Birders Of Sabah Borneo Island: February 2022

13-16th February 2022

Another great camping trip at Mt. Trusmadi since my last visit in 2003 with CK. We stayed for a few nights and during that time, the weather has been kind and rewarding too with plenty of fruiting trees nearby the main gate and also along the access road to the camping site. Target species here was the Bulwer's Pheasant, Malaysian Rail-Babbler, Crested Partridge, Long-billed Partridge and Bornean Frogmouth. Only the Frogmouth was seen briefly with great recording of its call and song on the final morning at the mountain. The rest was heard except for Malaysian Rail-Babbler really close but the thick vegetation was the main culprit...

The journey continued to Tinopikon Camp site, Penampang for the Blue-banded Kingfisher and Fairy Pitta but it was a disappointment with only fewer common birds seen at the hiking trail. While Andrew decided to call it a day, the rest drove towards Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud for the Black-faced Spoonbill, Black-browed Reed Warbler and another sighting of the rare resident of Eastern Grass Owl!

Bird list at Mt. Trusmadi, Mt. Alab, Tinopikon, Bukit Padang, Tanjung Aru Beach and Tempasuk:

Blyth's Hawk-Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle
Eastern Marsh Harrier
White-fronted Falconet (endemic)
Black-winged Kite
Brahminy Kite
Osprey
Brahminy Kite
Eurasian Kestrel
Crimson-headed Partridge (endemic)
Red-breasted Partridge (endemic)
Bulwer's Partridge (heard)
Crested Partridge (heard)
Great Argus
Wandering Whistling-Duck
Common Greenshank
Whiskered Tern
Little Egret
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nankeen Night Heron
Purple Heron
Yellow Bittern
Black-faced Spoonbill (vagrant)
Oriental Darter
Watercock
Eurasian Moorhen
Black-backed Swamphen
White-breasted Waterhen
Kentish Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Common Greenshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Long-toed Stint
Whiskered Tern
Little Cuckoo-Dove
Asian Emerald Dove
Zebra Dove
Spotted Dove
Green Imperial Pigeon
Asian Palm Swift
Plume-toed Swfitlet
Brush Cuckoo
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (endemic)
Sunda Cuckoo
Bornean Frogmouth (endemic)
Sunda Frogmouth
Oriental Bay Owl
Reddish Scops-Owl
Sunda Scops-Owl
Mountain Scops-Owl
Eastern Grass-Owl
Brown Boobook
Collared Kingfisher
Long-tailed Parakeet
Blue-naped Parrot
Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
Lesser Coucal
Common Iora
Green Iora
Orange-breasted Trogon
Collared Kingfisher
White-crowned Hornbill
Bornean Barbet (endemic)
Bornean Brown Barbet (endemic)
Golden-naped Barbet (endemic)
Mountain Barbet (endemic)
Gold-faced Barbet (endemic)
Red-throated Barbet
Maroon Woodpecker
Banded Woodpecker
Checker-throated Woodpecker
White-bellied Woodpecker
Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
Long-tailed Broadbill
Green Broadbill
Banded Broadbill
Black & Yellow Broadbill
Whitehead's Broadbill (endemic)
Bornean Banded Pitta (endemic)
Golden-bellied Gerygone
Gray-rumped Treeswift
White-nest Swift
Barn Swallow
Pacific Swallow
White-breasted Woodswallow
Pied Triller
Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
Sunda Cuckooshrike
Gray-chinned Minivet
Blyth's Shrike-Babbler
Bornean Whistler (endemic)
Black and Crimson Oriole
Asian Fairy Bluebird
Spotted Fantail
White-throated Fantail
Malaysian Pied Fantail
Ashy Drongo
Hair-crested Drongo
Black Drongo
Crested Shrikejay
Bornean Treepie (endemic)
Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher
White-bellied Erpornis
Bornean Whistler (endemic)
Dark-necked Tailorbird
Ashy Tailorbird
Mountain Tailorbird
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Black-headed Bulbul
Bornean Bulbul (endemic)
Penan Bulbul (endemic)
Cinereous Bulbul
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Spectacled Bulbul
Yellow-bellied Warbler
Mountain Leaf Warbler
Sunda Bush Warbler
Black-browed Reed Warbler (vagrant)
Striated Grassbird
Chestnut-crested Yuhina (endemic)
Swinhoe's White-Eye
Pygmy White-Eye (endemic)
Rufous-fronted Babbler
Black-capped Babbler
Short-tailed Babbler
Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler
Rail-Babbler (heard)
Chestnut-rumped Babbler
Chestnut-winged Babbler
Gray-throated Babbler
Black-throated Wren-Babbler (endemic)
Temminck's Babbler
Brown Fulvetta
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush (endemic)
Sunda Laughingthrush
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
White-crowned Shama (endemic)
Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher
Dayak Blue Flycatcher (endemic)
Blue and White Flycatcher
Indigo Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
Mugimaki Flycatcher
Asian Glossy Starling
Orange-headed Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush
White-browed Shortwing
Oriental Magpie Robin
Black-sided Flowerpecker (endemic)
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Temminck's Sunbird
Eastern Crimson Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird
Olive-backed Sunbird
Long-billed Spiderhunter
Little Spiderhunter
Whitehead's Spiderhunter (endemic)
Bornean Spiderhunter (endemic)
Lesser Green Leafbird
Bornean Leafbird (endemic)
Chestnut-munia
Scaly-breasted Munia
Dusky Munia (endemic)
Java Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Yellow Wagtail
Gray Wagtail

Recording made at the mountain uploaded to my Xeno-Canto:

Along the access road to Camp Site at Mt. Trusmadi

T-junction before the hike to the camping site

Morning birding around the gate were the best with plenty of fruiting trees! We got the Golden-bellied Gergone, Orange-breasted Trogon, Bornean Banded Pitta, Pygmy White-Eye and many more!