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Species list |
List of species seen
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Grey Heron |
This was the most common heron at Kuala Selangor, with at
least 20 birds in the area |
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Great Egret |
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Little Egret |
This species was encountered in small numbers at various sites throughout the week. Where possible each one was checked for the possibility of Chinese Egret, but only one bird showed the potential of bill and leg colour, although this was far from conclusive. A single bird was seen both on the outward and home boat journeys from Jerantut to Taman Negara, with 2 at the Kuala Selangor reserve, and ~5 at the small rice fields |
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Chinese Pond-Heron |
As compared with the more straw coloured Indian Pond-Heron of the Indian subcontinent, the breeding plumage of this species is a lot more striking, and most of the birds that we saw were in these maroon based colours: Jerantut (1 in a particularly disgusting rubbish laden channel within the town); 1 at Taman Negara; 3 at Kuala Selangor; ~12 spread throughout the small rice fields |
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Striated Heron |
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Brahminy Kite |
None had been seen until we arrived at Kuala Selangor, where
they were a regular feature, with at least 20 birds seen. A few were perched
within the reserve, but most were seen in flight, with a circling flock of ~10
birds above us at one time |
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White-bellied Sea-Eagle |
We were surprised to see only one bird, and this over Taman
Negara resort on the first afternoon there |
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Crested Serpent-Eagle |
2 birds seen, with possibly more heard. The first was from
the boat travelling to Taman Negara, perched in a large tree adjacent to the
river. The second was perched in trees within the mangroves at Kuala Selangor,
seen from the boardwalk, but was only partially in view |
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Crested Goshawk |
1 flew over us at Kuala Selangor |
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Black Eagle |
1 flew over us on the New Road at Fraser's Hill, with 2
sightings from the porch of The Gap Resthouse |
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Black-thighed Falconet |
This small and enigmatic falcon was one of the birds on the
must see list, and the literature seemed to suggest that the best place to see
them was the small village on the opposite side of the river to the Taman
Negara resort. However, we were lucky to pick up a pair perched in a bare tree
from the camp site at Taman Negara, and a third individual was on a smaller tree,
but slightly closer, towards the centre of the resort |
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Red Junglefowl |
I've never been so pleased to see a chicken! A smart cock
bird strolled out of the jungle to show itself at the edge of the clearing of
the Bumbun Tahan hide at Taman Negara. The next day, a much more dowdy female
was at the same spot |
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Crested Fireback |
Two groups of these birds appeared in front of us along the forest trails of Taman Negara, 1 on the Bumbun Tabing trail, the other the Jenut Muda trail. Despite their size and the striking glossy black of the males, they give no warning of their approach, and seem to just emerge in front of you, slowly feeding before disappearing again into the forest. Equal numbers of males and females were in the two groups of 4 and 8 respectively |
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White-breasted Waterhen |
Common at Kuala Selangor, where ~10 were along the grassy
paths encircling the central lagoons, with a further 4 birds at the small rice
fields |
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Red-wattled Lapwing |
Only seen from the boat on the Jerantut / Taman Negara
transfer, with 1 on the outward journey, and 5 on return |
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Common Sandpiper |
2 seen from the boat on the Taman Negara to Jerantut boat
journey, and 3 at Kuala Selangor |
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Spotted Dove |
1 at Taman Negara, and ~12 throughout the small rice fields,
usually perched on wires |
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Little Cuckoo-Dove |
The 5 birds seen were briefly in view, with the first at the
Jelai Hotel showing off its back, and the 2 pairs on the Telekom Loop flying
over the road in front of us |
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Emerald Dove |
The best view was of a bird strolling along the ground
beside a chalet in the Taman Negara resort on the first morning. Another was
flying over the Bumbun Tahan clearing, with a further 2 fly throughs at Kuala
Selangor |
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Zebra Dove |
Not as common as I had expected: 2 were in the centre of
Jerantut, and ~ 8 were at the small rice fields |
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Little Green-Pigeon |
After having seen many Thick-billed Pigeons landing in the
trees to the centre of the Bumbun Tahan clearing, a pair of Little
Green-Pigeons were eventually picked out |
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Pink-necked Pigeon |
Very common around Kuala Selangor, with ~40+ birds seen |
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Thick-billed Pigeon |
The most common pigeon at Taman Negara, but all were seen
from the Bumbun Tahan hide, with slightly more males than females. 9 were there
on the first day, with ~20 on the second visit |
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Mountain Imperial-Pigeon |
Seen reasonably regularly at Fraser's Hill, with all birds
flying over. 6, 2, and 2 seen on subsequent days, with most in the early
morning from the Jelai Hotel |
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Blue-rumped Parrot |
2 females seen only, one in the Taman Negara resort, and the other from the Bumbun Tahan hide |
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Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot |
Seen regularly around the Taman Negara resort, they were either feeding at the tops of the high trees, or picked up flying overhead with their high pitched buzzing call: 3, 10, and 8 seen on subsequent days |
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Chestnut-winged Cuckoo |
2 separate individuals seen at Kuala Selangor. One was picked up flying across the drain and into the adjacent trees, the second was one of the last birds seen in the rain from the tower hide, landing in one of the bushes of the central lagoon |
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Oriental Cuckoo |
Picked up on call at the start of the Bishop's Trail on
Fraser's Hill, a single bird was seen briefly in the canopy |
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Little Bronze-Cuckoo |
This bird was a bit of surprise, since it landed in the
bushes in front of us while walking on the grassy footpath between the lagoons
and mangroves at Kuala Selangor |
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Asian Koel |
Only 2 males seen, one at Kuala Selangor, and another at the
small rice fields |
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Black-bellied Malkoha |
3 together at Taman Negara resort area |
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Raffles' Malkoha |
A difficult to pin down pair were found at the camp site of
Taman Negara on the first day, but a male on the last morning at the resort
centre was much more obliging, spreading its plumage on a bare branch above our
heads |
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Chestnut-breasted Malkoha |
2 were along the Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon in the rain, with another more obliging pair within the resort at Taman Negara |
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Greater Coucal |
1 was at Taman Negara on the first afternoon, but a second
at Kuala Selangor was much more obliging, perching and calling for some time in
the open on the opposite side of the drain |
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Lesser Coucal |
1 briefly at the small rice fields showed its smaller size
and distinctive dull black plumage well |
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Large-tailed Nightjar |
While waiting for a Bat Hawk to put in a potential
appearance in front of The Gap Resthouse, 3 large nightjars of this species
flew in front of us above the treeline in the diminishing light. A fourth, or
one of the three returning, flew over us a few minutes later |
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Savanna Nightjar |
2 nightjars were on the New Road when we were returning from the evening vigil at The Gap Resthouse. The first flew up before we could see any identification markers, but the second was watched for some time in the car headlights |
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Glossy Swiftlet |
~25 over The Gap Resthouse and Old Road on the first
afternoon; ~10 mixed with other swifts over the Jelai Hotel one morning |
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Black-nest Swiftlet |
These small swifltets are notoriously difficult to identify
in flight, so we were lucky to find a small breeding colony in a barred hut on
the Telekom Loop at Fraser's Hill. Even so, they still took some sorting out,
until the feathered legs could be seen on some, and the dark body of the local
race stumbled on |
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Silver-rumped Needletail |
2 of these rather smart birds were over Taman Negara on the
last morning |
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Brown-backed Needletail |
~40 were over Taman Negara. It took some time before we
could see the backs of these birds, since they were directly overhead, and
there was probable confusion with other needletails |
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Fork-tailed Swift |
Quite common in the Fraser's Hill area, with ~12 over the
Jelai Hotel, 2 over the Telekom Loop, and many over The Gap Resthouse |
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House Swift |
Seen on most days in reasonable numbers, with a peak of ~50
on the first day over The Gap Resthouse |
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Red-headed Trogon |
This is the most common trogon around Fraser's Hill, but
some work has to be put in to see them. Our birds were seen along the Bishop's
Trail, which is probably one of the best locations to find them, since they tend
to stick within the closed forest. 2 sightings of possibly the same bird were
seen |
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Stork-billed Kingfisher |
1 flew into a tree downriver of us from the swimming area along
the Bumbun Tabing trail at Taman Negara, and a second flew past the boat on the
return journey to Jerantut |
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White-throated Kingfisher |
Quite easily the most common and confiding of the kingfishers, this species also occupies the most varied habitat, from river to open fields, and even along the roadsides. The only time we didn't see them was while at Fraser's Hill. The highest concentration was at the small rice fields, where ~15 were present |
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Black-capped Kingfisher |
Most of these were seen on the boat transfers, with 3 on the
first journey, and 2 on the return. 3 were also at Kuala Selangor |
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Collared Kingfisher |
Very noisy and obvious in the mangroves at Kuala Selangor, with ~8 birds present. One pair seemed to be making a nest in the hole of a dead tree |
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Red-bearded Bee-eater |
Only one of these forest dwelling species seen, on the first
day in the rain along the Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse |
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Blue-throated Bee-eater |
The most common and widespread bee-eater, initially seen in
good numbers from the boat going to Taman Negara. 30+ were subsequently on each
day in the Taman Negara area. Another ~10 were at Kuala Selangor |
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Blue-tailed Bee-eater |
~8 were at Kuala Selangor, with another ~10 around the small rice fields |
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Dollarbird |
2 were seen briefly at the Taman Negara resort, with a much closer and better illuminated bird from the boat on the return river journey |
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Oriental Pied-Hornbill |
2 were seen in the central tree of the Bumbun Tahan hide clearing |
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Great Hornbill |
1 bird in flight from the New Road down from Fraser's Hill |
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Fire-tufted Barbet |
The first of these rather large and outstanding barbets was
a group of six feeding in a fruiting tree with a couple of the more vocal
Black-browed Barbets along the Jalan Lady Maxwell Road. A further 2 separate
individuals were along the Bishop's Trail |
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Gold-whiskered Barbet |
Only two seen - 1 along the trails at Taman Negara, and another in the late afternoon walk up the Old Road from The Gap Resthouse |
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Golden-throated Barbet |
A single bird was seen on the first afternoon perched on a
bare branch at Taman Negara resort grounds |
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Black-browed Barbet |
Quite easily the most common barbet, both in birds seen, and
also by call, which was a constant feature particularly around Fraser's Hill.
The Gap Resthouse (first afternoon) 2; Hemmant's Trail (2); New Road from
Fraser's Hill (1); Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse (2): Bishop's Trail (4);
Fraser's Hill rubbish tip (1) |
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Coppersmith Barbet |
Only one of these diminutive birds were seen, perched in the same
tree as the Gold-whiskered Barbet a few minutes after the latter had departed |
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Speckled Piculet |
Piculets tend to be difficult to catch up with at the best
of times, but spotting this immaculately marked little bird ascending tree
covered branches along Jalan Lady Maxwell Road on Fraser's Hill was our second
piculet |
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Rufous Piculet |
This stunning little warm rufous bird was very close to along the Bumbun Tabing trail, just 100m or so from the camp site entrance, but was keeping close to the ground in thick cover so gave only occasional views |
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Brown-capped Woodpecker |
A pair were busily feeding young in a dead tree adjacent to
the mangrove boardwalk at Kuala Selangor |
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White-bellied Woodpecker |
A single bird was picked out on a bare tree, scaling the
trunk in the distance to the rear of the clearing at the Bumbun Tahan hide |
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Banded Woodpecker |
The finding of this bird was quite a coup, since they are
far from common, and it seemed to be hammering out a hole in a dead tree. It
was about 2km down on the New Road from Fraser's Hill |
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Lesser Yellownape |
A pair of birds were visiting a nest hole to the rear of the
rubbish tip at Fraser's Hill. We had at first expected them to be the much more
common Greater Yellownape, but the barring on the belly and obvious white
moustachial stripe proved otherwise |
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Crimson-winged Woodpecker |
A few birds were seen at Taman Negara, with 4 separate individuals around the resort area |
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Laced Woodpecker |
Two groups of 3 were at Kuala Selangor, the first spending
some time in the same spot in the mangroves, the second group in the trees near
to the entrance |
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Common Flameback |
A single bird in Taman Negara resort on the first afternoon
was one of the first woodpeckers seen. It took until the last day to see more
of this species, when 6 were at Kuala Selangor, mostly in the mangroves area |
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Greater Flameback |
Searching through the Common Flamebacks unearthed a pair of
their Greater cousins, in a pair at the junction of the mangrove boardwalk and the
path adjacent to the mangroves |
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Orange-backed Woodpecker |
A single female was along the Jenut Muda trail in Taman
Negara. As with many of the other woodpecker sightings, it was initially picked
up with its tapping, but we were lucky enough to see it reasonably well through
the thick foliage |
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Buff-necked Woodpecker |
A single bird was alongside the Bumbun Tabing path at Taman
Negara. It was while watching this bird that we came across a pair of Green
Broadbills |
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Dusky Broadbill |
While sitting on the terrace of The Gap Resthouse one evening, a trio of these landed in a tree on the opposite side of the road, and one of the three stayed put for good scope views |
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Black-and-red Broadbill |
The first bird seen was a little bit of a shock to the
system, being larger than expected, and with a lump of a blue bill on its
gleaming black and red plumage. It gave us a bit of a runaround - despite being
able to locate its territory three days running, it had a habit of disappearing
into the dense foliage. A pair on the tree in the clearing from the Bumbun
Tahan hide gave much more prolonged poses |
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Green Broadbill |
Another surprise, mainly with the difficulty in finding this
startling bird in mind. We came across the pair along the Bumbun Tabing trail
while watching a Buff-necked Woodpecker, and they were a lot more obliging than
the Black-and-red Broadbill holding territory a little further along the trail |
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Barn Swallow |
Quite common in the lowlands, although they seemed absent around
Fraser's Hill |
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Pacific Swallow |
Much more common than Barn Swallow throughout, the only day
they weren't identified was the full day at Taman Negara when we were mainly in
the forests |
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Striated Swallow |
The half a dozen birds we saw were at first thought to be a variant of Red-rumped Swallow, but the deep rufous underparts identified them as the Peninsular Malaysia race |
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Javan Cuckoo-shrike |
The only site for these was at the Jelai Hotel on Fraser's
Hill. A single bird was present on all three morning visits, happily gorging
itself on large green cicada type insects. A further group of 4 flew over on
the second morning |
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Lesser Cuckoo-shrike |
A single individual was in the bird wave along the Old Road up
from The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon |
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Pied Triller |
Only present at Kuala Selangor, where 3 adults and a juvenile (all separate individuals) were in the mangroves |
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Ashy Minivet |
5 birds were at Taman Negara on the first afternoon, with a group of 4 and another lone individual at Kuala Selangor, the group from the tower hide, and the single singing early morning next to the grassy foopath |
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Fiery Minivet |
A male and 3 females were together along the Old Road from
The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon, and a pair were along the Telekom
Loop |
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Scarlet Minivet |
2 males and a female were together along the Old Road from
The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon |
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Grey-chinned Minivet |
A group of 4 were along the Old Road |
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Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike |
6 were in the mixed bird wave on the first afternoon along the Old Road: 2 along the New Road; 2 on the second visit along the Old Road; 2 at the Fraser's Hill rubbish tip |
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Straw-headed Bulbul |
This species is now struggling worldwide, and is one of those which is more impressive in real life than in the books. Apparently, Taman Negara is one of the more reliable places to see the species these days, but it was still a welcome surprise when a pair appeared for a short time within the resort grounds |
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Black-headed Bulbul |
As opposed to the above species, this smart yellow and black bulbul is numerous around the Taman Negara area, with ~50 birds seen on any one of the three days spent there |
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Black-crested Bulbul |
This is almost the highland equivalent of the Black-headed Bulbul, being very similar in all but the black crest. It was very common around The Gap Resthouse and the slopes below Fraser's Hill (although not seen on Fraser's Hill itself), with ~12 at the former site, and many along the New Road |
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Stripe-throated Bulbul |
The stronghold of this species seemed to be the lowlands
around Taman Negara, where ~20 were seen on the third day, with lower numbers
on the first two days. However, 2 were also seen along the New Road below
Fraser's Hill |
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Yellow-vented Bulbul |
Another lowland species (apparently), with ~50 seen on the
third day at Taman Negara. They seem almost as common and obvious as
Black-headed Bulbul here. Similar numbers were also seen at Kuala Selangor |
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Olive-winged Bulbul |
~15 were around Taman Negara resort on the second day there |
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Spectacled Bulbul |
A single bird appeared for a brief time in the forest edge adjacent to the camp site at Taman Negara |
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Ochraceous Bulbul |
This is a noisy yet reasonably elusive bird, seen both at the Fraser's Hill area (7&10 up the Old Road, 6 down the New Road) and Taman Negara (~6 near to the camp site) |
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Hairy-backed Bulbul |
2 of these birds, showing the characteristic face markings,
were at the camp site of Taman Negara |
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Streaked Bulbul |
5 birds were seen on the central tree from the Bumbun Tahan hide |
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Ashy Bulbul |
The local race of these birds threw us at first, but the black face proved the vital clue to the identity. 2 were amongst the bird wave along the Old Road in the rain on the first day along the Old Road, with another 2 along the Bishop's Trail |
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Mountain Bulbul |
2 were feeding for some time in the canopy of a single tree
along the Bishop's Trail |
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Greater Green Leafbird |
1 in the bird wave along the Old Road on the first afternoon |
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Blue-winged Leafbird |
2 along the Old Road on the first afternoon; 4 and 3 on successive days at Taman Negara resort area |
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Orange-bellied Leafbird |
This species was very obvious around Fraser's Hill, often
being very confiding. Best spot for good views was at the Jelai Hotel, where
both males and females fed almost at arms length: Jelai Hotel (5, 6, 4); New
Road (2); Old Road (2); Bishop's Trail (2); Fraser's Hill rubbish tip (2) |
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Common Iora |
The birds in Peninsular Malaysia are of the black-capped
race. 3 males and a female were at Kuala Selangor |
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Malayan Whistling-Thrush |
For many birders, this is one of the top target birds of the area, due to its scarcity and also shy and retiring habits. It seems to be best seen either early morning or late evening, often on a flypast next to a stream. We were lucky to see a bird perched for a short time at the waterfall of Fraser's Hill, fanning its tail before moving on |
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Lesser Shortwing |
Perhaps even more difficult to pin down than the above
species, any report highlighting these usually only mentions call heard only. Our
good fortune continued when a helpful pair of Belgian birders showed us the
location for an adult they had found feeding a young bird along the Hemmant's's
Trail, and after a half hour vigil, the adult duly reappeared for its waiting
audience |
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Hill Prinia |
2 separate skulking birds were seen along the New Road below
Fraser's Hill |
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Yellow-bellied Prinia |
A single singing bird was next to the grassy path at Kuala
Selangor |
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Common Tailorbird |
Old Road (3, 1); Telekom Loop (likely to be this species, but Mountain Tailorbird can't be ruled out); Kuala Selangor (1) |
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Dark-necked Tailorbird |
A single female was in a low bush next to the chalets at Taman Negara resort |
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Ashy Tailorbird |
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Arctic Warbler |
2 at Taman Negara, 1 on the Old Road above The Gap Resthouse, and 1 at the Jelai Hotel |
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Chestnut-crowned Warbler |
2 together at the Jelai Hotel; 1 along the Hemmant's Trail |
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Siberian Flycatcher |
A very obliging bird was perched on the top of a bare tree
in a gulley along the Old Road. This species was originally known as Dark-sided
Flycatcher |
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Asian Brown Flycatcher |
Seen every day in small numbers, and in all habitats. 1-2
were seen on almost every day, apart from 2 along the Telekom Loop and 2 later
along the Hemmant's Trail |
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Mugimaki Flycatcher |
A stunning male was very close to in the car park of the
Jelai Hotel on the first morning there. We subsequently saw separate individual
male and female along the Telekom Loop, a male along the Hemmant's Trail, a
male down the New Road from Fraser's Hill, and another male along the Bishop's
Trail |
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Rufous-browed Flycatcher |
This is another of those birds which looks so much better in
the flesh than in the guide books. They are reputed to be quite a shy and
retiring bird, but we were treated to some good views of the 4 seen. The first
was in excellent light in an open wooded gulley along the Telekom Loop, with a
second bird the same afternoon along the Hemmant's Trail. Best views were of a
second Bishop's Trail bird, which looked to be feeding young next to the trail |
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Rufous-chested Flycatcher |
A single male was seen early on at Kuala Selangor |
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Little Pied Flycatcher |
These dapper little Flycatchers can be quite confiding, as demonstrated by the one we saw in the same bush as the first Mugimaki Flycatcher outside of the Jelai Hotel, but on the following morning. Other birds were lone individuals along the along the Telekom Loop (2) and Hemmant's Trail (2) |
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Verditer Flycatcher |
As with some of the other Flycatchers (eg Little Pied &
Rufous-browed), these were only seen in the highlands around Fraser's Hill, as
well as 3 separate birds along the Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse: Jelai
Hotel (male and female on each morning visit); 2 separate birds along the New
Road |
|
Large Niltava |
In good light the blue males are stunning, although most of
the sightings were in the cover of the forest: Hemmant's Trail (pair and
separate male); New Road (male); Hemmant's Trail 2nd visit (male) |
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Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher |
A single male was feeding at the swimming area of the river
along the Bumbun Tabing trail at Taman Negara |
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Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher |
A male was heard singing along the mangrove boardwalk of
Kuala Selangor, before being eventually sighted quite close to where we were
standing |
|
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher |
2 were in the bird wave along the Jenut Muda trail, 1 was along the Telekom Loop at Fraser's Hill, and 1 was down the Old Road |
|
Oriental Magpie-Robin |
A very common sight in all habitats throughout, with between 4-12 birds being seen on any particular day. The race here is the white-bellied form, as opposed to the black-bellied form found on Borneo |
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White-rumped Shama |
1 briefly along the Bumbun Tabing trail at Taman Negara on the second day there |
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Slaty-backed Forktail |
This was one of the birds we wanted to see, both due to its
looks and also the difficulty in seeing them. Forktails tend to be very shy,
hiding along river courses whenever they can. We were thus both surprised and
pleased to find a pair showing well at the Fraser's Hill waterfall. We were
even more surprised to find a different third bird first thing the next morning
below the first stream bridge reached while descending the New Road |
|
White-throated Fantail |
The higher elevation fantail. A very close bird at the Jelai
Hotel was followed by 3 along the Telekom Loop, and 1 the same day along the
Hemmant's Trail. On the second walk along the Hemmant's Trail, a further 2 were
seen |
|
Pied Fantail |
The mangrove fantail. 4 were seen from the mangrove
boardwalk at Kuala Selangor |
|
Spotted Fantail |
The lowland forest fantail. 4 were found in the forest trails of Taman Negara |
|
Black-naped Monarch |
Only seen at Taman Negara, where one was seen on the full
day there, and 7 on the last morning |
|
Asian Paradise-Flycatcher |
Only 2 seen, in the bird wave along the Jenut Muda trail |
|
Black Laughingthrush |
4 birds were seen on the second full day at Fraser's Hill; 1
briefly along the New Road while watching the Banded Woodpecker; a pair
followed a single male along the Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse on the last
morning in the area |
|
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush |
Very common and vocal around Fraser's Hill, where there were
at least 20 on any one day |
|
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush |
Much less common and brash than the above species, apart
from a trio feeding at the Jelai Hotel. Away from here, only one was seen,
along the Bishop's Trail |
|
Ferruginous Babbler |
A pair was in the undergrowth along the Jenut Muda trail |
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Abbott's Babbler |
One of the nightmares of the area - very similar to Horsfield's Babbler, the 6 individuals seen were in view for some time (eventually) and a combination of concolourous back and unmarked breast helped with identication: swimming area of Bumbun Tabing trail at Taman Negara (2); beginning of Bukit Teresek trail (1); Bumbun Tebing trail (1); Kuala Selangor (2) |
|
Marbled Wren-Babbler |
The wren-babblers have an appeal of their own, mainly due to
their subtle and well marked colours and their secretive nature. This species
typifies the point, and is one of the hard to see residents of the Fraser's Hill
area. We were lucky to sit out the calls of 3 birds along the Old Road up from
The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon. The birds were frequenting a densely
foliaged gully next to the road, and it took some time to see them in the
depths of the understorey |
|
Rufous-fronted Babbler |
Quite common at Taman Negara. With ~12 on the first day
(most easily seen around the camp site), and 2 & 3 on subsequent days |
|
Golden Babbler |
Occasional at Fraser's Hill: Jelai Hotel (1, 1); Telekom Loop
(2); Hemmant's Trail (1, 1) |
|
Grey-throated Babbler |
3 were in an active feeding group at the Jelai Hotel, with a
pair of birds along the Hemmant's Trail |
|
Striped Tit-Babbler |
A pair were at Kuala Selangor |
|
Silver-eared Mesia |
Common at Fraser's Hill, and very easily seen, both at the
Jelai Hotel (~8 each morning), and along the Telekom Loop (~8) |
|
White-browed Shrike-Babbler |
1 was in a mixed bird wave along the Telekom Loop |
|
Black-eared Shrike-Babbler |
One of this species was seen immediately after the above,
this a poorly marked individual. Much brighter birds were subsequently seen
along the Hemmant's Trail (2) |
|
Blue-winged Minla |
Most of the birds seen were at the Jelai Hotel, where they were feeding very actively. Up to 5 were seen on any one morning, with an additional 2 birds seen at the mosque car park before walking the Hemmant's Trail |
|
Brown Fulvetta |
Only one pair seen, and we had to strain our necks to see
them, since they were directly above us shortly after starting the walk along
the Bukit Teresek trail |
|
Mountain Fulvetta |
This species was very common around the highlands of Fraser's Hill. A few were present on each morning at the Jelai Hotel, but many more were seen around the resort, particularly when walking the trails, with at least 25 seen on any one day |
|
Long-tailed Sibia |
Another very common and seemingly omnipresent species around
Fraser's Hill. A small and noisy group were at the Jelai Hotel each morning,
and more were seen around the resort in general, with ~20 on any one day |
|
White-bellied Yuhina |
Old Road above The Gap Resthouse (2, 1); Jenut Muda trail at
Taman Negara (2); Hemmant's Trail (1) |
|
Golden-bellied Gerygone |
Surprisingly, only one of these drab and uncharacteristic
birds was seen at Kuala Selangor, and this was also one of the first birds seen
on the visit to the reserve |
|
Great Tit |
3 rather grey birds of the local race at Kuala Selangor |
|
Sultan Tit |
As opposed to the grey Great Tit of the region, the Sultant
Tit is large and bright, making it rather a spectacular sight. They were also
seen regularly in small numbers: Old Road above The Gap Resthouse (2); Jelai
Hotel (2 on each morning); Telekom Loop (1); New Road down from Fraser's Hill
(1); Bishop's Trail (2); Fraser's Hill rubbish Tip (1) |
|
Blue Nuthatch |
If we were pushed, we would admit that this was one of the birds we really wanted to see during the visit. However, we gathered that they were quite difficult to see, since they prefer to keep to the closed forest, and are usually stumbled upon in a bird wave. The first of our two birds almost fitted these particulars, being seen only briefly along the Bishop's Trail, although not in a bird wave. The second rewrote expectations, landing twice on a bare tree in the open on the periphery of Fraser's Hill rubbish tip |
|
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird |
Separate male and female individuals at Kuala Selangor |
|
Plain-throated Sunbird |
2 separate males at Kuala Selangor |
|
Olive-backed Sunbird |
2 separate males at Kuala Selangor |
|
Black-throated Sunbird |
Seen quite regularly at Fraser's Hill: Jelai Hotel (1); Telekom Loop (2); Old Road (1); Bishop's Trail (4). All records refer to males, since a few female sunbirds were seen at Fraser's Hill, and apparently only this species occurs there, but we could not confirm their identity |
|
Long-billed Spiderhunter |
2 birds seen on separate days at Taman Negara, around the
resort area |
|
Little Spiderhunter |
Only one seen, in a tree at Taman Negara resort. This bird
occupied the same branch for some time, picked up easily since it was calling
at first |
|
Grey-breasted Spiderhunter |
2 seen at Taman Negara resort |
|
Streaked Spiderhunter |
The only spiderhunter to occur at Fraser's Hill, this species was seen regularly. They are very vocal, including in flight, and confiding when perched / feeding: Jelai Hotel (up to 4 each morning); Telekom Loop (1); Hemmant's Trail (1); Old Road (2, 1); Fraser's Hill rubbish tip (1); Bishop's Trail (1) |
|
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker |
Only one seen - a very obliging male directly above us in
the same tree as the more or less static Little Spiderhunter |
|
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker |
This is apparently the only flowerpecker to be found in the higher altitudes of Fraser's Hill, and the good views we had of a male visiting the Jelai Hotel on two successive days left little doubt as to its identity |
|
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker |
A single male was watched feeding for some time in the same
flowering tree at Kuala Selangor |
|
Everett's White-eye |
All the birds seen seemed to be of this species, although the race of Oriental in the lowlands has less yellow above the bill, and so has to be seen extremely well or heard for separation: Telekom Loop at Fraser's Hill (3); Jelai Hotel (2); Kuala Selangor (6) |
|
Black-naped Oriole |
Very common and vocal at the lower altitudes: Taman Negara, mainly in the resort area (1, 8, 2): Kuala Selangor (12) |
|
Black-and-crimson Oriole |
Only seen at the Jelai Hotel on all three early morning
visits. The single and elusive bird on the first day was joined by a second on
the subsequent days, when they became much more obliging and vocal |
|
Asian Fairy-bluebird |
This species was only seen at Taman Negara, particularly from the Bumbun Tahan hide, where they were present in some numbers, with up to 6 males being seen in the lone tree at any one time. Only one pair was seen on the first day, with ~10 males and 6 females on the second, with another 7 males on the third day |
|
Tiger Shrike |
Perhaps a little bit of a surprise, this skulking shrike was
the reward for not prolonging our visit to the rice fields on the last day, and
deciding to return to Kuala Selangor instead. It occupied low bushes next to
the loop and adjacent to the drain |
|
Brown Shrike |
The first bird was a singleton along Lady Maxwell Drive at
Fraser's Hill after completing the Bishop's Trail. 5 were around the small rice
fields on the last day, all on telegraph wires |
|
Large Woodshrike |
6 were in the mixed wave of birds along the Old Road up from
The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon. A single bird was seen there on the
second visit later in the week, and another was along the trails at Taman
Negara |
|
Black Drongo |
There can be some confusion in the region with Ashy Drongo,
where the race is darker than those encountered in India. Not all are said to show
the distinctive loral spot: presumed up to 10 along the Old Road from The Gap
Resthouse on the first afternoon; 4 at Taman Negara; 2 at Kuala Selangor |
|
Bronzed Drongo |
A more delicate and shiny plumaged bird than Black Drongo,
this species was seen at higher altitudes, with most at Fraser's Hill (12 along
the New Road, 1 and 2 along the Old Road up from The Gap Resthouse) |
|
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo |
Most of the birds seen had lost their rackets, with this
species being more of a higher altitude bird than Greater: Jelai Hotel (2 on
each morning); Telekom Loop (1); Hemmant's Trail (2); Bishop's Trail (4) |
|
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo |
3 and then 2 birds were seen from the terrace of The Gap Resthouse; up to 6 birds seen on each day at Taman Negara |
|
White-breasted Woodswallow |
Only seen at the small rice fields, where they are a
relatively recent colonist. ~12 birds were seen here, either perched on
telegraph wires, or in flight |
|
Green Magpie |
A single bird was a regular visitor each morning to the Jelai Hotel, usually staying only for brief periods |
|
House Crow |
Common in the lowlands, most often seen from the car en route |
|
Slender-billed Crow |
~5 were at Kuala Selangor |
|
Large-billed Crow |
4 along the New Road down from Fraser's Hill; 2 over
Fraser's Hill. Many more crows were seen throughout the week, but not
specifically identified |
|
Asian Glossy Starling |
~40 around Taman Negara; 1 at Kuala Selangor |
|
Common Hill Myna |
1 on the first day's journey before arriving at The Gap
Resthouse; 1, 4 at Taman Negara, usually from the Bumbun Tahan hide; 1 at Kuala
Selangor |
|
Javan Myna |
At least 15 were at Kuala Selangor |
|
Jungle Myna |
Quite common around Taman Negara (15+) |
|
Common Myna |
Probably common but not specifically identified while
driving, only 2 were pinned down at Taman Negara, but they were very common
around Kuala Selangor |
|
Daurian Starling |
At least 20 were seen on the full day at Taman Negara, in 2
good sized groups perched at the top of bare trees from the resort |
|
Eurasian Tree Sparrow |
Mainly seen en route, they were common around Jerantut |
|
Baya Weaver |
5 non breeding birds were at the small rice fields |
|
Nutmeg Mannikin |
4 in a group at the small rice fields |
|
White-bellied Munia |
8 flew over us and landed on a tree while descending the Old Road on the return to The Gap Resthouse on the first afternoon |
|
Species list |