Borneo Birds

Resident throughout the lowland forests of Borneo, the Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea ranks high for the “cute factor”.  When alert, the nape feathers are raised, producing an elongated head appearance for the bird.  If you spot this bird along a stream on a hot afternoon, you might be rewarded with it diving repeatedly into the water.   The call is not unlike that of the Asian Paradise-flycatcher but at an higher pitch.

Many years ago while visiting the island of Lankayan off the north-east coast of Sabah, a security personnel stationed there described to me what must be the Common Hoopoe.  Since then I have seen this bird on many occasions on my travels on mainland Asia.  But my wait to see the bird on my own shores only ended this morning on Pulau Tiga, an island park south-west of Kota Kinabalu.  It was displaying its normal habits – walking on the ground, probing with its very usable long bill, and when I got too closed, taking off in its characteristic undulating flight.  I did not hear its oop oop oop call from which it got its English name but I wasn’t really listening.  It is not every day one gets to see a rare vagrant.

Special thanks to Chris Kehoe and Osman Saman.

The Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus is found in the lowland forest of South-east Asia.  It prefers the upper canopy of the forest and moves around in small hunting parties.  Such groups can be quite noisy.  It is a large bird (26 to 28cm) with an equally large head!

Winter migration is here again and leading the charge are thousands of Barn Swallows.  You see them in all kinds of habitat from coastal to montane areas.  Also a dangerous time for small insects.

Red-naped Trogon.  Harpactes kasumba. 30 – 33 cm.  Found in lowland forest.  Enough said.  Let’s go look for it !