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Amazing Short Trip - 25-29 May 2026



In late May 2026, I had the absolute pleasure of guiding Susan and Jessica on their very first birding trip to Malaysia. They traveled across the world to explore our beautiful tropical rainforests and wetlands. Because it was their first time visiting the country, almost every single bird we encountered was completely new to them!

Our adventure took us through four of the best birding hotspots in Peninsular Malaysia: the lush lowlands of Hulu Langat, the beautiful foothills of Bukit Tinggi, the famous montane forests of Fraser’s Hill, and the coastal wetlands of Kuala Selangor.

Together, we found a mix of colorful rainforest species, rare mountain specialties, and iconic wetland birds.

Exploring the lowland and foothill forests of Hulu Langat and Bukit Tinggi gave Susan and Jessica an incredible introduction to tropical birds. We were incredibly lucky to see some of the most sought-after birds in Southeast Asia, including the stunning Silver-breasted Broadbill, the Black-and-red Broadbill, and the vibrant Black-and-yellow Broadbill.

We also found the elusive, ground-dwelling Rusty-naped Pitta, which gave our guests a spectacular view. Watching their faces light up as they photographed these colorful species for the very first time reminded me why I love being a bird guide in Malaysia.

Up in the cool air of Fraser’s Hill, the birding changed completely. We encountered amazing flocks filled with unique montane species. The highlights here were truly elite: we got fantastic views of the secretive Mountain Peacock-Pheasant and the rare Malayan Partridge.

The trees were alive with the bright colors of the Silver-eared Mesia, Grey-chinned Minivet, and the brilliant Red-headed Trogon. Susan and Jessica also managed to photograph tiny forest residents like the Pygmy Cupwing and the beautiful Rufous-browed Flycatcher.

We wrapped up our journey in the mangroves and open wetlands of Kuala Selangor. The landscape here is vastly different from the mountains, and it brought a whole new set of birds for the cameras. We watched large Painted Storks and Asian Openbills wading through the shallow waters. Overhead, the Crested Serpent Eagle scanned the ground, while bright Collared Kingfishers and Oriental Pied Hornbills flew between the trees along the coast.

It was an unforgettable short trip filled with non-stop "lifers" (first-time bird sightings) for Susan and Jessica. Malaysia truly is a paradise for wildlife photography and birdwatching!

Trip Bird List 

Below is the official list of the birds and major highlights encountered during our May 2026 tour.

### Phasianidae (Partridges, Pheasants, and Quail)

 * Malayan Partridge *(Malayan specialty)*

 * Mountain Peacock-Pheasant *(Montane specialty)*

### Ciconiidae (Storks)

 * Asian Openbill

 * Painted Stork

### Rallidae (Rails, Crakes, and Waterhens)

 * White-breasted Waterhen

### Cuculidae (Cuckoos and Malkohas)

 * Raffle’s Malkoha

 * Asian Koel

### Strigidae (True Owls)

 * Brown Wood-Owl

### Hemiprocnidae (Treeswifts)

 * Whiskered Treeswifts

### Trogonidae (Trogons)

 * Red-headed Trogon

### Bucerotidae (Hornbills)

 * Oriental Pied Hornbill

### Coraciidae (Rollers)

 * Dollarbird

### Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

 * Collared Kingfisher

### Megalaimidae (Asian Barbets)

 * Gold-whiskered Barbet

 * Black-browed Barbet

 * Red-throated Barbet

### Picidae (Woodpeckers)

 * Laced Woodpecker

### Eurylaimidae (Asian Broadbills)

 * Black-and-red Broadbill

 * Black-and-yellow Broadbill

 * Silver-breasted Broadbill

### Pittidae (Pittas)

 * Rusty-naped Pitta

### Campephagidae (Cuckooshrikes and Minivets)

 * Grey-chinned Minivet

### Oriolidae (Old World Orioles)

 * Black-naped Oriole

### Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls)

 * Scaly-breasted Bulbul

 * Ochraceous Bulbul

 * Grey-bellied Bulbul

 * Black-crested Bulbul

 * Red-eyed Bulbul

 * Mountain Bulbul

### Cettiidae (Bush Warblers and Allies)

 * Pygmy Cupwing

### Zosteropidae (White-eyes)

 * Hume’s White-eye

### Timaliidae (Babblers and Scimitar Babblers)

 * Grey-throated Babbler

 * Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

### Pellorneidae (Ground Babblers)

 * Buff-breasted Babbler

### Leiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes and Allies)

 * Silver-eared Mesia

 * Long-tailed Sibia

### Sittidae (Nuthatches)

 * Blue Nuthatch

### Paridae (Tits)

 * Sultan Tit

### Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers and Robins)

 * Oriental Magpie Robin

 * White-tailed Robin

 * Lesser Shortwing

 * Large Niltava

 * Hill Blue Flycatcher

 * Rufous-browed Flycatcher

 * Little Pied Flycatcher

### Irenidae (Fairy-bluebirds)

 * Asian Fairy-bluebird

### Chloropseidae (Leafbirds)

 * Lesser Green Leafbird

 * Blue-winged Leafbird

### Dicaeidae (Flowerpeckers)

 * Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

### Nectariniidae (Sunbirds and Spiderhunters)

 * Black-throated Sunbird

 * Streaked Spiderhunter

### Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)

 * Dark-necked Tailorbird


Amazing Short Trip - 25-29 May 2026

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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!

Equipment Evolution

Equipment Evolution
In the past, I have used 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.

My Artwork Products

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.