Sulawesi is the largest and the most geologically complex of all the islands of Wallacea because of the repeated collision between these two biogeographical zones. A unique laboratory in biological life has emerged to give you the most amazing experiment in mammals and avifaunas the world have ever witness.

There approximately 224 birds found on Mainland Sulawesi, of which 41 species are endemics and a further 56 species are confined to Sulawesi and/or its satellite islands. We  fly into Manado which is the capital of North Sulawesi via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is an easy 3 hour flight and we arrived at about 8pm local time. After an interesting 2 hour journey by road we will arrive at Tengkoko National Park, were we bed soon at our lodge in exciting anticipation of the coming 3 days of birding at this park.  In the next seven days endemics will come fast and furious!.

Day 1 & 2: Tengkoko National Park
Habitat type: Lowland rainforest, secondary forest, coastal forest and mangrove forest
Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);Yellow Breasted Racquet-tailed Parrot (SE);Hairy-crested Drongo; Sooty-headed Bulbul ;Silver Tip imperial Pigeon (SE); Yellow Billed Malkoha (E); Sulawesi Black Pigeon (SE); Finch Billed Myna (SE);Buff Banded  Rail ; Channel Billed Cuckoo ;Golden Mantle Racquet Tailed Parrot (E); Rainbow Bee-eater; Green Backed Kingfisher (SE); Black Sunbird ; Lilac Cheeked Kingfisher (SE); Sulawesi Babbler (SE); Ruddy Kingfisher ; Red Backed Thrush (SE); Blue Breasted Pitta ; Brown Cuckoo Dove ; Emerald Dove ; Black Napped Oriole ; White Napped Myna (SE); Red Knob Hornbill (SE); Ashy Woodpecker (SE); Pale Blue Monarch ; Yellow Sided Flower-pecker (SE);White Rumped Cuckoo-shrike (SE); Pied Imperial Pigeon; Scared Kingfisher ; Sulawesi Masked Owl (SE);White Breasted Wood-swallow; Black Billed Kingfisher (SW); Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon ; White Bellied Sea Eagle; Olive Backed Sunbird ; Grey Sided Flower (SE); Black Fronted White Eye; Sulawesi Cicada Bird (SE).

Other wildlife: Tarsier; Sulawesi Black Macaque (SE); Flying Lizards (spp); Squirrels (spp).
Day 3: Tengkoko to Tambun (a breeding site of the unique Maleo)
Habitat type: 4 hours drive along open country, rice paddies and lowland rainforest
Spotted Marsh Harrier; Javan Pond Heron; Red Tuttle Dove; Bay Coucal (SE); Black Billed Koel (SE); Sulawesi Pied Triller (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Maleo (SE); Uniform swiftlet; Great Eared Nightjar.

Note: We spend the next two nights at Doludua with Tante Min Homestay.

Day 4: Dumogo-Bone National Park (am) & Molibagu Road (pm)
Habitat type: Lowland Rainforest and rainforest hill/winding country roads
Purple Needle Tailed Swift; Chestnut Munia; Isabella Bush-hen (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Peregrine Falcon; Ochre Bellied owl (SE); Black Naped Fruit Dove; Spotted Kestrel; Bared Rail; Ochre Bellied Boo Book (SE); Lesser Whistling Duck; Crimson Sunbird; Large Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE); Yellow Sided Flowerpecker (SE);Yellow Bellied Malkoha (SE); Common Kingfisher; Sunda Teal; Collared Kingfisher; Red Knobbed Hornbill (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Cattle Egret; Red Backed Thrush (SE); Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE); Hairy Crested Drongo; Green Imperial Pigeon; Black Naped Green Pigeon; Black Naped Oriole; Purple Heron; White Necked Myna (SE)
Day 5: Molibagu Road (am) to Termohon (pm)
Habitat type: 4 hr drive to Termohon a montane forest via Molibagu Road a winding Lowland Rainforest road.

Sulawesi Short Crested Myna (SE); White bellied Imperial Pigeon (SE); Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill (SE); Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE);  Hairy Crested Drongo; Sulawesi Goshawk (SE); Grey Rumped Treeswift; Red Knobbed Hornbill (SE); Blue Eared Kingfisher; Sulawesi Cicadabird (SE); Ivory Backed Woodswallow (SE);Small Sulawesi hanging Parrot (SE).
Day 6 and 7 (am): Termohon
Habitat type: Montane Forest (G. Mawaho), Rice fields and reed lands at lake side
Rufus Bellied Eagle; Brown Cuckoo Dove; Mountain  White Eye; Dark Fronted White Eye; Scarlet Honey-eater (SE); Crimson Crowned Flowerpecker (SE); Sulawesi Spotted Goshawk (SE); Sulawesi Serpent Eagle (SE); Bay Coucal (SE); Yellow Bellied Malkoha (SE); Superb Fruit Dove (WE); Citrine Flycatcher; Streaky Headed White Eye (SE); Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE); Island Verditer; Sulawesi Dwarf Woodpecker (SE); Mountain Tailorbird; White Browed Crake; Cinnamon Bittern; Scaly Breasted Munia; Cinnamon Munia; Little Egret; Wandering Whistling Duck; Ziting Cisticola; Lesser Coucal; Glamorous Reed Warbler; Javan Pond Heron; Black Kite; Bhraminy Kite; Blue Breasted Quail.

Day 7: Manado
A one hour drive to Manado followed by a 1 hour foot massage and then we board the flight home to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Special thanks goes to Kent Nickell for his photographs and descriptions. www.greenbackedheron.com. Chin Hock and Andrew thanks for the opportunity to  join you.

Total Count: 102 species including 42 Sulawesi Endemics
1.    Ashy Woodpecker (SE);
2.    Black Fronted White Eye;
3.    Bhraminy Kite;
4.    Black Naped Fruit Dove;
5.    Black Naped Oriole;
6.    Bared Rail;
7.    Black Naped Green Pigeon;
8.    Blue Eared Kingfisher;
9.    Brown Cuckoo Dove;
10.    Bay Coucal (SE);
11.    Black Kite;
12.    Blue Breasted Quail.
13.    Black Billed Kingfisher (SE);
14.    Black Billed Koel (SE);
15.    Brown Cuckoo Dove ;
16.    Bay Coucal (SE);
17.    Black Sunbird ;
18.    Buff Banded  Rail ;
19.    Blue Breasted Pitta ;
20.    Black Napped Oriole ;
21.    Chestnut Munia;
22.    Crimson Sunbird;
23.    Common Kingfisher;
24.    Collared Kingfisher;
25.    Cattle Egret;
26.    Crimson Crowned Flowerpecker (SE);
27.    Channel Billed Cuckoo ;
28.    Citrine Flycatcher;
29.    Cinnamon Bittern;
30.    Cinnamon Munia;
31.    Dark Fronted White Eye;
32.    Emerald Dove ;
33.    Finch Billed Myna (SE);
34.    Golden Mantle Racquet Tailed Parrot (SE);
35.    Green Backed Kingfisher (SE);
36.    Great Eared Nightjar.
37.    Green Imperial Pigeon;
38.    Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE);
39.    Grey Rumped Treeswift;
40.    Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon ;
41.    Glamorous Reed Warbler;
42.    Hairy-crested Drongo;
43.    Isabella Bush-hen (SE);
44.    Ivory Backed Woodswallow (SE);
45.     Island Verditer;
46.    Javan Pond Heron;
47.    Lilac Cheeked Kingfisher (SE);
48.    Lesser Whistling Duck;
49.    Large Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE);
50.    Little Egret; Lesser Coucal;
51.    Maleo (SE);
52.    Mountain  White Eye;
53.    Mountain Tailorbird;
54.    Olive Backed Sunbird ;
55.    Ochre Bellied Boo Book (SE);
56.    Pale Blue Monarch;
57.    Purple Needle Tailed Swift;
58.    Peregrine Falcon;
59.    Purple Heron;
60.    Pied Imperial Pigeon;
61.    Rainbow Bee-eater;
62.    Red Tuttle Dove;
63.    Rufus Bellied Eagle;
64.    Red Knob Hornbill (SE);
65.    Ruddy Kingfisher ;
66.    Red Backed Thrush (SE);
67.    Scared Kingfisher ;
68.    Spotted Kestrel;
69.    Sunda Teal;
70.    Spotted Marsh Harrier;
71.    Sulawesi Pied Triller (SE);
72.    Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);
73.    Sulawesi Short Crested Myna (SE);
74.    Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill (SE);
75.    Sulawesi Goshawk (SE);
76.    Small Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE);
77.    Scarlet Honey-eater (SE);
78.    Sulawesi Spotted Goshawk (SE);
79.    Sulawesi Serpent Eagle (SE);
80.    Superb Fruit Dove (WE);
81.    Streaky Headed White Eye (SE);
82.    Sulawesi Dwarf Woodpecker (SE);
83.    Scaly Breasted Munia;
84.    Sulawesi Cicadabird (SE).
85.    Sulawesi Masked Owl (SE);
86.    Sulawesi Babbler (SE);
87.    Sulawesi Black Pigeon (SE);
88.    Silver Tip imperial Pigeon (SE);
89.    Sooty-headed Bulbul ;
90.    Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);
91.    Uniform swiftlet;
92.    White Necked Myna (SE);
93.    White bellied Imperial Pigeon (SE);
94.    White Breasted Wood-swallow;
95.    White Browed Crake;
96.    White Bellied Sea Eagle;
97.    Wandering Whistling Duck;
98.    White Rumped Cuckoo-shrike (SE);
99.    Yellow Breasted Racquet-tailed Parrot (SE);
100.    Yellow Sided Flower-pecker (SE);
101.    Yellow Billed Malkoha (SE);
102.     Ziting Cisticola;

The temperature drops about one degree every 100 meters and at the top it is about thirteen degrees cooler than at the base, a welcomed respite for an island boy. As I have been here before it was great to meet an old friend the Streaked-spiderhunter our first montane species one of three Spiderhunters you can find up this mountain. The great thing about birding up here are the bird waves, which is like standing still and an escalator full of birds go pass you sometimes as many as 7 different species at a time. Birds move in such cooperative waves because their moving along branches flushes insects out and as a group their chances of catching these insects are much improved. I spent two sessions birdwatching and was rewarded with 3 lifers.

Below are the birds I have seen on this trip.
1.    Speckled Piculet (lifer)
2.    Bushy-Crested Hornbill
3.    Wreathed Hornbill
4.    Red-Headed Trogon (glimpsed-heard)
5.    Indian Cuckoo
6.    Drongo Cuckoo
7.    Red-Bearded Bee-Eater (heard only)
8.    Glossy Swiftlet
9.    Little Cuckoo Dove
10.    Crested Serpent Eagle
11.    Blyth’s Hawk Eagle
12.    Orange-Bellied Leafbird
13.    Brown Shrike
14.    Grey-Chinned Minivet
15.    Ashy Minivet
16.    Lesser Racquet-Tailed Drongo (lifer)
17.    White-Browed Fantail
18.    Asian Paradise Flycatcher
19.    Mugimaki Flycatcher
20.    Rufous-Browed Flycatcher
21.    White-Rumped Shama (heard only)
22.    Blue Nuthatch (lifer)
23.    Black Crested Bulbul
24.    Mountain Bulbul
25.    Red-Eyed Bulbul
26.    Ochraceous Bulbul
27.    Artic Warbler
28.    Common Tailorbird
29.    Black Throated Tailorbird
30.    Chestnut-Backed Scimitar Babbler
31.    Golden Babbler
32.    Mountain Fulvetta
33.    Black-Throated Sunbird
34.    Streaked Spiderhunter
35.    Little Spiderhunter
36.    Grey Wagtail
37.    Red Junglefowl

Treecreeper ??? May have seen. It is not recorded here in Malaysia but in found in Myanmar (Burma). Could it be a vagrant?

Happy Birding
Irshad Mobarak

Pictures with thanks by Gerry Worth

Finally we’re back home.
You were right, Taman Negara was quite slow birding… but rewarding. As usual, Orane and I are lucky so we managed to see the anded pitta twice, once at 10 meters from out chalet!. We met Alan Pearson, the illustrator of a guide about Malaysian birds, who was not that lucky. The central tree in the HQ is never mentioned in any trip report though we were able to see in this single tree green broadbill (at less than 2 meters), black and yellow BB, rhinoceros hornbill, hanging parrots, asian fairy bluebirds, thick-billed and little green pigeons, dozens of bulbuls, etc. and a couple of black thighed falconets in the next tree too.

This tree-snake was very close to the chalet too (with a very slow move of the tongue by the way). I don’t know the name of this species.

We didn’t meet Dorai in Fraser’s Hill because he was occupied and couldn’t find the book about birds in Fraser’s Hills, but we managed to see almost all the birds we were looking for : blue nuthatch, sultan tit, 3 species of laughinthrushes, black and crismon oriole, verditer flycatcher, streaked spiderhunter, black backed forktail, white-browed shrike babbler, white bellied yuhina, mountain imperial pigeon, crested serpent eagle, etc, etc. I didn’t make a list so I shorten the enumeration. I only missed the long tailed BB, I was able to hear it… but it stayed perfectly still and invisible. We also missed the red-bearded bee eater (easier to find at the Gap I think). You were right; Fraser’s Hill is very easy for birding though it is quite complicated to find his way in this up and down labyrinth.

It was a real pleasure to hear white handed gibbons in Taman Negara and siamangs in Fraser’s Hill, but we only saw banded langurs.

Here is a picture of our colugo on a pillar of the restaurant (it concludes the quartet of our most-wanted Malaysian mammals after the tarsier, the loris and the binturong seen in Borneo). Did we tell you it was licking the pillar?.  Thank you for having told us where to see it, it was one of the highlights of the trip.

The DNA test is wrong, it’s a mouse deer that can fly!

Warmest regards,
Jonathan
Last but not least :
What’s this bird seen in Fraser’s Hills? It was all black-black-black (underparts, upperparts, eyes). A philentoma?

The Malay name is by comparison very unfaltering but nevertheless describes it feeding behavior accurately. The Malay name is Burung Pacat when translated simply means the Leech-eating Bird.

So why does this bird loves the rain, well for most of the dry season the leeches are in hibernating mode the rainy weather activates these little detestable creatures. For unlike most other birds on Langkawi that do their nesting during the dry season, the dry weather triggers the flowering and subsequently the fruiting season, therefore most nectar feeders and fruit eaters nest during the dry season.

As for the Blue-winged Pittas, July is the season of love and courtship because when babies arrive there are loads of juicy leeches for the family to enjoy. For the twitches among us June till October are the best times on the island to observe these usually shy birds.

Just in case I left you with the impression that leeches are totally useless creatures, allow me for a moment to advocate for them. These little considerate creatures releases a chemical called hiridin which is an anti-coagulant that is used in modern medicine especially for venomous and heart disease, infertility, micro surgery and yes even in cosmetic surgery.

The team left Langkawi on the first ferry at 7.45am and arrived at Kuala Kedah jetty at 9.15am. At the jetty we had a great view of the White–winged Tern in adult breeding color, and in the distance views of the Whiskered Terns.

After some breakfast we drove to our destination Lata Bukit Hijau (LBH). LBH is a recreational forest at the base of the Bintang Mountain Range. At over 1860 meters, Gunung Bintang is the highest peak within the range. It encompasses two states with the western part in Kedah and the eastern part in Perak. Together it covers an area of about 94,400 hectare of some magnificent rainforest.

When we arrived at LBH we were met by the General Manager Mr. Jordan, our gracious host was very helpful in directing us to the better birding areas within LBH and we were not at all disappointed. We spent the afternoon birding session within the resort grounds and the following morning at the nearby canopy walkway. The canopy walk way is a mere 25 minutes drive from the LBH and it is considered to be the longest canopy walkway in the world. It is an incredible 925 meters long and about 30 meters up in most areas.

During the short overnight stay at Lata Bukit Hijau and 2 session of birding we manage to see over 45 species with some lifers for a few in the group. This place truly deserves a return trip, so that we can develop a good birdlist plus the fact there are many things to do for the family like ‘Flying fox’ and ‘White-water Rafting’ for the adrenalin junkies, some cool waterfalls to refresh in and some serious and not so serious trekking. Other animals that we saw were the Pygmy Squirrels and Taiping Squirrels, lots of monkeys including the Dusky-leaf Langurs, Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaques and easy views of the White-handed Gibons whose whooping calls will break the dawn and its agile gymnastic between the trees will enthrall you. They are reports of elephants and for those who have got the time village guides can be arraigned and permission must be obtain from the Forestry and Wildlife department to view them but alas! we had time only for the monkeys and gibbons this time trip.

The Junglewallah

Bird Species:

Lata Bukit Hijau and Sedim Canopy Walkway

1. Crested Serpent Eagle
2. Changeable Hawk- Eagle
3. Crested Goshawk
4. Grey-rumped Treeswift
5. Whiskered Treeswift
6. Brown-backed Needle-tailed Swift
7. Pacific Swallow
8. Streaked Bulbul
9. Red-eye Bulbul
10. Yellow-vented Bulbul
11. Spectacle Bulbul
12. Black-crested Bulbul
13. Black-headed Bulbul
14. Streaked Spiderhunter
15. Spectacle Spiderhunter
16. Thick-billed Spiderhunter
17. Banded Woodpecker
18. Blue-winged Leafbird
19. Little Leafbird
20. Asian Paradise Flycatcher
21. Dark-sided Flycatcher
22. Asian Paradise Flycatcher (white morph-long tailed and brown morph)
23. Brown Flycatcher Shrike
24. Large Wood Shrike
25. Tiger Shrike
26. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker
27. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
28. Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker
29. Fiery Minivet
30. Chestnut-bellied Malkoha
31. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
32. Red-billed Malkoha
33. Rhinoceros Hornbill
34. Red-throated barbet (in flight)
35. Common Tailorbird
36. Oriental Pied magpie Robin
37. Rufus-winged Philantoma
38. Yellow-bellied Yuhina
39. Emerald Dove
40. Spotted-neck Dove
41. Purple-napped Sunbird
42. White-throated Kingfisher
43. Large Hawk Cuckoo
44. Ashy Drongo
45. Racquet-tailed Drongo
46. Cattle Egret ( village rice fields)
47. Little Egret ( village rice fields)

I have been privileged to witness the courtship and nesting behavior of the Great Hornbills many times. I remember once in early January some years ago i spend several days witnessing the courtship. In a flock of about 25 birds 3 males (mature at year 5) were fighting each other for a young female. Beaks clashing, push and pull sometimes falling off the tree in a wrestle, to be the only ones to offer food to her. They carry food mostly fruit in their gular pouch, pushing and fighting for this opportunity. Eventually she makes a choice for life and takes the food only from the male she wants. She does not accept any more fruit from the other males and these other males soon lose interest. This activity went on for over 8 days. it is an amazing event especially the loud calls and clashing sounds of the beaks.

As we come closer to the nesting season we see lots of beak rubbing (bonding) and fruit passing between the new pairs and older pairs, this is referred to as conditioning, in preparation for their nesting. Their nest is a large hollow in a large emergent tree usually more than 10 meters off the ground. She enters this hollow and if she approves of it, she begins to plaster herself in. she uses the pulp of regetulated fruit and gently plaster the opening until a small slit is left, enough for her beak to stick out. She remains in this cavity for about 8 to 9 weeks and throughout that period her mate for life will fly off and return every half, one or two hour intervals with room service, mostly fruit (70%) but sometimes little lizards, little snakes, insects, young of other nesting birds and once I even saw him bring her a little squirrel.

This is why they do a lot of fruit passing before nesting because sometimes the male has to fly a long way to find food and to not get it right when he passes it to her through the tight opening sometimes from an awkward position. If they did not get this right and they lose fruit in that process she and baby (only one egg and one baby per chance per year) could go hungry. 8 or 9 weeks later the young is now stronger, can protect its own self and the accommodation is too now too small for the growing young and mum, she breaks out, now both parents feed their young until about 4 weeks later when it is time for the young to break out and join its parents and be trained for about 7 ½ months before it time to for the young to be left with the other new arrivals and sub adults of previous years.

Other than the Hornbills the White-bellied Sea Eagles, the Crimson Sunbird, Dark-necked Tailorbird, and Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Dollarbird are also nesting right now.
I can not wait to see their new born. I will keep you posted.

The Junglewalla

Nevertheless for the first of our flowering plants comes the first of our fruit and for the first of our fruit comes the first or our seed and with the first seeds comes the first rains that are usually light, scattered, and far between days. as the weeks proceed the rains become heavier, covering more of the island and closer between days.

Then in the middle or late part of June we are hit by the first part of the south east Monsoons. Now the rains are much heavier, longer lasting, electrical and closer between days. This electrical show is over by august but there is a slight increase in rainfall, a little more in rain in September and a great increase in rainfall in October. In October we some time get 5 days and 5 nights of continuous rain with a break of one, two or three days before another 3 days and 3 nights of more rain. Such is October, mostly wet until the first week of November before everything tappers off rather quickly and at the end of November the start of the new dry season.

Likewise many animals choose the dry season as the season of love and courtship because when the babies arrive they arrive in time for the flowers, the fruit, the seeds, and when the rains return the greening processes long with this there are plenty of insect pollinators, fruit eating insects and during the greening processes there are the leaf eating insects. Which means plenty of food for the new arrivals, the parents and many others. So this is a great time for the nectarines, the fruit eaters and yes for those birds that that prey on small birds and animals too. A season of plenty has arrived on the island and it is the best time to be on the Island. Love is literally in the air so to speak.

On my next posting i will talk about the courtship and nesting habits of the Great Hornbill.

Happy birding
junglewalla

Langkawi is home to over 200 species of birds which includes some notables like the great hornbills and wreathed hornbills and may i add this is probably the best place in Malaysia to see the Great Hornbills. there are a total of over 19 species of raptors including the Mountain hawk-eagle and Changeable Hawk-eagle , 6species of Kingfisher including the Brown winged Kingfisher and Black-capped Kingfisher, 3 species of Bee-eaters including the Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters nd Blue throated Bee-eaters and many others (Langkawi birdlist).

The aim of the center is mostly 3 fold, foremost is education, the center will run nature education classes for the young kids as well as the adults, second it will conduct conservation projects specifically on Langkawi and finally act as a watchdog in protecting the remaining wildlands with particular focus on the important bird areas. The center will eventually showcase several gardens that includes a butterfly garden, a bird garden, wildlife garden. wild fruit garden and a herbal garden. the objective is to teach locals a new way of landscaping. The center will be the heartbeat of the newly proposed Langkawi International Birdrace presently being considered to be an annual event.

Langkawi is a good birdwatching destination as it has a wide variety of habitats all within 15 minutes of each other, it offers wetlands (rice paddies , mangroves and shore birds), secondary forest (scrub-land birds) and lowland rainforest birds. It may be ideal for those birders that would like to end their trip for Malaysian birds with a beach holiday or for those birders that are on a shorter timetable. The best months to visit so as to get some of the migrants would be between the months of mid November and early april. Unlike mainland Malaysia the weather is very co-operative. It is important to know and ask us about the local weather of an area as they may differ with the general weather pattern described for Malaysia.

Happy Birding,
Irshad
junglewalla