Content

World Birder 28 Jul -7 Aug 23


Carsten is back again in Malaysia! I have helped him to make arrangement for his trip to Borneo, Bali, Java and Sumatra. Before he starts the trip to Borneo, we covered a few sites in Peninsular Malaysia with 1 major target species - Plain-pouched Hornbill. With his other target species in mind, I planned out an itinerary for 11 days. Some of the places that we went to include Hulu Langat, Fraser's Hill, Merapoh, Cameron Highlands, Gerik, and Penang. Quite an adventurous trip.

Highlights for the trip include: Plain-pouched Hornbill, Barred Eagle-Owl, Rusty-naped Pitta, Large Green Pigeon, Blue-rumped Parrot, Rufous-winged Philentoma, Lesser Green Leafbird, Garnet Pitta, Lesser Cuckooshrike, Yellow-breasted Warbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, Himalayan Cutia, and others.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:
Read more »

World Birder 28 Jul -7 Aug 23

7 Days Birding 21-27 July 23


A small group of birders from Singapore came for a road trip covering Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and return to Selangor. Since I have guided them last year, I planned a different itinerary for this trip.

Highlights for the trip include: Blyth's Frogmouth, Brown Wood Owl, Dark-throated Oriole, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill, Sooty Barbet, Banded Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Rufous-winged Philentoma, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Puff-throated Babbler, and many more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:

Trogons of Peninsular Malaysia 

Read more »

7 Days Birding 21-27 July 23

Johor Birding - July 23


Dr Kuan requested for a trip to cover Johor. In his previous trips, we covered mostly, the central region and northern region. I took this opportunity to plan the trip to cover Panti, the famous home to Rail-babbler. Of course, we also covered Mersing and Kuantan too. Although we have seen Rail-babbler in our previous trip, Dr Kuan is an adventurous birder and he likes to explore new sites (not just about new species).

 Highlights for the trip include: Rail-babbler, Crested Jay (Crested Shrikejay), Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Black Hornbill, Mangrove Pitta, Ruddy Kingfisher, and others.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:
Read more »

Johor Birding - July 23

5 Days Birding 10-14 Jun 23

Mr Khandan came back to KL for another round of birding. The last time was 6 years ago!



"Wanted to say thank you again for going to the extremes in providing guiding services to give me an excellent experience in finding the birds and photographing them and taking care of all my needs. Enjoyed it 100%." - Khandan, USA


Highlights for this trip include: Pygmy Cupwing, Red-headed Trogon, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Bamboo Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Greater Yellownape, Bay Woodpecker, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Malayan Partridge, Barred Eagle-Owl, Fire-tufted Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, and others. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:



Read more »

5 Days Birding 10-14 Jun 23

Bird Families

It depends on which taxonomy you are using or referring to. Here is a list of website for your reference. 

Birds of the World  (Update: January 2020): 249 families

Don Roberson's Bird Families of the World (Update: March 2023): 260 families

Bird Families of the World (Update: 2021): 248 families

For a more standard reference, I usually use eBird / Clement's list and this is what my client's always do. Therefore I will refer to the information on website at http://www.birdsoftheworld.org

Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker by Biplab


The following section continues the systematic list of avian families found within the diverse habitats of Peninsular Malaysia. This guide adheres to the latest taxonomic updates and provides essential context for birders and photographers. (updated: 19 Apr 2026)

  • Total Count: While globally there are more, approximately 86 families are consistently recognized in Peninsular Malaysia records.

  • Taxonomy: This list reflects the recent split of Calyptomenidae from Eurylaimidae and the inclusion of Vireonidae for Asian species.

Complete List of Bird Families: Peninsular Malaysia

Non-Passerines (Waterbirds, Raptors, and Specialists)

  1. Phasianidae – Pheasants, Partridges, and Quails

  2. Anatidae – Ducks, Geese, and Swans

  3. Podicipedidae – Grebes

  4. Columbidae – Pigeons and Doves

  5. Podargidae – Frogmouths

  6. Caprimulgidae – Nightjars

  7. Apodidae – Swifts

  8. Hemiprocnidae – Treeswifts

  9. Cuculidae – Cuckoos, Malkohas, and Coucals

  10. Rallidae – Rails, Crakes, and Gallinules

  11. Heliornithidae – Masked Finfoot

  12. Gruidae – Cranes (Vagrant)

  13. Burhinidae – Thick-knees

  14. Recurvirostridae – Stilts and Avocets

  15. Charadriidae – Plovers and Lapwings

  16. Scolopacidae – Sandpipers, Snipes, and Allies

  17. Turnicidae – Buttonquails

  18. Glareolidae – Pratincoles

  19. Laridae – Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

  20. Stercorariidae – Skuas and Jaegers

  21. Phaethontidae – Tropicbirds

  22. Hydrobatidae – Storm-Petrels

  23. Ciconiidae – Storks

  24. Fregatidae – Frigatebirds

  25. Sulidae – Boobies and Gannets

  26. Anhingidae – Darters

  27. Phalacrocoracidae – Cormorants

  28. Pelecanidae – Pelicans

  29. Ardeidae – Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

  30. Threskiornithidae – Ibises and Spoonbills

  31. Pandionidae – Osprey

  32. Accipitridae – Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

  33. Tytonidae – Barn-Owls

  34. Strigidae – True Owls

  35. Trogonidae – Trogons

  36. Upupidae – Hoopoe

  37. Bucerotidae – Hornbills

  38. Alcedinidae – Kingfishers

  39. Meropidae – Bee-eaters

  40. Coraciidae – Rollers

  41. Megalaimidae – Asian Barbets

  42. Picidae – Woodpeckers

  43. Falconidae – Falcons and Caracaras

Passerines (Songbirds and Allies)

  1. Eurylaimidae – Typical Broadbills

  2. Calyptomenidae – Green Broadbills

  3. Pittidae – Pittas

  4. Tephrodornithidae – Woodshrikes and Philentomas

  5. Artamidae – Woodswallows

  6. Aegithinidae – Ioras

  7. Campephagidae – Cuckooshrikes and Minivets

  8. Pachycephalidae – Whistlers

  9. Vireonidae – Erpornis and Shrike-babblers

  10. Oriolidae – Old World Orioles

  11. Dicruridae – Drongos

  12. Rhipiduridae – Fantails

  13. Monarchidae – Monarchs and Paradise-Flycatchers

  14. Laniidae – Shrikes

  15. Corvidae – Crows, Jays, and Magpies

  16. Stenostiridae – Fairy Flycatchers

  17. Paridae – Tits

  18. Alaudidae – Larks

  19. Pycnonotidae – Bulbuls

  20. Hirundinidae – Swallows and Martins

  21. Pnoepygidae – Cupwings (Wren-babblers)

  22. Cettiidae – Bush Warblers

  23. Phylloscopidae – Leaf Warblers

  24. Acrocephalidae – Reed Warblers

  25. Locustellidae – Grassbirds

  26. Cisticolidae – Cisticolas, Prinias, and Tailorbirds

  27. Timaliidae – Tree Babblers

  28. Pellorneidae – Ground Babblers

  29. Leiothrichidae – Laughingthrushes and Allies

  30. Zosteropidae – White-eyes

  31. Irenidae – Fairy-bluebirds

  32. Sittidae – Nuthatches

  33. Sturnidae – Starlings and Mynas

  34. Turdidae – Thrushes

  35. Muscicapidae – Old World Flycatchers and Chats

  36. Dicaeidae – Flowerpeckers

  37. Nectariniidae – Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

  38. Chloropseidae – Leafbirds

  39. Estrildidae – Munias and Parrotfinches

  40. Passeridae – Old World Sparrows

  41. Motacillidae – Wagtails and Pipits

  42. Fringillidae – Finches and Allies

  43. Emberizidae – Buntings (Vagrant)








Read more »

Bird Families

Babbler Hunting 2-5 Jun 23

This is the first time we drove down to Johor. Mr Biplab wanted to get a few target species of Babbler as well as the Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker (which we saw at 2 different forest). 


White-necked Babbler

Rufous-fronted Babbler

Buff-necked Woodpecker

Hairy-backed Bulbul

Chestnut-rumped Babbler

Chestnut-rumped Babbler

Pin Striped Tit-babbler

Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker

Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker


* All bird photographs by Mr Biplab and his awesome photographs can also be found at https://www.instagram.com/biplab1.banerjee/ 

Highlights for the trip include: White-necked Babbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Sooty-capped Babbler, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Chestnut-rumped Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler, Pin Striped Tit-Babbler, Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, and others.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:



Read more »

Babbler Hunting 2-5 Jun 23

Short Trip 28-29 May 23

A short trip with Dr Kuan to repeat some previous species and to improve some photographs.

Highlights for this trip: Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Sooty Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Buffy Fish Owl, Barn Owl, Spotted Wood Owl and others. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Standard itinerary for a short birding tour in Peninsular Malaysia: https://malaysianbirder.blogspot.com/p/introduction-to-forest-birds-in-malaysia.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:

Read more »

Short Trip 28-29 May 23

Birds in May 2023: The Hunt for Missing Species



Bip in action looking for the 1 species that have eluded him for more than 4 years.

The Bamboo Woodpecker is one of the most sought after species in Peninsular Malaysia and we have tried on several occassions to look for it in the past. It has eluded Bip until recently. It was a wonderful find. Never give up even after trying for such a long time. 


Although we have seen this species before but there is always opportunities for some improvement shots such as this lovely Puff-throated Babbler. With permission, I am sharing all photos taken by Bip.


Here are more photos taken by Bip recently during our outings.

Brown Wood Owl

Brown Wood Owl (adult)

Grey-chinned Minivet (female). I just couldn't believed that we haven't got this species together in the past. Well, better late than never. 

Grey-chinned Minivet (male)

A great photo of Malayan Partridge.

Long-tailed Broadbill

Large Niltava (male)

Lesser Shortwing

Red-headed Trogon

Rufous-browed Flycatcher. An all time favorite among the birders visiting Fraser's Hill. 

* All bird photographs by Mr Biplab and his awesome photographs can also be found at https://www.instagram.com/biplab1.banerjee/ 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:


Read more »

Birds in May 2023: The Hunt for Missing Species

4 Days Birding 9-12 May 23


Angie and BC came back to KL for another birding adventure! I have guided them few times in the past, but they keep coming back with a list of targets they wanted to see and get a photo. With so many overlapping and similar species between Malaysia and Singapore, I have to carefully plan out the places to go with the possible species according to their targets for this trip.

Highlights for this trip: Long-tailed Broadbill, Malayan Partridge, Brown Wood Owl, Malaysian Rail-babbler, Marbled Wren-babbler, Rusty-naped Pitta, Pygmy Cupwing, Lesser Shortwing, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Blyth's Frogmouth, Sultan Tit, Black-eared Shrike-babbler, Mountain Tailorbird, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Great Hornbill, Indian Cuckoo, Diard's Trogon, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Rufous-collared Kingfisher and a lot more species. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:









Read more »

4 Days Birding 9-12 May 23

5 Days Birding 4-8 May 23

Amazing! Some of the rarely seen species were spotted and heard on this trip with Hwee Tat. The itinerary for this trip was slightly adjusted to the client's request which we cover addition day in Fraser's Hill and we skipped Hulu Langat. It allow us to spend more time with the birds up in the montane forest and not to rush for the number of species.


Highlights for this trip include: Pygmy Cupwing, Blue Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Orange-breasted Trogon, Red-headed Trogon, Malaysian Rail-babbler, Ferruginous Partridge, Malayan Partridge, Fire-tufted Barbet, Black-browed Barbet, Ochraceous Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul, Cinereous Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Large Niltava, Rusty-naped Pitta, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Malayan Laughingthrush, Black Laughingthrush, Brown Wood Owl, Bamboo Woodpecker, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, and others. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the following bird families:

Read more »

5 Days Birding 4-8 May 23

Rss: Top

Explore Malaysia




Search This Blog

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Instagram

Instagram
Follow me on instagram @malaysianbirder

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.
Powered by Blogger.

Blog Archive

Total Pageviews

Welcome to "A Malaysian Birder"

Hi, I’m a licensed guide in Peninsular Malaysia with over 15 years of professional guiding experience and a lifelong passion for birds. My journey began during my university studies in Parks & Recreation Management, leading to a career in environmental education, park management, and guiding. Whether you're targeting Peninsular Malaysia’s deep-forest endemics, seeking elusive species like the Rail-babbler and Malaysian Banded Pitta, or exploring top birding hubs like Fraser's Hill, Taman Negara, and Bukit Tinggi, I design tailored itineraries to match your life-list targets. Explore my trip reports, species galleries, and travel advice below. Planning your next photography or birding expedition? Get in touch to book a custom guided tour.

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.