Bornean Whistling Thrush @ Tiang Lama, Ranau, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia

Bornean Whistling Thrush (Myophonus borneensis) is a colorful, very cute and attractive resident bird can be found in Tiang Lama forest, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia.

Bornean Whistling Thrush is endemic to mountain range of Borneo. The photos were taken using Nikon D500 paired with Nikkor 500 PF lens, ISO 2500, 1/100, F 5.6, EV -0.7.  

All bird photos taken at Tiang Lama are dedicated to my dear friend, Mr. Ryan Wahtog 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 resident 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 trekking and exploration and 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.

White-tailed Flycatcher [Male] @ Tiang Lama, Ranau, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia

White-tailed Flycatcher (Cyornis concretus) [Male] is a colorful, very cute and attractive resident bird can be found in Tiang Lama forest, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia.

White-tailed Flycatcher is endemic subspecies to mountain range of Borneo. The photos were taken using Nikon D500 paired with Nikkor 500 PF lens, ISO 2500, 1/60, F 5.6, EV -0.7.  

All bird photos taken at Tiang Lama are dedicated to my dear friend, Mr. Ryan Wahtog 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 resident 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 trekking and exploration and 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.

Black-sided Flowerpecker aka. Bornean Flowerpecker [Male] in Action @ Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia

Black-sided Flowerpecker aka. Bornean Flowerpecker (Dicaeum monticolum) [Male] is another colorful, cute and attractive bird can be found in Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Borneo, East Malaysia.

Black-sided Flowerpecker aka. Bornean Flowerpecker is endemic to mountain range of Borneo. The photos were taken using Nikon D500 paired with Nikkor 500 PF lens, ISO 1600, 1/800, F 5.6, EV -0.7. 

Kinabalu Park needs no introduction to the world, especially well-known to the nature lovers. Located in the district of Ranau, west coast of Sabah, island of Borneo, East Malaysia, some 90 km from the capital city, Kota Kinabalu. Kinabalu Park is the first Malaysia's World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO. It can be reached in approximately 2.5 hours by bus or car from Kota Kinabalu International Airport. 

The park has the most diversified treasures, with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including more than 300 species of bird and 100 species of mammal.

Kinabalu Park covers 754 square kilometers surrounding the infamous Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Borneo island. Other main attractions in the area include, Poring hot spring and Desa dairy farm. There are abundant accommodation, food and daily needs of all kind around the area.    

For bird lovers, Kinabalu park certainly is the place to test your passion and perseverance in getting the best from the rain forest of Borneo. Some target birds include many species of Sunbirds, White-headed Trogon, Bornean Whistling Thrush, Babblers, Flowerpeckers, Flycatchers, Drongos, Owls, Whitehead's Broadbill, Bornean Treepie just to name a few.