Just last month, the cinnamon trees at Poring Hot Springs in Kinabalu Park attracted a non-stop parade of birds.  No wonder, these birds can’t resist the ripe fruits of these trees.  I had a taste of the fruits and immediately decided they won’t feature in my diet.  But the constant frenzy that is the feeding birds would have you think that those would be the last fruits that the birds are going to feed on.  Either that or there is a chemical in there which made the birds hyper.  There were bulbuls (counted 7 species), flowerpeckers, Asian Fairy Bluebirds, barbets, and even migrants like the Eye-browed Thrush and Blue and White Flycatcher.

A secret (maybe not), feeding trees like those at Poring make the work of a bird guide so easy.

Buff-vented Bulbul

Grey-bellied Bulbul

Streaked Bulbul

Scaly-breasted Bulbul

Here’s one of everybody’s favourite, the Red-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis amictus. This large bee-eater is found in lowland and secondary forests, hawking for insects from its perch.  But unlike the other common bee-eater, the Blue-throated,  it almost never make flights above the forest canopy.  When looking for this bird, I found it easier just to listen for its deep kwok calls.

Here they are, the 3 Alcedo kingfishers found in Borneo.  These are the fishing kingfishers as compared to the slightly smaller insectivorous Ceyx species.

I find that the Blue-banded Kingfisher A. euryzona is hardest to find, being partial to clean running forest streams which are increasingly harder to come by.  The Common Kingfisher A. atthis is not that common either and it prefers the ponds and wet areas around the paddy fields.  The Blue-eared Kingfisher A. meninting seems to be seen most often, its high-pitched tseet whistle in flight giving away its presence.

I can’t decide which is my favourite, each of them so wonderful in plumage and habit.

Blue-banded Kingfisher female

Common Kingfisher

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Olive-backed Sunbird female

Olive-backed Sunbird male

The Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis is the most common sunbird in urban areas around Borneo.  It is also found in the mangroves and plantations while its altitude range goes up to 1,500m.  While seemingly the closest relative we have to the hummingbirds, sunbirds here can only hover momentarily, more often perching while feeding. Their nests can often be seen hanging from telephone wires and eaves of buildings while nestings on low plants are not uncommon.

Around Kota Kinabalu and during this time of the year, you can see all 6 species of Egrets, from the the most common Eastern Cattle Egret to the least common the visiting Chinese Egret.  Enjoy!

Great Egret

Intermediate Egret

Little Egret

Pacific Reef Egret dark morph

Chinese Egret

Eastern Cattle Egret