One of the elusive Pitta found in Sabah, this endemic preferred hill slopes for feeding and usually moves in pair. Record shot taken on the East Coast with the gang during one of the bird survey last September.
Best places would be at Kinabatangan River, Sabah and also at Sungai Wain, Balikpapan according to friends who went to Kalimantan a few times in search for the Bornean Peacock Pheasant. Based on my records, this bird moved quietly on the floor without making any noise and when it replied on the playback, usually on the horizontal branches or logs on the ground.
Sometimes it takes hours before we get a glimpse of this rare birds too... The images below were taken at Kinabatangan River on cruise.
Considered the smallest Raptor in the world, it is only found in Sabah and Brunei at Borneo Island. Main diet includes Nymph Butterfly and smaller birds such as Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Iora and Sunbird. If you are driving along the Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan Road, look for bare or death trees where it likes to perched and wait for its preys.
On my previous tour in March with Alex, Katie and Alison, one morning while driving up to Timpohon Gate, I couldn't believe me eyes when I saw for the first time, a perching Mountain Serpent Eagle on the electric cable! Oh My God! Then the story goes...
Then it flew up to one of the bare branch and sing for few minutes. Endemic to Borneo.
Comparison with the Crested Serpent Eagle that is found from lowland to 1000m asl. The cheek is paler and has different type of call too. In flight seen from below, the mountain species has wider white tail band too. Taken at Kinabatangan River.
It was harassed by the Bornean Treepie
I have been birding since 2013 and that was my first time to have a closer view of this magnificent Raptor that only seen mostly high up on the blue skies!
Another montane endemic found in Borneo. These Partridge usually moved in flocks and allowed lucky photographers to get as close as possible for pictures, videos etc.
Freelance photographer cum bird guide specialised in Birds, Sports and Digiscoping for a living. Ambassador for Swarovski Optik, Austria. Borneo 500 Club and currently at 559 species of birds in Borneo
Proper Autumn Migration Commence!
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While we get some early autumn migrants from late August onwards, the
proper wave of migrants usually arrive between the first two weeks of
September, with...
