A Malaysian Birder: November 2022

4 Days Birding 12-15 Nov 2022

Posted by wengchun Tuesday, November 15, 2022

"Kit had a very productive birding trip to Krau 3 years ago, thanks to Weng Chun's excellent skills, so much so that we knew who to call for a 4-day trip to Frasers Hill and Congkak. Thanks to Weng Chun's hardworking ethos, ethical approaches to birds and nature and brilliant knowledge about bird behaviours and calls, we had several amazing bird sightings. Although the weather was not too conducive for birding, he never gave up trying to find the birds throughout our tour. Moreover, Weng Chun's warmth and relaxed approach made birding more fun and friendlier. It was like going birding with a friend, which made it more enjoyable. He also took good care of us and made sure that we were always comfortable. Without a doubt, we will be happy to recommend Weng Chun to any birders or nature lovers heading to Malaysia."

Thanks for putting in so much effort to find us the birds n out was good to finally bird with you again! - Kit, SG

Thanks Weng Chun. Great to finally meet you. We enjoyed your company during this trip 😊 - Herman, SG

Kit returned to KL for birding but this time, she came with Herman. The trip was arranged a few months ago and finally get to conduct this trip. Herman gave me a list of birds that they would like to see and another list of birds that they have seen before. Our trip only focuses on 2 sites - Fraser's Hill and Hulu Langat.

The highlight for this trip would be close encounter with Bushy-crested Hornbill while a Helmeted Hornbill flew above us. Numerous sightings of Wreathed Hornbill too! Not forgetting the tiny Speckled Piculet that appeared when we were scanning the birds in a bird wave. We also managed to see Orange-breasted Trogon and Red-headed Trogon.

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Contact me to make a reservation for a private birding tour with an experienced and licensed tourist guide specialize in birdwatching and photography tours. I have been guiding professionally since 2007 with birders coming from United States, Canada, UK, Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Ecuador, Greece, South Africa, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Brunei and others.

Send messages via WhatsApp to +60183632738 or email to wengchun@gmail.com

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Check out the following bird families:

Woodpeckers of Peninsular Malaysia

Kingfishers of Peninsular Malaysia

Owls of Peninsular Malaysia

Hornbills of Peninsular Malaysia

Babblers of Peninsular Malaysia

Broadbills of Peninsular Malaysia

Barbets of Peninsular Malaysia

Pittas of Peninsular Malaysia

Pheasants and Partridges of Peninsular Malaysia

Sunbirds of Peninsular Malaysia

Spiderhunters of Peninsular Malaysia

Flowerpeckers of Peninsular Malaysia

Trogons of Peninsular Malaysia

Book Review: Birds of Malaysia

Posted by wengchun Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Book Review:

Birds of Malaysia, covering Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysian Borneo and Singapore by Lynx and Birdlife International is a much needed field guide for myself and other birders. I must admit that this is one of the best bird books for avifauna of Malaysia as well as Singapore. The saying “never judge a book by its cover” does not apply for this field guide. Why? The book cover itself captures the attention of potential owners and even attracts them to buy. By flipping through those colorful plates with stunning illustrations, you will agree with me that this book is well worth the investment!

It covers 847 species of birds that have been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysia Borneo and Singapore. Although the number of species could potentially increase in the near future, the total species covered in the field guide will keep everyone busy for a long time. The book is not just about its illustrations, the information describing habitats, behaviors, songs, and plumage is clear and accurate. QR codes provided for each species enable us to access the online audio and visuals. The format is easy to understand once you get used to the abbreviations. In the past, my birding guests commented that a range map for each species should be shown next to the illustration, and this field guide just solved that! Personally, I would like to see markings or arrows highlighting the important features for each illustration because it is very useful when comparing species that may look alike.

The introduction section of the book provides a brief overview of climate, habitats and a list of threatened birds in Malaysia and Singapore. These information is important to many birders and allow everyone to understand about bird habitats and their current status. For beginners or visiting birders, the map and list of birding hotspots comes handy for planning where to watch and photograph birds. Perhaps, the book could also include a list of top 50 or 100 species to see in Malaysia and Singapore.

At the last section of the book, there is a complete species index which even include an index for local names. This is indeed a fresh idea for a field guide for avifauna of Malaysia and Singapore. It is a way for us to learn the local names and may also be useful while talking to the locals.

Apart from the impressive illustrations and description in this book, the inclusion of species range map, QR codes and index with local names certainly make it distinguishable. This fantastic field guide should be in every birder’s bag. I will certainly include this book for discussion and bird identification with my birding guests. Indispensable.

I have a copy and I recommend that you should get one too!

Link: https://www.lynxeds.com/product/birds-of-malaysia/