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Birds of Year 2023

Posted by wengchun Thursday, July 18, 2024

Thank you for stopping by this post where I am excited to share some of the beautiful birds I have encountered and captured through my lens this year. The list features the species I have spotted for the first time in 2023, and I will continue to update it with more photographs. Stay tuned for more amazing bird sightings!

    
Penan Bulbul
Alophoixus ruficrissus
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Crested Partridge
Rollulus rouloul
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Asian Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps indica
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Diard's Trogon
Harpactes diardii
24 December 2023
EM1X + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Dayak Blue Flycatcher.
Cyornis montanus
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Merops leschenaulti
15 September 2023
EM1X + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Bornean Black-capped Babbler
Pellorneum capistratoides
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Bornean Banded-Pitta
Hydrornis schwaneri
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Red-breasted Partridge
Arborophila hyperythra
9 December 2023
OM1 + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO

Striated Heron
Butorides striata
30 December 2023
EM1X + Olympus 300mm f4 PRO



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Birds of Year 2023

Birds of Year 2020

Posted by wengchun Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Orange-headed Thrush
Geokichla citrina
2 February 2020
Nikon D500

Blue-eared Kingfisher
Alcedo meninting verreauxii
2 February 2020
Nikon D500

Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx rufidorsa rufidorsa
2 February 2020
Nikon D500

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Dicaeum trigonostigma trigonostigma
4 February 2020
Nikon D500

Malayan Black-capped Babbler
Pellorneum nigrocapitatum nigrocapitatum
4 February 2020
Nikon D500

Horsfield's Babbler
Malacocincla sepiaria tardinata
4 February 2020
Nikon D500

Grey-headed Babbler
Stachyris poliocephala
4 February 2020
Nikon D500

Chestnut-necklaced Partridge
Tropicoperdix charltonii charltonii
Tropico = tropical  & perdix = partridge  
chartonii = Lt.-Col. Andrew Charlton (1803-1888) of the Bengal Light Infantry
7 July 2020
Panasonic Lumix G7 

Buff-necked Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tukki tukki
Mei = meiōn, smaller, lesser & glyptes = gluptēs, carver
tukki = Sumatran names Tukki or Tukik for a woodpecker
20 July 2020
Olympus EM-1 Mark II

Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Eurylaimus ochromalus
20 July 2020
Olympus EM-1 Mark II

Orange-breasted Trogon
Harpactes oreskios uniformis
20 July 2020
Olympus EM-1 Mark II

Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
Mixornis gularis gularis
20 July 2020
Olympus EM-1 Mark II

Common Flameback
Dinopium javanense javanense
20 July 2020
Olympus EM-1 Mark II







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Birds of Year 2020

Birds of Year 2021

Posted by wengchun
Sunda Scops Owl
Otus lempiji lempiji
13 February 2021
Panasonic Lumix G7
Screen captured from video recorded with Panasonic Lumix G7

Blyth's Frogmouth (Blyth's)
Batrachostomus affinis affinis
12 February 2021
Panasonic Lumix G7
Screen captured from video recorded with Panasonic Lumix G7

Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Merops philippinus
24 March 2021
Panasonic Lumix G7

Brown Boobook
Ninox scutulata scutulata
31 March 2021
Panasonic Lumix G7






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Birds of Year 2021

Birds of Year 2005

Posted by wengchun Friday, July 12, 2024

White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Icthyophaga leucogaster
Location: Taman Wetland Putrajaya, Putrajaya 
Date: 21 January 2005 
Equipment: Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm
I vividly recall this unforgettable moment. It is quite peculiar that I am sharing this photograph today, on the 12th of July, 2024. Perhaps it is because this image captures my very first encounter with a majestic White-bellied Sea-Eagle at my place of work. Back then, the scientific name for this magnificent bird of prey was Haliaeetus leucogaster.

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Birds of Year 2005

Pam & Raz (MY / SG) - 1-3 Jul 2024

Posted by wengchun Thursday, July 4, 2024


"It was my first time birding in Fraser’s Hill, and I felt a bit apprehensive due to the thick vegetation, which I thought might make spotting birds challenging. However, my concerns quickly vanished upon arrival, thanks to the guidance of Weng Chun. I had a fantastic time spotting and photographing birds, with 99% of them being lifers! This would not have been possible without Weng Chun’s expertise. He is meticulous, has a superb eye and ear for spotting birds, and is incredibly patient. His energy and dedication ensured that I got the shots I wanted. Thank you, Weng Chun, for making my trip memorable. I’m now in the process of filtering and editing my thousands of images!" - Razali

This is a short trip to Fraser's Hill for Pam and Raz. They have not been to the hill station before and so, every bird they encounter will be a thrilling new experience for them. 

After a short walk and some patient waiting, we were rewarded with amazing views of this iconic species. Next, we were on the lookout for the Silver-eared Mesia, the unofficial mascot of Frasers Hill. While waiting, we were delighted to spot other species like the Buff-breasted Babbler, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, and Oriental Magpie Robin. The day continued with sightings of the Pygmy Cupwing, Lesser Shortwing, and more.After lunch, we didn't waste any time and drove to the spot for Malayan Partridge, which showed up after a short wait and before it started drizzling. Later part of the afternoon before dusk, we had Blue Nuthatch, Sultan Tit, White-throated Fantail and many more.

Day 2 was packed with even more bird sightings as we explored a different sections of the hill station. We were thrilled to spot species like the Slaty-backed Forktail, Large Niltava, and Golden-throated Barbet. The checklist was growing with each new discovery. 

On our final day, we were determined to add as many species as possible to our list. Our efforts paid off as we had incredible encounters with the Rhinoceros Hornbill, Banded Kingfisher, and Orange-breasted Trogon. The excitement peaked as we added the Barred Eagle-Owl to our checklist just before concluding our trip. Each day was filled with new discoveries and unforgettable moments. Frasers Hill truly is a birdwatcher's paradise, and we can't wait to return for more adventures in the future!

Here is the checklist (exclude HEARD ONLY birds) for this trip:

Grouse, Quail and Allies: Malayan Partridge

Pigeons and Doves: Little Cuckoo-Dove, Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Cuckoos: Red-billed Malkoha

Swifts: House Swift, Plume-toed Swiftlet

Vultures, Hawks and allies: Crested Serpent Eagle

Owls: Barred Eagle-Owl, Collared Owlet

Trogons and Quetzals: Red-headed Trogon, Orange-breasted Trogon

Hornbills: Rhinoceros Hornbill

Kingfisher: Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher

Bee-eaters, Rollers and Allies: Red-bearded Bee-eater 

Barbets and Toucans:  Fire-tufted Barbet, Black-browed Barbet, Red-throated Barbet, Sooty Barbet, Golden-throated Barbet

Woodpeckers: Greater Yellownape, Rufous Woodpecker, Speckled Piculet

Asian and Grauer’s Broadbills: Black-and-red Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Banded Broadbill

Cuckoshrikes: Grey-chinned Minivet, Large Cuckooshrike

Shrike-Babblers and Erpornis: White-browed Shrike-Babbler

Old World Orioles: Black-and-Crimson Oriole

Vangas, Helmetshrikes and Allies: Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike

Fantails: White-throated Fantail

Drongos: Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo

Jays, Magpies, Crows and Ravens: Large-billed Crow

Tits, Chickadees and Titmice: Sultan Tit

Cisticolas and Allies: Common Tailorbird

Cupwings: Pygmy Cupwing

Martins and Swallows: Pacific Swallow, Rufous-bellied Swallow

Bulbuls: Mountain Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul

Leaf Warblers: Chestnut-crowned Warbler

Bush Warblers and Allies: Mountain Tailorbird

White-eyes, Yuhinas and Allies: Hume’s White-eye

Tree-Babblers, Scimitar-Babblers and Allies: Golden Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler

Ground Babblers and Allies: Buff-breasted Babbler, Streaked Wren-Babbler

Laughingthrushes and Allies: Mountain Fulvetta, Long-tailed Sibia, Blue-winged Minla, Silver-eared Mesia, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

Nuthatches: Blue Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Old World Flycatchers: White-tailed Robin, Large Niltava, Oriental Magpie Robin, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Slaty-backed Forktail

Flowerpeckers: Fire-breasted Flowerpecker 

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters: Black-throated Sunbird, Streaked Spiderhunter

Leafbirds: Orange-bellied Leafbird, Blue-winged Leafbird, Lesser Green Leafbird

Estridids: White-rumped Munia


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Throughout this short trip, we also found and added a few other wildlife to the trip checklist.

Blotched Forest Skink

Long-tailed Macaque, Pig-tailed Macaque, White-thighed Surili, Dusky Langur, Himalayan Striped Squirrel, Grey-bellied Squirrel, Red-bellied Squirrel (Pallas's Squirrel), Red-cheeked Squirrel
 
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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:


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Pam & Raz (MY / SG) - 1-3 Jul 2024

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Licensed Tourist Guide specialized in birdwatching and photography tour in Peninsular Malaysia. BSc Forestry (Parks & Recreation Management).

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Birds of Peninsular Malaysia

Birds of Peninsular Malaysia
Birds of Peninsular Malaysia

Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia

Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia
A collection of wildlife photographs in Peninsular Malaysia that includes mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Some photographs are taken with camera while some are taken with mobile phone whenever I get the opportunities to shoot while on a guiding assignment.

Insects

Insects
You will see other interesting insects during your birding adventure with me. Here are some of the photos I have extracted from my hard drives..

Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia

Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia
Collection of photographs for reference.

Notable Plants While Birding

Notable Plants While Birding
There will be some interesting flora that will definitely catch your attention while going out on a birdwatching trip with me. I am in the midst of compiling all the plants, please return to this website for updates. Thank you.

Southeast Asia Birding

Southeast Asia Birding
Sometimes I accompany my regular guests for birding trips out of Peninsular Malaysia. Check out what we found.
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About Me

Hi! I love watching birds, taking photographs (and video), and guiding people through nature. Welcome to my blog, A Malaysian Birder. I'll be sharing all the great birds I see and the photos I take right here on this blog. I got into bird watching when I was in university studying parks and recreation management. I used to work in parks and gardens, teaching people about the environment and organizing birding walks. Whenever I go out to look for birds, I always bring my binoculars and spotting scope to help me see them up close. Sometimes, I even bring a microphone to record their calls. It's always an adventure out in the field!

In the past, I will have my Kowa BDXD 8x32 binocular, Zoom H2N recorder, Kowa TSN-501 and my favorite Nikon1 V1 with a 70-300mm lens. This is the lightest setup I have tried and owned. From then onwards, I have used Omicron 8x26 binocular (and i bought 4 units), Leica Ultravid 8x32 binocular, Kowa Spotting Scope TSN773 with 20-60x eyepiece, Panasonic Lumix G7, Panasonic Lumix G9 with a 100-300mm lens and currently experimenting with Sony ILCE-A6700 and Sony SEL 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens.

Bird Watching Tours

There are quite a number of birding groups from Australia, United States and United Kingdom that come over to Malaysia annually visiting the traditional key sites that include Kuala Selangor, Fraser's Hill and Taman Negara. There is not doubt that the 3 sites are the preferred birding sites in Peninsular Malaysia. So if you are coming over for birding and intend to hire a guide, you can send me an email at nature2pixel@gmail.com and go over to posting section to view photos and summary of trip reports with testimonials from past clients.

Besides following the traditional route, I also customized trip according to clients needs, preference and interests. So there are some local patches that I can introduce to all bird watchers, digiscopers and photographers.

Here are a few of my favorite birding spots around Kuala Lumpur.

• Kuala Selangor - the habitats include mangrove forest. Good for woodpecker and kingfisher. Some amount of walking is required on flat terrain.

• Fraser's Hill - one of the traditional key sites for birding in Peninsular Malaysia and still the best place to visit. Elevation between 900 - 1200m above sea level. The species found here are different from the city of Kuala Lumpur. Targets may include Trogon, Woodpecker, Partridge, Laughingthrush, Leafbird, Spiderhunter and Sunbird.

• Hulu Langat - one of the most visited birding spot due to its proximity from the city centre. Walking is required but on easy terrain in this lowland forest. Sometimes need to wait at fruiting trees. Generally a good spot for Broadbill, Kingfisher, and Babbler.

• Bukit Tinggi - An alternative spot if you do not want to spend too long hours travelling to Fraser's Hill. It's about 900m to 1,000m above sea level and you get a combination of lowland and highland species at this elevation. Walking is required but just a short distance. Traditional known for Broadbill, Hornbill, Partridge and Pheasant.

• Gombak-Ampang - Generally recommended for photographers targeting Blue-eared Kingfisher and at times during fruiting season, it attracts many species of Bulbul and Barbet. Located in urban area.

• Putrajaya - If you are staying in any hotel in Putrajaya, it's a good place to look for herons, egrets, bittern and storks.

Bird Families

Check the bird families and the taxonomy updates HERE.

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Bird Video

I am also interested to take video of birds. Here are some of my favorite videos for your viewing. Video taken with Nikon1 V1 attached to a Sigma 500mm f4.5 and most of the time iPhone SE through the spotting scope. Editing is done on smartphone Power Director for Android device and I also like the iMovie on iPhone. Enjoy.

Recommended Field Guides & Books

If you are interested to get a copy of field guides to assist you to learn and identify birds in Malaysia. Click the followings to find out more.

March 2024. Fortunate enough to meet 1 of the authors before it was launched in Kuala Lumpur. Another great field guide for all birders who want to get the most updated information about birds of Malaysia.