Mount Kinabalu 5Th to 11Th September 2019

Mount Kinabalu 5th to 11th September 2019

Many of us in our group of 6 have yet to set foot in Borneo, this trip served as an introductory trip to key montane areas of the Island – Mount Kinabalu, Poring, Crocker’s Range. With the main aim to get the Whitehead’s trio and other special endemics in the range. A day trip to Poring was scheduled for an attempt at the elusive Hose’s Broadbill and Blue-banded Pitta. Crocker’s Range was our final stop to clean up some of the endemics that were supposed to be be easier here than at Mount Kinabalu.

Birders on the trip: Elize Ng, Nathaniel Ng, Dominic Ng, Gwee Chyi Yin, Tan Hui Zhen, Geraldine Lee

Brief Itinerary 5th Sept: Arrive in Kota Kinabalu and drive to Mount Kinabalu 6th – 8th Sept: Mount Kinabalu 9th Sept: Poring 10th Sept: Mount Kinabalu from 5.30 to 9am, Kinabalu Mountain Lodge from 9am till 12pm. Then departed for Crocker’s Range. 11th Sept: Crocker’s range till 11am, and left for the airport

Flights We had return flights from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu on AirAsia. They have flights twice a day from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu. We paid SGD 1,062.24 for all our flights and 25kg of baggage for 6 pax.

Accommodation At Mount Kinabalu, we stayed just outside the park, as lodging within the park was too expensive. We opted to stay at Lily’s Backpacker’s Cottage 1, which is a short 5 min drive to the park entrance. We booked the whole cottage for our group over 5 nights on Airbnb which came up to SGD 520 for everything. Breakfast was included and since we usually started early and came back only at lunch, Lily allowed us to claim the breakfast cost if we had lunch or dinner at the café. There were 2 common use toilets, but we had it mostly to ourselves since there weren’t many other guests around. The backyard was quite birdy in the afternoons when we came back for a break or when it rained. We also heard the Mountain Scops Owl on the first night, but did not manage to see it. Wifi was available only at the café and barely reaches the room, but once near the café the wifi is usually strong. Cellphone signal is readily available as well.

On our last night, we stayed at Gunung Alab Motel in Crocker’s Range, the only accommodation available within the mountains. Reservations can only be made via whatsapp or phone: +60 19- 823 9633. The numbers in the picture below are outdated or don’t work. The reservation I made did not seem to make any difference. On arrival, we were asked to choose our rooms, and was then told that they only had 1 twin room, when my initial reservation was for 3 twin rooms. We then decided on 1 twin and 1 family suite (1 queen bed, 1 double decker bed which sleeps 3), for RM180. The rooms were really old, and the family suite faced the main road which had vehicles going by frequently. For birders, it would be of interest to check out the swiftlets that nest

1 just outside the windows. There are 2 restaurants downstairs which serve food from 7am to 9pm, with Ramly burger as an option. There is no wifi nor cellphone signal here. During the night there is also no electricity, and the electric kettle was a useless option for breakfast.

Vehicle We booked a Toyota Innova for our group of 6, and it was just comfortable to fit everyone and our bags (1 backpack each). Reservation was made through Rentalcars.com with KK Leisure and rent a car, which was SGD$616 for a week. Booking directly with KK would not have been any cheaper, rates were RM2300 per week.

Entrance fees For non-Malaysians it cost RM15 per person to enter, for Malaysians it costs RM5. Tickets can only be bought for the day, unless you’re staying within the park which would then allow you to buy 3 day tickets. The ticket booth is manned from as early as 5.30am which would be early enough for most birders. Otherwise, the park entrance is open all day and can be entered even when unmanned.

Weather We were at the tail end of the dry season, and was hopeful about the weather given that it is also peak climbing season. However, upon arrival, we learnt that it just started raining after a period of dry spell. During our stay, it rained every afternoon and night, halving our birding duration and limited night birding opportunities. Due to the intense rain on the night of 8th Sept, many trees fell at Poring, which prevented us from hiking up to the waterfall.

References Taxonomy herein follows Eaton et al., 2016. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona. The trip was planned with reference to many trip reports on Cloudbirders but specifically:  Hornsveld (Dec 2017 – Jan 2018) – Great GPS spots  Baruah (Aug 2015) – For birding strategies and logistics  Borneo Bird Club Facebook group for onsite tips, special thanks to Tim Forrester and Zaim Hazim for the onsite tips

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1, 5th September 2019 Our flight was delayed by 3 hours, which disallowed birding time at Tanjung Tuan beach. Upon arrival at the airport at about 5.30pm, we picked up the car without much fuss from KK rental – located just in front of the arrival hall exit. We stopped by Boulevard Hypermarket (5.931507, 116.070030) to pick up groceries and have dinner. We realized during the drive after that there were a few Giant supermarkets along the way towards Mount Kinabalu which would have been cheaper to buy groceries at. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at Lily’s cottage, and in the parking lot, heard the Mountain Scops Owl calling from behind the cottage. Lily came to greet us when she heard us arriving, and informed us about breakfast and other relevant details of the cottage. After we settled in, we tried for the owl again but to no avail. Instead it seemed to have moved further.

Day 2, 6th September 2019

We started the day at 5.20am driving up to the spot which Tim Forrester suggested for the Everett’s Thrush and parked at 6.019744, 116.539534 and walked slightly downhill. We heard the Everett’s Thrush tssweet call at dawn, but it did not show, only a single Bornean Whistlingthrush was feeding 2 about 50m downslope (6.019744, 116.539534) from where we parked. A single Bloodhead was stumbling in the vegetation next to where we were, but it was still too dark to get a clear view of it. Once the sun was out, we birded along the road, which yielded Sunda Wabler (ssp. montis), Temminck’s Sunbird, Mountain Leaf Warbler (ssp. kinabaluensis which was very drab), Ashy Drongo, Bornean Treepie, Bornean Flowerpecker. A Mountain Imperial Pigeon landed nearby amongst the thicket with not so great views. Mountain Barbets were heard in the distant. The morning was very quiet and at 8.45am we decided to go further up to the gate to see if we can find birdier spots.

At Timpohon gate, it was very birdy despite the number of people passing through to start their ascend of Mount Kinabalu. Right next to the power station before the toilet there was a single Golden-naped Barbet that went about foraging at very close range, a Pale-faced Bulbul fleeting around within a meter of passing hikers, and Grey Chinned Minivets within close ID-able range. Further down, past the toilet, there were some flowering trees where there was the prized Mountain Blackeye amongst other birds – Little Pied Flycatcher, Ashy Drongos, Black-capped White-eye. We proceeded to the viewing platform above the gate, and were greeted by very friendly (and greedy) squirrels. While entertaining the squirrels, we were surprised to hear laughingthrushes, and to our excitement, Sunda Laughingthrushes alongside the more common Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes showed up around the gate despite the crowd.

Sunda Laughingthrush (left) and Pale-faced bulbul (right) © Tan Hui Zhen

Once we had satisfactory photos and views of the laughingthrushes, we headed for one of the well- known trails, Bukit Ular at 10am. The trail starts steep but levels off to a gradual climb. It was very quiet and there was little to no activity. On our climb up we saw no birds and decided to give up about 1/3 of the trail in. On our way down, a small brown bird with a long tail, suspected to be a Bornean Stubtail, which was calling, zipped by without providing any views. Continuing our unsuccessful descend, we chanced upon a pair of Bornean Green Magpies which stayed around for some time albeit high in the canopy and were unresponsive to calls, but it was a treat to see them given the dearth of bird activity. Shortly after, a pair of Maroon Woodpeckers started calling and showed well, the only pair we saw the entire trip. Both Sunda and Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes were also seen passing through. We ended our morning at 11.30 am and decided to go back to the cottage for lunch and a quick nap, hoping that the afternoon would be better. While waiting for the rain to clear up, we did some backyard birding. There was a juvenile Bar- winged Flycatcher Shrike foraging in the bushes. A few Ashy Drongos were sitting in the bare trees around the cottage as well. The highlight was when a pair of Pygmy Heleia passed through, the bird was very drab with olive brown upper parts, and a yellowish wash underside, with a pale grey iris. The forecrown was slightly greyish but not obviously scaly. We subsequently ID-ed it as the Pygmy

Heleia as it could not have been a Bornean Flowerpecker given the combination of features listed above. A flock of Chestnut Munias were also seen passing through the backyard.

Pygmy Heleia © Tan Hui Zhen

At 4pm, we tried the upper Silau Silau trail which was alongside a river. The trail was extremely quiet except for the single Bornean Forktail which we saw at the first river crossing (about 300m into the trail), and tracked it down for some time before giving up. There was no other bird activity that we encountered along the trail until we reached the exit near Hill Lodge. Here we saw and heard a female Bornean Whistlingthrush. It was 5.30pm when we exited the trail and had to walk back up to the start of where we started to get the car. Along the way we heard the Bornean Wood Owl and the Barred Eagle Owl calling, but none showed.

Day 3, 7th September 2019 We started the day at the same spot to try for the thrush to no avail, but the same Bornean Whistlingthrush showed up, this time coming much closer. As soon as the sun was out, we headed for the nearby Mempening trail upper entrance at about 6.15am. In the first 100m of the trail there was a nice flat patch with lots of leaf litter that looked good for partridges, where we tried for both species. Bloodheads were calling right off the path but refused to cross the path and shortly after disappeared. Not long after, the Bornean Partridges started calling. Two individuals frantically crossed the path multiples times giving great views. The rest of the trail was relatively quiet except for a lone Mountain Leaftoiler and we left the trail at about 7.35am. Outside the trail, downhill, where the water tank was 3 Mountain Imperial Pigeons perched nicely in the open for amazing views of these pigeons which usually only give distant flight views.

Mountain Imperial Pigeon © Tan Hui Zhen

We headed for the Silau Silau trail entrance near the HQ at about 8.20am where we encountered the usual suspects in a mixed flock – Sunda Warbler, Bornean Whistler, Penan Bulbul. A pair of Bornean Green Magpies were also passing through, but they were distant and only granted brief views. Here we saw our only Temminck’s Babbler which was skulking in the shrubby vegetation behind us when the mixed flock passed. The trail became quiet and we left it at 9.40am to walk along the main road.

Temminck’s Babbler © Tan Hui Zhen

Heading towards Pandanus trail, there was a flock of Chestnut-crested Yuhinias outside the entrance. A group of British birders (thank you!) pointed out that there was a Bornean Shortwing skulking in the undergrowth just by the bridge, where we spent the next 2 hours attempting to get views of the shy individual. During which, a Bornean Forktail gave fleeting views as it shuttled between both sides of the road along the small stream. Whilst chasing the forktail, a Bornean Shade-dweller came in briefly and perched in the open along the road. Temminck’s Sunbirds, both male and females, made visits to the flowers around the entrance.

Bornean Shade-dweller © Tan Hui Zhen

We left for the cottage at 12pm, where we ticked our trip’s first Yellow-vented Bulbul. After lunch at the cottage, we returned to Pandanus entrance again where we saw Temminck’s Sunbird, Chestnut- crested Yuhinias, Grey-throated Babbler, Mountain Leaftoiler. The shortwing was still giving its occasional call, but we did not pursue it. Exhausting the trail entrance, we headed for the area behind Liwagu restaurant, where we had fantastic eye-level views of the Bornean Flowerpecker. The female spotted first before attention was concentrated on the confiding male that sat in the open while occasionally picking a fruit. It soon poured heavily, and we returned to the cottage just in time to not get drenched.

After Nat’s arrival, we had a great dinner at Oppa28’s steamboat and grill buffet (6.005088, 116.535549) for about RM25 each. After dinner, at about 8.45pm we tried night birding at the upper Silau Silau entrance, but nothing responded, probably due to the heavy rain earlier that activity was low. We headed for the Liwagu restaurant area and Pandanus entrance for another attempt at night birding. At the latter spot, a Mountain Scops Owl was calling despite the loud conversations people were having at the accommodation up the hill. But this individual, was probably sitting in the thickest of the vegetation and refused to budge. We gave up all attempts to see it after an hour. Back at the cottage we heard one individual calling from across the road, but any attempts to find it was futile.

Day 4, 8th September 2019 We had a similar start as per previous days, and headed to the thrush spot, this time at the lower end. The same Bornean Whistlingthrush was foraging. Going further downhill, there was a pair of Orange-headed Thrush (ssp. aurata) foraging in the leaf litter by the roadside. They return to feed even after being flushed by oncoming traffic. However, there was still no sight of the Everett’s Thrush. We continued with some roadside birding with a mixed flock that passed – Erpornis, Temminck’s Sunbird, Sunda Warbler, Mountain Leaf Warbler, Indigo Warbling Flycatcher, Black- capped White-eye. At 7am we headed for the Bukit Ular trail again, hoping it would be more productive in the morning. Shortly after entering the trail, we heard the Bornean Shortwing calling, but any attempts to see it was unsuccessful. The trail remained quiet except for a lone Bornean Shade-dweller that came in quietly. We decided to cut our losses in the unproductive trail and headed for Timpohon gate.

Upon arriving at the parking lot near the gate, a pair of Little Cuckoo Doves were seen mating. At the entrance, by the power station, a Golden-naped Barbet was foraging in the low fruiting trees. A pair of Sunda Cuckooshrikes gave spectacular views and stayed throughout our visit to the gate. A lone Sunda Bush Warbler was skulking along the fence and the densely vegetated bush just outside the toilet. In the bush there were also White-throated Fantail, Grey-throated Babbler, Chestnut- hooded Laughingthrush. In the vicinity there were Grey-chinned Minivet, Indigo Warbling Flycatcher, and Ashy Drongo present. Further down from the toilet, there was a Mountain Blackeye foraging in the flowering plants. A female Bornean Whistlingthrush sat in the open for brief views before leaving in the direction of the power station. We headed for the view point above the gate, where we had the Golden-naped Barbet very close. The Sunda Laughingthrushes came in after the crowd was gone alongside the Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush. There was also a pair of Mountain Blackeye foraging in the flowering plants.

Little Cuckoo Dove and Mountain Blackeye © Tan Hui Zhen

We spent a further 45 minutes at Liwagu and Silau Silau trail entrance, but there wasn’t much activity except for the vocalizing Bloodheads and Bornean Green Magpies. We moved on to Kinabalu Mountain Lodge (6.012000, 116.534000) at 11.20am in hopes of getting some open habitat species. Enroute, we saw our first Oriental Magpie Robins that had full black bellies in the male, and more extensive grey in the female. At the lodge, where we parked and had a vantage point, there was a lone Mountain Barbet foraging in the fruiting tree, a species not commonly seen on Mount Kinabalu itself. As noon approached we had an Oriental Honey Buzzard and Blyth’s Hawk Eagle riding the thermals. Just before we left, a small flock of Bornean Leafbirds (1male with 2 females) with the radically distinct female that has a black mask bordered by a light shade of blue. They stayed around for some time, allowing for amazing views and pictures.

After an amazing lunch at 89 Food Station (6.000059, 116.546579), we returned to the park to bird. This time, we stopped at the first hut after the HQ and birded on the bridge around a slope. A Bornean Whistlingthrush pair was briefly spotted in the open, as they rarely perch in areas with good lighting. Shortly after, there were Bornean Green Magpies that came in close at eye-level, providing good photo opportunity. A Checker-throated Yellownape was going about pecking at tree trunks while a large flock of Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes passed.

Bornean Green Magpie © Tan Hui Zhen

We proceeded to the lower Silau Silau trail in hopes of encountering the trio that have yet to be heard at all. The trail was completely quiet and the only bird we saw along it was a Bornean Forktail that finally allowed decent views of its crown. We encountered them quite often along trails at different times of the day, but they tend to be very flighty and elusive. They are not particularly responsive to playback, but it could be individual differences. When the forktail walked out of sight, it started to drizzle and we headed back to our car before it started pouring heavily. It rained for the rest of the day and into the night, the hardest it rained over the past few days.

Bornean Forktail © Tan Hui Zhen

Day 5, 9th September 2019 Today, we were bound for Poring Hotsprings to get the sub-montane and hillside species that we do not encounter on Mount Kinabalu. We started the drive from Lily’s Cottage at about 5.15am towards Poring. We arrived at about 6.15am and the gate was wide open. We parked our car just past the gate and headed towards Langanan Waterfall, which was a 3.5km walk from the start point. While still in the hotspring compound and within minutes from the main entrance, there was a huge tree fall at the bridge that connects the hotsprings to the offices. Thinking nothing much about it, we climbed through and proceeded along with our way towards the waterfall.

At the start of the forest, we encountered a vocal White-crowned Shama that perched mid-canopy. The crown was not immediately obvious at first, but when it tilted its head, the white was seen to extend over its crown. Its song was not discernably different from the more range extensive White- rumped Shama found throughout the rest of Borneo, except Sabah. After the shama left, we continued with our hike to the waterfall, within minutes we encountered yet another tree fall after a clearing near the path towards the toilet. This tree fall was infested with weaver ants and instead of trying to step over it, we made a detour up the slope to get around it. In the meantime, a pair of Black-naped Monarch passed by.

White-crowned Shama © Geraldine Lee

After passing the 2nd tree fall, we approached the river crossing which was not paved and rock hopping was needed. And then the real hike up the hill started, the slope was steep, and there was at least 3km more to go for the Langanan waterfall. Determined to get a chance to see the two target species here, we steadily hiked up the steep slope. Within 5 minutes, we were faced with yet another tree fall. This time, it was so huge that it spanned at least 10m across, and the slopes to the left and right of the tree fall were too steep to traversed that we resigned that our trip to see the prized birds here was not meant to be. At this moment, it then dawned upon us that yesterday night’s downpour was especially heavy which would have caused many trees to fall. Dejected that our plan to hike up to the waterfall was derailed, we returned to the river crossing to have our breakfast.

At the river crossing, there is a little station for visitors to sign in so that park managers know who entered the trail in case of emergencies. Visitors were also advised not to hike to the waterfall past 3pm as there would not be time to return before night fall. On the visitor log sheet, we saw that the last group that visited was at the waterfall just the previous night at 8pm. Just our luck that it was pouring heavily the night before we visited Poring. We explored the unobstructed area from the river crossing towards the toilet. There wasn’t too much activity along the river, but there was some activity at the clearing near the toilet. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Crimson Sunbird, Black-naped Monarch, and Plain Sunbird visited the flowering trees in the vicinity. On our way out, we had a drenched Grey-cheeked Bulbul that had a huge bill.

As an alternative to hiking up to the waterfall, we decided to try the canopy walk within the hotspring grounds in hopes of seeing at least some canopy birds. Entrance was RM5 per person, and a RM5 fee for cameras. On our way in, we flushed a bird that was mostly white with a long tail, but did not manage to pinpoint what species it was. The trail was relatively quiet and lacking of any bird activity. While we were chatting along the trail, we encountered a juvenile Bornean Forktail, it lacked a white forecrown and had white streaks on the breast. This individual did not fled even though we were within 10m of it and making quite a bit of noise. We followed it as it foraged along the trail, before it left after the next turn of the corner. The canopy walk consisted of 4 bridges and had viewpoints at intersections. It was reminiscent of the one in Taman Negara (in Peninsula Malaysia) albeit constructed much higher. We heard Black-and-Yellow and Banded Broadbills calling in the distant. At the second viewpoint, which was surrounded by denser vegetation, a Verditer Flycatcher came in quietly. There was not much other bird activity otherwise, probably due to the time of day, it was about 9.30 am when we started the canopy walk. We gave up birding and went for lunch at Nongling Restaurant, one of the restaurants just outside the hotspring grounds. Thereafter, we drove back to Mount Kinabalu to bird for the rest of the day.

Back at Mount Kinabalu, we hiked an inner trail, Bukit Tupai trail towards the shelter. Again the trail was relatively quiet, but near the shelter, we spotted a Bornean Spangled Drongo sitting in the distance. Shortly after the sky darkened and it started pouring and we sought refuge in the nearby shelter. When the rain lighten, we had a flock of Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush and a Bornean Treepie from the shelter. After enjoying the views, we hurriedly left the shelter for our car just in case it decides to pour yet again. The sky cleared completed, and on the drive down we stopped at the HQ viewpoint to enjoy a clear view of the peak. During which 3 Mountain Imperial Pigeons perched on a nearby tree. A large flock of Chestnut-crested Yuhinas came into the trees as well to feed. After activity quietened, we proceeded to stake out at Grace’s hostel which is a known spot for the prized spiderhunter and partridges but there was no activity save for a Little Pied Flycatcher and a Bornean Treepie.

At dusk (~6pm), we proceeded to the intersection of the entrances to Kiau view and Silau Silau trails (6.018482, 116.536910), where we heard the Bornean Wood Owl a few days earlier. The owl was 10 calling from the forest patch along Silau Silau trail. After much attempts, the Bornean Wood Owl came into the tree by the road for brief views and photos. This taxon was relatively darker overall than the one we had seen in Thailand earlier this year, and was also observed to be smaller as well. We called it a day after a long day of unfortunate events and finally having one successful night bird for the trip.

Day 6, 10th September 2019 It was our last day at Mount Kinabalu, and we agreed to prioritize chasing down at least one of the Whitehead trio. And our game plan this morning was to do roadside birding, which was something we had not done much of. At the very start of the day, we were greeted by a vocalizing Mountain Scops Owl from across the road. Within the park, we started birding from the thrush spot as per previous days, and saw the usual species – Bornean Whistlingthrush and Orange-headed Thrush. There was a new visitor to the area, a juvenile Bornean Forktail that lacked the white crown. To our surprise, a Whitehead’s Broadbill was calling at around the KM2 marker, a first for the trip. After much scanning and attempts to get the bird in view, the bird either silently left the area or just sat there silently. After 45 minutes of anxious searching and attempts, we decided we were better off continuing our search elsewhere if this one wasn’t going to show. And for what it is worth, we’ll come back and try again later.

Along the way down, Bloodheads were calling right next to the road, but any attempts to see it was futile. Other notable observations enroute downhill: a Sunda Owlet was heard calling in the distant, Indigo Warbling Flycatcher, Sunda Warbler, Grey-throated Babbler in the thicket. Past the steep slope (downhill at 6.017639, 116.537194), a male Whitehead’s Broadbill was seen perched in a tree just off the road. It flew across, perching nicely on an open perch where it stayed for the next 15 minutes. Everyone was thrilled to get amazing views, and we finally have a Whitehead’s trio on our trip list on the very last day on Mount Kinabalu. Shortly after, the male moved further in, perching right next to a female with nesting material. The female was much smaller and had less dark speckling on the breast. They didn’t stay in the same view for long, and moved off shortly after. At 10am, satisfied that we finally have a Whitehead trio to boot, we left for the Mountain lodge in search for other endemics that we have missed so far.

Walking down from the lodge, we had study views of the Oriental Magpie Robins, both male and female. Otherwise it was relatively quiet, and we ended up entertaining ourselves by playing with the resident shy dog and grumpy cat. During which there was a Mountain Leaftoiler in a nearby shrub. The trail was very quiet, and the prized spiderhunter was nowhere to be seen nor heard. While walking back to the lodge, we encountered an angry Bornean Spiderhunter which darted across the road. It called angrily from its perch for a good 10 minutes before leaving. At the lodge, we had a Kinabalu Serpent Eagle soaring, ID-able only in photos. The Bornean Leafbirds were also in the vicinity of the lodge but did not come as close as it did when we first saw them on the 8th. At noon, we left for the cottage to pack for our departure to Crocker’s Range later in the day.

After an hour and half of driving, we arrived at Crocker’s Range at about 4.30pm and made a stop at the gazebo (5.769000, 116.345000). Here we had a pair of Whitehead’s Broadbill, right next to the gazebo. They stayed briefly before leaving, but views were not as good this time around. Long-tailed Broadbills were also in the vicinity with their odd hairdo. A lone Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush was forgaing right next to the road which was quite busy with passing vehicles. At about 5.30pm, it started to rain and we left for the nearby supermarket to stock up on food for the next morning. In the evening when we arrived at Gunung Alab Motel, swiftlets were nesting under the roof just outside the row of rooms facing the road. It continued to pour for the rest of the night and any plans for night birding was called off.

Day 7, 11th September 2019 Our very last morning in Borneo started with roadside birding from the accommodation to the gazebo. We made a stop at a clearing (5.794517, 116.335299), where we tried for the Yellow-bellied Prinia that looked very drab compared to the ones we have in Singapore. An individual came in immediately calling angrily whilst perching atop the grass reeds. The area was deemed too open and we continued driving along. Along the way, we had our first Black-and-crimson Oriole, Little Cuckoo Dove, Bornean Whistler, Chestnut-crested Yuhinia, Black-capped White-eye. One of the more notable stop was at a research station (5.770907, 116.350347) that had toilets, we had some decent birds right outside: Bornean Bulbul, Dusky Munia, Blyth’s Shrike-Vireo, Mountain Barbet, Bornean Barbet. We made our last stop at the gazebo where we had the Bornean Leafbird, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black-and-crimson Oriole, a vocalizing Golden-bellied Gerygone and Banded Bay Cuckoo. At 10.30am we called it a day as activity slowed and we had a long drive towards Kota Kinabalu ahead of our 3pm flight.

Snapshot of other birds on the trip

Species list Taxonomy follows Eaton et al., 2016. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions. Barcelona. Unnumbered species were not counted for the trip list by author due to poor sighting or was only heard.

Common Name Species Name Subspecies Remarks 1 Bornean partridge Arborophila hyperythra 2 individuals 100m from entrance of upper mempining trail Bloodhead Haematortyx sanguiniceps Heard everywhere but no show.One possible individual in the dark on 15

6th along main road at dawn 2 Little Cuckoo Dove Macropygia ruficeps nana Frequently seen well, has alot of mottling on breast Asian Emerald Chalcophaps indica indica dove Flyby only 3 Mountain Imperial Ducula badia badia Seen perched well a few Pigeon times along main road Bock's Hawk Hierococcyx bocki Heard calling along main Cuckoo road, did not come into call and was distant Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris lugubris Heard calling at crockers 4 Bornean swiftlet Collocalia dodgei Positively ID-ed individual that flew into our room at Gunung Alab, lacks feathers on hind toes 5 White-breasted Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus Seen along agricultural Waterhen fields on the way from Crocker's to Airport 6 Oriental Honey Pernis ruficollis Seen from Kinabalu Buzzard Mountain Lodge 7 Kinabalu Serpent- Spilornis kinabaluensis Seen from Kinabalu eagle Mountain Lodge Mountain Scops Otus spilocephalus luciae Calling near Owl accomodation, and once at Pandanus trail entrance 8 Bornean Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica vaga Started calling at 6pm near kiau view / silau silau trail entrance 9 Mountain Barbet Psilopogon monticola Seen at Kinabalu Mountain Lodge and Crocker's 10 Golden-naped Psilopogon pulcherrimus Very common Barbet throughout Mt Kinabalu 11 Bornean Barbet Psilopogon eximius Seen once at Crocker's outside research station (5.770907, 116.350347) 12 Maroon Blythipicus rubiginosus A pair seen at Bukit Ular Woodpecker trail 13 Checker-throated Chrysophlegma mentale humii Seen down the road Yellownape from HQ 14 Whitehead's Calyptomena whiteheadi 2 pairs, 1 pair along Broadbill power station road, around upper silau silau trail entrance, another at mid silau silau trail entrance 15 Long-tailed Psarisomus dalhousiae borneensis A flock at gazebo in Broadbill Crocker's Golden-bellied Gerygone sulphurea sulphurea Heard calling at gazebo Gerygone in Crocker's 16

16 Blyth's Shrike-vireo Pteruthius aeralatus robinsoni Relatively common on Mt Kinabalu 17 Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca brunnescens Seen with a mixed flock on Mt Kinabalu 18 Black-and-crimson Oriolus cruentus Oriole Only seen at Crocker's 19 Bornean Whistler Pachycephala hypoxantha hypoxantha Common species throughout Mt Kinabalu 20 Bar-winged Hemipus picatus intermedius Flycatcher-shrike Juvi behind Lily's Cottage 21 Sunda Coracina larvata normani A very friendly pair at Cuckooshrike Timpohon gate 22 Grey-chinned Pericrocotus solaris cinereigula Minivet 23 White-throated Rhipidura albicollis kinabalu Fantail 24 Sunda Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica longicauda Seen outside Poring Hotsprings 25 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus stigmatops Common species throughout Mt Kinabalu 26 Bornean Spangled Dicrurus borneensis One individual seen near Drongo Bukit Tupai Shelter 27 Black-naped Hypothymis azurea prophata Monarch Poring 28 Bornean Treepie Dendrocitta cinerascens Commonly heard and seen perched above canopy 29 Bornean Green Cissa jefferyi Fairly common on Mt Magpie Kinabalu, encountered on Bukit Ular, down the road from HQ, Upper silau trail entrance 30 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 31 Sunda Yellow- Pycnonotus analis gourdini Seen outside Lily's vented Bulbul cottage 32 Pale-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus leucops Only 1 individual seen outside Timpohon Gate 33 Bornean Bulbul Pycnonotus montis Only seen at Crocker's 34 Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos Poring 35 Penan Bulbul Alophoixus ruficrissus ruficrissus Seen at both Mt Kinabalu and Poring 36 Grey-throated Stachyris nigriceps borneensis The ssp here looks very Babbler different from the Vietnamese one, this ssp has black moustachial stripe with a lower white band and a much darker throat 37 Temminck's Pellorneum pyrrogenys canicapillus Seen along Silau Silau Babbler trail that intersects with mempening trail 38 Sunda Leucodioptron palliatum schistochla Seen twice at Timpohon Laughingthrush mys gate in the late morning,

and sometimes in mix flocks with Chestnut- hooded Laughingthrush 39 Chestnut-hooded Garrulax treacheri treacheri Laughingthrush Common throughout 40 Chestnut-crested Staphida everetti Regularly seen in flocks Yuhina and in open areas 41 Pygmy Heleia Heleia squamifrons A pair behind Lily's cottage after the rain on day 1 42 Mountain Black- Zosterops emiliae emiliae Near the toilet area at eye Timpohon Gate 43 Black-capped Zosterops atricapilla atricapilla White-eye Common throughout 44 Mountain Leaf Seicercus trivirgatus kinabaluensi Warbler s Common throughout 45 Sunda Warbler Seicercus grammiceps montis Common throughout Bornean Stubtail Urosphena whiteheadi Heard a couple of times, but never showed, and individual tends to stop singing once playback is played 46 Sunda Bush Horornis vulcanius oreophilus Seen at the toilet area Warbler outside Timpohon gate 47 Mountain Phyllergates cuculatus cinereicollis Leaftoiler Common throughout 48 Rufous-tailed Orthotomus sericeus sericeus Tailorbird Poring 49 Yellow-belied Prinia flaviventris latrunculus Only seen at Crocker's, Prinia 5.794517, 116.335299, does not have strong grey head and bellied only has a light yellow wash 50 Orange-headed Geokichla citrina aurata A pair on the steep slope Thrush at dawn 51 Oriental Magpie- Copsychus saularis adamsi Male has all black belly robin and female has grey belly that extends further down, common at Kinabalu Mountain Lodge 52 White-crowned Copsychus stricklandii Shama Only at Poring 53 Asian Brown Muscicapa dauurica Flycatcher Only seen at Crocker's 54 Indigo Warbling- Eumyias indigo cerviniventri Seen along power flycatcher s station road and entrance to Timpohon gate 55 Bornean Shade- Vauriella gularis gularis Seen at entance to dweller Pandanus trail and along Bukit Ular trail

Bornean Shortwing Brachypteryx erythrogyna An individual was seen fleeting at the entrance of pandanus trail, very skulky and only show very briefly each time. 56 Bornean Forktail Enicurus borneensis Fairly common along riverine trail - Silau Silau, seen at both Mt Kinabalu and Poring 57 Bornean Myophonus borneensis Fairy common, seen Whistlingthrush every morning at thrush stake out and flushed along rivers 58 Little Pied Ficedula westermanni westermann Seen at Timpohon gate, Flycatcher i Crocker's 59 Snowy-browed Ficedula hyperythra sumatrana A lonely female at Mt Flycatcher Kinabalu at Timpohon gate 60 Bornean Leafbird Chloropsis kinabaluensis Kinabalu Mountain Lodge and Crocker's 61 Orange-bellied Dicaeum trigonostigma dayakanum Flowerpecker Poring 62 Bornean Dicaeum monticolum Flowerpecker 63 Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex Poring 64 Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja siparaja Poring 65 Temminck's Aethopyga temminckii Sunbird 66 Ornate Sunbird Cinnyris ornatus ornatus Behind Lily's cottage 67 Bornean Arachnothera everetti Kinabalu Mountain Spiderhunter Lodge 68 Eurasian Tree Passer montanus During lunch at 89 Sparrow station