Many birding sites just at the boundary of the Kuala Lumpur City, Ulu Lanagat lowland forest and Bukit Tinggi is best know birding site just outside of the busy city center.
Malaysia Birding Sites outside Kuala Lumpur
Birding spots outside Kuala Lumpur
3-4 hrs drive from Kuala Lumpur. Cameron Highland is more developed than Fraser’s Hill but is a still good birding spot where you can see upper mountain forest birds. There are several walking trails around Brinchang, Blue valley and Tanah Rata. Particularly, a road to Gunung Brinchan and Gunung Irau is one of few spots to see Rufous-vented Niltava and Chestnut-tailed Minla in Malaysia.
Others are Fire-tufted Barbet, Golden-throated Barbet, Chestnut-capped Laughing-thrush, Long-tailed Sibia, Yellow-breasted Warbler, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Hill Blue Flycatcher, White-throated Fantail and Black-throated Sunbird.
Tasik Bera a rather difficult to find, it’s about 3-4 hrs drive from Kuala Lumpur heading to the Southeastern road. A peat swamp and lowland forest birding spot. Tasik Bera classified as the largest natural lake in Malaysia is dominated by pandanus shrub.
It is situated in the saddle of the main and eastern mountain ranges of the Peninsula and is approximately 35km long and 20km wide. Tasik Bera has remained a unique and remote wetland wilderness, which is surrounded by a patchwork of dry lowland forests.
The area is important as a prime example of freshwater swamp habitat and blackwater lacustrine ecosystem, supporting a high biodiversity. Bera Lake is a sanctuary for 328 species of flora, 200 bird species, 50 mammals, and more than 95 species of fishes.
Birds recorded are, for example, Crested Wood Partridge, Brown Wood-owl, White-throated Kingfisher, Long-tailed Parakeet, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Black-and-Red Broadbill, leafbirds, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler, Malaysian Rail-babbler, White-rumped Shama and Pied Fantail.
Tasik Chini is one of the only two natural lakes in Peninsula Malaysia, both of which are located in the state of Pahang. Located approximately 100km from Kuantan town, the capital of Pahang, Chini is a lake that was formed from the natural damming of a river valley. It is Malaysia’s second largest natural lake and is made up of a series of 12 lakes.
Earnest bird watchers will be happy to know that over 200 species of birds were recorded. Chini is a premier bird watching destination in Peninsula Malaysia. There are three bird watching trails, which go through different habitats. During the months of October to March, migratory birds come to Chini from the northern parts of Asia to escape the winter.
Malaysia’s Taman Negara, is classified as one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Older than either the Amazon or the Congo, it has remained undisturbed for 130 million years.
For many, the attraction of Taman Negara is the abundant bird life, comprising of over 350 species. Though many forest species live secretive lives, either foraging in the undergrowth or hiding up in the canopy, at times these species may visit more open areas when there are flowers or blossoming trees. Perhaps the easiest place to spot the diversity of birds is right at your resort, where trees may have been planted to attract birds. These sites will be active early in the morning
Taman Negara is known as the best birding spot in the Peninsular Malaysia for observing lowland rainforest. The primary forest holds rich fauna. However, it means that flora is also rich which makes difficult to search canopy or upper storey birds.
Highlights here are Black Wood Partridge, Crested Wood Partridge, Crestless Fireback, Crested Fireback, Great Argus, Malaysian Peacock-pheasant, Masked Finfoot (mainly winter months), trogons, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, hornbills, pittas (Blue-winged, Hooded, Garnet and Banded) and babblers.
About 5 hrs drives from Kuala Lumpur. Three main vegetation types occur, namely beach forest, fresh water swamp forest and lowland dipterocarp forest, wide variety of birdlife. One of the best place for forest bird.
One of the few remaining lowland virgin forests in Peninsular Malaysia, with rock formations dating back some 248 million years, Endau-Rompin is mostly hilly with some prominent sandstone plateaus. It’s about 5 hrs drives from Kuala Lumpur.
Nearest town are Kuala Lipis, about 4 hrs from Kuala Lumpur. The park offers great adventure such as exploring limestone caves and river swimming, camping and jungle trekking. For birdwatchers, dove (Chalcophaps indica), merbah red eye “Pycnonothus Prunneus” and Copsycus malabaricus,prized for their singing ability can be spotted here.
About 1 hrs south of Penang Island. Kuala Gula is famous fishing village. From August to April every year, this area becomes a transit point for water birds from all over the world.
Kuala Gula is also a sanctuary for migratory and resident waterbirds such as storks, herons, bitterns, rails, gulls, egrets and terns. About 35 species of these birds are found here. The globally-threatened Milky Stork and Lesser Adjutant can sometimes be seen feeding on the mudflats together with Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Chinese Pond-Heron and Little Heron.
Other waterbirds such as Yellow Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-breasted Waterhen and occasionally. Several species of terns can be seen, including the Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Common Tern and Little Tern. The Brown-headed Gull is a regular winter visitor and sometimes many can be seen resting on mudflats.
In Kuala Gula, these wetland-dependent birds include raptors and kingfishers. Fish-eaters such as the White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Osprey and Brahminy Kite are a common sight around the waterways, Ruddy Kingfisher, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher and Black-capped Kingfisher can be found here.
Short distance drive from Kuala Gula or about ½ hr drive from Taipeng, Perak. Another good place for water birds, especially during the north hemisphere winter migratory season.
Long drive from Kuala Lumpur, about 7 hrs driving distance. This is one of the best virgin forest that hold many good species of wildlife as well as bird life ! Yu can find 10 different species of hornbill here ! The only place in Malaysia that you can see all this species.