Sabah, Borneo

1st - 17th May 2009

Leader: James Eaton

Participants: Angela Baldock, Brian Baldock, David Knight, John Wright

Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Kinabatangan River © James Eaton/Birdtour Asia The huge island of Borneo conjures up images of Orang-Utan, primates, vast tracts of rainforest and a dazzling array of wonderful endemics and of course those majestic hornbills. This tour fulfilled all of those images and many more, recording a total of 295 species including 40 endemics (depending on our taxonomic outlook as always!). The Kinabatangan River, snaking through lowland forest was our starting point. The Bornean Ground Cuckoo – until recently consider a near-mythical species – performed beyond all our wildest dreams (leader included!) for our 12th tour running, an array of hornbills including a showy pair of White-crowned, plenty of Storm's Storks and hunting Buffy Fish Owls. Next up was the fabulous Danum Valley Conservation Area that also exceeded expectations with our huge haul of lowland endemics, seeing all realistically possible endemics including four species of pitta including magic looks at that oh-so elusive Blue-banded. Black-throated and Striped Wren Babblers, Bornean Ground Babbler, Bornean and Large-billed Blue Flycatchers, booming Short-toed Coucals, trogons, completing all the hornbills of the island, and – of course – great looks at Bristlehead. Bornean Gibbon and a wonderfully close male Orang-Utan proved welcome distractions from all those birds! A week taking in the mighty Mount Kinabalu found the majority of upland endemics; from Fruit-hunter, Whitehead's Trogon and Friendly Bush Warbler in the higher reaches, to Hose's Broadbill on the lower slopes and completing the Whitehead's trio with the broadbill and spiderhunter at the nearby Rafflesia Reserve. A final day of relaxed birding around Kota Kinabalu was successful with plenty of Tabon Scrubfowl and a lingering Chinese Egret.

Arriving bleary-eyed but well-fed into Kota Kinabalu at noon we headed straight for the hills to get the adrenalin pumping with some quick-fire endemics. The Crocker Range is a huge tract of hill forest running behind the city. Utilising the road that cuts through the heart of the forest we birded the late afternoon and early the following morning scooping up some nice endemics that would be unlikely elsewhere on the tour. Literally our first bird (minus Tree Sparrow and Asian Glossy Starling!) was a Bornean Barbet gorging itself on ripe fruits, a tricky species to come to grips with though later on we found a pair attending a nest-hole and had plenty of repeat sightings. The other speciality of this area was also plentiful as a small flock of Mountain Barbet posed in the same view as the former at one point. Careful scanning of the treetops eventually yielded a preening Whitehead's Spiderhunter that seemed to spend an eternity in our scopes though frustratingly the best we could manage with Whitehead's Broadbill was a couple of fly-bys and brief perched view. Keeping an eye skywards produced a close Blyth's Hawk Eagle and even a huge flock of roving Giant Swiftlet, Forest feeding flocks were few and far between so we had to put in plenty of hours of hard work to discover a vocal Long-tailed Broadbill, orange-throated 'Bornean' Brown Barbets, vocal Olive-backed Woodpeckers, Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter, bits and pieces of Crested Jay, Dusky Munia and even a pair of Temminck's Babbler. Fruiting trees were equally scarce compared to usual but still we came across plenty of attractive Bornean Leafbirds and Bornean and Cinereous Bulbuls. Following a short flight across the mountains of Sabah we touched down at Sandakan airport in the early afternoon and transferred quickly across to our comfortable accommodation overlooking the lowland forest at Sepilok. During a welcome drink and lunch we found our first lowland endemic – Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker amoung the Black-headed and Dusky Munia before heading for the forest and spending most of the afternoon walking along the sturdy canopy-walkway. Disappointingly we spent most of our time listening to hammering and bulldozers as yet another huge building is under construction next to the walkway – yet more forest clearance, surely it would be easier and quieter to build it next to the forest rather than in it?! Birding was off-and-on through the afternoon and for the early part of the following morning. Three species of broadbill co-operated beautifully – raucous Dusky, a cute pair of Black-and-yellow and a wonderful pair of Black-and-red added a splash of colour the forest greenery. Violet Cuckoos were conspicuous with both displaying males and a young bird bizarrely being fed by a Little Spiderhunter! Several other restricted range species showed during our stints here, including a family of Slender-billed Crow, Little Green Pigeons, a soaring Jerdon's Baza, Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Raffle's Malkoha, Ashy Tailorbird, Banded and super-cool Grey-and-buff Woodpeckers, often tricky Puff-backed Bulbul and a Black-backed Kingfisher zipping past. As the heat began to rise we headed off, stopping at Gomantong Caves to witness the marvellous spectacle of a birds-nest cave with thousands of Black-nest Swiftlet nests stuck to the cave ceiling like glue, along with smaller numbers of Edible-nest and Mossy-nest Swiftlets. Keeping the nest theme a Bat Hawk guarding its nest in the midday heat was a bonus, as was finding White-bellied Munia actually nesting inside the cave, perched on the same branches as in October last year! Spending a little time in the forest to the caves found us below a fruiting tree crammed full of Busy-crested Hornbill and both Maroon Leaf Monkey and Sunda Pig-tailed Macaques. The final destination for the day was our comfortable lodge on the banks of the Kinabatangan River with a sumptuous lunch and Black-backed Kingfisher awaiting us before we headed out on our boat, cruising the shoreline of this mighty river. With an afternoon, full day and a final morning birding from the comforts of our boat under the beaming sun we could feel it was going to be a memorable time here. We went in search of the number one priority, Bornean Ground Cuckoo and a response was almost instant, though it took plenty of teasing and coaxing before we located this huge pheasant-like ground-dweller perched up inside the forest. Though views were prolonged it was dark and difficult to discern the tail from the head, let alone the colours! Slightly distracting was the continuing calling of a pair of White-crowned Hornbill, which, after an hour with the cuckoo we soon hooked up with getting several wonderful close fly-bys and perched views of both male and female of this, perhaps the trickiest of the Asian hornbills and was our 4th hornbill of the day along with Oriental Pied, Black and Bushy-crested. Though generally few birds were calling we located most of the hoped-for species. Deciding to return for better views of the ground cuckoo we soon got a response, though all went quiet for nearly an hour when we noticed it was sat on the same branch as the previous afternoon! After watching it for an hour, sat motionless though difficult to discern all the features, the trusted leader explained how lucky we already were with such prolonged views when we decided to start playing the tape at him, the cuckoo suddenly went bananas and jumped up, and flew to us, practically landing above the boat where he then paraded himself along various perches for the next 15 minutes giving mind-blowing views in the sunshine, one of those once in a lifetime moments that will stay long with us. Anything we saw after this would be an anticlimax but we tried our best! Hornbills were high on the agenda and we continued our success with Rhinoceros and a party of the increasingly rare Wrinkled. Storm's Stork, an endangered species restricted to extreme lowland riverine forest was surprisingly conspicuous as we easily reached double figures, including a party of four birds. Other big birds of the sky

typically included a grotesque Lesser Adjutant, Wallace's Hawk Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle and numerous Crested Serpent Eagles. Pittas though were notable by their absence, only hearing a Giant Pitta briefly, but we managed cracking views of a vocal Hooded Pitta that flew straight in exactly where we hoped it would. Other species recorded during our boat rides included numerous White-breasted Babbler, riverine-loving Malaysian Blue Flycatcher, Maroon-breasted Philentoma and endemic White-crowned Shama. Our post-dinner boat trip had to be cut-short the first night due to rain just as we found a Reticulated Python waiting by the riverside. Our trip the following night wasn't quite an all dry experience either though Buffy Fish Owl performed impeccably with three birds on show. The Kinabatangan wouldn't be the same without the mammals and primates, had it not been for the ground cuckoo and hornbills these would have stolen the show. During dinner a Malayan Civet came to investigate the food scraps below us and in the daytime groups of comical Proboscis Monkey loafed and played in the riverside trees as did the not-so charismatic Long-tailed Macaque, though just a single Sunda Silvered Langur was found. It wasn't until the final morning when we came across the 'man of the jungle' firstly a young Bornean Orang-Utan enjoying chewing on stripped bark followed by three of these ginger beasts feeding together in a fruiting tree, watching them hanging impossibly using just a foot or hand at times.

White-crowned Hornbill, Kinabatangan Buffy Fish Owl, Kinabatangan Leaving the river behind we drove through seemingly endless lines of Oil Palm until we entered the huge, one million hectare Yayasan Logging Cession, arriving inside the wonderful Danum Valley Conservation Area in the early evening, greeted by a pair of fly-by Wreathed Hornbill. Our base for the next five nights would be the fabulously situated Borneo Rainforest Lodge. The only disappointment from our time here was the atrocious condition of the access road due to recent rains curtailing our hoped-for night-drives. The weather was largely great during our stay with minimal rain allowing great birding with little left for us to see by the end of our stay. Where to start? Well, as always the number one target is Bristlehead, and having not seen it at Sepilok the pressure was on. Our first morning, having just stopped to watch our first singing Bornean Blue Flycatcher in the scope and confiding Bornean Firebacks we walked along the road admiring the many new species, Lesser and Greater Green Leafbirds, a variety of plain-clothed bulbuls, then just starting to venture into the forest for our first endemic pitta conquest a shout from our local guide, Paul soon got us scampering back down through the quagmire as a pair of Bristlehead could be seen high and distant. A quick burst of playback soon had them perched overhead, that strawberry-head gleaming in the morning sunshine. What a result! The Black-crowned Pitta that was then found perched at eye-level in the dark understorey just five minutes later was definitely not an anti-climax however! The rest of the day was largely spent on the trails, gaudy male trogons became conspicuous with great looks at Scarlet-rumped, Red-naped and Diard's. Next up was a stroke of luck, a stop on the trail and a movement had us all watching the trail just as a female Blue-headed Pitta decided to reveal itself before hopping across the trail, even stopping in the middle to look up at us before she continued on her way. The trails were where we spent most of our time, searching for some of Borneo's more elusive endemics. Pittas were at the forefront of everyone's minds so we prioritised with these, culminating in 3 species in a day on our third day, first up was a male Blue-headed Pitta, bounding along the trail ahead of us, though ideal views of a male would have to wait a couple of days. As we walked up the trail our ears pricked at the noise of a Bornean Banded Pitta further up the trail. It didn't take much coaxing before we had it

hopping back and forth for a while before standing on a huge buttress, calling away for what seemed an eternity, allowing us to admire his full suite of characters that are so different from the birds most of us are used to from the Malay Peninsula, and subtly different from its Javan counterpart. Further on we could hear the holy grail of the Bornean pittas as a Blue-banded Pitta whistled from the bottom of a gulley, a long long way down and no chance of us getting down to it. We left him in piece before returning 20 minutes later (and back up the hill, sorry guys!), determined that he would show. We waited, and waited, and waited some more, 30 minutes passed before he suddenly started calling extremely close, suspecting he was perched high in the trees somewhere until the diagnostic wing noise of a dropping pitta was heard, peering down at the ground there he was in full view, agitated and looking around, once again on a buttress root, enabling us all to soak up those reds and beautiful blue necklace. Handshakes all round and we could continue down the hill! We spent considerable time searching for two more endemics which are often more difficult than the pittas. Bornean Ground Babbler proved a little tetchy until we finally pinned a pair down, creeping along the forest floor attempting to stay hidden (which they did for a considerable period!) but best of all was the Black-throated Wren Babblers – as we heard their powerful, mournful song in the distance we were all prepared to sit tight, and watch for any movement in the undergrowth as these birds are master skulkers. A burst of playback and one of them flew straight for us at eye-level, smacking a U-shaped vine so hard that it was swinging for over 30 seconds as he sang his heart out to us. We could then enjoy them feeding in the leaf-litter next to the trail, all of this was proving almost too easy, its not supposed to be like that!

Short-toed Coucal, Danum Valley Black-crowned Pitta, Danum Valley We spent considerable time walking the canopy walkway, as much for the scenery as the birding! This gave us some really nice close-ups of several birds; Green Iora, a much underrated bird was superb, Maroon-breasted Philentoma once again and Grey-bellied Bulbuls all performed to the extent that the illustrations in the field guide were sub-standard. Beautiful Whiskered Treeswifts perched and sallied just metres from us, always a personal favourite. A Lesser Cuckooshrike led us to the presence of a fine group of four Bristlehead, these birds sat motionless for 5 minutes before flying down in front of us to bathe in a natural cup in the branch of a huge manggaris tree giving scintillating views, even better than before! A large variety of other species were recorded during our stay here, particularly the babblers, the engaging Fluffy-backed Tit, Chestnut-rumped, Moustached, Ferruginous, Chestnut-backed Scimitar and Bold-striped Tit Babblers all performed. A bird only occasionally record on our Sabah trips, Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo flew right in as expected just after a burst of song had given himself away. Though woodpeckers were thin on the ground we did have wonderful looks at a Rufous Piculet feeding close to the ground on some ginger plants, twice we came across the subtle Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher. Large-billed Blue Flycatchers were unusually vocal as we enjoyed several birds along with another excellent male Bornean Blue Flycatcher and several Malaysian Blues, while a Grey-streaked Flycatcher was a lingering winter visitor. White-crowned Forktail were regularly recorded on and around the road. Though our siesta's were largely spent looking at our pillows rather than the forest, on a couple of occasions we did come across a Great-billed Heron stalking along the rivers edge from the comforts of the restaurant and our chalets. Flowering trees around the chalets were great for endemic Yellow-rumped Flowerpeckers, several sunbirds and spiderhunters including nice side-by-side looks at Spectacled and Yellow-eared. A final moment of magic was hearing the swoosh of wings overhead to see a Peregrine dash straight over us and to take a swiftlet in mid-air before taking it back to its nest – wow!

Spending a day longer than usual here we visited the Danum Valley Field Centre on one day, providing a nice change of scenery and some different species. As we drove pre-dawn to the field centre we came across a Malayan Porcupine gnawing on a banana trunk, shortly followed by a Bornean Muntjac and as the light came over us, a nicely perched White-fronted Falconet, yet another difficult-to-find endemic. Greeted by the beautiful song of a Straw-headed Bulbul in the early morning mist we headed into the dark forest. First up was the deep booming of the scarce and elusive Short-toed Coucal. It seemed like an eternity before we soon had a pair circling us, giving us wonderful views as they sat out, bills into their chest, booming at us. A pair of Rufous-collared Kingfisher were picked up, sitting quietly in the undergrowth, Orange-breasted Trogons extended our trogon encounters. Though all the while we were hearing Helmeted Hornbills calling around us – our only missing hornbill. A vocal Bornean Black Magpie would only reveal bits and pieces of itself though fortunately its vocalisations are more impressive than the birds appearance! Yet another Large-billed Blue Flycatcher sang close-by to us and a variety of babblers, including a wonderful view of another Striped Wren Babbler, kept up our interests until lunchtime. A lovely siesta could only be interrupted by a couple of circling raptors – Wallace's Hawk Eagle and, new for the trip, Rufous-bellied Eagle. In the afternoon we were still finding new species, Rufous-tailed Shama sang his mournful song above us, then, noticing some wet droppings on the trail, a look up revealed a huge lump and a Barred Eagle Owl sat just above us with broad eyebrows peering down at us angrily, so grumpy was he that it wasn't long before it took flight. Hearing the comical sounds of yet another Helmeted Hornbill had us racing to a decent vantage point, where John soon picked him up, sat high up and calling for us – 9 out of 9! Retreating back to the field centre and staking out a fruiting tree couldn't have been better as within minutes probably the same Helmeted Hornbill came gliding in to feed just in front of us. The fruiting tree was alive with birds – Gold-whiskered and Blue-eared Barbets, Thick-billed Green Pigeons and best of all, a flock of over 50 Large Green Pigeons flew in. The latter species is a rarely-encountered, nomadic sundaic species. Flushed with our success we headed back to our lodge, not before we found a Bearded Pig rummaging around a bucket full of mops (!) and a beautiful pair of Rhinoceros Hornbill gliding past to toast another hugely successful day.

Bornean Blue Flycatcher, Danum Valley and Kinabalu Friendly Warbler, Mount Kinabalu Our final morning couldn't have worked out better. Having heard Bornean Gibbons daily it was now time to see one, and we did, within ten minutes of finishing our breakfast a lazy male was just waking up before swinging off down the road from us. Walking along the road Red-bearded Bee-eater and Banded Broadbill were new for us when another wanted bird started calling, a male Blue-headed Pitta. Positioning ourselves just right soon brought the gaudy creature in front of us, offering great looks as its blue crown and red mantle through the darkness. Back out of the forest and a dash across the trail and river took us to our next and final quarry, a TV crew and 4 photographers were already present as the 'wow' and 'ahhhs' took over; a huge, old male Orang-Utan was sat, motionless digesting its food just metres off the ground, surely it doesn't get better than this! A perfect moment to leave the forest, pack our bags and wave good-bye to this wonderful sanctuary, well, not quite as on the road out a group of Pygmy Elephants wandered across the road in front of our vehicles! Now it was time to wave good-bye! Having done so well in the lowlands it was now our turn to try our luck with montane endemics. Meeting a researcher attempting to find and study passerine nests on Mount Kinabalu didn't bode well – most of the birds were either nesting or had just finished nesting, this probably explained why we hardly heard a peep

during our four days in the area! Fortunately with a bit of work we managed to pull the hoped-for species starting on our first day with excellent looks at Fruit-hunter, so often a tricky nomadic bird, as we had four birds around a roadside fruiting tree which also contained plenty of another endemic, Golden-naped Barbet. We spent most early mornings trying our luck with Everett's Thrush, though the best we managed with this species was hearing it call from the dense undergrowth. Walking the trails in the early morning did provide all of us with great looks at both endemic partridges, Red-breasted and the more difficult Crimson-headed as they both wandered across the trail as we expected them. One of the frustrations of the tour was hearing a male Whitehead's Trogon on two days though we were unable to reach the bird, fortunately on our first morning we eventually managed to chase down an agitated female that gave us a merry dance before performing. Keeping on the forest trails was necessary for many of the endemics, pairs of odd-looking Bare-headed Laughingthrushes occasionally appeared, giving their wonderful booming calls overhead, a family of Mountain Wren Babblers bounced around the undergrowth while unobtrusive Eye-browed Jungle Flycatchers appeared on numerous occasions as did the commoner Bornean Whistler. As we walked alongside a small river a family of White-crowned Forktails became agitated. DNA studies have shown that the montane form on Borneo to be distinct from the lowland form, morphology also shows them to be subtly different, it won't be long before we are calling these 'Bornean Forktail'! Bornean Swiftlet, a recently split endemic from Cave Swiftlet of Indonesia was found breeding inside a couple of buildings enabling us to see the green-glossed mantle easily. During our lunch breaks the ornemental flowers regularly harboured dazzling Temminck's Sunbirds, Black-capped White-eye and endemic Black-sided Flowerpecker. We spent much of our time birding along the roadside, Bornean Whistling Thrushes regularly fed in the early morning while a pair of Checker-throated Woodpecker performed wonderfully, gleaming in the sunlight. Feeding flocks, although seldom encountered, contained Sunda Cuckooshrike, Sunda Bush Warbler, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Grey-chinned Minivet, Mountain Leaf and Yellow-breasted Warbler and a wing-flicking Pygmy Blue Flycatcher.

Mountain Wren Babbler and Eye-browed Jungle Flycatcher, Mount Kinabalu Heading for the higher reaches of the mountain above the road for a couple of hours filled in the final gaps, an adult and immature Mountain Serpent Eagle were enjoying the mid-morning thermals, pleasing to see after hearing them while in the forest on an earlier day. Another endemic, the Mountain Black-eye was soon located but took its time before showing nicely, a party of Pale-faced Bulbuls enjoyed some tasty berries, this latter species being split from Flavescent to which they bear little resemblance! Another, even more confiding group of Mountain Wren Babblers had to be practically knocked off the trail, while a pair of Orange-backed Woodpeckers were also found here but a Short-tailed Green Magpie only revealed itself to Dave. Those of us who ventured a little higher were quickly (phew!) rewarded with superb views of the friendly-as ever Friendly Bush Warbler. As we sat motionless the bird crept along the ground, circling us continually looking for the intruder. Just 200m further up we located another bird that even started singing from an open perch, a most successful way to end our birding on the mountain. Visiting the lower slopes of Mount Kinabalu one day took us to Poring Hot Springs, a therapeutic paradise for the tourist, though after the long, uphill walk and back you can be fairly sure not all of us saw it as such! Covering as much ground as possible before the sun began to rise worked to our advantage. We

started with a singing Hill Blue Flycatcher, a scarce and seldom-seen species in Borneo (yet another species worthy of closer taxonomic inspection!) and after all the troubles with those pesky Crested Jays for the past two weeks we all finally obtained excellent looks as a pair flew in to inspect us before beginning to fed, brilliant birds! At the impressive waterfall a group of Giant Swiftlets appeared to be inspecting it as they continually whizzed around the falls, the first time the leader had seen them here, at this ideal-looking breeding site. On our return walk we located a small fruiting tree with Asian Fairy Bluebirds in the vicinity. Deciding it might be worth the wait we sat and watched, and watched, until two green birds appeared – Bornean Leafbirds. Then another false alarm – Red-throated Barbet, and then, ah, female Hose's Broadbill! After initial panic the bird fed for a minute before flying off. So we waited some more until our patience was rewarded as the soft cooing of the broadbill could be heard, leading us to excellent eye-level views of the female as she sat and munched away in excellent light. Waiting a little longer our clean-sweep of the Bornean broadbills was confirmed as a Green Broadbill flew in before we decided to start the long walk back. A few bits and pieces were also seen during the day, including a pair of Grey-headed Babbler, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Brown Fulvetta and Yellow-breasted, Yellow-vented and Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers. After a much needed late lunch a short walk around the car park produced an entertaining Orang-Utan attempting to hide from the rain inside the porch of a building much to the amusement of everyone and finally a family of Scaly-breasted Bulbul and a pair of Buff-rumped Woodpeckers before calling it a day, time for an early rest!

Bornean Orang-Utan, Danum Valley © James Eaton/Birdtour Asia Our final day saw us take a more relaxed approach. Taking our private boat across to Manukan Island, part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park we arrived just as dawn was approaching, essential if we were to find our quarry, Tabon Scrubfowl, here at one of its strongholds. Unfortunately the bird is in rapid decline throughout its range due to tourism developments, rats, cats and predation by humans for its eggs. As we started a scrubfowl soon betrayed its presence with its eerie call, though it too far into the undergrowth for us. Further on, just as I pointed out the tell-tale feeding marks of the scrubfowl by the track we rounded the bend to frighten a pair of Tabon Scrubfowl. Fortunately despite their initial panic they calmed down and allowed for extended views as they slowly walked through the undergrowth. Within 50 metres our two remaining targets were quickly found, first was a gorgeous male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher singing away after playing cat and mouse, then a Mangrove Whistler which paraded itself, perhaps a little too showy as we all agreed birds can't come much duller than this, but least it has a nice song! A walk around the resort revealed little new except for a Pied Triller, while a fruiting tree held Pink-necked Green Pigeons and Green Imperial Pigeons. In true birders fashion just as we left the island as the sun began to rise the first batches of tourists came bounding ashore ready for a day of sun-worshipping! On the way back groups of Whiskered Terns greeted us as we entered the harbour along with a lingering Greater Crested Tern. Our final birding session of the trip took us to the Likas Bay marshes, seemingly in decline with few birds compared to years back, though our second bird was a splendidly-plumed Chinese Egret, one of 10

species of heron present including an equally fine-plumed Eastern Great Egret with bright turquoise lores and red legs – very different from its western counterparts. In between the rain showers we enjoyed the afternoon with plenty of birds on show, White-browed Crakes proved daring as they fed in full view as did Black-backed Swamphen, Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns and pleasingly a couple Striated Grassbirds perched out for us. With the onset of a big thunderstorm on its way we jumped back into the vehicle and headed back to the hotel for a final dinner and reflected on the great birds and mammals of this beautiful island. Systematic Bird List

PELECANIFORMES: Anhingidae

Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster

CICONIIFORMES: Ardeidae

Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Eastern Great Egret Ardea [alba] modesta

Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes

Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra

Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus

Striated Heron Butorides striata

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis

Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

CICONIIFORMES: Ciconiidae

Storm's Stork Ciconia stormi

Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus

FALCONIFORMES: Accipitridae

Jerdon's Baza Aviceda jerdoni

Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus

White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster

Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis

Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus heard only

Mountain Serpent Eagle Spilornis kinabaluensis

Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela

Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus

Besra Accipiter virgatus

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis

Rufous-bellied Eagle Aquila kienerii

Changeable Hawk Eagle Nisaetus limnaetus

Blyth's Hawk Eagle Nisaetus alboniger

Wallace's Hawk Eagle Nisaetus nanus

FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae

White-fronted Falconet Microhierax latifrons

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

GALLIFORMES: Megapodiidae

Tabon Scrubfowl Megapodius cumingii

GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae

Great Argus Argusianus argus heard only

Red-breasted Partridge Arborophila hyperythra

Chestnut-necklaced Partridge Arborophila charltonii heard only

Crimson-headed Partridge Haematortyx sanguiniceps

Bornean [Crested] Fireback Lophura nobilis

GRUIFORMES: Rallidae

White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea

Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

CHARADRIIFORMES: Sternidae

Greater Crested Tern Sterna bergii

Little Tern Sterna albifrons

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus

COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae

Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

Ruddy Cuckoo Dove Macropygia emiliana

Little Cuckoo Dove Macropygia ruficeps

Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica

Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata

Little Green Pigeon Treron olax

Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans

Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostra

Large Green Pigeon Treron capellei

Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea

Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia

PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae

Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda

Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus

CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae

Bock's Hawk Cuckoo Cuculus [sparverioides] bocki heard only

Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo Cuculus fugax

Sunda Cuckoo Cuculus lepidus

Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus heard only

Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii

Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus

Rusty-breasted Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus

Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus

Asian Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris

Raffles's Malkoha Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus

Red-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus javanicus

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris

Bornean Ground Cuckoo Carpococcyx radiatus

Short-toed Coucal Centropus rectunguis

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis

STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae

Mountain Scops Owl Otus spilocephalus heard only

Barred Eagle Owl Bubo sumatranus

Buffy Fish Owl Ketupa ketupu

Brown (Bartel's) Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica vaga heard only

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae

Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus

APODIFORMES: Apodidae

Giant Swiftlet Hydrochous gigas

Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta

Bornean Swiftlet Collocalia dodgei

Mossy-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus salangana

Black-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus maximus

Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus

Silver-rumped Needletail Rhaphidura leucopygialis

Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus

Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis

House Swift Apus [affinis] nipalensis

APODIFORMES: Hemiprocnidae

Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis

Whiskered Treeswift Hemiprocne comata

TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae

Red-naped Trogon Harpactes kasumba

Diard's Trogon Harpactes diardii

Whitehead's Trogon Harpactes whiteheadi

Scarlet-rumped Trogon Harpactes duvaucelii

Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios

CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting

Black-backed Kingfisher Ceyx erithacus

Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella melanops heard only

Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis

Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda heard only

Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris

Rufous-collared Kingfisher Actenoides concretus

CORACIIFORMES: Meropidae

Red-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis amictus

Blue-throated Bee-eater Merops viridis

CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae

Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis

CORACIIFORMES: Bucerotidae

Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris

Black Hornbill Anthracoceros malayanus

Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros

Helmeted Hornbill Buceros vigil

Bushy-crested Hornbill Anorrhinus galeritus

White-crowned Hornbill Aceros comatus

Wrinkled Hornbill Aceros corrugatus

Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulatus

PICIFORMES: Capitonidae

Gold-whiskered Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon

Red-throated Barbet Megalaima mystacophanos

Mountain Barbet Megalaima monticola

Golden-naped Barbet Megalaima pulcherrima

Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis

Bornean Barbet Megalaima eximia

Bornean Brown Barbet Calorhamphus [fuliginosus] tertius

PICIFORMES: Picidae

Rufous Piculet Sasia abnormis

Grey-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus

White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis

Banded Woodpecker Picus mineaceus

Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus

Checker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis

Olive-backed Woodpecker Dinopium rafflesii

Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus

Maroon Woodpecker Blythipicus rubiginosus

Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus

Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis

Grey-and-buff Woodpecker Hemicircus concretus

PASSERIFORMES: Eurylaimidae

Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus

Black-and-red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos

Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus

Black-and-yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus

Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae

Green Broadbill Calyptomena viridis

Hose's Broadbill Calyptomena hosii

Whitehead's Broadbill Calyptomena whiteheadi

PASSERIFORMES: Pittidae

Giant Pitta Pitta caerulea heard only

Bornean Banded Pitta Pitta [guajana] schwaneri

Blue-headed Pitta Pitta baudii

Hooded Pitta Pitta sordida

Blue-banded Pitta Pitta arquata

Black-crowned Pitta Pitta ussheri

PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae

Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica

PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae

Sunda Cuckooshrike Coracina larvata

Lesser Cuckooshrike Coracina fimbriata

Pied Triller Lalage nigra

Fiery Minivet Pericrocotus igneus

Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus

Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus

Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus hirundinaceus

PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae

Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus

Bornean Bulbul Pycnonotus montis

Scaly-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus squamatus

Grey-bellied Bulbul Pycnonotus cyaniventris

Puff-backed Bulbul Pycnonotus eutilotus

Pale-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus [flavescens] leucops

Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier

Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus

Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus

Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos

Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus

Yellow-bellied Bulbul Alophoixus phaeocephalus

Hairy-backed Bulbul Tricholestes criniger

Buff-vented Bulbul Iole olivacea

Streaked Bulbul Ixos malaccensis

Cinereous Bulbul Hemixos cinereus

PASSERIFORMES: Chloropseidae

Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati

Lesser Green Leafbird Chloropsis cyanopogon

Bornean Leafbird Chloropsis kinabaluensis

PASSERIFORMES: Aegithinidae

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia

Green Iora Aegithina viridissima

PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae

Bornean Whistling Thrush Myophonus borneensis

Everett's Thrush Zoothera everetti heard only

Fruit-hunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi

White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx [montana] erythrogyna

PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae

Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris

PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae

Bornean Stubtail Urosphena whiteheadi

Sunda Bush Warbler Cettia vulcania

Friendly Bush Warbler Bradypterus accentor

Mountain Tailorbird Orthotomus cuculatus

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus

Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps

Mountain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus trivirgatus kinabaluensis

Yellow-breasted Warbler Seicercus montis

Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris

Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris

PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae

Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyias umbratilis

Eye-browed Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyias gularis

Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta

Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra

Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina

Indigo Flycatcher Eumyias indigo

White-tailed Blue Flycatcher Cyornis concretus everetti heard only

Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor herterti

Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis banyumas

Large-billed Blue Flycatcher Cyornis caerulatus

Malaysian Blue Flycatcher Cyornis turcosus

Bornean Blue Flycatcher Cyornis superbus

Mangrove Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rufigastra

Pygmy Blue Flycatcher Muscicapella hodgsoni

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis pluto

White-crowned Shama Copsychus stricklandii

Rufous-tailed Shama Trichixos pyrropyga

White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti borneensis

Enicurus leschenaulti frontalis

PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae

White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis

Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica

Spotted Fantail Rhipidura perlata

PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea

Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi

PASSERIFORMES: Pachycephalidae

Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola

Bornean Whistler Pachycephala hypoxantha

PASSERIFORMES: Timaliidae

Sunda Laughingthrush Garrulax palliatus

Bare-headed Laughingthrush Melanocichla calvus

Rufous-hooded Laughingthrush Rhinocichla [mitratus] treacheri

White-chested Babbler Trichastoma rostratum

Ferruginous Babbler Trichastoma bicolor

Horsfield's Babbler Malacocincla sepiarium

Short-tailed Babbler Malacocincla malaccensis

Temminck's Babbler Pellorneum pyrrogenys

Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratum

Moustached Babbler Malacopteron magnirostre

Sooty-capped Babbler Malacopteron affine

Scaly-crowned Babbler Malacopteron cinereum

Rufous-crowned Babbler Malacopteron magnum

Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus montanus

Bornean Ground Babbler Ptilocichla leucogrammica

Striped Wren Babbler Kenopia striata

Black-throated Wren Babbler Napothera atrigularis

Mountain Wren Babbler Napothera crassa

Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps

Grey-headed Babbler Stachyris poliocephala

Black-throated Babbler Stachyris nigricollis heard only

Chestnut-rumped Babbler Stachyris maculata

Chestnut-winged Babbler Stachyris erythroptera

Bold-striped Tit Babbler Macronous bornensis

Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler Macronous ptilosus

Brown Fulvetta Alcippe brunneicauda

Chestnut-crested Yuhina Yuhina everetti

PASSERIFORMES: Acanthizidae

Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea

PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis

Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex

Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis

Purple-naped Sunbird Hypogramma hypogrammicum

Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis

Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja

Temminck's Sunbird Aethopyga temminckii

Spectacled Spiderhunter Arachnothera flavigaster

Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra

Yellow-eared Spiderhunter Arachnothera chrysogenys

Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera affinis everetti

Grey-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera modesta

Whitehead's Spiderhunter Arachnothera juliae

PASSERIFORMES: Dicaeidae

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus maculatus

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Prionochilus xanthopygius

Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Dicaeum chrysorrheum

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma

Black-sided Flowerpecker Dicaeum monticolum

PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae

Black-capped White-eye Zosterops atricapillus

Mountain Black-eye Chlorocharis emiliae

PASSERIFORMES: Oriolidae

Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus

Black-and-crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus

PASSERIFORMES: Irenidae

Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella

PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

PASSERIFORMES: Prionopidae

Large Woodshrike Tephrodornis gularis

Rufous-winged Philentoma Philentoma pyrhopterum

Maroon-breasted Philentoma Philentoma velatum

PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae

Sunda [Ashy] Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus stigmatops

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus

Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus borneensis

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus

PASSERIFORMES: Artamidae

White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus

PASSERIFORMES: Pityriaseidae

Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala

PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae

Crested Jay Platylophus galericulatus coronatus

Bornean Black Magpie Platysmurus aterrimus

Short-tailed Magpie Cissa thalassina

Bornean Treepie Dendrocitta cinerascens

Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca compilator

PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae

Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis

Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa

Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus

PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae

Dusky Munia Lonchura fuscans

White-bellied Munia Lonchura leucogastra

Black-headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla

PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

PASSERIFORMES: Vireonidae

White-browed Shrike Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis

White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca

MAMMALS

Sunda Shrew Crocidura monticola

Mountain Treeshrew Tupaia montana baluensis

Lesser Treeshrew Tupaia minor minor

Smooth-tailed Treeshrew Dendrogale melanura baluensis

Maroon Leaf Monkey Presbytis rubicunda

Sunda Silvered Leaf Monkey Presbytis cristata

Proboscis Monkey Nasalis larvatus

Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis

Sunda Pig-tailed Macaque Macca nemestrina

Bornean Gibbon Hylobates muelleri

Bornean Orang-utan Pongo pygmaeus

Pale Giant Squirrel Ratufa affinis

Prevost's Squirrel Callosciurus prevostii pluto

Kinabalu Squirrel Callosciurus baluensis

Plantain Squirrel Callosciurus notatus

Bornean Black-banded Squirrel Callosciurus orestes

Brooke's Squirrel Sundasciurus brookei

Four-striped Ground Squirrel Lariscus hosei

Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel Dremomys everetti

Plain Pygmy Squirrel Exilisciurus exilis

Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel Exilisciurus whiteheadi

Thomas's Flying Squirrel Aeromys thomasi

Red Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista petaurista

Malayan Porcupine Hystrix brachyura

Malay Civet (Tangalung) Viverra tangalunga

Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

Asian [Pygmy] Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Bearded Pig Sus barbatus

Lesser Mouse-Deer Tragulus kanchil

Greater Mouse-Deer Tragulus napu

Bornean Yellow Muntjac Muntiacus atherodes

Sambar Deer Cervus unicolor

295 species recorded including 13 heard only

Birds of the tour

1Bornean Ground Cuckoo

2Blue-banded Pitta

3Blue-headed Pitta

4Helmeted Hornbill

5Black-and-yellow Broadbill

View from Mount Kinabalu © James Eaton/Birdtour Asia

For information regarding our tours to Borneo please click here. Alternatively please contact us via e-mail or phone +44 1332 516254 regarding organising a custom tour to Borneo.