Borneo, Malaysia
One of the largest islands in the world, Borneo is akin to a small continent. Lazy, tropical rivers wind through the lowland plains. Flanked by tall, lowland rainforests that echo with the exotic calls of gibbons, hornbills and barbets, these brown waterways eventually cut through mangrove forests before emptying into tropical seas. They flow down from mountains that climb to 4,095 meters in the northern parts of the island. Perhaps too big to belong to just one country, Borneo is divided among Malaysia, Indonesia and the Sultanate of Brunei.
Indonesia may contain the largest amount of Bornean territory, but few tourists or birdwatchers visit due to problems with accessibility. The Sultanate of Brunei is accessible and offers good birding opportunities, but most birders visiting Borneo head to Malaysian territory around the north-eastern part of the island. Most stick to this part of Borneo because it’s very accessible, has a fair amount of infrastructure and provides birders with the chance to visit most of the major habitats on the island. Most importantly, this area of Borneo protects some of the last remaining forests on the island.
Unfortunately, the tropical ecosystems of Borneo have suffered tremendously at the hands of logging companies and large scale farming. Vast tracts of ancient rainforest have been cleared and replaced with monocultures of oil palms and most of the remaining forests are zoned for logging. While much of the logging is selective in nature, and thus doesn’t destroy the forest as oil palm plantations do, this still affects many of the birds and animals that are adapted to primary rainforest.
Fortunately, there are still some places where birdwatchers can experience Borneo at its wildest. One of these is in the Danum Valley Conservation Area. More than 40,000 hectares of ancient, lowland rainforests at this site make the Danum Valley every birdwatcher’s dream. Eight species of prehistoric looking hornbills, gorgeous trogons and barbets, various raptors and the bizarre Bornean Bristlehead (I’m not making that up) frequent the tall canopy, while a host of babblers with haunting songs creep through the dark forest understory.
This is also an excellent place to catch a glimpse of pitta species and the Great Argus. Shy birds of the forest floor, the incredibly colourful pittas are sometimes referred to as ‘living jewels’ by the birders who are lucky to see them. The Great Argus may be more subtly plumaged in various shades of brown, but it more than makes up for it with loud calls and an incredible display involving a tail that can be close to 2 meters in length!
After the humid, lowland heat of the Danum Valley, birdwatchers head to higher, cooler elevations on Kinabalu Mountain. The largest peak in Borneo, the middle elevation forests of Kinabalu can be excellent for several Bornean endemics, including the fancy Whitehead’s Broadbill, Crimson-headed Partridge, and the enigmatic Fruit-eater. Birdwatchers look for these and other montane species along a road to Kinabalu Park and along a steep trail that leads to the summit.
A birding trip that includes these and other sites in north-eastern Borneo will probably result in more than 200 species of some of the most incredible birds on the planet. Oh, and you just might see Orang-utans, Proboscis Monkeys, and Asian Elephants too!
flickr image by maholyoak
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