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Borneo: Broadbills & Bristleheads
TROPICAL BIRDING Trip Report: BORNEO June-July 2012 A Tropical Birding Set Departure Tour BORNEO: BROADBILLS & BRISTLEHEADS RHINOCEROS HORNBILL: The big winner of the BIRD OF THE TRIP; with views like this, it’s easy to understand why! 24 June – 9 July 2012 Tour Leader: Sam Woods All but one photo (of the Black-and-yellow Broadbill) were taken by Sam Woods (see http://www.pbase.com/samwoods or his blog, LOST in BIRDING http://www.samwoodsbirding.blogspot.com for more of Sam’s photos) 1 www.tropicalbirding.com Tel: +1-409-515-0514 E-mail: [email protected] TROPICAL BIRDING Trip Report: BORNEO June-July 2012 INTRODUCTION Whichever way you look at it, this year’s tour of Borneo was a resounding success: 297 bird species were recorded, including 45 endemics . We saw all but a few of the endemic birds we were seeking (and the ones missed are mostly rarely seen), and had good weather throughout, with little rain hampering proceedings for any significant length of time. Among the avian highlights were five pitta species seen, with the Blue-banded, Blue-headed, and Black-and-crimson Pittas in particular putting on fantastic shows for all birders present. The Blue-banded was so spectacular it was an obvious shoe-in for one of the top trip birds of the tour from the moment we walked away. Amazingly, despite absolutely stunning views of a male Blue-headed Pitta showing his shimmering cerulean blue cap and deep purple underside to spectacular effect, he never even got a mention in the final highlights of the tour, which completely baffled me; he simply could not have been seen better, and birds simply cannot look any better! However, to mention only the endemics is to miss the mark, as some of the, other, less local birds create as much of a stir, and can bring with them as much fanfare. -
Borneo's Orangutans
Borneo’s Orangutans Naturetrek Tour Itinerary Outline Itinerary Day 1 Depart London Days 2 - 9 Explore Sepilok, Kinabatangan River, Menanggul River, Gomantong Caves, Danum Valley Day 10 Leave Danum, depart Kota Kinabalu Day 11 Arrive London Departs September Focus Orangutans, other rare primates and wildlife Grading A. Gentle wildlife walks only Dates and Prices See website (tour code MYS02) or brochure Highlights Wild Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys and other rare mammals Pristine rainforest habitats at Danum Diverse and colourful birdlife, including several Borneo endemics Boat excursion along Kinabatangan River Experience the Gomantong Caves Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Sepilok Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf’s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Borneo’s Orangutans Tour Itinerary Introduction Borneo is the third largest island in the world and over three times bigger than the UK. At an estimated 130 million years old, Borneo’s rainforest is twice as old as the Amazon rainforest in South America and is the third largest rainforest on earth. It is hard to think of a place which offers the chance to see such a diverse spectrum of unusual mammals, impressive birds and amplitude of other species. The habitat for Orangutans is so complex and vast that it supports an unbelievable cast of species. Here, primates alone could include troupes of Proboscis Monkeys, Bornean Slow Loris, Maroon and Silvered Langur, Sunda Pig-tailed Macaque, East Bornean Grey Gibbon and the enchanting Western Tarsier. Other mammals seen with regular frequency here include Asian Elephant, Binturong, Sunda Flying Lemur and civets. -
BORNEO: Bristleheads, Broadbills, Barbets, Bulbuls, Bee-Eaters, Babblers, and a Whole Lot More
BORNEO: Bristleheads, Broadbills, Barbets, Bulbuls, Bee-eaters, Babblers, and a whole lot more A Tropical Birding Set Departure July 1-16, 2018 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos by Ken Behrens TOUR SUMMARY Borneo lies in one of the biologically richest areas on Earth – the Asian equivalent of Costa Rica or Ecuador. It holds many widespread Asian birds, plus a diverse set of birds that are restricted to the Sunda region (southern Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo), and dozens of its own endemic birds and mammals. For family listing birders, the Bornean Bristlehead, which makes up its own family, and is endemic to the island, is the top target. For most other visitors, Orangutan, the only great ape found in Asia, is the creature that they most want to see. But those two species just hint at the wonders held by this mysterious island, which is rich in bulbuls, babblers, treeshrews, squirrels, kingfishers, hornbills, pittas, and much more. Although there has been rampant environmental destruction on Borneo, mainly due to the creation of oil palm plantations, there are still extensive forested areas left, and the Malaysian state of Sabah, at the northern end of the island, seems to be trying hard to preserve its biological heritage. Ecotourism is a big part of this conservation effort, and Sabah has developed an excellent tourist infrastructure, with comfortable lodges, efficient transport companies, many protected areas, and decent roads and airports. So with good infrastructure, and remarkable biological diversity, including many marquee species like Orangutan, several pittas and a whole Borneo: Bristleheads and Broadbills July 1-16, 2018 range of hornbills, Sabah stands out as one of the most attractive destinations on Earth for a travelling birder or naturalist. -
Thailand Highlights 14Th to 26Th November 2019 (13 Days)
Thailand Highlights 14th to 26th November 2019 (13 days) Trip Report Siamese Fireback by Forrest Rowland Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland Trip Report – RBL Thailand - Highlights 2019 2 Tour Summary Thailand has been known as a top tourist destination for quite some time. Foreigners and Ex-pats flock there for the beautiful scenery, great infrastructure, and delicious cuisine among other cultural aspects. For birders, it has recently caught up to big names like Borneo and Malaysia, in terms of respect for the avian delights it holds for visitors. Our twelve-day Highlights Tour to Thailand set out to sample a bit of the best of every major habitat type in the country, with a slight focus on the lush montane forests that hold most of the country’s specialty bird species. The tour began in Bangkok, a bustling metropolis of winding narrow roads, flyovers, towering apartment buildings, and seemingly endless people. Despite the density and throng of humanity, many of the participants on the tour were able to enjoy a Crested Goshawk flight by Forrest Rowland lovely day’s visit to the Grand Palace and historic center of Bangkok, including a fun boat ride passing by several temples. A few early arrivals also had time to bird some of the urban park settings, even picking up a species or two we did not see on the Main Tour. For most, the tour began in earnest on November 15th, with our day tour of the salt pans, mudflats, wetlands, and mangroves of the famed Pak Thale Shore bird Project, and Laem Phak Bia mangroves. -
Indonesia Highlights of Western Indonesia (Flores, Komodo, Bali, Java & Sumatra) 15Th to 28Th July 2019 (14 Days)
Indonesia Highlights of Western Indonesia (Flores, Komodo, Bali, Java & Sumatra) 15th to 28th July 2019 (14 days) Trip Report Javan Banded Pitta by Glen Valentine Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Glen Valentine Top 10 list as voted for by the tour participants: 1. Javan Trogon 2. Red-crowned Barbet 3. Green Broadbill 4. Javan Frogmouth 5. Buffy Fish Owl 6. Pygmy Cupwing 7. Rufous-collared Kingfisher 8. Javan Banded Pitta 9. Red-bearded Bee-eater 10. Bali Myna Bali Myna (Starling) by Dennis Braddy Tour Summary… This short but extremely productive and varied tour, covering a fine selection of hand-picked “top birding sites and destinations” throughout Western Indonesia was an immense success, once again and was an absolute joy to lead due to our enthusiastic, fun and very good-natured group. Our quick-fire, two-week tour of western Indonesia, kicked off in Denpasar, on the island of Bali where we all met up at the Harris Hotel for an introductory dinner and flight the following morning to the island of Flores, situated in Nusa Tenggara (The Lesser Sundas), a chain of islands running mostly east/west to the east of Wallace’s line, therefore having a distinctly Australasian flair about their avifauna. After arriving in the large, coastal town of Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the popular and famous Komodo Island, we boarded our minibus and began the windy drive east, up into the hills, towards our first biding locality of the tour, the forest reserve of Puarlolo. This small reserve was initially set aside to protect the endemic and highly threatened Flores Monarch that was only discovered from this area as recently as 1971 and is still only known from a few scattered localities in the sub-montane forest on Flores. -
Borneo Im September 2015 D. Rudolf
ALBATROS-TOURS ORNITHOLOGISCHE STUDIENREISEN Jürgen Schneider Altengassweg 13 - 64625 Bensheim - Tel.: +49 (0) 62 51 22 94 - Fax: +49 (0) 62 51 64 457 E-Mail: [email protected] - Homepage: www.albatros-tours.com Borneo Provinz Sabah vom 09.-24. September 2015 Bericht und Fotos von Krystyna und Dr. Dieter Rudolf Reisebericht Borneo 1 ALBATROS-TOURS Unsere Gruppe Krystyna Rudolf, Sophoan Sanh (Reiseleitung), Dr. Dieter Rudolf (v.l.n.r.) Reisebericht Borneo 3 ALBATROS-TOURS Borneo Provinz Sabah 09.-24. September 2015 Bericht und Fotos von Krystyna und Dr. Dieter Rudolf Veranstalter: Albatros Tours und Sophoan Sanh Teilnehmer: Krystyna Rudolf Dieter Rudolf Sophoan Sanh (englischsprachige touristische und ornithologische Reiseleitung) 1. Gesamteindruck Eine unserer schönsten Reisen mit Albatros Tours. Dies ist vor allem Sophoan Sanh zu danken, die die Reise touristisch organisiert und ornithologisch durchgeführt hat. Mit ihrer herzlichen Art hat sie sofort unsere Herzen erobert. Unterbringung und Verpflegung waren sorgfältig ausgewählt, die Tagesabläufe gut geplant. Notwendige Anpassungen an die physischen Möglichkeiten der immerhin älteren Teilnehmer und an die örtlichen Gegebenheiten wurden von Sophoan umsichtig und geräuschlos vorgenommen. Das Essen war sehr gut, ortstypisch, schmackhaft und verträglich. Die Früchte der Saison wurden probiert. Sophoan hat sie immer wieder auf den lokalen Märkten gekauft und herbeigeschleppt. Die abendliche Diskussion der Beobachtungsliste war stets mit der Übergabe der Ziel- Arten für den nächsten Tag verbunden. Wir konnten uns also noch einmal darauf vorbereiten, wonach am nächsten Beobachtungsort Ausschau zu halten war. Sophoan hat in jahrelanger praktischer Tätigkeit ein umfangreiches ornithologisches Wissen und Beobachtungstaktik aufgebaut. Ihre Kenntnisse der Vogelstimmen sind exzellent. Sie bringt eine umfassende Stimmensammlung zum Einsatz, was die Voraussetzung dafür war, dass sich manche Vögel überhaupt zeigten. -
BIRDS of HALIMUN-SALAK NATIONAL PARK, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA: Saitou, N
Treubia 43: 31–46, December 2016 Treubia 43: 47–70, December 2016 BIRDS OF HALIMUN-SALAK NATIONAL PARK, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA: Saitou, N. & M. Nei 1987. The neighbor-joining method: a new method for reconstructing phylogenetic trees. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 4: 406-425. ENDEMISM, CONSERVATION AND THREATENED STATUS Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. In: Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds.). Mammal Species of the Dewi M. Prawiradilaga World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. pp. 312- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) 529. Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km 46 Cibinong 16911, Indonesia e-mail: [email protected] Suyanto, A. 2001. Kelelawar di Indonesia. Bogor: Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia. 126 pp. Temminck, C.J. 1827 (1824)-1841. Monographies de Mammalogie, ou description de quelques genres de Received: 8 August 2016; Accepted: 5 December 2016 mammiferes, dont les espèces ont été observées dans les différens musées de l’Europe. C.C. Vander Hoek, Leiden, 392 pp. ABSTRACT Thompson, J.D., T.J. Gibson & F. Plewniak 1997. The Clustal X Windows Interface: Flexible Strategies for Multiple Sequence Alignment Aided by the Quality Analysis Tools. Nucleic Acids Research, 24: Bird surveys and long-term bird monitoring in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park were 4876-4882. conducted between 1998 and 2009 to obtain comprehensive data on the bird species in the area. Compilation of bird data from this study and other studies have recorded a total of 271 species, which is about 53.4% of van Strien, N.J. 1986. Abbreviated checklist of the mammals of the Australian Archipelago. -
Indonesia 24 September to 15 October 2013
Indonesia 24 September to 15 October 2013 Dave D Redfield Mammal Tour Picture: Sunda Flying Lemur (Colugo) with young by Richard White Report compiled by Richard White The story: 5 islands, 22 days and 52 mammals... A journey to a land where lizards fly, squirrels are the size of mice, civets look like otters and deer are no bigger than small annoying poodles...Indonesia! Where did this all begin...? In late June I was thinking of heading to Asia for a break. After yet another Tasmanian winter I wanted to sweat, get soaked in a tropical rain shower, get hammered by mosquitoes...I wanted to eat food with my hands (and not get stared at), wear sandals, drink cheap beer...and of course experience an amazing diversity of life. While researching some options I contacted my former employer and good friend Adam Riley from Rockjumper Birding Tours/Indri and he suggested I touch base with a client that I had arranged trips for before. The client (and now friend!) in question, Dave Redfield, has seen an aPD]LQJYDULHW\RIWKHZRUOG¶VPDPPDO species but, at that time, had yet to visit Indonesia. So, armed with a target list and a 22 day budget, I sat down and began researching and designing a tour in search of a select suit of mammal species for Dave. Time, terrain, concentration of species and cost were considered. We settled on a few days in mammal hotspots on Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and finally Bali, in that order. %DOLZDVDOVRFKRVHQDVDJRRGSODFHWRZLQGGRZQDIWHUµURXJKLQJLW¶ though the rest of Indonesia. It is also worth mentioning that Dave, realising that seeing all the ZRUOG¶Vmammals in the wild is an impossible target, does count mammals seen in captivity; the target list of species was thus not what one might have expected (for example, a Red Spiny Mouse was a priority but Babirusa was not). -
Borneo: Sabah Premium Tour
BORNEO: SABAH PREMIUM TOUR 27 SEPTEMBER – 8 OCTOBER 2022 07 – 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 13 – 24 JULY 2024 Whitehead’s Trogon – one of the famous “Whitehead’s trio” of Borneo which we target on this trip (photo Liew Weng Keong) www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | ITINERARY Borneo: Sabah Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, is one of the world’s most biodiverse wildlife havens. With over 50 island endemics found across pristine dipterocarp forests, montane cloudforests, riverine habitats, and mangrove swamps you should enjoy an amazing time on this small-group birdwatching tour filled with stunning birds from mouthwatering families like pittas, trogons, kingfishers, hornbills, and broadbills, as well as a wide range of mammalian treasures. Our Borneo birding tour will take us to the important birdwatching sites of the Malaysian province of Sabah, which covers the northernmost part of this vast and amazing island, including time spent birding in five of its IBAs (Important Bird Areas identified by BirdLife International): the Crocker Range, Mount Kinabalu, Kabili-Sepilok, the Kinabatangan river floodplain, and the Danum Valley (where we will stay at the magnificent Borneo Rainforest Lodge). Some of the many birds we target include the famous “Whitehead’s trio” of Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill, and Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, along with the monotypic Bornean Bristlehead, a big target for family listers and one of Borneo’s most sought endemics. We will also look for other mega endemic birds such as Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Fruithunter, and Bornean Green Magpie, and we will look for four glittering endemic pittas, the simply sublime quartet of Blue-headed Pitta, Black-crowned Pitta, Blue-banded Pitta, and Bornean Banded Pitta. -
Assessment of Acoustic Indices for Monitoring Phylogenetic and Temporal Patterns of Biodiversity in Tropical Forests
Assessment of acoustic indices for monitoring phylogenetic and temporal patterns of biodiversity in tropical forests Leah Trigg September 2015 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Imperial College London Formatted in the journal style of Ecological Indicators Submitted for the MSc in Computational Methods in Ecology and Evolution Declaration I declare that the following study is my own work, and where it contains the work of others, this has been acknowledged. After initial guidance from my supervisor on the project topic and analyses, I believe I have worked independently on the development of the project rationale and the acoustic data analysis. Raw acoustic data was provided via a web-based portal. I downloaded, converted, cleaned, pro- cessed and analysed the files independently. The acoustic indices were taken from published works, and were developed by many different authors as cited in the text. Data processing and analysis was conducted with scripts written by myself in Python and R. The scripts employ several R packages developed for acoustic and phylogenetic processing, which are referenced within the text. Philip Knaute provided an outline Python script for reading and cutting .wav files in Python, which I altered considerably for use in this project. I acknowledge and am grateful to Unding Jami and David Edwards for their work in carefully identifying bird species by listening to the acoustic data. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Rob Ewers, and course directors Dr. Samraat Pawar and Dr. James Rosindell for their helpful guidance on the project, as well as Philip Knaute for his as- sistance with earlier incarnations of this project. -
Malaysia & Borneo Trip Report
Malaysia & Borneo Trip Report Rainforest Birds & Mammals th th 8 to 26 June 2015 The scarce and beautiful Jambu Fruit Dove, Taman Nagara by Rosemary Loyd RBT Trip Report Malaysia & Borneo 2015 2 The rare Whitehead’s Trogon, Mt Kinabalu and a male Crested Fireback, Taman Nagara, both by Butch Carter Top Ten Birds as voted by the participants: 1) Whitehead’s Broadbill 2) Whitehead’s Trogon 3) Jambu Fruit Dove 4) Bornean Green Magpie 5) Long-tailed Broadbill 6) Buffy Fish Owl 7) Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher/Hooded Pitta 8) Temminck’s Sunbird 9) Rhinoceros Hornbill 10) Crested Fireback Mammals: 1) Malaysian Tapir 2) Orangutan 3) Proboscis Monkey 4) Small-clawed Otter RBT Trip Report Malaysia & Borneo 2015 3 Tour Leaders: Dennis Yong and Erik Forsyth Tour report compiled by Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth Temminck’s Sunbird by John Clark Tour Summary On this year’s tour we recorded the rare and highly prized Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill (after a long search on Mount Kinabalu) and Garnet, Blue-headed, Black-crowned and Hooded Pittas. Other mouthwatering species seen were Rhinoceros, Wreathed, Wrinkled and Black Hornbills, White- fronted and Black-thighed Falconets, Black-and-red, Black-and-yellow, Long-tailed, Dusky, Green and Banded Broadbills, the stunning Oriental Dwarf, Blue-eared, Blue-banded and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Red-headed, Diard’s, Red-naped and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Great-billed Heron, Painted and Storm’s Storks, Lesser Adjutant, Wallace’s, Rufous-bellied and Blyth’s Hawk-Eagles, Crested Fireback, Buffy Fish and Brown Wood Owls, the highly sought-after Bornean Bristlehead and Blue Nuthatch, the endangered Straw-headed Bulbul, a whopping eight sightings of Orangutan and several troops of Proboscis Monkey, Malaysian Tapir and Western Tarsier. -
Thailand Custom Tour 29 January -13 February, 2017
Tropical Birding Trip Report THAILAND JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 2017 Thailand custom tour 29 January -13 February, 2017 TOUR LEADER: Charley Hesse Report by Charley Hesse. Photos by Charley Hesse & Laurie Ross. All photos were taken on this tour When it comes to vacation destinations, Thailand has it all: great lodgings, delicious food, scenery, good roads, safety, value for money and friendly people. In addition to both its quantity & quality of birds, it is also one of the most rapidly evolving destinations for bird photography. There are of course perennial favourite locations that always produce quality birds, but year on year, Thailand comes up with more and more fantastic sites for bird photography. On this custom tour, we followed the tried and tested set departure itinerary and found an impressive 420 species of birds and 16 species of mammals. Some of the highlights included: Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann’s Greenshank around Pak Thale; Wreathed Hornbill, Long-tailed & Banded Broadbills inside Kaeng Krachan National Park; Rosy, Daurian & Spot-winged Starlings at a roost site just outside; Kalij Pheasant, Scaly-breasted & Bar-backed Partridges at a private photography blind nearby; Siamese Fireback and Great Hornbill plus Asian Elephant & Malayan Porcupine at Khao Yai National Park; countless water birds at Bueng Boraphet; a myriad of montane birds at Doi Inthanon; Giant Nuthatch at Doi Chiang Dao; Scarlet-faced Liocichla at Doi Ang Khang; Hume’s Pheasant & Spot-breasted Parrotbill at Doi Lang; Yellow-breasted Buntings at Baan Thaton; and Baikal Bush-Warbler & Ferruginous Duck at Chiang Saen. It was a truly unforgettable trip. www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report THAILAND JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 2017 29th January – Bangkok to Laem Pak Bia After a morning arrival in Bangkok, we left the sprawling metropolis on the overhead highways, and soon had our first birding stop at the Khok Kham area of Samut Sakhon, the neighbouring city to Bangkok.