On this trip, we set out in search of one of Peninsular Malaysia’s most elusive and highly sought-after bird species—not the Rail-babbler this time, but the enigmatic Crested Jayshrike (formerly known as the Crested Jay).
We kicked off the adventure with a brief late-afternoon stop in Negeri Sembilan, hoping for an early glimpse of our target. The forest, however, remained silent. Undeterred, we pressed on to Panti Forest the following morning, and by afternoon, we had reached the Kahang area. Despite our efforts, the Crested Jayshrike remained elusive, with not even a call response.
Still, the excitement was far from over—we had one final morning ahead of us, and hope was very much alive.
I remained determined and optimistic about finding our target species for my guest. And sure enough—after more than 30 minutes of patient waiting—we finally heard the unmistakable call. “That’s the Crested Jayshrike!” We both lit up with excitement!
Although the call came from quite a distance, we held our ground and waited quietly, full of hope. Then, just as we wished, the bird appeared—not just for a fleeting moment, but in full, breathtaking view. And to our delight, there were two of them, perched lower than eye level, offering prolonged and crystal-clear views. It was a truly special moment, and I was thrilled to congratulate my guest on successfully seeing this elusive species in Peninsular Malaysia.
With our main target now ticked off in spectacular fashion, we spent the next couple of hours birding the area at a leisurely pace, soaking in the last moments of the trip before heading to the airport for the midnight flight. We hoped to beat the weekend highway traffic—but alas, we got caught in it eventually.
Nevertheless, with a few good hours still in hand, we made several rewarding birding stops en route, including visits to paddy fields and mangrove habitats, rounding off the trip with even more memorable sightings.
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Some of the highlights for this trip (seen or heard ONLY):
Grouse, Quails and Allies: -
Pigeons and Doves:
Cuckoos: Violet Cuckoo,
Nightjars: Malaysian Eared-Nightjar
Swifts: -
Treeswifts: -
Rails, Gallinules, and Allies: -
Shorebirds: -
Storks:
Herons, Ibis, and Allies:
Vultures, Hawks, and Allies: -
Owls:
Trogons and Quetzals: Diard's Trogon, Scarlet-rumped Trogon
Hornbills: Black Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill
Bee-eaters:
Kingfishers: Banded Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher
Rollers and Allies: -
Barbets and Toucans: Red-crowned Barbet, Sooty Barbet
Woodpeckers: Maroon Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Buff-necked Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras: -
Parrots, Parakeets, and Allies: Blue-rumped Parrot
African and Green Broadbills: -
Asian and Grauer's Broadbills: Banded Broadbill (Banded), Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Old World Pittas: -
Thornbills and Allies: Golden-bellied Gerygone
Cuckooshrikes: -
Shrike-Babblers and Erpornis: -
Whistlers and Allies: -
Old World Orioles: Dark-throated Oriole
Woodswallows: -
Vangas, Helmetshrikes and Allies: -
Ioras: Green Iora, Common Iora
Fantails: -
Drongos: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers: Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher
Crested Jayshrike: Crested Jayshrike
Jays, Magpies, Crows and Ravens: Malayan Black Magpie
Rail-babbler: Malaysian Rail-babbler
Fairy Flycatchers: -
Tits, Chickadees and Titmice: -
Cisticolas and Allies: Dark-necked Tailorbird, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird, Common Tailorbird
Cupwings: -
Martins and Swallows: Barn Swallow
Bulbuls: Hairy-backed Bulbul, Cream-vented Bulbul (White-eyed), Olive-winged Bulbul (Olive-winged), Red-eyed Bulbul, Streaked Bulbul
Leaf Warblers: -
Bush Warblers and Allies: -
White-eyes, Yuhinas and Allies: -
Tree-Babblers, Scimitar-Babblers, and Allies: Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Chestnut-rumped Babbler, Sooty-capped Babbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler
Ground Babblers and Allies: Malayan Black-capped Babbler
Laughingthrushes and Allies: -
Nuthatches: -
Starlings and Mynas: Common Hill Myna (Common)
Old World Flycatchers: Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher
Flowerpeckers: Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters: Plain Sunbird, Purple-naped Spiderhunter
Fairy-bluebirds: Asian Fairy-bluebird
Leafbirds: Blue-winged Leafbird
Weavers and Allies: -
Estrildids: -
Old World Sparrows: -
*UPDATE: After a series of consultations, the issue affecting my mobility has been identified. As a result, I will need to attend therapy. My travel plans must be tailored to minimize the amount of time spent walking, trekking on uneven terrain, and to avoid prolonged periods of standing or sitting.*
