Sarawak, Borneo. Leader: Dave Bakewell. Participants: Mike Coverdale, Phil Hansbro, Mark Lopez, Richard Taylor, Mike Turnbull

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1 Sarawak, Borneo 15 th - 21 st October 2015 Leader: Dave Bakewell Participants: Mike Coverdale, Phil Hansbro, Mark Lopez, Richard Taylor, Mike Turnbull Grey-breasted Babbler (c) Dave Bakewell The itinerary for this tour was identical to one a week previously (see report on Sarawak 8-14th October 2015), when the weather conditions had made birding challenging at times, although all major targets had been seen. It was therefore with some trepidation that the leader looked forward to this tour, but such fears turned out to be mostly groundless, as we experienced very little rain throughout, though the haze from forest fires in Indonesian Borneo did end up having an impact, with our return flight from the interior being cancelled. The evening before the tour officially began, the group got great views of a male Sunda Frogmouth on what is becoming a regular pre/post-tour evening excursion. Burning the candle at both ends, we were up way before the crack of dawn the following morning to make our way west from Kota Kinabalu for a morning s birding in a lowland peatswamp forest remnant. This started well, with views of Bold-striped Tit Babbler and Red-crowned Barbet soon obtained. A Tiger Shrike was the first of three recorded at the site, still perched on the topmost branch of a tall tree where it had been seen the week before. Hook-billed Bulbuls were heard and seen very distantly, high in the canopy, and not to the full satisfaction of everyone in the group. We decided to try our luck further along the trail, but before we could do so we were stopped

2 in our tracks by the distant but distinctive song of a Grey-breasted Babbler! Very soon we had a bird giving fantastic views down to a few feet, an unexpected bonus, as the species has been hard to see at the site (and indeed, anywhere) in the last few years. Only moments later, a Hook-billed Bulbul popped up right in front of us, and turned this way and that to ensure we had looks from every angle. Still on cloud nine from the bulbul and babbler show, we were then bedazzled by a stunning male Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker just overhead, while Black Hornbill, Red-billed Malkohas, Rufous Piculet and Bornean Brown Barbets did their best to distract us. A long drive to our next destination in the hinterland of eastern Sarawak ended with a warm welcome from the village where we would stay the night. Some birding around the village produced a few open-country species, the pick of which was a pair of Blue-breasted Quails. Sunda Frogmouth (c) Mark Lopez and Hook-billed Bulbul The next morning found us climbing up to 1000m along an old logging trail. Bird activity was slow initially, but we gradually began to tick off some of the commoner endemics - Pygmy Ibon and Mountain Barbet among them. A pair of White-crowned Hornbills was a welcome surprise, before we were stopped by the calls of two Bornean Banded Pittas challenging each other. At this juncture we were joined by Mike Turnbull, and his timing turned out to be impeccable, as, moments later, we were all enjoying prolonged views of a male pitta preening quietly. This was followed by a male Banded Kingfisher, a young male Hill Blue Flycatcher and another Rufous Piculet, before we reached our camp in time for lunch. This was enlivened by a fleeting but unforgettable fly-by Hose s Broadbill for Mark and Richard, and a Bornean Barbet which perched much lower than the usual preferred treetop height. Bornean Bulbuls were much in evidence, as were a number of Blue-and-white Flycatchers, perhaps new arrivals since the previous week. The weather continued to be fine in the afternoon, enabling us to climb higher. This produced the first of several Black Orioles, Bornean Leafbirds, Yellow-rumped and Black-sided Flowerpeckers, and then a pair of vocal Bareheaded Laughingthrushes and one or possibly two stunning Whitehead s Broadbills, a female watched briefly feeding in a fruiting tree. Well satisfied with the day s haul, we went out after dinner to look for the icing on the cake in the form of Bornean Frogmouth. At this point our fortune deserted us, and we didn t even hear a single bird. Before long, rain began to fall steadily, which possibly accounted for the frogmouths inactivity, so we retired for the night. Late nights followed by early mornings were becoming a tradition of this tour, and we were up a few hours before first light in the hope of securing a frogmouth sighting. Although the sky was clear and we did hear a couple of birds, they remained well out of sight. After breakfast, we began a long and arduous ascent to about 1500m. Grey-headed Babblers and Scarlet-rumped Trogons gave good views around the camp, as did more Black Orioles. A visit to last week s Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher spot produced good views of Temminck s Babbler and Helmeted Hornbill, but not the flycatcher. At a spot overlooking the canopy we were treated to great looks at 3 Bornean and 2 Whitehead s Spiderhunters, before we left the logging track to begin a steep ascent along a forest trail. A calling Whitehead s Trogon would not be enticed into view frustratingly, and a large mixed flock of Sunda and Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes entertained us for some time, before we encountered a Bornean Whistling Thrush - possibly a first record for the site. A Blackand-crimson Oriole was an interesting record in view of the presence of Black Orioles lower down. Lunch on the mountain top was a cold and windy affair, and there were relatively few birds in evidence - Snowybrowed Flycatcher and Pale-faced Bulbul among them. On our descent we came across a mixed flock of foraging flycatchers, which included a Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher at last, as well as Ferruginous and Pygmy Flycatchers, the latter a difficult bird to see in Borneo. After dinner we set off up the slope once

3 again. This time, frogmouths were much more vocal than previously, with at least six heard, as well as a Barred Eagle Owl. We got close to one calling frogmouth, but it gave us the slip with only the poorest of shadowy flight views. A Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel provided scant consolation on our way back to camp. By the time we retired for the night it had been a very long day, but we knew we would have to start all over again before dawn the next morning! Scarlet-rumped Trogon and Kayan Loris (c) Mark Lopez Our last try for the Bornean Frogmouths ended with predictably similar results to the previous three, with a few birds calling sporadically but none even glimpsed. After breakfast we began our descent of the mountain. This was relatively rapid, as we had seen most of the birds heard along the way, including Rail Babbler and Bornean Banded Pitta. A pair of Scaly-breasted Bulbuls was new, as was an Eyebrowed Wren Babbler, which called around us for some time without ever giving us a view. Three Orange-backed Woodpeckers were more accommodating. The long and bumpy ride to our next destination was punctuated by a rest stop, where we added Black-thighed Falconet and Brown-backed Needletail to our trip list. Once we had met our hosts and deposited our belongings at our homestay on the Indonesian border, we were out again after dark for more frogmouth-hunting. This time however, the target was the massive Dulit Frogmouth, and it more than made up for the secretiveness of its smaller cousin by perching on an open branch for as long as we wished to study it, thereby securing the Bird of the Tour title for the second trip in a row! On our walk back to the vehicle, we had excellent looks at a Kayan Loris, one of the few observations of this species described in just This was a fitting climax to the trip for Phil, who had to leave us at the crack of dawn the next day. Due to low cloud, we climbed to 1600m the following morning, and found a good level of bird activity. Bornean Whistler was a tuneful addition to the trip list, before we located a fruiting tree which provided us with views of Gold-naped, Mountain and Red-throated Barbets, Velvet-fronted Nuthatches and Bornean and Pale-faced Bulbuls. A male Fruithunter was seen briefly by Richard but disappeared before the rest of us could get onto it (a fairly typical experience with this species!), leaving the rest of us vainly trying to locate the source of its high-pitched ventriloquial whistles. We descended to lower elevations later in the morning, and once the clouds had lifted, raptors started to put in an appearance. The first of these was a fine Mountain Serpent Eagle, which flew in and perched in a tree above us. This was followed by a pair of displaying Crested Serpent Eagles, giving us the opportunity to note the differences in flight shape and vocalisations, and then a pair of displaying Blyth s Hawk Eagles, single Black and Rufous-bellied Eagles, a high soaring accipiter which proved to be a migrant Japanese Sparrowhawk, and four Black-thighed Falconets to round off the raptor show. After lunch things were very quiet, and we had little to show for our efforts till the hour before sunset, when we located a pair of Black-throated Wren Babblers, which came very close but never gave us a glimpse, and then a pair of Hose s Broadbills, which everyone saw well in flight, and some saw perched. As dusk descended, little did we know that the main show was about to begin. A speculative try of Bornean Frogmouth calls brought an immediate and aggressive response, and we ended up having prolonged views of 2 male birds perched, while at least 5 birds called continuously around us. Having searched fruitlessly for this species on four previous occasions, this was a very sweet reprieve from what had seemed like a certain failure, although we all wished Phil had been there to share the moment!

4 Mountain Serpent Eagle and Bornean Frogmouth (c) Mark Lopez Our last morning was largely uneventful birdwise, but unforgettably eventful from the moment it was announced that our flight back to the coast had been cancelled due to the haze from the rampant burning covering large tracts of Kalimantan and Sumatra! Overland transport was hastily procured and homebound flights swiftly rearranged, meaning that we all spent a final unscheduled night in Kota Kinabalu to reflect on what had been a thoroughly excellent tour overall. Bird of the Tour 1. Dulit Frogmouth 2. Bornean Banded Pitta 3. Black Oriole 4. Bornean Frogmouth 5. Grey-breasted Babbler More Tour Photos: Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker and Whitehead s Broadbill (c) Mark Lopez

5 Dulit Frogmouth(c) Mark Lopez and Pygmy Ibon Black Oriole and Bornean Barbet Systematic List GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae Great Argus Argusianus argus heard only Ferruginous Partridge Caloperdix oculea heard only Crimson-headed Partridge Haematortyx sanguiniceps e heard only Crested Partridge Rollulus rouloul COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae Spotted Dove Ruddy Cuckoo Dove Little Cuckoo Dove Asian Emerald Dove Streptopelia chinensis Macropygia emiliana borneensis Macropygia ruficeps nana Chalcophaps indica indica

6 Zebra Dove Little Green Pigeon Pink-necked Green Pigeon Thick-billed Green Pigeon Mountain Imperial Pigeon Geopelia striata Treron olax Treron vernans Treron curvirostra Ducula badia CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae Banded Bay Cuckoo Plaintive Cuckoo Raffles's Malkoha Red-billed Malkoha Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Greater Coucal Cacomantis sonneratii Cacomantis merulinus Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus Phaenicophaeus javanicus Phaenicophaeus curvirostris Centropus sinensis bubutus APODIFORMES: Hemiprocnidae Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis harterti APODIFORMES: Apodidae Glossy Swiftlet Swiftlet sp. Brown-backed Needletail Silver-rumped Needletail Asian Palm Swift Collocalia esculenta cyanoptila Aerodramus sp Hirundapus giganteus Rhaphidura leucopygialis Cypsiurus balasiensis CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Podargidae Dulit Frogmouth Batrachostomus harterti e Bornean Frogmouth Batrachostomus mixtus e Sunda Frogmouth Batrachostomus cornutus CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus GRUIFORMES: Rallidae White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus CHARADRIIFORMES: Rostratulidae Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis CICONIIFORMES: Ardeidae Eastern Great Egret Intermediate Egret Eastern Cattle Egret Little Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Cinnamon Bittern Ardea modesta Ardea intermedia intermedia Ardea coromandus Egretta garzetta Nycticorax nycticorax Ixobrychus cinnamomeus ACCIPTRIFORMES: Accipitridae Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus torquatus

7 Brahminy KIte Haliastur indus Mountain Serpent Eagle Spilornis kinabaluensis e Crested Serpent Eagle Japanese Sparrowhawk Black Eagle Rufous-bellied Eagle Changeable Hawk Eagle Blyth's Hawk Eagle Spilornis cheela Accipiter gularis Ictinaetus malayensis Aquila kienerii Nisaetus limnaetus Nisaetus alboniger STRIGIFORMES: Tytonidae Oriental Bay Owl Phodilus badius badius heard only STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae Sunda Scops Owl Otus lempiji heard only Barred Eagle Owl Bubo sumatranus heard only 'Sunda' Collared Owlet Glaucidium [brodiei] borneense heard only TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae Whitehead's Trogon Harpactes whiteheadi e heard only Scarlet-rumped Trogon Harpactes duvaucelii Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios dulitensis heard only CORACIIFORMES: Bucerotidae Black Hornbill Rhinoceros Hornbill Helmeted Hornbill Bushy-crested Hornbill White-crowned Hornbill Wreathed Hornbill Anthracoceros malayanus Buceros rhinoceros borneoensis Buceros vigil Anorrhinus galeritus Berenicornis comatus Rhyticeros undulatus PICIFORMES: Capitonidae Gold-whiskered Barbet Red-crowned Barbet Red-throated Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon chrysopsis Megalaima rafflesii Megalaima mystacophanos Mountain Barbet Megalaima monticola e Yellow-crowned Barbet Megalaima henricii Golden-naped Barbet Megalaima pulcherrima e Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis duvaucelii heard only Bornean Barbet Megalaima eximia e Bornean' Brown Barbet Calorhamphus [fuliginosus] tertius PICIFORMES: Picidae Rufous Piculet Banded Yellownape Checker-throated Woodpecker Crimson-winged Woodpecker Maroon Woodpecker Orange-backed Woodpecker Sasia abnormis Chrysophlegma mineaceus malaccensis Picus mentalis humii Picus puniceus observandus Blythipicus rubiginosus Reinwardtipicus validus xanthopygius

8 Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis grammithorax Buff-necked Woodpecker Meiglyptes tukki tukki heard only CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae Common Kingfisher Blue-eared Kingfisher Banded Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Alcedo meninting verreauxii Lacedo pulchella melanops Rufous-collared Kingfisher Actenoides concretus borneanus heard only CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae Asian Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae Long-tailed Parakeet Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Psittacula longicauda Loriculus galgulus PASSERIFORMES: Calyptomenidae Hose's Broadbill Calyptomena hosii e Whitehead's Broadbill Calyptomena whiteheadi e PASSERIFORMES: Eurylaimidae Black-and-red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos heard only Black-and-yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus PASSERIFORMES: Pittidae Bornean Banded Pitta Hydrornis schwaneri e PASSERIFORMES: Acanthizidae Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea sulphurea heard only PASSERIFORMES: Vireonidae Blyth's Shrike Babbler Pteruthius aeralatus robinsoni heard only Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca heard only PASSERIFORMES: Oriolidae Black Oriole Oriolus hosii e Black-and-crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus vulneratus PASSERIFORMES: Pachycephalidae Bornean Whistler Pachycephala hypoxantha e PASSERIFORMES: Vangidae Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus intermedius Hemipus hirundinaceus

9 Large Woodshrike Maroon-breasted Philentoma Tephrodornis gularis frenatus Philentoma velatum PASSERIFORMES: Aegithinidae Green Iora Aegithina viridissima PASSERIFORMES: Artamidae White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae Sunda Cuckooshrike Pied Triller Fiery Minivet Scarlet Minivet Grey-chinned Minivet Fiery Minivet Coracina larvata normani Lalage nigra Pericrocotus igneus igneus Pericrocotus speciosus insulanus Pericrocotus solaris cinereigula Pericrocotus igneus igneus PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae White-throated Fantail Pied Fantail Spotted Fantail Rhipidura albicollis kinabalu Rhipidura javanica Rhipidura perlata PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae Sunda [Ashy] Drongo Hair-crested Drongo Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus stigmatops Dicrurus hottentottus borneensis Dicrurus paradiseus brachyphorus PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea prophata PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae Crested Jay Tiger Shrike Platylophus galericulatus coronatus Lanius tigrinus PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis heard only Bornean Green Magpie Cissa jefferyi e heard only Bornean Treepie Dendrocitta cinerascens e Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca compilator PASSERIFORMES: Eupetidae Rail Babbler Eupetes macrocerus heard only PASSERIFORMES: Stenostiridae Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis

10 Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae Bornean Bulbul Pycnonotus montis e Scaly-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus squamatus borneensis Pale-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus [flavescens] leucops e Yellow-vented Bulbul Olive-winged Bulbul Cream-vented Bulbul Red-eyed Bulbul Spectacled Bulbul Ochraceous Bulbul Hairy-backed Bulbul Buff-vented Bulbul Streaked Bulbul Cinereous Bulbul Hook-billed Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier gourdini Pycnonotus plumosus plumosus Pycnonotus simplex perplexus Pycnonotus brunneus brunneus Pycnonotus erythropthalmos Alophoixus ochraceus ruficrissus Tricholestes criniger Iole olivacea charlottae Ixos malaccensis Hemixos cinereus connectens Setornis criniger PASSERIFORMES: Timaliidae Bold-striped Tit Babbler Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler Chestnut-winged Babbler Rufous-fronted Babbler Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler Grey-throated Babbler Grey-headed Babbler Macronous bornensis Macronous ptilosus reclusus Stachyris erythroptera bicolor Cyanoderma rufifrons sarawacensis Pomatorhinus montanus bornensis Stachyris nigriceps borneensis Stachyris poliocephala Chestnut-rumped Babbler Stachyris maculata maculata heard only PASSERIFORMES: Pellorneidae Moustached Babbler Grey-breasted Babbler Temminck's Babbler Malacopteron magnirostre cinereocapilla Malacopteron albogularis moultoni Pellorneum pyrrogenys canicapillus Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratum morrelli heard only Black-throated Wren Babbler Turdinus atrigularis e heard only Eyebrowed Wren Babbler Napothera epilepidota exsul heard only PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae Brown Fulvetta Sunda Laughingthrush Alcippe brunneicauda Garrulax palliatus Bare-headed Laughingthrush Melanocichla calvus e Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush Ianthocincla treacheri treacheri e PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae Chestnut-crested Yuhina Yuhina everetti e Pygmy Ibon Heleia squamifrons e Black-capped White-eye Zosterops atricapillus

11 PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae Arctic Warbler Seicercus borealis Mountain Leaf Warbler Seicercus trivirgatus kinabaluensis heard only Yellow-breasted Warbler Seicercus montis floris PASSERIFORMES: Cettidae Yellow-bellied Warbler Mountain Tailorbird Abroscopus superciliaris schwaneri Phyllergates cuculatus cinereicollis PASSERIFORMES: Locustellididae Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae Dark-necked Tailorbird Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Ashy Tailorbird Yellow-bellied Prinia Orthotomus atrogularis atrogularis Orthotomus sericeus sericeus Orthotomus ruficeps borneoensis Prinia flaviventris latrunculus PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis corallipes PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae Common Hill Myna Asian Glossy Starling Gracula religiosa Aplonis panayensis PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae Fruit-hunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi e PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis adamsi White-crowned Shama Copsychus stricklandii e Dark-sided Flycatcher Asian Brown Flycatcher Ferruginous Flycatcher Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher Hill Blue Flycatcher Blue-and-white Flycatcher Verditer Flycatcher Indigo Flycatcher Siberian Blue Robin Chestnut-naped Forktail Muscicapa sibirica Muscicapa dauurica Muscicapa ferruginea Rhinomyias ruficauda ruficrissa Cyornis banyumas coeruleatus Cyanoptila cyanomelana Eumyias thalassina Eumyias indigo Larvivora cyane Enicurus ruficapillus Bornean Whistling Thrush Myophonus borneensis e Mugimaki Flycatcher Snowy-browed Flycatcher Little Pied Flycatcher Pygmy Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki Ficedula hyperythra sumatrana Ficedula westermanni Ficedula hodgsoni PASSERIFORMES: Chloropseidae

12 Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati zosterops Bornean Leafbird Chloropsis kinabaluensis e PASSERIFORMES: Irenidae Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella crinigera PASSERIFORMES: Dicaeidae Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Prionochilus xanthopygius e Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum thoracicus Dicaeum trigonostigma dayakanum Black-sided Flowerpecker Dicaeum monticolum e Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum nigrimentum PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Plain Sunbird Brown-throated Sunbird Olive-backed Sunbird Temminck's Sunbird Purple-naped Spiderhunter Little Spiderhunter Bornean Spiderhunter Chalcoparia singalensis Anthreptes simplex Anthreptes malacensis Cinnyris jugularis Aethopyga temminckii Arachnothera hypogrammicum Arachnothera longirostra Arachnothera everetti Whitehead's Spiderhunter Arachnothera juliae e PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus malaccensis PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae Dusky Munia Lonchura fuscans e Scaly-breasted Munia Black-headed Munia Lonchura punctulata cabanisi Lonchura atricapilla jagori PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae Paddyfield Pipit Grey Wagtail Anthus rufulus Motacilla cinerea MAMMALS Striped Treeshrew Tupaia dorsalis e Kayan Loris Nycticebus kayan e Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis e Bornean Gibbon Hylobates muelleri e Bornean Black-banded Squirrel Callosciurus orestes e Jentink's Squirrel Sundasciurus jentinki e Whitehead s Pygmy Squirrel Exilisciurus whiteheadi e Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista elegans