Giant Pitta [Female] @ Tiang Lama, Ranau, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia

Giant Pitta (Hydrornis caeruleus) [Female] is a colorful, very cute and attractive resident bird can be found in Tiang Lama forest, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia. 

The photos were taken using Nikon D500 paired with Nikkor 500 PF lens, ISO 2500, 1/250, F 5.6, EV -0.7. 

All bird photos taken at Tiang Lama are dedicated to my dear friend Ryan Watog who has made the very challenging trip possible. His knowledge of birds and wildlife of Borneo is unmatched. 

How to get to Tiang Lama, Ranau

Tiang Lama is a village located some 125 km away from the capital city Kota Kinabalu. Located in between Ranau and Tambunan districts of Sabah. Tiang Lama has both primary virgin forest and secondary forest, which attract a lot of birds both residents and migratory birds. 

Tiang Lama can be reached in approximately 3 hours 30 minutes from Kota Kinabalu by car through winding roads and off road for the last 25 km before reaching the village which can be very bad condition during rainy season. As such, it is highly recommended to use four-wheel drive. 

To reach birding location, it requires to hike approximately 700 m through secondary forest behind a village crossing a small river. Special protection is needed against leaches for visiting the place during rainy season. Since the location is considered a remote place and the hike starts at 5.30 a.m. it is recommended to get hometay accommodation at Tiang Lama village, which is only 500 m away. However, prior arrangement must be made as limited rooms are available especially during weekend. This is since Tiang Lama is also well known for other nature activities, including hiking, jungle exploration, river activities at River Canyon. 

The Connecting City - Kota Kinabalu 

Kota Kinabalu can be considered as a transit place for many bird watchers and birders to Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia as it is a gateway to other more exciting bird watching and bird photography destinations in the island, such as Mount Alab, Rainforest Discovery Center (RDC) and Mount Trusmadi. 

Due to its geography, Kota Kinabalu has a large bird population and varieties with a recorded more than 30 species of birds. It certainly entices many birders to be there. The main target birds include different types of kites, eagles, parrots, bee-eaters, swallows, kingfishers, shrikes, weavers, flycatchers, bulbuls, pigeons just to name a few. It has become a destination for migratory birds too. Other excellent nearby birding locations are Penampang and Tanjung Aru.