There are many places one can go birding in Malaysia as the country is blessed with thick tropical rain forest which covers most part of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. The types of forest range from mangroves, swamp, lowland secondary forest, hill forest, all the way to low and high mountain forest which support so many species of plants, and provide good habitat for birds. Different species roam in different areas and elevations with some species tend to migrate down South or up North during certain time of the year.
Anyway, my favourite areas for birding so far are the ones i can drive within one or two hours from Kuala Lumpur, my hometown. Since i am not a full time birder this has to be the criteria for my birding as it is done usually during weekends. Any further exploration in far away locations would require too much time and resources which i do not have.
So, the locations that are accessible within this criteria are :
1) Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong -15 minutes drive;
2) Fraser's Hill - about 102km or one and a half hour drive;
3) Sepang Gold Coast area - about 45minutes drive;
4) Tanjung Tuan a.k.a Cape Richardo in Port Dickson - about one hour drive;
5) Cameron Highlands - about 2 hours drive;
6) Kuala Selangor - about one and half hour drive
7) Genting Highlands - 30 minutes drive;and
8) Bukit Tinggi - 40 minutes drive
9) Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur - 10 minutes drive
As mentioned above this is the closest birding location to my home (apart from the woods behind my condo that is) which is only 15 minutes drive through Kepong town. Entrance fee is around RM6.00 per car i think which is cheap and you can spend a whole day there with your family picnicking as there are a few streams in the forest area. It is also a popular spot for joggers. FRIM still has a lot of tall rain trees and thick vegetation with low rise buildings sprawled all over the area built for research on forest management and conservation. There are also housing for staff and families, sports facilities and amenities built for the public.
There used to be an observation tower constructed inside the forest for bird watching, however during my latest visit in May 2012 i saw that the tower had been demolished for whatever reason only known to the management, what a pity. Since the whole area of FRIM is quite big and accessible by car, you will get better success by shooting on the move by either walking, driving or cycling until you spot something worth shooting. My experience birding here was quite challenging due to the hot and humid weather with temperature up to 36 or 37 degree Celsius in the afternoon. Furthermore, the density of birds here was not that high. I only managed to record a Black Thigh Falcon, Oriental Magpie Robins, Red Eye Bulbuls, Jungle Myna and Banded Woodpeckers during my visit there.
Besides, Fraser's Hills offers a lot higher density of birds in a such a small area counted at 250 species to date therefore offers higher chance of capturing new species on each trip. I have so far only managed to record a personal best of only 28 species here since i started taking up birding recently. So, i have got a lot more work to do if i want to get even half of the recorded 250 species here. My target is to record at least 50 species by the end of the year which i think is achievable.
1) Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong -15 minutes drive;
2) Fraser's Hill - about 102km or one and a half hour drive;
3) Sepang Gold Coast area - about 45minutes drive;
4) Tanjung Tuan a.k.a Cape Richardo in Port Dickson - about one hour drive;
5) Cameron Highlands - about 2 hours drive;
6) Kuala Selangor - about one and half hour drive
7) Genting Highlands - 30 minutes drive;and
8) Bukit Tinggi - 40 minutes drive
9) Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur - 10 minutes drive
FRIM
As mentioned above this is the closest birding location to my home (apart from the woods behind my condo that is) which is only 15 minutes drive through Kepong town. Entrance fee is around RM6.00 per car i think which is cheap and you can spend a whole day there with your family picnicking as there are a few streams in the forest area. It is also a popular spot for joggers. FRIM still has a lot of tall rain trees and thick vegetation with low rise buildings sprawled all over the area built for research on forest management and conservation. There are also housing for staff and families, sports facilities and amenities built for the public.
There used to be an observation tower constructed inside the forest for bird watching, however during my latest visit in May 2012 i saw that the tower had been demolished for whatever reason only known to the management, what a pity. Since the whole area of FRIM is quite big and accessible by car, you will get better success by shooting on the move by either walking, driving or cycling until you spot something worth shooting. My experience birding here was quite challenging due to the hot and humid weather with temperature up to 36 or 37 degree Celsius in the afternoon. Furthermore, the density of birds here was not that high. I only managed to record a Black Thigh Falcon, Oriental Magpie Robins, Red Eye Bulbuls, Jungle Myna and Banded Woodpeckers during my visit there.
FRASER'S HILL
Between all the locations i listed above, i would prefer to go to the Fraser's Hills the most due to the cool climate there averaging around 23C during the day and 20C at night. It is a lot more comfortable walking a few kilometres a day looking for birds with up to 2.5kg of equipment on my shoulder in a cool 23C temperature than in the hot and humid 36C temperature in FRIM, Sepang or Tanjung Tuan! The highest point on the Fraser's Hill was measured at approximately 1570 meters or 5150 feet from the sea level.
Fraser's Hill and beyond
Besides, Fraser's Hills offers a lot higher density of birds in a such a small area counted at 250 species to date therefore offers higher chance of capturing new species on each trip. I have so far only managed to record a personal best of only 28 species here since i started taking up birding recently. So, i have got a lot more work to do if i want to get even half of the recorded 250 species here. My target is to record at least 50 species by the end of the year which i think is achievable.
The setting in the Fraser's Hills is quite nice as there are many winding roads through the forest that lead to private bungalows, corporate rest houses, serviced apartments and hotels. Apart from that there are many jungle trails which will take the tourists and nature lover deep into the forest to enjoy the flora and fauna. Most of the bird photos i shot are along these roads while on the move. There is also the Jeriau Waterfall about four kilometres downhill which is a favourite place for Trogons, Minivets and Barbets.
If you want to shoot Spectacled Laughingthrush, Long-tailed Sibia and Siver-eared Mesia the Jelai Resort near Allan's Water Dam is their favourite place to hang out.
The Sunbirds, Spiderhunters, Warblers, Babblers, Bulbuls and Niltavas can be found just along the roads where there are plenty of flower plants planted by the local authority for beautification purposes.
There are also a lot of jungle trails for those who want to go deeper into the forest to explore various flora and fauna not found along the roads. Some are short in distance like the Hemnant trail which is just a few hundred meters meandering along the nine-hole golf course while some are quite far going all the way a few kilometres downhill like the Bishop trail. Birders and tourists are advised to go in large groups as they say there is safety in numbers in case any bad things happen along the way.
Since the Fraser's Hills is a popular tourist destination, the birds here are used to human and vehicles especially during the weekends and public holidays. So, if you want to do birding in peace please do it during weekdays when most people are at work. There are plenty of affordable accommodations scattered along the main road, my preference being the Shahzan Inn which gives me good view to the golf course and town centre.
I love doing birding here as i get a good workout by walking at least two kilometres a day up and down the hills in a very serene and clean environment, relaxing and forget about Kuala Lumpur.
SEPANG GOLD COAST
This place is a favourite place of mine to take my family to enjoy the beach and fresh seafood within a short distance from Kuala Lumpur. It has two rivers that flow to the sea, one of them being Sungai Sepang Besar. This means this area has a healthy mangrove forest at the river mouths and along the beach. My main target for birding here are the Kingfishers and raptors. I have spotted a lot of Oriental Magpie Robins and Jungle Mynas here but the Kingfishers and raptors have eluded me so far.
TANJUNG TUAN/CAPE RICHARDO, PORT DICKSON
Apart from Sepang Gold Coast, Port Dickson is also my favourite place to visit to enjoy the beaches. The beaches here are better than Sepang and the water is cleaner. There are plenty of accommodations along the main road facing the Straits of Malacca. I have not done much birding here compared to FRIM or Fraser's Hill but the raptors in the Tanjung Tuan/Cape Richardo area interest me. Annually around January to March there will be a major raptors migration from up North going Southwards. After the migration season the raptors that are found here are mostly Brahminy Kite. My visit there last May turned up empty.
CAMERON HIGHLANDS
This location is one of the cooler areas to search for birds other than Fraser'Hill, Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi. It is part of the same mountainous range called Banjaran Titiwangsa that Fraser's Hill belongs to. So, the elevation from the sea level is about the same which up to 5000 feet. Cameron Highlands covers a wider area than Fraser's Hill, therefore requires more effort to search for the locations where birds are found. The approach to Cameron Highlands starts from Tapah after about one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur via North-South Highway. The winding road will lead to the Ringlet town and then to Lata Iskandar, where a very high waterfall is located. This place is popular with the tourists. There are plenty of birds found here like the Ochraceous Bulbuls Spiderhunters, Babblers, Emerald Dove, and Blyth's Hawk-eagles.
Another 20 minutes drive uphill will take us to the Tanah Rata, one of the two town-centres in the Cameron Highlands, the other being the town of Brinchang a further 10 minutes drive uphill. There are plenty of accommodations here, restaurants, shops, hospital, clinic and the bus terminal for those who like to take public transport.My favourite place to stay here is the Century Pines Resort opposite the Police station. If you stay here you can choose the rooms facing the hills at the back as you can observe a few species right from your balcony. I managed to capture photos of Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike right from my balcony during my last trip there on 13 July 2012.
I read somewhere on the net that the woods behind Bala's Chalet which is a five minutes drive uphill from Tanah Rata we can observe some species which frequent the spot on regular basis. I did not spend much time here as i was more interested in the area of Gunung Brinchang, the highest spot in Cameron Highlands.
Gunung Brinchang is located about 9km off-the main road near Hotel Equatorial,which is about a ten minutes drive from Brinchang town. The 9km road is winding and narrow, almost one lane most of the time which required constant use of the horn around the corners as we cannot see the on-coming vehicles. The vistas of the tea plantation on both sides of the road is breathtaking. You should stop to snap a few photos of the landscape along the way. The road that leads to Gunung Brinchang is quite steep and narrow, your car needs to be in tip-top condition to climb this road. Unfortunately mine was not, so i stopped half way and took photos of the lifers there. I observed and took photos of a few species like Silvered-eared Mesia, Emerald Dove, Spiderhunters, Oriental Magpie-Robins, and Blue Nuthatch.
Fire Tufted Barbet
If you want to shoot Spectacled Laughingthrush, Long-tailed Sibia and Siver-eared Mesia the Jelai Resort near Allan's Water Dam is their favourite place to hang out.
There are also a lot of jungle trails for those who want to go deeper into the forest to explore various flora and fauna not found along the roads. Some are short in distance like the Hemnant trail which is just a few hundred meters meandering along the nine-hole golf course while some are quite far going all the way a few kilometres downhill like the Bishop trail. Birders and tourists are advised to go in large groups as they say there is safety in numbers in case any bad things happen along the way.
Since the Fraser's Hills is a popular tourist destination, the birds here are used to human and vehicles especially during the weekends and public holidays. So, if you want to do birding in peace please do it during weekdays when most people are at work. There are plenty of affordable accommodations scattered along the main road, my preference being the Shahzan Inn which gives me good view to the golf course and town centre.
I love doing birding here as i get a good workout by walking at least two kilometres a day up and down the hills in a very serene and clean environment, relaxing and forget about Kuala Lumpur.
SEPANG GOLD COAST
This place is a favourite place of mine to take my family to enjoy the beach and fresh seafood within a short distance from Kuala Lumpur. It has two rivers that flow to the sea, one of them being Sungai Sepang Besar. This means this area has a healthy mangrove forest at the river mouths and along the beach. My main target for birding here are the Kingfishers and raptors. I have spotted a lot of Oriental Magpie Robins and Jungle Mynas here but the Kingfishers and raptors have eluded me so far.
TANJUNG TUAN/CAPE RICHARDO, PORT DICKSON
Apart from Sepang Gold Coast, Port Dickson is also my favourite place to visit to enjoy the beaches. The beaches here are better than Sepang and the water is cleaner. There are plenty of accommodations along the main road facing the Straits of Malacca. I have not done much birding here compared to FRIM or Fraser's Hill but the raptors in the Tanjung Tuan/Cape Richardo area interest me. Annually around January to March there will be a major raptors migration from up North going Southwards. After the migration season the raptors that are found here are mostly Brahminy Kite. My visit there last May turned up empty.
CAMERON HIGHLANDS
This location is one of the cooler areas to search for birds other than Fraser'Hill, Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi. It is part of the same mountainous range called Banjaran Titiwangsa that Fraser's Hill belongs to. So, the elevation from the sea level is about the same which up to 5000 feet. Cameron Highlands covers a wider area than Fraser's Hill, therefore requires more effort to search for the locations where birds are found. The approach to Cameron Highlands starts from Tapah after about one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur via North-South Highway. The winding road will lead to the Ringlet town and then to Lata Iskandar, where a very high waterfall is located. This place is popular with the tourists. There are plenty of birds found here like the Ochraceous Bulbuls Spiderhunters, Babblers, Emerald Dove, and Blyth's Hawk-eagles.
Another 20 minutes drive uphill will take us to the Tanah Rata, one of the two town-centres in the Cameron Highlands, the other being the town of Brinchang a further 10 minutes drive uphill. There are plenty of accommodations here, restaurants, shops, hospital, clinic and the bus terminal for those who like to take public transport.My favourite place to stay here is the Century Pines Resort opposite the Police station. If you stay here you can choose the rooms facing the hills at the back as you can observe a few species right from your balcony. I managed to capture photos of Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike right from my balcony during my last trip there on 13 July 2012.
I read somewhere on the net that the woods behind Bala's Chalet which is a five minutes drive uphill from Tanah Rata we can observe some species which frequent the spot on regular basis. I did not spend much time here as i was more interested in the area of Gunung Brinchang, the highest spot in Cameron Highlands.
Gunung Brinchang is located about 9km off-the main road near Hotel Equatorial,which is about a ten minutes drive from Brinchang town. The 9km road is winding and narrow, almost one lane most of the time which required constant use of the horn around the corners as we cannot see the on-coming vehicles. The vistas of the tea plantation on both sides of the road is breathtaking. You should stop to snap a few photos of the landscape along the way. The road that leads to Gunung Brinchang is quite steep and narrow, your car needs to be in tip-top condition to climb this road. Unfortunately mine was not, so i stopped half way and took photos of the lifers there. I observed and took photos of a few species like Silvered-eared Mesia, Emerald Dove, Spiderhunters, Oriental Magpie-Robins, and Blue Nuthatch.
There are other areas that you can explore if you spend more days there like the Robinson's Waterfall and Parit Waterfall. These areas and the Gunung Brinchang will be on my itinerary on my next trip there as soon as my 4 x 4 is fixed!
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