MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE SPECIALITIES TOUR REPORT 2026

3 - 21 August 2026

János Oláh

Our tour to the Malay Peninsula has been revised and redesigned to give you as many special birds and experiences of the region as possible. This was the inaugural tour of this itinerary and we believe it was a great success! The small island of Singapore at the southern tip of the peninsula is often neglected as a birding destination but it’s a great supplement to our tour and offers a few great birds in addition to what Malaysia provides. Overall, we had a highly successful tour with 294 bird species and 33 mammal species recorded in just 17 days of birding. We covered some distances on the Malayan Peninsula from the city-state of Singapore to the far north of Kedah, which was done with ease, thanks to the great infrastructure and friendliness of local people. There were many highlights for us this year and we managed to see most of our key targets!

The enigmatic Rail-babbler was seen superbly, and it was voted the bird of the trip. Chickens were major highlights as well and we saw Malayan and Ferruginous Partridges, both Malayan Crested and Crestless Firebacks, both Mountain and Malayan Peacock-Pheasants and Great Argus. We also had a good selection of nightbirds which included Large, Blyth’s and Gould’s Frogmouth, Oriental Bay Owl, Buffy Fish Owl, Barred Eagle Owl and Spotted Wood Owl. Hornbills were also fantastic and we saw eight species including Helmeted, Rhinoceros and White-crowned Hornbill, but the greatest experience was seeing the Plain-pouched Hornbills of Ulu Muda migrating, and we counted around 1000 birds each afternoon. There is no other place on Planet Earth where you can see so many hornbills! Gaudy pittas and broadbills were also a main feature of this tour, and we managed to see Blue-winged, Mangrove, Garnet and Malayan Banded Pitta as well as Dusky, Banded, Green Black-and-yellow, Long-tailed and Black-and-red Broadbill. Other goodies on the tour included Dark and Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo, Large Green Pigeon, Red-legged Crake, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Banded, Ruddy and Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Orange-backed Woodpecker, Malayan Cuckooshrike, Malayan Black Magpie, Rufous-bellied Swallow, Straw-headed Bulbul, Black and Malayan Laughingthrushes, Large Wren-Babbler, Blue Nuthatch, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Malayan Whistling Thrush, Long-billed Spiderhunter and Pin-tailed Parrotfinch to name but a few. Some of the family totals were also impressive as we had 16 species of woodpeckers, 10 species of barbets, 18 species of bulbuls and 6 species of spiderhunters. We also had some mammal highlights like a daytime Malayan Sun Bear, Sunda Colugo, Malaysian Slow Loris, amazing Siamang experience, Dusky, Pale-thighed and Selangor Silvered Langurs and a wide selection of squirrels which included the majestic Prevost’s Squirrel and the scarce Shrew-faced Squirrel. We also had an easy-going and keen group with lots of fun throughout our travels and all in all, it was a great tour to remember!

Our initial rendezvous was in Singapore and our first day was an action-packed one! We visited a nice mangrove habitat first where the tour kicked off with goodies like Ruddy Kingfisher, Mangrove and Blue-winged Pittas, Straw-headed Bulbul and Copper-throated Sunbird. After a great morning, we tracked down the fantastic Spotted Wood Owl and Buffy Fish Owl. Both owls gave excellent looks; we found two adults and a juvenile of both owl species, a great show indeed! Late afternoon we concentrated on our last major target, the secretive Red-legged Crake. It was super obliging with us and not shy at all. Supporting cast here included Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Pied Triller, Blue-throated Bee-eaters and Pied Imperial Pigeons. It was a superb first day of the tour and great birding in Singapore! After a final morning of birding in Singapore, we crossed into Malaysia and we were soon birding in the fine lowland forest of Panti in Johor. This location is a well-known birding site and certainly offers the best chance to connect with the enigmatic Rail-babbler. On our first morning in the forest, we soon heard the familiar song of this sought-after species but somehow it was not cooperative, and we never managed even a glimpse. It was a great morning otherwise, good introduction to the lowland birding of Malaysia with many trogons, broadbills, barbets, babblers and bulbuls. On our second morning we got luckier and after we heard the familiar song of the Rail-babbler again, we used a different strategy this time and it resulted in superb looks of this much-wanted forest floor dweller as it was walking around us and even showing its blue gular patch as it was singing! It was an experience that every birder who comes to Malaysia would love to get! Fantastic! Seeing one of the major targets early on the tour allowed us to concentrate on the other targets of the forest. We had good looks of Chestnut-breasted and Chestnut-bellied Malkohas, Red-naped and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Red-crowned and Yellow-crowned Barbets, Orange-backed and Banded Woodpeckers, Malayan Black Magpie, Dusky Broadbill, and Yellow-eared Spiderhunter to name a few of the goodies. Although we had a long drive ahead of us, we returned to the forest for a last morning session and what a great decision it was! First, we found Blyth’s Frogmouth and later we got lucky when a female Malayan Crestless Fireback walked out on the forest track allowing prolonged great looks. Wow! This species is very difficult to see and albeit there is a habituated individual in central Malaysia now, this site is not on our itinerary, so it was a great bonus for us! The rest of the day was spent travelling to the famous hill station of Fraser’s Hill.

As usual on a birding tour, we started early to explore the hill forest of this famous birding site. Our first bird species at dawn was a Malaysian Whistling Thrush followed by a covey of Malaysian Partridges. Excellent start, and it’s always great to get some quality lifers before breakfast! This was followed by a fantastic Malayan Laughingthrush and Long-tailed Sibias. It was an excellent morning as we got the ‘Malayan trio’ under our belt. The rest of the day we were concentrating on mixed feeding flocks and this was also very productive with goodies such as Red-headed Trogon, Fire-tufted and Golden-whiskered Barbets, White-browed Shrike-babbler, Sultan Tit, Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher, Sunda Scimitar Babbler, Silver-eared Mesia, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Streaked Spiderhunter being seen. A few more skulkers were also teased out of the undergrowth and we had great views of White-tailed Robin, Lesser Shortwing and Streaked Wren-Babbler. The latter two have distinctive local races in the mountains of the Malayan Peninsula. We also encountered a few special mammals like Max’s Short-tailed Gymnure, Pale-thighed Langur and Asian Red-cheeked Squirrel. Great birds, great temperature and great food. I do love birding at various Asian hill stations! On our second full day we started at some lower elevation areas – the Gap – and noticed there were a lot of seeding bamboo around! It did not take long to find our first flock of Pin-tailed Parrotfinches and we saw several flocks throughout the day totalling around 80 individuals. However, the other bamboo bird, the Bamboo Woodpecker proved to be more elusive and we only heard one. A fine fruiting tree produced many Black-eared, Black-browed and Sooty Barbets as well as Scaly-breasted Bulbuls and Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers. A pair of fly-by Wreathed Hornbills were majestic. A superb Red-bearded Bee-eater was followed by a brief view of Dark Hawk-Cuckoo and then we had a Siamang encounter when a young male was face to face with us and he was determined to cross the road. Once we realized what he wants to do and stepped aside he raised his arms and crossed the road just a few meters from us. What an amazing encounter with the ‘evocative sound’ of the hill forest! A party of Black Laughingthrushes were seen well but the singing Marbled Wren-Babbler refused to budge. In the afternoon we tracked down Rufous-bellied Swallows and Malayan Cuckooshrikes as well as Blyth’s Hawk Eagle. At the end of the day, we had a mixed feeding flock with Blue Nuthatches, Common Green Magpies, Long-tailed Sibias and various babblers. Finally, a large group of Long-tailed Broadbills were seen. On our last morning we tried predawn for some nightbirds, but the Mountain Scoops Owl was not very cooperative to say the least. It was seen by the leader for a split second but essentially it was heard-only. We could watch our first Black-thighed Falconet consuming its breakfast from our own breakfast table. It was time for us to leave Fraser’s Hill, and we birded our way down seeing a few more fine birds such as a male Banded Kingfisher, Maroon Woodpeckers, Red-billed Malkoha and Pygmy and Hill Blue Flycatchers. We made our way to Bukit Tinggi where we explored the Japanese garden in the late afternoon seeing Crested Honey Buzzard and Black Eagle.

Next day we were up early, and we saw a fine Barred Eagle-Owl as we made our way to the usual feeding station. We got in position and waited for the shy Mountain Peacock-Pheasant to appear. This species used to be very difficult to see but since this place was established by photographers you only need patience to connect with this beautiful bird. This morning we were lucky as there were only a few visitors and the male Mountain Peacock-Pheasant showed very well indeed. It gave us a great show, and we could watch it for over an hour. Moreover, a party of three Ferruginous Partridges also showed up while Buff-breasted Babbler and Ochraceous Bulbuls were constant visitors. Seeing secretive forest ‘chickens’ well is always a great experience and this was no difference.  Very happy with our sightings we continued birding and found Red-bearded Bee-eater, Sooty and Red-throated Barbet, a male Orange-backed Woodpecker, our first Black-and-yellow Broadbills, Large Woodshrike, Cinereous and Scaly-breasted Bulbuls, Sunda Scimitar Babbler, Sultan Tit, Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, Little and Spectacled Spiderhunters and a few Dusky Langurs. Having seen our main targets, the next morning we had a leisurely day of birding – just as lucky as the pheasant feeding area was full of many photographer visitors. We added a few new species to our list like Scarlet Minivet, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter and Plain Sunbird. Later on, we started our journey towards one of the prime lowland forests of Peninsular Malaya, the Taman Negara National Park. This park is Malaysia’s premier protected area and home to one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world, estimated to be over 130 million years old. Spanning 4343 square kilometres it is a vast wilderness area and visitors can enter from two directions. Our first port of call was the Sungai Relau gate where we quickly met up with our local bird guide. On the forest edge we encountered White-headed Munias and Changeable Hawk-Eagle, while at the forest entrance by the Relau River we saw our first Black-and-red Broadbills and Crimson-winged Woodpeckers. Our first night birding session produced an amazing Large Frogmouth. It was not easy to find as they only call occasionally, and they don’t move much around, but eventually we managed to find it and got excellent looks!

Our main target in this area of the park was the Malayan Peacock-Pheasant, which is regularly seen in this area, and much more difficult to see on the eastern side of the park. Although it regularly visits a feeding station, it is nowhere near guaranteed! We arrived at the forest with high hopes and spent the first hour at the pitta feeder. We had Short-tailed Babbler, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, many White-rumped Shamas but no pitta. The forest was quiet, we never even heard Garnet Pitta. We changed location and positioned ourselves for the pheasant feeder. After a while a fine Great Argus showed up and gave excellent looks! What an amazing pheasant it is. A common sound of the Malayan lowland forest but seeing one is a different matter, and we were very happy! It is a dominant large pheasant and hence the peacock-pheasant rarely visits while he is around. But once he left, we were hopeful. When a close-by Rail-babbler started to call right behind us we got excited. We had such amazingly good looks previously that we decided to hold our ground and hope for the peacock-pheasant to show up. The Rail-babbler was calling for over an hour but then the pheasant started to call as well. It was close, very close! Our hopes were high, but the bird never showed. After a few hours waiting, we decided to track down some close Rhinoceros Hornbills and they gave excellent looks! Just as well we did as this turned out to be our only sightings of the species on the tour. Reluctantly, we left the feeding station and visited a tower further into the park. A surprise Malayan Sun Bear crossing the track in front of us was a great bonus, but the birds were on siesta! We returned to the pheasant area in the afternoon but after about half an hour the heavens opened and a storm with torrential rain arrived. The rest of the day was out; it rained for hours – plenty of time for us to get dry. Early morning the next day we were back at the pheasant feeder. A Garnet Pitta was singing distantly, and a Malayan Black Magpie was also calling. After such torrential downpour there should be activity at the feeder too! In about half an hour the Great Argus came again and soon after he left, a shy male Malayan Peacock-Pheasant finally made a regal visit, much to our great relief! We could enjoy this beautiful pheasant for a few minutes before he returned to the deep jungle as silently as he came. Happiness, and high fives going around. Next, we made our way to the canopy walkway and were very happy to see the roosting Oriental Bay Owl in its usual tree hole – apparently, he has been using it for a few weeks now. We were very lucky! A family party of Black-thighed Falconets also gave unusually good eye-level views. Temperatures were rising but we walked the jeep track for a while, seeing Green Broadbills, Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo and Long-billed Spiderhunter. After this magical morning, we said goodby to our guide and made our way to the eastern gate of the national park. As the crow flies it was only 50 kilometre away, but it took us almost 200 kilometres to get there. It is a large park indeed and it is good that there are no bisecting roads. It was late afternoon we arrived at Kuala Tahan and we made a short visit to the nearby hornbill valley. It was a great move and certainly our luck for today was still holding as we got excellent looks of a Helmeted Hornbill as it flew across the valley in the best afternoon light. We also located it when he landed and got brilliant scopeviews. What a beast it was and a great surprise, as these huge hornbills are never easy to connect with. As it was getting dark when we crossed the Tahan River to our luxury lodge inside the park.

We had two full days to explore the forest, and our first predawn session gave us a stunning Gould’s Frogmouth, two Collared Scops Owls and a Sunda Colugo! A brilliant start followed by singing Rufous-collared Kingfishers and gaudy male Green Broadbills. After breakfast we had great looks – eventually – of a female Rufous-collared Kingfisher as well as tracked down a great selection of babblers, like Malaysian Black-capped, Moustached, Sooty-capped, Ferruginous, Rufous-crowned, Short-tailed, Black-throated and Abbott’s Babblers. The male Rufous-chested Flycatcher took longer to get for everybody, but a pair of White-crowned Forktails were unusually showy. A distantly singing Garnet Pitta raised or our hopes but it quickly went silent. Another forest trail gave us two male Malayan Crested Firebacks, two Great Slaty Woodpeckers and a day-roosting Trefoil Horseshoe Bat. The afternoon was quiet, as per usual, but another male Rufous-chested Flycatcher and White-chested Babblers were seen. The second predawn session produced yet another Gould’s Frogmouth but the Reddish Scops Owl was very inactive and called only a few times distantly. We were exploring a longer trail on our second full day and started well with a singing Large Wren-Babbler, which was followed by a stunning Garnet Pitta high up on a tree! On our way back to the lodge, we managed to see the amazing Malayan Banded Pitta as well, two stunning pittas in one morning! We got our main skulking targets but there was still no sign of jayshrikes. The rest of the day was spent in the forest too but again the afternoon was quiet. We did get a few new birds like Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Lesser Green Leafbird and we got better looks of Great Slaty and Maroon Woodpeckers. A White-crowned Hornbill was calling briefly but only Black Hornbills were seen. We had yet another predawn session to try for the Reddish Scops Owl but no luck. It was time for us to leave Taman Negara and make our way towards our last destination.

We had to drive to the far north of Malaysia into Kedah state, our destination was the Ulu Muda area. It was as long drive indeed, but our plans were working fine, and we arrived just in time to board our boats and make our way towards Earth Lodge deep in the wilderness. This great place is in the jungle with no phone or internet connection. A comfortable lodge run by people who love nature and especially love hornbills. It was these, we were indeed after. The spectacle of the Plain-pouched Hornbills! It was ‘in medias res’ for us as we arrived just in time to the hornbill watching spot to see hundreds of Plain-pouched Hornbills as they started their afternoon flight to the roosting area. Flocks after flocks were passing and we counted 923 birds in about an hour and a half. We decided to make our way to the lodge with all our gear before the threatening storm arrived. As we cruised along, we saw another 250 hornbills but hard to say if they were all different or partly some of those we already counted. We weren’t too bothered if we saw 923 or 1170 Plain-pouched Hornbills; it was amazing and we felt privileged to witness this special sight! The lodge is right in the middle of the forest and while sipping our morning coffee the next day we managed to see Brown Boobook, Blyth’s Frogmouth and Southern Palm Civet. As soon as it got light, we drifted downstream, a comfortable way of birding. It was great and we managed to see Violet Cuckoo, Large Green and Thick-billed Green Pigeons, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Sooty Barbets, Rufous and Great Slaty Woodpeckers and many Plain-pouched Hornbills as they were flying towards the feeding areas. We also heard Chestnut-necklaced Partridge from the boat, but when we returned to the area later in the morning, we had no sign of the partridge despite much effort. In the afternoon we returned to the hornbill viewing area and while waiting for the afternoon ‘migration’ we had great looks of Bat Hawk, White-crowned Hornbill, Grey-capped Pygmy and White-bellied Woodpecker, Dusky Langur, Wreathed Hornbill and Brown-backed Needletail. The Plain-pouched Hornbill show was just as impressive as the previous afternoon, but our count was only 835 individuals. On our last morning at Ulu Muda we made a predawn walk in the forest seeing a Malaysian Slow Loris and we heard a Brown Wood Owl distantly. This time we made our way to the partridge area as soon as it got light but again, we have not got a sniff, the partridges were silent. We tried another location with the same results, no sign of them. This was disappointing so we continued searching along a forest trail which was also fruitless for the partridges but we connected with Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Chestnut-naped Forktails, Orange-breasted and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Streaked Bulbul, Brown Fulvetta, Rufous-crowned and Sooty-capped Babblers. In the afternoon we left Ulu Muda and our last night session we tried our luck in the Lake Pedu area, but the moon was bright and the nightbirds were quiet.

Next morning we started our way back towards Kuala Lumpur. Traffic was kind to us, and we could make a short detour to Kuala Selangor before driving to the airport. Upon arrival we saw a party of Selangor Silvered Langurs and in the reserve, we saw Coppersmith Barbet, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Common Iora, Malaysian Pied Fantail and Ashy Tailorbird. Nothing special, but a nice reserve to spend a little extra time. Finally, we made our way to the airport where our tour finished, and we departed to various directions. It was a great group, and we had a memorable birding tour together seeing a good portions of the special birds of the region!

BIRDS OF THE TOUR
1^st Rail-babbler
2^nd Malayan Peacock-Pheasant
3^rd Malayan Crestless Fireback
4^rd Plain-pouched Hornbill
5^th Rufous-collared Kingfisher

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR
Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follows AviList v2025b (AviList Core Team 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025); this was the current version when the checklist for the tour report was created.
Where the subspecies seen is/are known, these are often given in parentheses at the end of the species comment.

The species names and taxonomy used in the mammal list follow the mammal list on the iGoTerra website (www.igoterra.com). This list largely follows IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) taxonomy with just a few modifications. It is listed in family order, alphabetically by genera within families. Some alternative names are given in parentheses.

BIRDS
Ferruginous Partridge ◊  Caloperdix oculeus  Superb looks of three birds at Bukit Tinggi.
Crested Partridge ◊  Rollulus rouloul  Heard-only in Panti Forest.
Malayan Partridge ◊  Arborophila campbelli  Top target, and excellent looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Malayan Crestless Fireback ◊  Lophura erythrophthalma  Great surprise! A female seen well in Panti Forest.
Malayan Crested Fireback ◊  Lophura rufa  Great looks of several males in Taman Negara.
Great Argus ◊  Argusianus argus  A male was seen in Taman Negara. Amazing creature!
Chestnut-necklaced Partridge ◊  Tropicoperdix charltonii  Frustratingly remained heard-only in Ulu Muda.
Malayan Peacock-Pheasant ◊  Polyplectron malacense  Superb views of a male in Taman Negara! Wow!
Mountain Peacock-Pheasant ◊  Polyplectron inopinatum  A male was seen at Bukit Tinggi.
Red Junglefowl  Gallus gallus  Common.
Short-toed Coucal ◊  Centropus rectunguis  Heard-only
Greater Coucal  Centropus sinensis
Lesser Coucal  Centropus bengalensis
Raffles’s Malkoha ◊  Rhinortha chlorophaea  Many great sightings.
Red-billed Malkoha  Zanclostomus javanicus
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha  Phaenicophaeus curvirostris
Chestnut-bellied Malkoha ◊  Phaenicophaeus sumatranus  It showed very well in Panti Forest.
Green-billed Malkoha  Phaenicophaeus tristis
Asian Koel  Eudynamys scolopaceus
Violet Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Banded Bay Cuckoo  Cacomantis sonneratii
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo  Surniculus lugubris
Dark Hawk-Cuckoo ◊  Hierococcyx bocki  One was seen briefly at Fraser’s Hill.
Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo ◊  Hierococcyx fugax  One was seen in Taman Negara.
Little Cuckoo-Dove  Macropygia ruficeps
Spotted Dove  Spilopelia chinensis
Rock Dove (introduced) (Feral Pigeon)  Columba [livia] var_domestica
Common Emerald Dove  Chalcophaps indica
Little Green Pigeon ◊  Treron olax  A few seen in Panti Forest and Ulu Muda but mostly in flight.
Pink-necked Green Pigeon  Treron vernans  First seen in Singapore.
Thick-billed Green Pigeon  Treron curvirostra
Large Green Pigeon ◊  Treron capellei  Many seen in the Ulu Muda area.
Zebra Dove  Geopelia striata
Green Imperial Pigeon  Ducula aenea  It was seen in Singapore.
Mountain Imperial Pigeon  Ducula badia
Pied Imperial Pigeon  Ducula bicolor  Great looks in Singapore Botanical Garden.
White-breasted Waterhen  Amaurornis phoenicurus
Red-legged Crake ◊  Rallina fasciata  Excellent look in Singapore!
Ruddy-breasted Crake  Zapornia fusca  Heard-only.
Red-wattled Lapwing  Vanellus indicus
Siberian Sand Plover (Mongolian S P)  Anarhynchus mongolus  One was seen in Singapore.
Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos  Seen only in Singapore.
Little Tern  Sternula albifrons  Seen only in Singapore.
Asian Openbill  Anastomus oscitans
Oriental Darter  Anhinga melanogaster  One was seen at Ulu Muda.
Little Egret  Egretta garzetta
Pacific Reef Heron  Egretta sacra  Two were seen in Singapore.
Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax
Little Heron  Butorides atricapilla
Great Egret  Ardea alba
Medium Egret  Ardea intermedia
Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea
Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea
Malaysian Eared Nightjar ◊  Lyncornis temminckii  Heard-only
Savanna Nightjar  Caprimulgus affinis  One was seen near Sik – non leader.
Large Frogmouth ◊  Batrachostomus auritus  Great looks of this beast in Taman Negara.
Gould’s Frogmouth ◊  Batrachostomus stellatus  We had two sightings in Taman Negara.
Blyth’s Frogmouth ◊  Batrachostomus affinis  One was seen in Panti Forest and Ulu Muda. Others heard.
Grey-rumped Treeswift  Hemiprocne longipennis
Whiskered Treeswift ◊  Hemiprocne comata  One was seen in Panti Forest.
Brown-backed Needletail  Hirundapus giganteus
Silver-rumped Spinetail ◊  Rhaphidura leucopygialis  Several sightings in the Ulu Muda area.
Asian Palm Swift  Cypsiurus balasiensis
Fork-tailed Swift (P)  Apus pacificus  A small flock were seen in Ulu Muda, the cooki race.
House Swift  Apus nipalensis
Plume-toed Swiftlet  Collocalia affinis
Edible-nest Swiftlet (Germain’s S)  Aerodramus [fuciphagus] germani
Oriental Bay Owl ◊  Phodilus badius  Excellent looks of a roosting bird in Taman Negara!
Brown Boobook (B Hawk Owl)  Ninox scutulata  Seen well in Ulu Muda.
Collared Owlet  Taenioptynx brodiei  Heard-only.
Reddish Scops Owl ◊  Otus rufescens  Despite our efforts it remained heard-only. They were not active.
Mountain Scops Owl  Otus spilocephalus  Heard-only.
Collared Scops Owl ◊  Otus lettia  Two were seen in Taman Negara.
Buffy Fish Owl ◊  Ketupa ketupu  Superb looks in Singapore and in the Ulu Muda area.
Barred Eagle-Owl ◊  Ketupa sumatrana  One was seen at Bukit Tinggi.
Spotted Wood Owl ◊  Strix seloputo  A family party of three were seen in Singapore.
Brown Wood Owl  Strix leptogrammica  Heard-only.
Crested Honey Buzzard  Pernis ptilorhynchus
Crested Serpent Eagle  Spilornis cheela
Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle ◊  Nisaetus alboniger  One was seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Changeable Hawk-Eagle  Nisaetus cirrhatus  Several sightings in Singapore and Malaysia too.
Black Eagle  Ictinaetus malaiensis  It was seen at Bukit Tinggi.
Bat Hawk ◊  Macheiramphus alcinus  Two were seen in Ulu Muda. Excellent looks!
Brahminy Kite  Haliastur indus
White-bellied Sea Eagle  Icthyophaga leucogaster
Lesser Fish Eagle  Icthyophaga humilis  Several in the Ulu Muda area.
Grey-headed Fish Eagle  Icthyophaga ichthyaetus  One was seen in Singapore.
Orange-breasted Trogon  Harpactes oreskios  A pair was seen in Ulu Muda area.
Red-naped Trogon ◊  Harpactes kasumba  Great looks in Panti Forest.
Diard’s Trogon ◊  Harpactes diardii  Heard-only.
Scarlet-rumped Trogon ◊  Harpactes duvaucelii  Great looks in Panti Forest and in the Ulu Muda area.
Red-headed Trogon  Harpactes erythrocephalus  Regularly seen at Fraser’s Hill.
White-crowned Hornbill ◊  Berenicornis comatus  A female showed very well in the Ulu Muda area.
Helmeted Hornbill ◊  Rhinoplax vigil  Tour highlight to see one superbly in the best light flying close to us!
Rhinoceros Hornbill ◊  Buceros rhinoceros  Great looks in Taman Negara.
Bushy-crested Hornbill ◊  Anorrhinus galeritus  First seen in Panti Forest, later in the Ulu Muda area.
Black Hornbill ◊  Anthracoceros malayanus  Our best looks were in the Ulu Muda area!
Oriental Pied Hornbill  Anthracoceros albirostris  Regularly seen, first in Singapore.
Wreathed Hornbill  Rhyticeros undulatus  Just a few sightings.
Plain-pouched Hornbill ◊  Rhyticeros subruficollis  Wow! Tour highlight, we counted 926 on our first afternoon!
Oriental Dollarbird  Eurystomus orientalis
Red-bearded Bee-eater ◊  Nyctyornis amictus  Excellent looks at Fraser’s Hill and many others heard.
Blue-throated Bee-eater ◊  Merops viridis
Common Kingfisher  Alcedo atthis
Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher  Ceyx rufidorsa
Banded Kingfisher  Lacedo pulchella  Great looks of a fine male at Fraser’s Hill.
Stork-billed Kingfisher  Pelargopsis capensis
Ruddy Kingfisher ◊  Halcyon coromanda  One was seen in Singapore. Great looks!
White-throated Kingfisher  Halcyon smyrnensis
Rufous-collared Kingfisher ◊  Actenoides concretus  Many heard, both sexes seen in Taman Negara.
Collared Kingfisher  Todiramphus chloris
Sooty Barbet ◊  Caloramphus hayii  Several sightings at Fraser’s Hill, Bukit Tinggi and Ulu Muda.
Coppersmith Barbet  Psilopogon haemacephalus
Black-eared Barbet  Psilopogon duvaucelii
Fire-tufted Barbet ◊  Psilopogon pyrolophus  Just a few were seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Red-crowned Barbet ◊  Psilopogon rafflesia  Common in the Panti Forest and we had great looks.
Red-throated Barbet  Psilopogon mystacophanos
Yellow-crowned Barbet ◊  Psilopogon henricii  First seen in the Panti Forest.
Lineated Barbet  Psilopogon lineatus  Heard-only in Singapore.
Golden-whiskered Barbet  Psilopogon chrysopogon
Black-browed Barbet ◊  Psilopogon oorti  Common in the Fraser’s Hill area.
Grey-and-buff Woodpecker ◊  Hemicircus concretus  Two were seen in the Panti Forest.
Rufous Woodpecker  Micropternus brachyurus
Buff-necked Woodpecker ◊  Meiglyptes tukki  It was seen briefly in Panti Forest, better looks in Taman Negara.
Bamboo Woodpecker ◊  Gecinulus viridis  Heard-only.
Common Flameback  Dinopium javanense
Crimson-winged Woodpecker  Picus puniceus
Laced Woodpecker  Picus vittatus
Banded Woodpecker ◊  Chrysophlegma miniaceum  Several excellent looks.
Greater Yellownape  Chrysophlegma flavinucha
Checker-throated Woodpecker  Chrysophlegma mentale
Great Slaty Woodpecker  Mulleripicus pulverulentus  Great looks in Taman Negara and in the Ulu Muda area.
White-bellied Woodpecker  Dryocopus javensis
Maroon Woodpecker ◊  Blythipicus rubiginosus  Best looks in Taman Negara.
Orange-backed Woodpecker ◊  Chrysocolaptes validus  Great looks of a male in Bukit Tinggi.
Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker  Yungipicus moluccensis
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker  Yungipicus canicapillus
Black-thighed Falconet ◊  Microhierax fringillarius  First seen at Fraser’s Hill, best looks were in Taman Negara.
Blue-rumped Parrot ◊  Psittinus cyanurus  It was seen in the Panti Forest.
Rose-ringed Parakeet (introduced) (Ring-necked P)  Psittacula krameri
Red-breasted Parakeet  Psittacula alexandri
Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot ◊  Loriculus galgulus  Several sightings, first in Singapore.
Dusky Broadbill  Corydon sumatranus  Fantastic looks in the Panti Forest.
Long-tailed Broadbill  Psarisomus dalhousiae  A large flock was seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Black-and-yellow Broadbill  Eurylaimus ochromalus  Commonly encountered.
Banded Broadbill  Eurylaimus javanicus  Just a few sightings this year but many heard.
Black-and-red Broadbill  Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos  Beautiful bird, seen first at Taman Negara.
Silver-breasted Broadbill  Serilophus lunatus  Heard-only.
Green Broadbill ◊  Calyptomena viridis  Many excellent looks in Taman Negara.
Garnet Pitta ◊  Erythropitta granatina  One was eventually tracked down in Taman Negara.
Malayan Banded Pitta ◊  Hydrornis irena  A pair was seen in Taman Negara.
Blue-winged Pitta ◊  Pitta moluccensis  Excellent looks in Singapore.
Mangrove Pitta ◊  Pitta megarhyncha  Excellent looks in Singapore.
Grey-chinned Minivet (G-throated M)  Pericrocotus [solaris] montanus  Good looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Scarlet Minivet  Pericrocotus flammeus  Excellent looks at Bukit Tinggi.
Malayan Cuckooshrike ◊  Coracina larutensis  A pair was seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Pied Triller ◊  Lalage nigra  A male was seen in Singapore.
Lesser Cuckooshrike  Lalage fimbriata
White-breasted Woodswallow  Artamus leucorynchus
Common Iora  Aegithina tiphia
Green Iora ◊  Aegithina viridissima  Several sightings in lowland forests.
Rufous-winged Philentoma ◊  Philentoma pyrhoptera  Eventually everybody got good looks!
Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike  Hemipus hirundinaceus
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike  Hemipus picatus
Large Woodshrike  Tephrodornis virgatus
White-browed Shrike-babbler  Pteruthius aeralatus
Black-eared Shrike-babbler ◊  Pteruthius melanotis  Elusive this year, it was leader-only at Fraser’s Hill.
White-bellied Erpornis  Erpornis zantholeuca
Dark-throated Oriole  Oriolus xanthonotus
Black-naped Oriole (Sunda B-n O)  Oriolus [chinensis] maculatus
Sunda Pied Fantail  Rhipidura javanica
White-throated Fantail  Rhipidura albicollis
Bronzed Drongo  Dicrurus aeneus
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo  Dicrurus remifer
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo  Dicrurus paradiseus
Black-naped Monarch  Hypothymis azurea
Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone affinis
Malayan Black Magpie ◊  Platysmurus leucopterus  It was seen well in the Panti Forest. Heard in Taman Negara.
Common Green Magpie  Cissa chinensis  It was seen at Fraser’s Hill.
House Crow (introduced)  Corvus splendens
Large-billed Crow (Southern Jungle C)  Corvus macrorhynchos
Rail-babbler ◊  Eupetes macrocerus  Great looks in Panti and heard in Taman Negara. Bird of the tirp!
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher  Culicicapa ceylonensis
Sultan Tit  Melanochlora sultanea
Common Tailorbird  Orthotomus sutorius
Dark-necked Tailorbird  Orthotomus atrogularis
Ashy Tailorbird  Orthotomus ruficeps
Rufous-tailed Tailorbird ◊  Orthotomus sericeus  We had our first looks at Panti Forest.
Rufescent Prinia  Prinia rufescens
Yellow-bellied Prinia  Prinia flaviventris
Pacific Swallow  Hirundo javanica
Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica
Rufous-bellied Swallow ◊  Cecropis badia  Excellent looks at Fraser’s Hill and Bukit Tinggi.
Yellow-bellied Warbler  Abroscopus superciliaris
Mountain Tailorbird  Phyllergates cucullatus  Heard-only.
Black-headed Bulbul  Microtarsus melanocephalos
Spectacled Bulbul ◊  Rubigula erythropthalmos  Commonly encountered.
Scaly-breasted Bulbul ◊  Rubigula squamata  Good looks at various locations.
Black-crested Bulbul  Rubigula flaviventris
Asian Red-eyed Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus brunneus  We had the best looks at Bukit Tinggi.
Olive-winged Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus plumosus  We had the best looks in Singapore.
Cream-vented Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus simplex  We had the best looks in the Panti Forest.
Stripe-throated Bulbul  Pycnonotus finlaysoni
Straw-headed Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus zeylanicus  We had great looks of six birds in Singapore! Tour highlight!
Yellow-vented Bulbul  Pycnonotus goiavier
Hairy-backed Bulbul ◊  Tricholestes criniger  Many good looks.
Yellow-bellied Bulbul ◊  Alophoixus phaeocephalus  We had the best looks in the Panti Forest.
Grey-cheeked Bulbul ◊  Alophoixus tephrogenys  We had the best looks in Taman Negara.
Ochraceous Bulbul  Alophoixus ochraceus
Buff-vented Bulbul ◊  Iole crypta  We had the best looks in the Panti Forest.
Cinereous Bulbul ◊  Hemixos cinereus  Just two were seen in Bukit Tinggi.
Streaked Bulbul ◊  Ixos malaccensis  We only had a few in the Ulu Muda area.
Mountain Bulbul (Southern M B)  Ixos mcclellandii
Swinhoe’s White-eye  Zosterops simplex
Hume’s White-eye ◊  Zosterops auriventer  Regularly seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Pin-striped Tit-Babbler  Mixornis gularis
Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler ◊  Macronus ptilosus  Many heard in the Ulu Muda area only seen by some.
Golden Babbler  Cyanoderma chrysaeum
Chestnut-winged Babbler ◊  Cyanoderma erythropterum  Many good sightings.
Black Laughingthrush ◊  Melanocichla lugubris  Eventually a party was seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Sunda Scimitar Babbler  Pomatorhinus bornensis  Many great looks at Bukit Tinggi.
Black-throated Babbler ◊  Stachyris nigricollis  It was seen in the Panti Forest and Taman Negara.
Chestnut-rumped Babbler ◊  Stachyris maculata  It was seen in the Panti Forest and Taman Negara.
Grey-throated Babbler (Southern G-t B)  Stachyris nigriceps  Greta looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Large Wren-Babbler ◊  Turdinus macrodactylus  Good looks of this skulker in Taman Negara.
Marbled Wren-Babbler ◊  Turdinus marmoratus  Despite our efforts it remained heard-only.
Sooty-capped Babbler ◊  Malacopteron affine  It was seen in Tama Negara and Ulu Muda.
Scaly-crowned Babbler  Malacopteron cinereum
Rufous-crowned Babbler ◊  Malacopteron magnum  It was seen in Tama Negara and Ulu Muda.
Moustached Babbler ◊  Malacopteron magnirostre  It was seen in Tama Negara and Ulu Muda.
Malayan Black-capped Babbler ◊  Pellorneum nigrocapitatum  It was seen in Tama Negara and Ulu Muda.
Puff-throated Babbler  Pellorneum ruficeps 
Short-tailed Babbler ◊  Pellorneum malaccense  Best looks in Taman Negara.
Buff-breasted Babbler  Pellorneum tickelli
White-chested Babbler ◊  Pellorneum rostratum  It was seen in Taman Negara.
Ferruginous Babbler ◊  Pellorneum bicolor  Great looks in Taman Negara.
Abbott’s Babbler  Malacocincla abbotti  Several sightings in Taman Negara.
Streaked Wren-Babbler ◊ (Malay S W-B)  Gypsophila [brevicaudata] leucosticte  Excellent looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Brown Fulvetta  Alcippe brunneicauda  It was only seen in the Ulu  Muda area.
Mountain Fulvetta ◊  Alcippe peracensis  Commonly seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Malayan Laughingthrush ◊  Trochalopteron peninsulae  Great looks of this top target at Fraser’s Hill.
Long-tailed Sibia ◊  Heterophasia picaoides  Many seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Silver-eared Mesia  Leiothrix argentauris  Many seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush ◊ (Spectacled L)  Pterorhinus mitratus  Many seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Blue Nuthatch ◊  Sitta azurea  Beautiful bird seen well at Fraser’s Hill.
Common Hill Myna  Gracula religiosa
Asian Glossy Starling  Aplonis panayensis
Common Myna  Acridotheres tristis
Javan Myna (introduced)  Acridotheres javanicus
Oriental Magpie-Robin  Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama  Copsychus malabaricus
Verditer Flycatcher  Eumyias thalassinus
Rufous-browed Flycatcher ◊  Anthipes solitaris  Confiding in Fraser’s Hill, many seen.
Hill Blue Flycatcher  Cyornis whitei
White-tailed Robin  Myiomela leucura
White-crowned Forktail ◊ (Southern W-c F)  Enicurus leschenaulti  Seen in Panti Forest and at Taman Negara. 
Chestnut-naped Forktail ◊  Enicurus ruficapillus  It was seen in the Ulu Muda area.
Slaty-backed Forktail  Enicurus schistaceus
Malayan Whistling Thrush  Myophonus robinsoni  Luckily we had good looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Blue Whistling Thrush ◊ (Malay B W T)  Myophonus [caeruleus] dichrorhynchus  One was seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Lesser Shortwing (Malay L S)  Brachypteryx [leucophris] wrayi  Great looks at Fraser’s Hill.
Pygmy Flycatcher ◊ (P Blue F)  Ficedula hodgsoni  Just one was seen at Fraser’s Hill by some.
Little Pied Flycatcher  Ficedula westermanni
Rufous-chested Flycatcher ◊  Ficedula dumetoria  Two males were seen at Taman Negara.
Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker ◊  Prionochilus maculatus  A few sightings, first in the Panti Forest.
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker ◊  Prionochilus percussus  Two sightings this year.
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker  Pachyglossa chrysorrhea
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker  Dicaeum trigonostigma
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker  Dicaeum ignipectus
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker  Dicaeum cruentatum
Purple-naped Spiderhunter  Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum
Long-billed Spiderhunter ◊  Arachnothera robusta  Great looks at Taman Negara.
Little Spiderhunter  Arachnothera longirostra
Yellow-eared Spiderhunter ◊  Arachnothera chrysogenys  One was seen in the Panti Forest.
Spectacled Spiderhunter ◊  Arachnothera flavigaster  One was seen at Bukit Tinggi.
Streaked Spiderhunter  Arachnothera magna
Grey-breasted Spiderhunter ◊  Arachnothera modesta  Many sightings at Taman Negara and Ulu Muda.
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird  Chalcoparia singalensis
Plain Sunbird ◊  Anthreptes simplex  Just seen on one occasion at Bukit Tinggi.
Brown-throated Sunbird  Anthreptes malacensis
Copper-throated Sunbird ◊  Leptocoma calcostetha  Great looks of a male in Singapore.
Black-throated Sunbird  Aethopyga saturata
Ornate Sunbird  Cinnyris ornatus
Greater Green Leafbird ◊  Chloropsis sonnerati  One was seen in the Panti Forest by some.
Lesser Green Leafbird ◊  Chloropsis cyanopogon  We only ecountered it in Taman Negara.
Blue-winged Leafbird  Chloropsis moluccensis
Asian Fairy-bluebird  Irena puella
Scaly-breasted Munia  Lonchura punctulata
White-rumped Munia  Lonchura striata
White-headed Munia ◊  Lonchura maja  A few seen in Taman Negara.
Pin-tailed Parrotfinch ◊  Erythrura prasina  Excellent year with many seeding bamboo. Up to 80 seen.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow  Passer montanus
Grey Wagtail  Motacilla cinerea
Paddyfield Pipit  Anthus rufulus

MAMMALS
Max’s Short-tailed Gymnure (Lesser G)  Hylomys maxi  One was seen at Fraser’s Hill and one at Bukit Tinggi.
Southern Palm Civet  Paradoxurus musangus  We saw it in Taman Negara and in the Ulu Muda area too.
Smooth-coated Otter (Smooth O)  Lutra perspicillata  It was seen by some in the Ulu Muda area.
Malayan Sun Bear  Helarctos malayanus  Incredible luck to se one daytime in Taman Negara!
Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain (L Mouse-Deer)  Tragulus kanchil  Two sightings at Taman Negara.
Southern Red Muntjac  Muntiacus muntjak  One was seen in Taman Negara.
Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat  Emballonura monticola  Three were seen roosting in the Ulu Muda area.
Trefoil Horseshoe Bat  Rhinolophus trifoliatus  Many seen at night, one was found daytime in Taman Negara.
Sunda Colugo (S Flying Lemur)  Galeopterus variegatus  Both nighttime and daytime looks in Taman Negara.
Common Treeshrew  Tupaia glis  First seen in Singapore and also several looks in Malaysia.
Malaysian Slow Loris (Sunda S L)  Nycticebus coucang  One was seen at Earth Lodge.
Long-tailed Macaque  Macaca fascicularis  Common.
Southern Pig-tailed Macaque  Macaca nemestrina  The best looks were in the Bukit Tinggi area.
Pale-thighed Langur  Presbytis siamensis  Several great looks in the Fraser’s Hill area.
Dusky Langur  Trachypithecus obscurus  Several good looks, the best probably at Bukit Tinggi.
Selangor Silvered Langur  Trachypithecus selangorensis  Seen well on our last day at Kuala Selangor.
Lar Gibbon  Hylobates lar  Heard-only in Panti Forest and Taman Negara.
Agile Gibbon  Hylobates agilis  Heard-only in the Ulu Muda area.
Siamang  Symphalangus syndactylus  Epic views and experience at Fraser’s Hill!
Southern Gray-bellied Squirrel  Callosciurus concolor  Common.
Pallas’s Squirrel (Belly-banded S)  Callosciurus erythraeus  Just a single one seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Black-striped Squirrel (B-banded S)  Callosciurus nigrovittatus  One was seen in Panti Forest.
Plantain Squirrel  Callosciurus notatus  Common.
Prevost’s Squirrel  Callosciurus prevostii  Excellent looks in Taman Negara. The most handsome squirrel!
Asian Red-cheeked Squirrel  Dremomys rufigenis  A few seen at Fraser’s Hill.
Three-striped Ground Squirrel  Lariscus insignis  It was seen in Panti Forest and Taman Negara.
Pale Giant Squirrel (Cream-coloured G S)  Ratufa affinis  One was seen in the Ulu Muda area.
Southern Black Giant Squirrel  Ratufa bicolor  One was seen in the Ulu Muda area.
Shrew-faced Squirrel  Rhinosciurus laticaudatus  One was seen in Taman Negara. Great mammal!
Slender Squirrel  Sundasciurus tenuis  Common.
Southeast Asian Striped Squirrel  Tamiops barbei  Common in the Fraser’s Hill and Bukit Tinggi area.
Indomalayan Long-tailed Giant Rat  Leopoldamys sabanus  One was seen in Taman Negara.
Malaysian Field Rat  Rattus tiomanicus  One was seen at Lake Pedu on our last night.