“I recently co-lead a 16-day bird watching tour to Peninsular Malaysia, for Australian bird watchers. This was my 227th bird tour lead, so I know a little about leading bird watching tours, having led them for 40 years, to every corner of the earth. Our local Malaysian Bird Guide was Weng Chun, is an extremely pleasant young man, who did an outstanding job for us. Not only did he know exactly where to take us to find each species, he worked tirelessly to make sure that every member of the group saw the bird well. The accommodation throughout which he had selected, was of a high standard, and the meals throughout the entire tour, were exceptionally good. He handled the logistics flawlessly and with little fuss. I asked to see 10 of the most difficult to see birds in Peninsular Malaysia, and Weng found every single one of them for us. I would have no hesitation in recommending Weng Chun to any birder who wanted a bird guide for Peninsular Malayasia, he is as good, as any local guide I have ever worked with.” - Chris, Australia
This is the longest trip for this year thus far. 14 days in Peninsular Malaysia. We started off pretty well with the highlight sighting of Mangrove Pitta. We saw 1 but heard another 2 nearby.
Enroute to Kuala Lumpur, we made several stops for an introduction to the common birds of Peninsular Malaysia.We did not do any birding after checking into the hotel in order to allow everyone to get some rest.
For Day 2, we headed to the lowland forest and found several good birds that includes Black-and-red Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Grey-and-buff Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Black-thighed Falconet, Raffles’s Malkoha, Black-bellied Malkoha, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Brown Boobook and many more.
Day 3, we visited the popular birding site in Shah Alam and found several good resident species such as Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Little Spiderhunter, Long-tailed Parakeet, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Banded Woodpecker, Short-tailed Babbler, Black-eared Barbet, and others. The other highlight from this park is the beautiful Prevost’s Squirrel.
The next day we covered the ground of Kuala Selangor and added more new birds for the trip. This include but not limited to Barn Owl, Spotted Wood Owl, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Greater Flameback, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Chestnut-bellied Malkoha, Mangrove Whistler, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Cinereous Tit, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, and Abbott’s Babbler. Going further north, we made several stops at paddyfield in Perak and saw lots of Asian Openbill, Cattle Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Yellow Wagtail, Wood Sandpiper, Little Cormorant, Oriental Darter, and Brown Shrike.
On Day 5, we went to a limestone cave, another popular local birding spot. Here, there were several Java Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Plaintive Cuckoo, Red-throated Barbet, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter and Spectacled Spiderhunter. However, we dipped on the Blue Whistling Thrush. Upon arrival in Cameron Highland, there was already slight drizzle and we tried to add a few species with Pygmy Cupwing, Silver-eared Mesia, Large Niltava, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Little Pied Flycatcher, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Blue-winged Minla, Mountain Tailorbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Streaked Spiderhunter, and Mountain Bulbul.
We had a superb first morning in Cameron Highland! We nailed our targets in Rufous-vented Niltava and Yellow-breasted Warbler. It rained in the late afternoon but we still managed to add some new species for the trip which include Little Cuckoo-Dove, Mountain Tailorbird, Blue Nuthatch, Chestnut-tailed Minla (Bar-throated Minla), Blue-winged Minla, Large Niltava, Mountain Leaf Warbler, Golden-throated Barbet, Fire-tufted Barbet and more.
On the 2nd morning up in Cameron Highland, we only spent time at areas where we target for Barred Cuckoo Dove however we could not achieve it. The good news is we were still able to add Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing, Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Brown-backed Needletail, Common Tailorbird, Emerald Dove, Bamboo Woodpecker and more species up in the highland and while traveling to Kuala Lumpur where we spent a night.
The following morning, we headed to a nearby forest for Blue-banded Kingfisher, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Horsfield’s Babbler and few more species. By the end of the day, we reached Fraser’s Hill and we added Rufous-bellied Swallow, Large Woodshrike, Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Ochraceous Bulbul, Cinereous Bulbul, Great Hornbill, Black-thighed Falconet and many more species.
We heard the Malayan Whistling Thrush in the morning of Day 9 but it never show up. We got a great view of Collared Owlet nonetheless. After breakfast, we added Red-headed Trogon, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Black-browed Barbet, Sultan Tit, while in the afternoon we only managed to find Black Laughingthrush and Green-billed Malkoha due to heavy downpour. The highlight during night walk is 3 Small-toothed Palm Civet feeding on the figs.
We tried again for the Malayan Whistling Thrush on our final morning in Fraser’s Hill and a few of us managed to get a view. On our way back to hotel for breakfast, we had Dark Hawk-cuckoo and Green Magpie. After breakfast, we went for a walk and tried very hard to look for new species for the trip list. We found Red-billed Malkoha with excellent view and also added Silver-breasted Broadbill but it was the Siamang that makes everyone so excited! A flock of Sultan Tit also performed well for us with almost eye level view. Moving to lower elevation towards our next destination, we had Red-bearded Bee-eater, Silver-rumped Needletail, Puff-throated Babbler, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker and Indian Cuckoo.
Another highlight for the trip and one of the main target species is Mountain Peacock-Pheasant. However, before the target show up, we were greeted by a Ferruginous Partridge followed by Hairy-backed Bulbul, White-rumped Shama, Himalayan Striped Squirrel and Short-tailed Gymnure. On the way out, there were Yellow-eared Spiderhunter, Sooty Barbet and Crimson-winged Woodpecker. After lunch, we made a short birding stop and added Black-throated Babbler, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Sooty-capped Babbler, Buff-necked Woodpecker and Black-naped Monarch.
On Day 12, we travelled south along the coastal road. Our final 2 target species are Rail-babbler and Crested Jayshrike (previously known as Crested Jay). In the morning after breakfast, we made a quick stop at a paddy field + oil palm plantation and it is the first time we saw Lesser Whistling Duck! We also saw Watercock, Crested Goshawk, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Rufous Woodpecker and few other species. The drive down south is a long so we made a few more stops with lunch along the journey before reaching our hotel. It was also one of the memorable days where we nailed Malaysian Rail-babbler and Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker - 2 of the most popular species in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Other species seen today include Buff-vented Bulbul, Dollarbird, Lesser Adjutant, Emerald Dove, Coppersmith Barbet, Lineated Barbet, Red-necked Stint, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover (Siberian/Tibetan Sand Plover), Ruddy Turnstone, Terek Sandpiper, Malaysian Plover, Red Junglefowl and more.
We spent a full day in the forest with a mid-day break for lunch on Day 13. Our final target for the trip is a Crested Jayshrike (Crested Jay). We heard it twice in the morning and mid-afternoon unfortunately the bird did not show up even after a long wait. At the very last minute, when we were about to leave the forest, I requested everyone to wait for another 10 minutes and sure enough the bird came closer. We get to see the final target species. The other highlight species for today are Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Sunda Scimitar-Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler, Chestnut-rumped Babbler, Green Iora, Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo and others.
Since we have already seen all the targets, we went back to the place where we found Rail-babbler. It was more of casual and relaxing birding this morning, where we had 2 species of hornbill (Oriental Pied Hornbill and Black Hornbill) and 2 species of trogon (Scarlet-rumped Trogon and Red-naped Trogon). Although we heard Diard's Trogon, the bird never really show itself. We also added Checker-throated Woodpecker. At a nearby beach, we saw Black-naped Tern which is new for the trip! Close to mid-day, we decided to call it a day and started our journey back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It was really a long way back to KL. Overall, this has been another fantastic trip where my guests covered all birding habitats (natural and man-made) in Peninsular Malaysia, from the coast and all the way to the highlands. Exhausting and challenging to find the birds but nevertheless, it was an enjoyable experience to find birds and mammals.
Here is the checklist (exclude HEARD ONLY birds) for the trip:
Grouse, Quail and Allies: Malayan Partridge, Ferruginous Partridge, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Red Junglefowl
Pigeons and Doves: Feral Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, Little Cuckoo-Dove, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Little Green Pigeon, Emerald Dove
Cuckoos: Black-bellied Malkoha, Raffles’s Malkoha, Chestnut-bellied Malkoha, Green-billed Malkoha, Red-billed Malkoha, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Plaintive Cuckoo, Drongo Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo, Asian Koel
Nightjars: Large-tailed Nightjar, Savanna Nightjar (roadkill)
Swifts: Black-nest Swiftlet, Germain’s Swiftlet, Plume-toed Swiftlet
Treeswifts: Grey-rumped Treeswift, Whiskered Treeswift
Rails, Gallinules and Allies: Grey-headed Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Watercock
Shorebirds: Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Terek Sandpiper, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover (Siberian/Tibetan Sand Plover), Malaysian Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-wattled Lapwing
Gulls, Terns and Skimmers: White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern
Storks: Asian Openbill, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant
Cormorants and Anhingas: Little Cormorant, Oriental Darter
Herons, Ibis and Allies: Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Medium Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret
Vultures, Hawks and allies: Crested Serpent Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Crested Goshawk
Owls: Barn Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Barred Eagle-Owl, Spotted Wood-Owl, Brown Boobook, Brown Wood Owl, Collared Owlet
Trogons and Quetzals: Red-headed Trogon
Hornbills: Oriental Pied Hornbill, Great Hornbill
Kingfisher: White-throated Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Blue-banded Kingfisher, Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher
Bee-eaters, Rollers and Allies: Blue-throated Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Dollarbird
Barbets and Toucans: Sooty Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Black-eared Barbet, Fire-tufted Barbet, Red-throated Barbet, Lineated Barbet, Golden-throated Barbet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Black-browed Barbet, Red-crowned Barbet, Yellow-crowned Barbet
Woodpeckers: Speckled Piculet, Rufous Piculet, Grey-and-buff Woodpecker, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Bay Woodpecker, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Greater Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Bamboo Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Lesser Yellownape, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Buff-necked Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras: Black-thighed Falconet, Peregrine Falcon
Parrots, Parakeets and Allies: Long-tailed Parakeet, Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
African and Green Broadbills:
Asian and Grauer’s Broadbills: Black-and-red Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill
Old World Pittas: Mangrove Pitta
Thornbills and Allies: Golden-bellied Gerygone
Cuckooshrikes: Grey-chinned Minivet, Large Cuckooshrike, Lesser Cuckooshrike, Pied Triller
Shrike-Babblers and Erpornis: Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, White-bellied Erpornis
Whistlers and Allies: Mangrove Whistler
Old World Orioles: Black-naped Oriole, Black-and-Crimson Oriole
Woodswallows: White-breasted Woodswallow
Vangas, Helmetshrikes and Allies: Large Woodshrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
Ioras: Common Iora, Green Iora
Fantails: Malaysian Pied-Fantail, White-throated Fantail
Drongos: Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers: Black-naped Monarch
Crested Jayshrikes: Crested Jayshrike (Crested Jay)
Shrikes: Brown Shrike, Tiger Shrike
Jays, Magpies, Crows and Ravens: Black Magpie, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, Slender-billed Crow
Rail-babbler: Malaysian Rail-babbler
Fairy Flycatchers: Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher
Tits, Chickadees and Titmice: Cinereous Tit, Sultan Tit
Cisticolas and Allies: Dark-necked Tailorbird, Ashy Tailorbird, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird, Common Tailorbird, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Rufescent Prinia
Cupwings: Pygmy Cupwing
Martins and Swallows: Pacific Swallow, Barn Swallow
Bulbuls: Cinerous Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul, Scaly-breasted Bulbul, Olive-winged Bulbul, Red-eyed Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Cream-vented Bulbul
Leaf Warblers: Arctic Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Yellow-breasted Warbler, Mountain Leaf Warbler
Bush Warblers and Allies: Yellow-bellied Warbler, Mountain Tailorbird
White-eyes, Yuhinas and Allies: Swinhoe’s White-eye, Hume’s White-eye
Tree-Babblers, Scimitar-Babblers and Allies: Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Golden Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Chestnut-rumped Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler, Sunda Scimitar-Babbler (Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler)
Ground Babblers and Allies: Abbott’s Babbler, Short-tailed Babbler, Buff-breasted Babbler, Sooty-capped Babbler, Black-throated Babbler, Streaked Wren-Babbler
Laughingthrushes and Allies: Mountain Fulvetta, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Malayan Laughingthrush, Black Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Minla, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Silver-eared Mesia
Nuthatches: Blue Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Starlings and Mynas: Asian Glossy Starling, Common Hill Myna, Siamese Pied Starling, Common Myna, Javan Myna, Great Myna
Old World Flycatchers: Asian Brown Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie Robin, White-rumped Shama, Large Niltava, Rufous-vented Niltava, Verditer Flycatcher, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, White-tailed Robin, Pygmy Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Blue Rock Thrush
Flowerpeckers: Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters: Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Plain Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Ornate Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Purple-naped Sunbird, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Spectacled Spiderhunter, Streaked Spiderhunter, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter
Fairy-bluebirds: Asian Fairy-bluebird
Leafbirds: Orange-bellied Leafbird, Blue-winged Leafbird, Lesser Green Leafbird
Weavers and Allies: Baya Weaver
Estridids: Java Sparrow, Scaly-breasted Munia, Chestnut Munia, White-headed Munia
Old World Sparrows: Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits: Grey Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit
Other Wildlife
Treeshrews: Common Treeshrew
Colugos: -
Lorises: Sunda Slow Loris
Old World Monkeys: Silvered Leaf Monkey, Long-tailed Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, Dusky Langur, White-thighed Surili
Gibbons: Siamang
Tree, Flying & Ground Squirrels: Prevost’s Squirrel, Black Giant Squirrel, Cream-colored Giant Squirrel, Plantain Squirrel, Grey-bellied Squirrel, Slender Squirrel, Himalayan Striped Squirrel, Black-banded Squirrel
Hedgehogs & Gymnures: Short-tailed Gymnure
Civets, Gerets & Oyans: Small-toothed Palm Civet
Reptiles: Reticulated Python, Water Monitor Lizard, Common Sun Skink, Gliding Lizard, Butterfly Lizard
Our usual Chinese meals. We also had local Indian and Malay food too. Local restaurants serving various dishes and sometimes we had pizzas too.
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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 email to wengchun@gmail.com
Follow my year 2024 sightings with photographs from camera and mobile phone: Bird of Year 2024
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Check out the following bird families:
