The moustache is almost invisible on this bird (© Vincent van der Spek)
Jenut Muda
This is TN’s magical trail. Most specialities can be seen here, including displaying
Great Argus. A few months before the trip an argus was regularly seen on the trail
(near the turn-off to Bukit Teresek), but this bird was not seen by any of the birders
I spoke to during my visit. Their loud 'ow-wow' calls were heard at several places in
TN, but nowhere near any of the trails. Jenut Muda is easiest to find from Tahan
River Trail, right after the swimming spot (Lubuk Simpon). A big advantage is that
this trail is ignored by most tourists, so the birding is not only good, it’s also very
quiet. To give some directions, the trail can be divided in three parts: before the first
stream, between the first and second stream and behind the second stream (you
have to cross the streams, so they are easy to find). The first part of the trail (before
the first stream) held highlights like Banded Broadbill, the only Helmeted Hornbill of
the trip and five Crested Firebacks, including a chick. First I really thought I was
looking at a (rare) partridge when I saw it! A Rail-babbler was heard near the start
of the trail, but it was too far to tape it in. The area between the first and second
stream was very good. Coming from Tahan River Trail, somewhere half way between
the first and second stream there was a large clearing on the right. A peacockpheasant was calling here on the first morning. I chased it for over an hour, sparsely
using playback. I got close, but it stayed out of view. I scanned the area with my
bins over and over again, and suddenly, after I’d almost given up I saw some
beautiful green spots. There it was, some ten metres away from me, hidden in the
undergrowth, reflected by the sunshine: a beautiful male peacock-pheasant! I saw it
producing contact calls several times. Another bird answered in the distance. After a
few minutes the bird noticed me and walked off. At first I couldn't find my way back
to the trail, despite pointing out markers in my head while chasing the bird. Scary
stuff! On the third day the bird was heard again, very close to the trail. Not long
after I saw the pheasant, close to the second stream, on the left side, I heard Garnet
Pitta. It responded to tape, but it didn't move closer. As there were three obvious
monumental trees in a row, it was safe enough to go off trail without losing the way
back again. I chased off a group of Wild Boars in the process. I got very close to the
19
pitta, but I just couldn't find it. When it occurred to me that the sound was not
coming from the ground, I suddenly remembered that Garnet Pitta is not strictly
terrestrial. When I looked up, I immediately found the bird: it was perched on a vine
four metres above the ground, right out in the open! Excellent views were had, and I
even managed to take some pics. When I left half an hour later, it was still calling
from the vine. Near the turn to Bukit Teresek, after the second stream, another
Garnet Pitta was heard. I decided to leave this one for another day, which was a
mistake: I didn't hear a single pitta after the first day. Even playback at the two
spots mentioned above didn’t work. On the third morning, a male Rufous-chested
Flycatcher was seen between the two streams. Other goodies behind the second
stream were both Black-and-yellow and Banded Broadbill, both Scarlet-rumped
(male heard and briefly seen) and Red-naped Trogon (female seen well) and two
Maroon Woodpeckers.
Swamp Loop
I only birded here once, when it was very quiet. This trail is easily and quickly
reached from the HQ if you take the Tembeling River Trail. A peacock-pheasant was
heard, as was a Banded Broadbill. Both Banded (2) and Rufous Woodpeckers and a
Black-capped Babbler were the highlights.
Nusa Holiday Village
One afternoon. Nusa Holiday Village (formerly Nusa Camp) is a small resort along
the unprotected side of the Tembeling River. It's fifteen minutes by boat from Kuala
Tahan. If you're looking for a quieter place to stay than Kuala Tahan, this is a good
spot. The only disadvantage is that it's probably hard to get a boat ride to the
entrance of the national park early in the morning. If you have time, it might be a
good idea to stay here for one night, as I thought the birding was interesting and
this might also be a good and easy spot for some night birding. Anyway, from the
Nusa floating restaurant in Kuala Tahan, you can take a taxi boat to the camp (30
RM return). We took the boat at 15.05 and took the last taxi back to Kuala Tahan at
17.15. There's a nice swimming spot along the river. This was a good spot to watch
birds as well, as I saw both Black Hornbill and Changeable Hawk-eagle. Behind the
resort there's a dirt track that leads to a road. At the road many trucks from logging
companies passed by: the forest is rapidly disappearing here. The track (only some
200 metres) to the main road was surprisingly good for birds. In 45 minutes I
managed to find two Rhinoceros Hornbills, a beautiful female Chestnut-naped
Forktail (there's a stream) and the only Grey-headed Babbler of the trip. A very good
score for the limited amount of time spent here! During the boat ride back I saw two
Straw-headed Bulbuls along the river. Nusa Holiday Camp has a website:
http://www.tamannegara-nusaholiday.com.my/index.html
Night Safari
Facing the Tembeling River (at Kuala Tahan), on the far left you’ll find TBK floating
restaurant. They can arrange all sorts of stuff (and they have great food, with a wide
variety of veggie dishes). Here I booked my bus ticket to the Cameron Highlands.
They also sell night safaris (30 RM). I heard some good stories from other birders
who’d seen Leopard Cat. We booked one trip, which wasn’t good for mammals: in
two hours time, one brief encounter with a Wild Boar was all we got. But for birds it
wasn’t bad at all, with sleeping White-breasted Kingfisher and Oriental Magpie
Robins and, the highlight, a nice Buffy Fish Owl. The guide also knew a stake-out for
a snake he called Paradise Tree Snake. Mind that the jeeps go to the oil palm
plantations near Kuala Tahan, not to the national park. During our trip there were far
20
too many people in the jeep to still call it comfortable, but I suggest you give it a go
anyway. There’s a serious chance you’ll see Sunda Slow Loris or Leopard Cat.
Buffy Fish Owl during night safari, Kuala Tahan, Malaysia, 8 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Night Birding
Jim and Steve, two Aussie birders I met, heard that a Large Frogmouth was recently
seen near the HQ. We decided to give it a go on my last night The bird was seen
along the Tahan River Trail, at the small bridge just before Lubuk Simpon (the
swimming spot). The weather conditions were not good for night birding: it was
windy, with clouds and light rain. Despite listening, taping et cetera no night birds
were seen or heard whatsoever. With better weather, night birds must be around.
Gould’s Frogmouth is sometimes seen near the campsite. The mammals made up for
the lack of birds. At the bridge I finally found a Sunda Slow Loris: I missed them on
all my previous trips to SE Asia! We had excellent views. And at the campsite, on our
way back, two Brush-tailed Porcupines allowed a close encounter: really nice.
Cameron Highlands (11-14 July)
The Cameron Highlands (Pahang) are less often visited by birders than Fraser's Hill.
Fortunately I did not have to choose between these two areas, but if you do make
sure you know what you want. FH is much more quiet and laid-back, the general
birding is better, it's closer to KL and it shares most birds with the CH, and it also
has the Gap, which is easier to access than the lower parts of CH. Now this seems
like an easy choice, but in 2009 Mountain Peacock-pheasant - usually almost
impossible to see at FH - was relatively easy to see in the CH. Add to that the easy
access of Gunung Brinchang, where a few high altitude species can be found
(Chetsnut-tailed Minla, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and, best
of all, Rufous-vented Niltava) the choice suddenly seems less easy. The endemic
partridge and whistling-thrush are hard to see at CH.
CH is more degraded than FH, but has some excellent, beautiful tea plantations. It's
a real tourist attraction for both foreigners and Malayans, so it gets very crowded in
21
the weekends: we even ended up in a serious traffic jam twice! So whenever
possible, avoid weekends. On the plus side there’s a wide range of accommodation,
restaurants and shops and I could even find taxis at dawn.
Boh's Tea Plantations, Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
Logistics
I left TN at 8.00 in the morning and arrived at CH at 16.00. Bus tickets (bought at
TBK floating restaurant in TN): 90 RM per person. To get to the best trails without
too much hassle, it's best to stay in Tanah Rata and not in Brinchang. Most trails can
be reached on foot from there. I birded the high peak of Gunung Brinchang twice,
which is too far to reach without your own transport. I paid 100 RM for the taxi (half
a day).
22
23
Trails 4-6-5 (& trail 9)
I walked at least part of this loop four times: three times in the morning, once in the
afternoon. Note that the connection between trails 4 and 5 is now named trail 6: the
old trail 6, shown on most maps of the area, is too poorly marked to be used now.
Around the time of my visit, this area was probably the most reliable site for
Mountain Peacock-pheasant on the planet. Trail 5 can be found behind the Mardi
station (take a taxi for 10 RM, or walk). It's not very easy too find. See map on the
next page. If you can't find the trail, just ask around. There's a sign that indicates
the trail on a hill with some vegetable gardens. Half way along the trail a pair of
peacock-pheasants was seen for months in a row. They even got rather tame,
walking in front of people on the trail. A month before I came, they disappeared. I
don't know whether they have been trapped, died, or that it's something seasonal,
but they just were not around anymore. I spoke to a birder who has been living in
CH on and off the last couple of years, and he told me that not dawn, but between
11.00 and 13.00 is the best time to see the birds. This spring birds were seen at trail
6 as well, and at trail 4 a pheasant was seen a week before I got there. Despite
several people looking for it, it was not seen again. So no pheasants for me,
unfortunately. I hope these birds will return, so other people can enjoy this endemic.
See map of the area on the next page.
There are of course flocks around, but not as many and not as diverse as at FH. As
CH is a little higher than FH, the bird waves seem to differ a bit. Not a single Golden
Babbler was seen (should occur), but I did see a few Rufous-winged Fulvettas and
two Chestnut-tailed Minlas (the latter at the highest parts of trail 6) were seen. Two
woodpeckers were seen in flocks: both Greater and Lesser Yellownape. A bird that
seemed to be far more common than at FH was Streaked Wren Babbler: they
seemed to be everywhere, and they were easy to see. Pygmy Wren Babbler was
occasionally heard, Lesser Shortwing regularly. White-thighed Langurs were seen
along trail 5 twice. Along trail 5 Brown Bullfinch has been seen in the past.
Trail 4 starts at Parit Falls, one of the dirtiest waterfalls I've ever seen (there is a
huge amount of litter). Anyway, the whistling-thrush should occur here, though I
didn't see or hear any. Later I found out that only Blue probably occurs here (Dave
Bakewell in litt). Dave emailed me: ‘Note, the dull dicrorhynchus race of Blue WT is
common at CH and is frequently identified as Malayan by visiting birders.’ A Slatybacked Forktail showed well, as did two Bay Woodpeckers. On the last morning I
tried Robinson Falls at dawn (at the start of trail 9). It was my last chance to see the
*##!! whistling-thrush (well, that’s what I thought at the time, but most probably
only Blue here as well). In all I tried for this species nine times at four different
places. But like all other spots I tried for the whistling-thrush, Slaty-backed Forktail
was present: a pair this time. Forktails rule, so I got some comfort for not finding the
endemic thrush.
24
25
Snowy-browed Flycatcher, juvenile, Gunung Brinchang, Cameron Highlands,
Malaysia, July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
Gunung Brinchang
Visited during two afternoons. This is the highest point you can easily reach in
Peninsular Malaysia. Taxi: 100 RM for half a day. Tourists often go up there for the
view (which is often obscured by clouds), so the taxi drivers know where it is. Trail 1
starts at the summit, behind the telecom station. Note that you are allowed to walk
round the station! With other trip reports in mind I thought that Rufous-vented
Niltava was an easy tick, but it wasn't. Actually, I didn't find it at all. There were
plenty of Large Niltavas around. There’s enough good stuff around here to keep you
busy, even without niltava’s. Trail 1 was too muddy, so I birded around the telecom
station and along the main road. White-tailed Robin and Snowy-browed Flycatcher
are abundant and Chestnut-crowned ('Malay') Laughingthrushes are regular. These
birds often allow close views, though as I was birding in the clouds, photography was
not easy. Here I found one ... of the best birds of the trip: during the first afternoon
a mixed feeding flock passed by, with a male and female Cutia! I managed to take
some lousy shots. Not an easy bird to see in Malaysia! Rufous-winged Fulvetta is
common in flocks, but I only found two Chestnut-tailed Minla's here (second day).
One or two Barred Cuckoo-doves were around, and Golden-throated Barbet was easy
to find. A Pygmy Wren Babbler was seen (more heard; telecom station) and on the
second visit, five Mountain (Leaf) Warblers were seen. Good birding! At the parking
lot a few hundred metres before the telecom station, you are allowed to camp.
There's a wooden boardwalk into the forest here, though we did not see much there.
Penang (15 - 18 July)
There's no urge to visit the state of Penang on a birding trip in summer, but if you do
decide to go there, some good birds can be found. Note that in winter there are
White-faced Plovers around. We mostly used Penang to relax a bit on the end of the
trip, but I birded successfully for half a day (an afternoon and evening) with two
local birders: Dave Bakewell and Tan Choo Eng.
26
White-bellied Sea-eagle, adult, Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia, 17 July 2009.
(© Vincent van der Spek)
The state of Penang (with the lively Georgetown as its capital) consists of the island
that bears the same name, and a small part at the mainland, around Butterworth.
Birding spots on the island are Penang Hill (not visited by me, but it has Oriental Bay
Owl) and Penang National Park. I did visit the latter area for a few hours. The birding
was rather slow, but there were some Tickell's Blue Flycatchers and Grey-throated
Babblers around. White-bellied Sea-eagle and Brahminy Kite can be seen anywhere
in the state. On the mainland there are a few good sites.
Logistics
At FH we bought a ticket for the 14.30 bus to Georgetown, which didn't leave until
17.00. Price: 30 RM. Arrived in Butterworth late at night, though there was no hassle
with the ferry (a few RM; they run constantly). Taxi to Batu Ferringhi, where we
stayed, was 60 RM. We booked an Air Asia flight back to KL on-line.
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, adult male, Air Hitam Dalam, Penang, Malaysia,
16 July 2009 Note the blue part of the chin, just beneath the bill: this is
not depicted in the fieldguides (© Vincent van der Spek)
27
From a birding point of view, I had one great day in Penang. I went out birding on
the mainland with Dave Bakewell (in the afternoon) and evening (with Choo Eng). At
Air Hitam Dalam and at Juru there are some mangrove patches left. Air Hitam Dalam
was, despite the small size, good for birding. A few weeks before my visit a pair of
(very showy) Mangrove Pittas successfully raised a few chicks, but unfortunately the
birds could not be relocated. The boardwalk makes it easy to walk around, though
some parts are not too solid. Ruddy Kingfisher occurs here, but it is hard to find. We
heard one calling. Best birds around were three Streak-breasted Woodpeckers, a
scarce bird in Malaysia (and even a new one for Dave), some Raffles's and a Greenbilled Malkoha, a Common Flameback and two male Mangrove Blue Flycatchers, the
last one a lifer for me after I mysteriously missed it in Thailand. The throat of the
birds was not completely orange: there's some blue right at the upper part of the
chin, not depicted in both Robson and Jeyarajasingam & Pearson. Two Sundaic
Silvered Langurs were present at the entrance. Jungle Mynas are quite common
around here.
Spotted Wood Owl, Juru, Penang, Malaysia, 16 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Next Dave took me to Juru, where we met Choo Eng. A Buffy Fish Owl was breeding
in a recently abandoned Crested Serpent Eagle nest. We found the nest, but didn't
see the owl. Soon the juv serpent eagle was found. It showed very well, and one of
its parents briefly checked out what was going on. Three Great Tits of the ssp.
ambiguus - a mangrove bird in Malaysia - performed well. Robson (2008) treats all
ssp. in SE Asia as Grey Tit, a split from Great that occurs in a large part of Asia. The
name of this split is not very well chosen, as there's already an African species with
the same name... Anyway, another trip tick was the four Oriental White-eyes flying
around. The last thing Dave did for me was yet another highlight: he taped out two
Golden-bellied Gerygones (I love the old name: Fly-eater): not only a new bird, but
even a new family! After Dave left, Choo Eng and I drove around a bit. We had great
views of Plaintive Cuckoo, but basically we were just killing time before dusk: Choo
Eng recently found an Oriental Bay Owl in the area. First we went to his stake-out for
Spotted Wood Owl. It didn't take long before we heard a bird calling and within a few
minutes, two adults perched in a tree. We had excellent views, and we both
managed to take a flight shot (though Choo Eng’s picture was much better than
mine!). Within a few minutes we saw both a Great Eared and two Large-tailed
Nightjars flying around. Great place! We went back to the Fish Owl site, and this
28
time the bird co-operated within minutes, though it was shy compared to the one at
Taman Negara. Another Large-tailed Nightjar perched on the dirt road.
After this success I felt very confident when we drove to Bukit Juru: I was convinced
we'd see the bay owl, a much-wanted lifer. As soon as we parked the car at the
entrance of the park, we heard the bird calling! In the back ground, a Collared Scops
Owl was calling as well. Well, to cut the story short: it was one big déja vu. We tried
to see the bird for almost two hours, it responded to tape very well, but we just
couldn't find it in the very dense undergrowth (lots of bamboo). Choo Eng briefly saw
it perched, I got a brief flight view and that was it, no matter how close we got. But
night birding with two nightjars and two owls seen, and two more owls heard is not
something to complain about. A great way to end a trip. Thanks Dave and Choo Eng,
for some excellent birding!
Green Crested Lizard, Air Hitam Dalam, Penang, Malaysia, 16 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
29
trip list Peninsular Malaysia 2009
Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler, Panti Bird Sanctuary, Malaysia, 5 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
birdnames and systematics
The systematics of the Oriental Bird Club are followed. Recent changes in taxonomy
are mentioned in the text. The order of the bird list is not the exact taxonomical
order: for practical purposes I followed the plates in the Robson guide (2008).
The species that are threatened (Threatened Birds of the World, Bird Life
International) are marked with the following abbreviations:
NT= Near Threatened
VU= Vulnerable
E= Endangered
CE= Critically Endangered
Note that the status of threatened birds are regularly re-assessed, so their status is
subject to change (hopefully a positive one; status not updated in June 2013).
CH = Cameron Highlands / FH= Fraser's Hill / TN= Taman Negara
30
1.
Crested Partridge NT
Heard only at Panti, near the parking lot
2.
Crested Fireback NT
Four males at the campsite and four males and
a chick at Jenut Muda, TN
3.
Malayan Peacock-pheasant VU It took me an hour and I had to go off-trail to
find it, but a male was seen very well at Jenut
Muda, between the first and second stream
(near a large clearing), TN; one more bird was
heard at this very spot (presumably the
female), as was another bird along the Swamp
Loop
4.
Great Argus NT
4-5 heard only at Panti; 5-10 heard only at TN;
no birds were displaying next to the trail at
Jenut Muda unfortunately; all calling birds were
too far from the trail to safely try to see one
5.
Yellow Bittern
A fly-by at mainland Penang
6.
Black-crowned Night Heron
Small groups flying over Melaka at dusk; one
at Juru, Penang, also at dusk
7.
Purple Heron
One seen from the train between KL and
Melaka; two at Juru, Penang, at dusk
8.
Intermediate Egret
Two near Melaka
9.
(Eastern) Cattle Egret
One near Melaka
10.
Chinese Pond Heron
One in Kuala Lumpur Lake View Park
11.
Bat Hawk
One bird seen at dusk at the parking lot, Panti
12.
Black-thighed Falconet
Two adults and three chicks in a rubber tree
plantation at Kuala Tahan, TN, near the
Rainforest Resort
13.
Brahminy Kite
Several above Melaka; common at Penang
14.
Crested Serpent Eagle
A calling pair above Panti and an adult and a
juvenile at Juru, Penang (see Dave Bakewells
blog for some footage of the juv)
15.
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Two above Melaka, more than ten seen in
Penang (both on the island and at the
mainland)
16.
Crested Goshawk
One seen en route, near Ipoh
17.
Black Eagle
Two at FH: one above the village and one
above Ye Olde Smokehouse
18.
Changeable Hawk-eagle
Two dark phases seen at TN; Chui An saw
another dark phase at Juru, Penang (missed by
me)
19.
Blyth’s Hawk-eagle
One at the Gap, seen while waiting at the gate
to get up to FH
20.
Oriental Honey-buzzard
One seen perched and, a day later, flying near
Mardi Station, Cameron Highlands
31
Oriental Honey Buzzard, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
21.
White-breasted Waterhen
Small numbers seen in suitable habitat
throughout the lowlands
22.
Eurasian Curlew NT
Two seen at Tanjung Sedili Besar were the only
(!) waders of the trip
23.
tern spec.
Two terns at sea at Tanjung Sedili Besar were
far too distant to identify them on a species
level
24.
Jambu Fruit Dove NT
Excellent views of a male at Panti;
unfortunately Martin only saw it flying away
and the rest of the group – who were a bit
behind – didn’t see anything at all; a muchwanted lifer, though somewhat disappointing in
real life
25.
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Common at FH, less so at CH
26.
Spotted Dove
Common throughout
27.
Red Collared Dove
Only two seen en route, between Melaka and
Johor Bahru
28.
Little Cuckoo-dove
Seen daily in low numbers at FH (max. six a
day); five in all at CH
29.
Barred Cuckoo-dove
One or two at Gunung Brinchang, CH
30.
Emerald Dove
Regular in Panti and TN
31.
Zebra (Peaceful) Dove
Common throughout
32.
Little Green Pigeon
Two seen well at Panti; small groups coming
from the forest at dusk to sleep in the rubber
tree plantations at Kuala Tahan, TN
33.
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
A male seen very well at eye-level in the city
centre of Melaka; small groups (max. 10) at
Tanjung Sedili Besar; fly-by’s of unidentified
green pigeons at Panti, TN and Penang
32
Pink-necked Green Pigeon, male, Melaka,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
34.
Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot
Common at Panti and TN, though getting good
views is another thing: mainly fly-bys
35.
Plaintive Cuckoo
One heard at Panti; one seen very well at Juru,
mainland Penang
36.
Drongo Cuckoo
One heard only at Panti (pointed out by Simon)
37.
Asian Koel
Only one, at Batu Ferringhi, Penang
38.
Greater Coucal
Only two seen at TN and one heard at Air
Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang
39.
Lesser Coucal
One heard only at Air Hitam Dalam, mainland
Penang with Dave
40.
Chestnut-bellied Malkoha NT
Two seen at Panti
41.
Green-billed Malkoha
One at Air Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang
42.
Raffles’s Malkoha
Several at Panti, only one at TN and two at Air
Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang
43.
Red-billed Malkoha
One at Panti, at the parking lot and one at TN,
near the swimming spot (Lubuk Simpon) along
Tahan River Trail
44.
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Several at TN (the most encountered malkoha
here)
45.
Oriental Bay Owl
The bay owl and I did not become friends this
trip: got very close at both Panti and Bukit
Juru, mainland Penang, but no matter how
good they respond to tape, no matter how
close they were, we could not find the little
monster in the dense scrub it was hiding in;
the sound is, however, amazing
46.
Collared Scops Owl
Heard only at Bukit Juru, mainland Penang; as
I was busy with the Bay Owl, I did not try to
tape it out
47.
Mountain Scops Owl
Two or three heard at FH; as usual with this
species, I did not manage to get a view
48.
Collared Owlet
Two heard only at FH (Old Road and Bishop’s
Trail)
49.
Buffy Fish Owl
Excellent views along a main road during the
night safari at Kuala Tahan, TN; another one
33
seen with Choo Eng at a nesting site at a
mangrove spot at Juru, mainland Penang (the
pair used an old serpent-eagle nest)
50.
Brown Wood Owl
One seen flying around in day light at
Hemmant Trail, FH; a week later other birders
found the roosting tree along this trail
51.
Spotted Wood Owl
Two seen very well at Juru, mainland Penang
thanks to Choo Eng who knew a stake-out; the
calls are impressive
52.
Great Eared Nightjar
One seen flying around at dusk at Juru,
mainland Penang
53.
Malaysian Eared Nightjar
One at dusk (parking lot) and one at dawn at
Panti
54.
Large-tailed Nightjar
Two flying and one perched on the road at
Juru, mainland Penang
55.
Glossy Swiftlet
This tiny swift is common at FH and CH; one
bird in FH ended up on the hotel floor, where it
was unable to take off again (it got in there
through an open window), so I picked it up and
released it
56.
Germain’s / Black-nest Swiftlet Who knows what I’ve seen throughout the
country? Maybe both? Anyway, swiftlets were
seen at Melaka, Panti, Penang and (a few) in
CH
57.
Silver-rumped Needletail (or:
Spinetail)
Three seen at TN
58.
Brown (or: Brown-backed)
Needletail
A large group (tens) seen at Panti
59.
Asian Palm-swift
Only a few seen, above the plantations in TN
60.
House Swift
Common throughout
61.
Whiskered Treeswift
This stunner was only seen in Panti, where four
to five birds were observed
62.
Scarlet-rumped Trogon NT
A pair and a juvenile seen in Panti, where more
were heard; two heard at TN
63.
Red-naped Trogon NT
A female photographed at Jenut Muda, TN
came in when I played the sound of Diard’s
64.
Red-headed Trogon
A male showed really well along the main road
near Jeriau Falls, FH
65.
Rufous-collared Kingfisher NT
In all three heard at Panti; one bird responded
to tape and after a little chase a fly-by was all
we got (though I did manage to see the orange
belly and blue wings)
66.
Banded Kingfisher
It took some time to find it, but a male showed
well in Panti
67.
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Only one, at Air Hitam Dalam, mainland
Penang
68.
White-throated Kingfisher
Small numbers throughout the lowlands
69.
Collared Kingfisher
The best record was the bird in the city centre
34
of Melaka; this beauty was common at the
sites I visited at mainland Penang
70.
Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
Calls and flashes at Panti and TN; at the latter
(or: Rufous-backed Kingfisher) place two birds were eventually seen well; both
with partiallly dark wings, but I don’t know if
that points towards mixed Black-backed genes
71.
Red-bearded Bee-eater
That’s not a bird, that’s an ancient reptile!
Awesome creature, seen near Panti’s parking
lot
72.
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Small numbers seen throughout the lowlands
73.
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Only one seen and heard early in the morning
at the HQ in TN
74.
Black Hornbill NT
Four crossing the Bunker Trail at Panti; one
male crossing the river at Nusa Holiday Village,
TN
75.
Rhinoceros Hornbill NT
Two birds seen flying behind Nusa Holiday
Village, TN
76.
Helmeted Hornbill NT
Frustrating! Heard calling along Jenut Muda,
TN for a long time, then heard flying, but the
bird was never seen…
77.
Fire-tufted Barbet
Great bird! Common at FH, but only one heard
at CH, along trail 5. They sound more like a
cicada than a barbet (or any other bird for that
matter)
78.
Lineated Barbet
Several at Juru and Air Hitam Dalam, mainland
Penang
79.
Red-crowned Barbet NT
Common at Panti; some nest-building birds
were seen very well here
80.
Golden-throated Barbet
Several seen well at CH, along the trail 5-6-4
loop and at Gunung Brinchang
81.
Black-browed Barbet
Small numbers seen and heard at FH
82.
Yellow-crowned Barbet NT
Several heard only at TN
83.
Blue-eared Barbet
A few heard and one seen at Panti; a few
heard only TN
84.
Coppersmith Barbet
A few heard only along the Old Road, FH
85.
Brown Barbet
Two seen at Panti, one at TN
86.
Speckled Piculet
Two along Mager Trail, FH
87.
Greater Yellownape
One at trail 5, CH
88.
Banded Woodpecker
In all three seen at TN, including a very
confiding one
89.
Checker-throated Woodpecker
At least six at Panti (the most common
woodpecker there) and one at TN
90.
Lesser Yellownape
Two singles at trail 5, CH and a pair along the
road to Jeriau waterfall, FH
91.
Streak-breasted Woodpecker
Three birds seen and heard well together with
David at Air Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang;
this Southeast Asian endemic is a difficult bird
35
in Malaysia
92.
Rufous Woodpecker
One at Panti and one along Swamp Loop, TN
93
Common Flameback
A pair in the Lake View Gardens, KL; several at
mainland Penang
94.
Maroon Woodpecker
A pair seen well along Jenut Muda, near the
junction with Bukit Teresek
95.
Bay Woodpecker
A pair at Parit Falls, CH
96.
Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Great views of a bird along Bunker Trail, Panti
97.
Buff-necked Woodpecker NT
One just before Swamp Loop, at the end of the
boardwalk, TN
98.
Grey-and-buff Woodpecker
A male at Tahan River Trail, between the
campsite and the swimming spot (Lubuk
Simpon)
99.
Green Broadbill NT
One near the canopy walkway, TN, which
seemed a very good spot for broadbills, with
Black-and-yellow and Banded also present
100. Long-tailed Broadbill
A splendid bird seen along Hemmant Trail, and
one heard along the road to Jeriau Waterfall,
FH
101. Dusky Broadbill
A family party of four seen well along Bunker
Trail, Panti; one of the first birds I saw there!
Those bills are just massive...
102. Banded Broadbill
A pair at Panti seen well (I only saw the male);
heard only at Jenut Muda (two places), canopy
walkway and Swamp Loop, TN
103. Black-and-red Broadbill
One seen near the parking lot at Panti and one
at the entrance of Swamp Loop, TN
104. Black-and-yellow Broadbill NT
One seen and one heard at Panti (Bunker
Trail), birds seen in TN at Jenut Muda and the
canopy walkway; plenty heard at various spots
at TN; they are easy to tape out
105. Rusty-naped Pitta
One seen and two more heard at FH; one bird
calling in an inaccessible gulley along Jalan
Lady Maxwell, between the food stalls and
Silverpark Resort; the other two birds were
heard along Bishop’s Trail, with one at the first
stream crossing and the second one in a huge
gulley after the observation tower; after five
hours of trying on three days, I managed to
see the one from the first stream crossing,
when I hid along the stream (off trail) behind
my backpack. The calling bird got very close,
but I still couldn’t see it. It took ages before I
got a (reasonably good) flight view. After
another long wait I saw it hopping from one
bush to another. At that point it obviously saw
me, and it disappeared.
106. Garnet Pitta NT
One seen very well along Jenut Muda, between
the first and second stream; I had to go off-
36
trail to see it, as refused to come closer. After I
figured out that it was not perched on the
ground, but above me the bird was easily
found: it was sitting on a vine, right out in the
open! Excellent views. A second bird was heard
only along the same trail, near Bukit Teresek.
My seventh pitta in SE Asia, excluding two
heard only’s!
107. Golden-bellied Gerygone
(or: Flyeater)
David taped two birds out for me at Juru,
mainland Penang; nice birds. Together with the
next species they represented a whole new
family for me.
108. (Malaysian) Rail-babbler NT
The main target of the trip. Panti is probably
one of the best places on the planet to see the
species. On the first day we heard one and
almost taped it out right next to the Bunker
Trail. Along a small, unnamed trail we heard
another one, at 15.00 in the afternoon. It was
taped out quite easily and seen very well
(calling on a log) for approx. 15 minutes by
eight people! What a bird. That blue patch of
skin is just phenomenal! Another bird was
heard along this trail, but not seen. Next day
none were heard or seen. A very distantly
calling bird was heard at Jenut Muda, TN.
Alastair Henderson taped one out just behind
the campsite, a week after I visited TN.
109. White-browed Shrike-babbler
Occasional in bird waves at FH and CH; less
common than Black-eared, and usually a bit
higher up (e.g. Pine Trail FH, Brinchang CH)
110. Black-eared Shrike-babbler
Regular in bird waves at FH and CH
111. White-bellied Erpornis (Yuhina) Two at FH (road to waterfall), one at Panti and
one at the canopy walkway, TN
112. Javan (‘Malaysian’)
Cuckooshrike
Seen daily in small numbers at FH; only a few
at CH
113. Lesser Cuckooshrike
One at Panti
114. Pied Triller
A male at the resort at Tanjung Sedili Besar
115. Bar-winged Flycatchershrike
A male along the Old Road, FH
116. Fiery Minivet NT
A male and a pair at Panti; a flock of five
flying, unidentified minivets was also seen here
117. Grey-chinned Minivet
Common FH; only a few at CH
118. Black-naped Oriole
Common in cultivated areas, especially in city
parks
119. Dark-throated Oriole NT
One heard along Jenut Muda, TN; two heard at
Panti, were a male was also seen, and a
nesting female was found
120. Black-and-crimson Oriole
Several seen daily in bird waves at FH, also in
the village; three at trail 5, CH
121. Rufous-winged Philentoma
A female along Bunker Trail, Panti and pairs
37
seen at the canopy walkway and at the
Tembeling River Trail between the HQ and the
walkway, TN
122. White-throated Fantail
Ever present in bird waves at CH and FH
123. Pied Fantail
One in Melaka and common on mainland
Penang
124. Spotted Fantail
Seen daily in small numbers in TN; by far most
birds seen along the Tembeling River Trail
125. Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Only one: a female near the HQ, TN
126. Black-naped Monarch
A nesting bird at Panti, where a male was also
seen at another spot
127. Bronzed Drongo
Common in bird waves at FH; a few at CH; one
at TN
128. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Common at the lower parts of the Old Road
and near Jeriau Falls, FH; common TN
129. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
Somehow only one seen, at the road to Jeriau
Falls, FH; a bird without tail streamers
130. Large-billed Crow
Regular throughout, with biggest numbers
recorded at CH
131. Common Iora
A pair in Lake View Gardens, KL; a pair with
chicks at Tanjung Sedili Besar; one bird at
Panti; three at mainland Penang
132. Green Iora NT
Small numbers at Panti; only one pair at TN
133. Black-throated Sunbird
Common at FH and CH
134. Purple-naped Sunbird
Two at Panti and two at TN
135. Brown-throated Sunbird
A few at mainland Penang
136. Olive-backed Sunbird
Regular in cultivated areas in the lowlands
137. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
Low numbers in Panti and TN; two at Air Hitam
Dalam
138. Grey-breasted Spiderhunter
One at TN, along Tembeling River Trail
139. Little Spiderhunter
Common along river edges at TN
140. Spectacled Spiderhunter
A flock of four at Panti; another pair of
spiderhunters seen here were either
Spectacled or Yellow-eared
141. Streaked Spiderhunter
Common at FH and CH
142. Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Just a flash seen by me, but a male was seen
well twice by Martin at Panti, along the Bunker
Trail
143. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Common at Panti
144. Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker
Regular at Panti; only one adult feeding a chick
at TN (Nusa Holiday Village)
145. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Regular, though not common at FH
146. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
A pair at Penang, near the National Park
147. Asian Fairy Bluebird
Small numbers at Panti and TN
148. Greater Green Leafbird
Two seen at different spots at Panti
149. Lesser Green Leafbird NT
Males seen at Panti (Bunker Trail) and TN
38
(campsite)
150. Blue-winged Leafbird
Small numbers at FH, Panti and TN
151. Orange-bellied Leafbird
Small numbers at FH along the road to Jeriau
Falls and at the Old Road
152. Scaly-breasted Munia
I only found five in in my notebook, at FH, but
I'm sure I've seen more
153. White-rumped Munia
Common in Kuala Tahan, TN and Tanjung
Sedili Besar; several flying munias remained
unidentified
154. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Common in urban areas
155. Paddyfield Pipit
One in FH; regular in open areas in the
lowlands (especially common at mainland
Penang)
156. Baya Weaver
Only one, a female, at Juru, mainland Penang
157. Blue Nuthatch
One of my favourite birds of the trip. What a
stunner! One or two represented in most bird
waves at FH; less common at CH
158. Hill Myna
Two seen and another one heard at TN
159. Jungle Myna
Common on mainland Penang
160. Common Myna
Common throughout, mainly in cultivated or
urban areas
161. Asian Glossy Starling
Common throughout the lowlands, mainly in
cultivated or urban areas
162. Lesser Shortwing
Regularly heard at CH, where brief views were
obtained at trail 5 (didn’t really try to get good
views); oddly enough none heard at FH
163. White-tailed Robin
Common at CH, especially at Gunung
Brinchang
164. White-rumped Shama
Common at Panti and TN; a female with chicks
at Penang NP
165. Oriental Magpie Robin
Common in cultivated areas, both urban and
rural
166. White-crowned Forktail
One seen very well at Panti, where another
forktail was heard only
167. Slaty-backed Forktail
One at Jeriau Falls and one at the gate of the
Old Road, FH; one at Parit Falls and a pair at
Robinson’s Falls, CH
168. Chestnut-naped Forktail NT
A female was seen very well and surprisingly
close for a forktail behind Nusa Holiday Village,
TN
169. Hill Blue Flyctacher
In all three seen along the lower parts of the
Old Road, FH
170. Tickell’s Blue Flyctacher
A male seen well and another one heard
singing at Penang NP
171. Mangrove Blue Flycatcher
A male seen very well and sometimes very
close by at Air Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang;
39
another male was seen here briefly.
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, adult male, Air Hitam Dalam,
Penang, Malaysia, 16 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
172. Large Niltava
A female and a juvenile at Jalan Lady Maxwell,
FH; very common at Gunung Brinchang, CH,
where singles were also seen along trails lower
down
173. Little Pied Flycatcher
Occasional at FH, where five birds were seen
174. Rufous-browed Flycatcher
Common along trails and the higher parts of
the Old Road at FH; only one (trail 5) at CH
175. Snowy-browed Flycatcher
An adult and a juvenile at trail 5, and several
juveniles and one adult at the highest part of
Gunung Brinchang (around the Telekom
station), CH
176. Rufous-chested Flycatcher NT
Males seen near the HQ and along Jenut Muda,
TN
177. Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Two at FH, along the road to Jeriau Falls and a
very approachable family group at CH, next to
Brinchang village
40
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, juvenile,
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
178. Grey-chested Jungle-flycatcher One seen well along the trail to Bukit Teresek,
NT
TN (they are large!); another one heard in
Panti (pointed out to me by Simon)
179. Sultan Tit
Only seen at FH, with two or three different
birds along the road down to the Jeriau
Waterfall; one along Mager Trail and an adult
with two young birds along the Old Road
180. Great (‘Grey’) Tit
Three birds were seen in mangroves at Juru,
mainland Penang
181. Ashy Bulbul
Only a few, along the Old Road, FH
182. Black-headed Bulbul
Small numbers at Panti and TN
183. Grey-bellied Bulbul NT
Small numbers at Panti and TN
184. Stripe-throated Bulbul
Only a few seen around the HQ, TN
185. Olive-winged Bulbul
Small numbers at Panti and TN; common at
Penang NP
186. Yellow-vented Bulbul
The most common bulbul; seen throughout in
urban and other cultivated areas
187. Cream-vented Bulbul
Common at Panti, but only one at TN, behind
Nusa Holiday Village
188. Red-eyed Bulbul
In all there are four birds in my notebook in
Panti, one in TN and one at Penang NP, but 'm
sure I've seen more than six altogether!
189. Spectacled Bulbul
Only one at Panti and two at TN
190. Straw-headed Bulbul VU
A pair along the river between Kuala Tahan
and Nusa Holiday Village seen from the boat;
fortunately the boatsman was kind enough to
stop
191. Buff-vented Bulbul NT
Only one, at Tahan River Trail, TN
41
192. Hairy-backed Bulbul
Common Panti and regular (but less common)
TN
193. Yellow-bellied Bulbul
Regular, but small numbers at both Panti and
TN
194. Puff-throated Bulbul
Regular at Panti, TN and lower areas at FH
195. Mountain Bulbul
Common at the higher parts of FH and CH
196. Pacific Swallow
Named ‘House Swallow’ in Robson (2008);
common throughout
197. Yellow-bellied Warbler
Common along the Old Road, FH; several
throughout CH
198. Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Only a few seen at FH, at the road to Jeriau
Falls
199. Yellow-breasted Warbler
Common at CH
200. Mountain Leaf-warbler
One at trail 5 and approx. five at Gunung
Brinchang, CH; depicted in Robson with yellow
legs, but all birds I saw had grey legs
201. Rufous-winged Fulvetta
Common at Gunung Brinchang and a few at
the trails 5 and 6, CH
202. Mountain Fulvetta
Perhaps the most common bird in mixed
feeding flocks at CH and FH; usually in front of
the flock, together with Golden Babbler and
White-throated Fantail
203. Oriental White-eye
Four at Juru, Penang
204. Everett’s White-eye
Common FH (including a flock of 40+ at the
Old Road), smaller numbers at CH
205. White-necked Babbler NT
Lucky me! One bird seen and heard behind the
parking lot at Panti; when I called the others, it
unfortunately flew away, never to be seen
again.
206. Grey-headed Babbler
One behind Nusa Holiday Village, TN
207. Grey-throated Babbler
Regular at FH, TN and Penang NP
208. Chestnut-winged Babbler
Several at Panti; common TN
209. Chestnut-rumped Babbler NT
A flock of five at Panti was seen well;
somewhat shy; responded to imitations of its
call, but quickly moved on anyway.
210. Golden Babbler
Common FH (in every mixed flock);
surprisingly none seen at CH.
211. Striped Tit Babbler
Several at Panti, two behind Nusa Holiday
Village, TN and two at Air Hitam Dalam,
mainland Penang .
212. Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler NT
For me one of the highlights of the trip. Great,
great birds! Four along Bunker Trail, just after
the parking lot; two at another spot along
Bunker Trail and two near the canopy walkway,
TN; see the pictures I’ve taken: they inflate
the whitish-bluish skin on the throat when
singing, an amazing sight!
42
213. Pygmy Wren Babbler
Regularly heard at CH and FH; briefly seen at
Gunung Brinchang
214. Streaked Wren Babbler
Two seen along Bishop’s Trail; surprisingly
common and easy to see at CH
215. Marbled Wren Babbler
And yet again I say: what a bird! They are
massive! The cheeks are not depicted well in
any of the guides I have: it’s downright
chestnut in real live. Seen quite high up along
the Old Road, FH; for directions see FH account
of the report.
216. Buff-breasted Babbler
Quite common at FH; mainly heard and
sometimes seen around dawn
217. Black-capped Babbler
One seen (briefly) and one heard at Panti;
three heard (Jenut Muda and Swamp Loop)
and two seen very well near the canopy
walkway, along the Tembeling River Trail, TN.
218. Sooty-capped Babbler
Just two, between Swamp Loop and the HQ at
TN
219. Moustached Babbler
Commonly seen at TN; the moustache is often
surprisingly hard to see.
Moustached Babbler collecting nesting material,
Taman Negara, Malaysia, 7 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
220. Scaly-crowned Babbler
Two pairs at Panti and three pairs at TN
221. Rufous-crowned Babbler NT
Only two seen very well at TN; several Scaly/Rufous-crowned remained unidentified
222. Abbott’s Babbler
Small numbers at TN; one at Juru, Penang
223. White-chested Babbler NT
Two at Panti (one taped in as close as 1m); not
uncommon at TN, mainly along Tembeling
River Trail.
224. Ferruginous Babbler
Only one, near Swamp Loop, TN
225. Large Scimitar-babbler
And once again I heard this one only, this time
two birds along the Old Road, FH. Will I ever
see one?
226. Black Laughingthrush
I just couldn't find this one at FH, until I
realised I was looking for them at the wrong
43
places: the trails near the village are generally
too high for the species (despite some reports
by other visiting birders). I finally found them
relatively easy lower down, along the Old
Road. Here I saw a group of three and a single
bird.
227. Chestnut-capped (‘Spectacled’) Common at FH and CH; comes to the bird
feeders at FH. Smart species.
Laughingthrush
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
228. Chestnut-crowned (‘Malayan’)
Laughingthrush
By some authors, incl. Robson (2008), the
peninsulae race is split from other Chestnutcrowned Laugher races. Consequently 'Malayan
Laughingtrhush' now is an endemic species for
Peninsular Malaysia; it is regular at FH and CH,
though not as common and less conspicuous
compared to the previous species; does come
to bird feeders at FH; they are shyer and at
the same time dominant at the feeders
Malayan Laughingthrush, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
229. Himalayan Cutia
Split by e.g. Robson (2008) from Vietnamese
Cutia; very scarce in Malaysia, but I managed
to get good views (and poor pics) of a pair in a
mixed feeding flock at Gunung Brinchang, CH.
44
230. Chestnut-tailed (‘Bar-throated’) Only two pairs of these stunners were seen at
Minla
CH: one pair at trail 6 and one pair at Gunung
Brinchang.
231. Blue-winged Siva (‘Minla’)
Common in FH, less so in CH; not very shy.
232. Silver-eared Mesia
Common at FH, less so in CH; comes to bird
feeders.
Silver-eared Mesia, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
233. Long-tailed Sibia
Common at FH, less so in CH; comes to bird
feeders.
Long-tailed Sibia, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
234. Mountain Tailorbird
Several at FH and CH.
235. Common Tailorbird
Only a few seen in the lowlands, at Tanjung
Sedili Besar, Penang and TN HQ.
236. Dark-necked Tailorbird
Only a few seen in Panti and TN.
237. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
Small numbers at Panti and TN.
238. Ashy Tailorbird
A few seen and heard at the mangrove sites at
mainland Penang; five tailorbirds during one
trip is a personal record!
Feral birds
239. House Crow
Common in urban areas.
240. Crested Myna
Common at Penang Island.
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241. Javan Myna
Common in the south; possibly White-vented
Myna was also seen (they should occur in KL),
but none of the myna’s in KL were seen well.
Out of competition
242. Feral Pigeon
Common in urban areas.
Garnet Pitta, male, Jenut Muda, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 7 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
mammal list
Trends and systematics of Francis (2008) are followed. ID of squirrels in several
cases somewhat tentative.
Long-tailed Macaque, Lake View Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
26 June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
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1.
Siamang
2.
White-handed Gibbon
3.
Dusky Langur
I got very close to a group along the High
Pines trail, FH, though I just couldn't get
them into view; heard only!
Groups heard at Panti, Old Road (FH) and
TN.
Seen at FH, Panti, TN, CH and Penang.
Dusky Langur, Penang, Malaysia, 18 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)
Dusky Langur, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
4.
Sundaic Silvered Langur
5.
White-thighed Langur
Two photographed at the mangvroves of Air
Hitam Dalam, mainland Penang; animals at
Juru mangroves that were not seen well
enough must have been Sundaic Silvered
Langur.
Regular at FH and CH.
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White-thighed Langur, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia,
June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)
6.
Long-tailed Macaque
7.
Sunda Slow Loris
8.
Indochinese Humpback Dolphin
9.
Wild Boar
10. Small-toothed Civet
11. Brush-tailed Porcupine
12. Barking Deer
(or: Red Muntjac)
Regular at most places, including Lake View
Gardens in KL.
None during the night safari, but one seen
well near the small bridge along the Tahan
River Trail, during a night birding session in
TN; identification as Sunda Slow Loris solely
based on geography.
Three seen in the South Chinese Sea from
the resort at Tanjung Sedili Besar: one pink
animal, two grey ones; one of the grey ones
leaped completely out of the water.
One at FH and groups encountered twice at
TN.
One seen very well early in the morning,
right behind the Shazhan Inn at FH.
Two seen well at the campsite, TN, while
night birding.
One seen early in the morning at Jenut
Muda, TN; more heard in TN, and one
probable heard at Panti.
13. Lesser Mouse Deer
Most probably this species, and not Greater
given the size and the single pale line on the
chest; seen very well at dawn along Tahan
River Trail, right behind the campsite.
14. Common Treeshrew
Regular at several sites; mainly in forests,
but also in a city park in Melaka.
15. Black Giant Squirrel
Only two seen at TN: one at Jenut Muda,
and one at the canopy walkway.
16. Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
Two different ones seen at Panti; great
animals.
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17. Pallas’s Squirrel
18. Plantain Squirrel
19.
20.
21.
22.
Slender Squirrel
Red-cheeked Squirrel
Common Ground Squirrel
Three-striped Ground Squirrel
ID tentative; commonly seen at FH and
probably at CH, too.
Common at Panti; according to James Eaton
the rather similar animals I saw in TN are
Black-Banded Squirrels.
Common at Panti and suspected at TN.
Two seen well at FH; more suspected.
Regular at FH and CH.
One seen at Panti and one seen at TN.
NB several unidentified rats and bats were seen during the trip
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]
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