April 1-18, 2025 with Doug Gochfeld
The word “Borneo” evokes thoughts of untamed jungle and bountiful tropical wildlife. The reality of the island is more complex, with three different nations holding sway on different parts of the huge island (the third largest in the world), and different attitudes and policies towards nature and wildlife. Sabah is the smaller of the two Malaysian states on the island, and it is also the most nature-forward. The landscape is a mosaic of settled areas, vast oil palm plantations, and a lot of forested habitat which is protected to various degrees, from being untouched, to allowing certain levels of logging. This year’s tour ran our classic, time-tested route from the Kinabatangan River, and then Danum Valley in the lowlands up to Mt. Kinabalu in the north. And, as usual, it proved to be an unforgettable adventure through some of the richest rainforests in Southeast Asia.
Starting off with some light birding around our comfortable lodge in Sandakan, we quickly graduated to bird the extensive forest at the nearby Rainforest Discovery Center, where we were able to enjoy a treetop view of the action thanks to their multiple canopy towers. Weather and other factors beyond our control dictate how active this spot is, and the prior day, when I visited on my own, it was fairly quiet. Twenty-four hours later, however, things were quite different! Whatever the confluence of conditions were during our group visit, they were really working for us, and I’ll sign up for them every time! We had steady activity for most of our visit, with the reliable standouts like Black-and-yellow Broadbill and Rhinoceros Hornbill (the latter of which we never got tired of, no matter how often we encountered them) playing a side show to a family of Bornean Gibbons singing away in full view (a common sound, but a rare sight!), while Bornean Black Magpies clambered through the impressive tropical trees around us. As the morning progressed, and things grew quieter, we began to focus on individual species, and we finished off the trail birding with a great trifecta: of a ridiculously confiding Sabah Partridge, a Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher, and then, as we stopped for some cool refreshments, somebody pointed out a Bornean Keeled Pit Viper resting on a nearby plant.
On our way in, first thing in the morning, we had noticed a fantastic fruiting ficus tree over the parking lot, with plenty of bird activity. Once we finished with our birding loop through the forest, we spent some time standing (or sitting) under the tree, watching the madcap comings and goings of barbets, bulbuls, doves, and more, at our leisure. We even had brief looks at a pair of Bornean-endemic Dusky Munia.
Now fully in the rhythm of Bornean birding, we got out of the midday sun for our lunch munch, and then got into the bus for our drive to Gomantong Caves. We did a little bit of birding over the entrance road, before we headed down the trail and into the cave proper. The air over the cave entrance was filled with swiftlets, and we took a short walk on the cave’s boardwalk trail to view the nests of some of the thousands of Edible-nest Swiftlets (of three species: Black-nest, White-nest, and Mossy-nest) that call the cave home. After satisfying ourselves that we had seen all three species (by virtue of seeing them on their black, white, and mossy nests), we retreated to the mouth of the cave in anticipation of the other major biomass event that makes the cave famous: the exodus of bats. On this visit, though, the sky seemed to be threatening rain, and instead of funneling out of the roof of the cave, as is often the case, the bats poured out of the bottom entrance(s) of the cave, which happened to be right in front of where we were standing! We were amused by the ungainly hornbills which were perched on vines (how did they even hold their weight) opportunistically looking for opportunities to snag one of these bats, but for the most part, the bats seemed to escape the cave unscathed.
Our next few days would be spent at our comfortable lodge along the Kinabatangan River, which, during this year’s visit, was quite high (especially for “dry” season). Water levels fundamentally affect some of the fauna opportunities along the river, so it wasn’t a visit for cats, pittas (though we saw a couple), or ground-cuckoos. It was, however, a delightful few days, and the wildlife encounters really ramped up once we got here. Our two trips a day (and three when the weather allowed for a night ride) provided highlights upon highlights, and every outing brought something new. We had multiple encounters with groups of the bizarre-looking Proboscis Monkey, two species each of macaque and langur, both Common Palm, and Small-toothed civets, Large Flying Fox, a Slow Loris, and our first (but not last) Orangutans. We even got to see a Sunda Colugo trying to blend in to its day roost, thanks to the sharp-eyed spotting of Ramsa. Our most enrapturing mammal sighting, however, was our time with the troop of Bornean Pygmy Elephants. Most of the herd was on one side of the river, foraging in the water and at the water’s edge, but we got word that a couple had already crossed the river. So we waited, and eventually were left speechless as the herd swam, in a few batches, across this large river, trunks raised like snorkels. Watching this fascinating scene unfold was pure magic, and was one of the indelible memories from our couple of weeks on this wild island.
And I haven’t even mentioned the birds yet! Blue-eared Kingfishers zipped across the river in front of us, while their larger Stork-billed cousins abided the boats a little better as they broadcast their presence from high in waterside trees. We even ran into the scarcer and patchily distributed Ruddy Kingfisher here, though it wasn’t as cooperative – it did a lot of talking, but not much sitting still in view. Black-and-Red Broadbills, usually right around their penduline nests hanging dangerously out over the river, were a staple of our daytimes, while nocturnal avian highlights were Yellow Bittern, and Buffy Fish-Owl. During our time on the river, we also saw White-crowned Hornbill, and even Bat Falcons hanging around a nest! The river treated us right, despite how rich in water it was during our visit.
After three full days of fun on the river, it was time to switch bases of operations. We traded our boat in for our comfortable bus, and en route, we picked up Cinnamon Bittern and the regional specialty (but irregular in Sabah) Sunda Teal. We made it to Lahad Datu, where we then traded in our trusty bus and driver for three 4x4 vehicles driven by the skilled drivers from our next base camp, the world-famous Borneo Rainforest Lodge at Danum Valley. As base camps go, this one is a pretty phenomenal one, with luxurious rooms, great views from the rooms and dining hall, and a delicious banquet for every meal. Sabinus helped us out with his hyperlocal knowledge of the birds and trails of Danum, and we did well during our time here. The entertaining birds here came at us nonstop, from pittas and trogons to spiderhunters and woodpeckers. A complete accounting of our avian exploits here can be found amidst the eBird Trip Report, but some of the most notable highlights were Rufous-bellied Philentoma, an amazingly cooperative Blue-headed Pitta, Striped and Bornean wren-babblers, and Chestnut-naped Forktail. A couple of large fruiting trees, one conveniently located adjacent to the lodge, provided a constant flow of frugivores, including Scaly-breasted Bulbul, and most importantly, provided daily encounters with the remarkable Helmeted Hornbill.
Our most astonishing bird experience was our run-in with the male Great Argus which materialized out of the dark forest, casually strolling the trail ahead of us. We followed for a short while, and after everyone had initial views, this spectacularly long-tailed male was kind enough to turn around and strut back through the forest towards us. I don’t know if I was holding my breath or hyperventilating through the whole encounter, but either would’ve been completely justified.
On the non-bird front, the always looked-forward-to night prowling here was again hampered by regular evening rains, but we still found Sunda Colugo, at least one species of Flying Lizard, Moss Mantis, Wallace’s Flying-Frog, and some roosting birds (including a Black-browed Pitta!). During the daytime, we continued our great run of seeing the Man of the Forest (Orangutan is a combination of the Malay words orang, and utan, meaning “man of the forest”), as we saw at least three different individual Orangutans here, the highlight of which was a thirty-seven year old male that hadn’t been seen for a while, who we watched drop out of the trees and walk across the road mere meters ahead of us, leaving our hearts all aflutter.
After we said our teary farewell to Danum Valley, we flew to the north side of the island, to the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. We woke early the next morning, and began our journey to the highlands under cover of darkness. By the time it was light out, we were in the Crocker Range, and our birding focus shifted to montane specialties, with the highlights of our couple of stops here being Long-tailed Broadbill, Mountain Black-Eye, Dark Hawk-Cuckoo, Bornean Bulbul, Waterfall Swift, and our first Bornean Leafbirds.
For the remainder of our island time, we were based in Kinabalu Park, on the flank of majestic Mt. Kinabalu. Even though the heat hadn’t been that bad in the lowlands this year, the cooler air was a still a welcome respite. The mornings here gave us crisp, clear skies, and good birding conditions, before a daily afternoon fog layer settled in like clockwork, adding a bit of mystery to the landscape (and also mystery to what birds were out there, since it became very difficult to see things!). Despite the late afternoon fog bouts, the montane birding was really good, with atypical sightings of Mountain Barbets and Bornean Leafbirds at Kinabalu Park itself, as well as a great supporting cast of Bornean Stubtail, Pale-faced Bulbul, Bare-headed Laughingthrush, Temminck’s Sunbird, Everett’s Thrush, and Bornean Forktail. We even connected with two of the three species named after Whitehead with ease: Whitehead’s Trogon, and Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, but the broadbill proved recalcitrant, and it took us until the final morning to even hear one.
We spent one afternoon down in the Poring Springs area, with the main goal being to see blooming Rafflesia flowers – the largest genus of flower in the world. We indeed connected with one, a second-day flower in good condition, along with several other past and would-be future flowers, giving a full view of their annual biology.
After a couple of hopeful attempts, we finally connected with the hyper-localized endemic Mountain Serpent Eagle (formerly called Kinabalu Serpent-Eagle), circling overhead and loudly calling, a fitting late addition to our healthy list of Bornean endemics. Non-birds held their own here as well, and included both forms of Trilobite Beetles, Mocquard’s Eyebrowed Lizard, the absolutely adorable Kinabalu (formerly Whitehead’s) Pygmy Squirrel, Mountain Treeshrew, and the extremely rarely encountered Jentink’s Flying Squirrel.
And just like that, our wonderful two weeks exploring this best of all tropical islands drew to an end. The mix of rainforest hikes, river cruises, mountain views, canopy walkways, and even a little bit of cave exploration made for a dynamic tour which, as the cliché goes (very true in this case), none of us shall soon forget. From the swimming elephants to the cute mammals, bizarre bugs, delicious food, and panoply of birds, this year’s tour to Sabah delivered the goods. It was my privilege to travel with and guide you through this incredible part of the world, and I hope to see you all in another fabulous place in the birdverse!!!
*(Below the next photo is a list of the non-birds we saw. The bird list is available at the eBird trip report link at the bottom of those non-bird lists, just above the tour slideshow, the latter of which has some more photos from our unforgettable journey)*
Mammals:
Sunda Colugo (Galeopterus variegatus)
Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus)
Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis)
Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat (Mops plicatus)
Diadem Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros diadema)
Fawn Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros cervinus)
Whiskered Myotis (Myotis muricola)
Mountain Treeshrew (Tupaia montana)
Malaysian Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang)
Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina)
Sunda Silvery Langur (Trachypithecus cristatus)
Maroon Langur (Presbytis rubicunda)
Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
Eastern Gray Gibbon (Hylobates funereus)
Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Pale Giant Squirrel (Ratufa affinis)
Prevost's Squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii)
Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)
Bornean Black-banded Squirrel (Callosciurus orestes)
Jentink's Squirrel (Sundasciurus jentinki)
Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel (Sundasciurus everetti)
Least Pygmy Squirrel (Exilisciurus exilis)
Tufted Pygmy Squirrel (Exilisciurus whiteheadi)
Red Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista petaurista)
Jentink's Flying-Squirrel (Hylopetes platyurus)
Small-toothed Palm Civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata)
Northern Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
Bornean Pygmy Elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis)
Sambar (Rusa unicolor)
Herps:
Painted Bronzeback
Bornean Keeled Pit Viper
Dog-toothed Cat Snake
Saltwater Crocodile
Mocquard's Eyebrow Lizard
Horned Flying Lizard
Common House Gecko
Double-spotted Gecko
Flat-tailed House Gecko
Smith's Giant Gecko
Horsfield's Flying Gecko
Borneo Forest Dragon
Water Monitor
Forest Tortoise
Wallace's Flying Frog
Harlequin Flying Treefrog
Cricket Frog
Other creatures of interest:
Rafflesia keithii
Nepenthes tentaculata
Brown Leech
Tiger Leech
Tractor Millipede
Trilobite Beetle
Bornean Pill Millipede
Moss Mantis
The quantity of Lepidoptera, both crepuscular and diurnal, was mindboggling, so a complete list does not follow here, but a partial list of the butterflies we encountered on tour was compiled by tour participant Alfred Adamo, and I have added a few more that I also photographed:
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/406277
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/bor25aTRIPLIST.pdf
-Doug Gochfeld (Treeswift)