Borneo: Sarawak & Bulwer's Pheasant

Day 1: Arrivals into Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) in Sabah by midday, then transfer to Telupid for overnight.

Day 2: During recent years, the special hide for Bornean Peacock-Pheasant has been becoming more and more reliable. We will have all day to wait for the male to appear, possibly seeing one or two other species like Sabah Partridge or Bornean Crested Fireback coming by the feeding area while waiting. Night in Telupid.

Day 3: Second chance for the peacock-pheasant this morning, before heading for the hills. We will most likely arrive in time for an initial hide session targeting Bulwer's Pheasant this afternoon. Night near Trus Madi.

Day 4: The famous Trus Madi feeding hides give birders their only realistic chance to see the mythical Bulwer’s Pheasant. Several individuals attend multiple times each day, and we expect to see at least some of the males in exquisite plumage. The hides are also regularly visited by Crested Partridge, Red-breasted Partridge, Crimson-headed Partridge, Dayak Blue Flycatcher, and a few very friendly Bornean Banded Pitta! Other endemics here include Bornean Barbet, Mountain Barbet, Bornean Brown Barbet, Bornean Wihistler, Bornean Treepie, Bornean Bulbul, Penan Bulbul, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush, Bornean Spiderhunter, Bornean Black-capped Babbler, and perhaps our first shot at Black-throated Wren-Babbler. 

There are good chances for some other nice species like Sunda Owlet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black-and-crimson Oriole, Cinereous Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Bulbul, Grey-headed Babbler, Temminck's Babbler, Sunda Scimitar Babbler, Orange-headed Thrush, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, and Temminck's Sunbird. The hides are also attended by an exceptional diversity of treeshrews and squirrels, so there is never a dull moment. At dusk, we'll continue to Beaufort for overnight. 

Day 5: This morning we will be targeting restricted peat swamp species like Hook-billed Bulbul, Red-crowned Barbet, and Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker. Afterwards, we continue into Sarawak, heading inland to Ba’Kelalan, deep in the Kelabit Highlands. This evening, we go in search of one of the least-known endemics of Borneo: the amazing Dulit Frogmouth. We will have at least six chances for this species between our pre-dawn and post-dusk sessions over the coming days, as well as our first opportunities to try for Bornean Frogmouth. Night at a simple but comfortable guesthouse in Ba'Kelalan.

‍Day 6-7: There is plenty of birding to be done in this rich area, and we will certainly come across a wide range of lovely Malaysian species while dedicating most of our time to some major specialties. We will focus on Hose’s Broadbill and Blue-banded Pitta, while the monotypic Crested Jayshrike, scarce Mountain Serpent Eagle, and beautiful Whitehead’s Spiderhunter will also be high on our agenda. There is also a very high chance to encounter the magnificent Malaysian Rail-babbler, this being one of the best areas in the world to try and guarantee a sighting (we have never missed it on this itinerary). The endemic Pygmy Heleia and Cream-eyed Bulbul are regular along the roadside, while more widespread species of the Greater Sundas might include Sunda Owlet, Orange-breasted Trogon, and Black-thighed Falconet. Nights at a simple but comfortable guesthouse in Ba'Kelalan.

‍Day 8: Today, we will transfer to a pleasant hotel in the hills of Long Tuyo, which will be our base for the next three nights.

‍Day 9-10: Rather than camping at Paya Maga like in the good old days, we will instead be slowly walking the old logging track each day in search of specialties before returning to our comfortable accommodation each night. There will be plenty of time to go all the way up to the camp (approximately a three-hour walk each way at birding pace) to see Black Oriole, which is common enough around the clearing. We should see this range-restricted species on the first day, after which we will focus on the lower stretch of track, which is always very birdy. Possibilities include Malaysian Rail-babbler, Scaly-breasted Bulbul, Dark Hawk Cuckoo, Black-throated Wren-babbler, and perhaps the scarce Bornean subspecies of White-necked Babbler. There will be more chances for Blue-banded Pitta, Bornean Banded Pitta, and Hose’s Broadbill, plus several other more common Bornean endemics like Bornean Leafbird and Black-sided Flowerpecker. We will also target Banded Kingfisher, Rufous-collared Kingfishers, and Black-bellied Malkoha. In the evening, we can again go in search of the elusive and seldom-seen Bornean Frogmouth if we did not already see it near Ba’Kelalan. Nights near Long Tuyo.

‍Day 11: After a final morning of birding, we return to Kota Kinabalu. We may stop briefly at the peat swamp forest if we missed anything, or otherwise the plan will be to revisit some Trus Madi hides again for the majority of the day. This gives us the best possible backup for Bulwer's Pheasant, if they did not show up during our earlier visit. Night back in Kota Kinabalu.

Day 12: The tour ends this morning with transfers to the airport.

NOTE: Most birders who have visited Borneo in the past will have missed one or two endemics somewhere between Mount Kinabalu and Danum Valley, so do let us know if there is anything you wish to try for and we will try to coordinate a plan between participants!