Borneo Birds

It was a long journey to see the Pale-bellied Myna Acridotheres cinereus.  At the moment the only place in Sabah for this bird is in Tinagat beach near Tawau.  Originally from South Sulawesi, this species has established itself here with a population approaching 100 strong.  As with other mynas and starlings, they have stayed near humans and cultivation.  Whether they will follow the road of the Javan Myna remains to be seen, the Javan having established itself along the roads and oil palm estates of the East Coast of Sabah in a few short years after arrival.

The Malaysian Honeyguide Indicator archipelagicus is a scarce bird of the lowland dipterocarp forest of South-east Asia.  The male has a tendency to stay in the same area for extended periods where it announces its presence with its most extraordinary calls.  Each call starts with a miau note followed by a long mechanical sounding rattle.  This is repeated over long periods.

The scarcity of the bird has it classified as near-threatened.  Due to its strong territorial habits, please do not use playback for this bird.