SUMATRA 21 JUNE 13 JULY 2008 TOUR REPORT

Transcription

1 SUMATRA 21 JUNE 13 JULY 2008 TOUR REPORT LEADER: JÁNOS OLÁH This was the sixth Birdquest tour to the endemic-rich island of Sumatra. It was, however, the first time that we also included a pre-tour extension to look for the recently rediscovered Sumatran Ground- Cuckoo. This year, once again, we saw most of the country s specialities and recorded a high number of endemics, Sundaic specialities and a high a total of 70 diamond species amongst a very respectable 319 species. Sumatra is well known as some of the most difficult birding in Asia with several little known and very hard-to-see birds. In 2008 we definitely experienced some hard Sumatran birding throughout the tour but our persistence mostly paid off and we had many memorable encounters with the specialties of this remarkable place. Unfortunately the forests of Indonesia are fast disappearing and Sumatra is no exception and the endemic species are all threatened by habitat loss. The action packed tour kicked off with the pre-tour extension to the Barisan Selatan National Park, where we hiked up into the splendid foothill forest in search of our target bird. We saw the poorly known Buettikofer s Babbler, however the Sumatran Ground-Cuckoo remained elusive despite us getting very close to it on two occasions. The main tour focused on just two main areas: the lowland swampy forests of Way Kambas National Park and the endemic rich mountain forests of Kerinci Seblat National Park. The former gave us wide selection of nightbirds including Oriental Bay Owl, three species of frogmouth and the rare Bonaparte s Nightjar while the latter yielded both secretive pittas (Schneider s and Graceful), both endemic wren-babblers (Rusty-breasted and Sumatran) and a few interesting nightbirds like Salvadori s Nightjar, Barred Eagle Owl and Rajah Scops Owl! All in all the 2008 tour was particularly eventful and we certainly had many unforgettable encounters while exploring the birding hotspots of this rarely visited region. Prior to the main tour some of us set off on a pre-tour extension in search of the recently rediscovered Sumatran Ground-Cuckoo. This Asian mega was seen in the wild first time by birders in January 2007, after many years of searching. Prior to this rediscovery there were only two records in recent times: one was caught by a road building team in November 1997 and another was camera-trapped in the Kerinci Seblat National Park in December It really was off the beaten track Sumatra and if the main tour was considered remote and difficult then it would be hard to describe this first part 1 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

2 which included tough terrain and wild camping. However, it was a truly unforgettable and memorable visit to Way Titias, which lies within the boundaries of the Barisan Selatan National Park. We saw some great birds like Blue-banded Kingfisher, Blue-masked Leafbird, Buettikofer s Babbler, White-capped Munia and others, but alas our prime target eluded us. Despite getting very close to a calling pair of Sumatran Ground-Cuckoos these shy terrestrial skulkers managed to get away without being seen! Nevertheless, we all had a proper introduction to the birds and birding of Sumatra. The main tour first visited the lowland forests of Way Kambas National Park, which is very rich in birds. This great place is famous for its superb nightbirds and although we had to work hard we managed to clean up all of them! Every evening and every different nightbirding session resulted in something different for us. We started with a Reddish Scops Owl overhead in a thick tangle, which was followed by a Large Frogmouth. We even managed telescope views of the latter, which is surely the king of all the frogmouths and has a loud and very interesting call. Later we saw an Oriental Bay Owl just perching only half a metre off the ground and a Sunda Frogmouth (a difficult-to-see bird owing to its canopy perching habits). After several attempts we finally caught up with the very localised and mythical Bonaparte s Nightjar, which is surely more easily seen in this National Park than anywhere else in the world. Last but not least a Gould s Frogmouth, a pair of Brown Hawk Owls, Malaysian Eared and Large-tailed Nightjars entertained us. Our day time forays into different parts of this last remaining intact lowland forest tract of Sumatra produced some other great stuff too: several encounters with the enigmatic Storm s Stork; the rarely seen Bat Hawk; the localized Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon; colourful male Banded Pittas; five species of broadbills; Banded Kingfisher; Red-bearded Bee-eater; eleven species of woodpeckers, and many babblers like Blackthroated and Fluffy-backed Tit-Babblers, to name but a few. After this humid and hot lowland area we visited the higher and cooler forests of Kerinci Seblat National Park. This area holds many of Sumatra s endemics, most of which are shy ground dwellers, and the narrow and sometimes steep trail up Mount Kerinci, with its lush understorey, makes this place one of the most challenging birding sites in Asia. Our highlights this year included Salvadori s Nightjar, Barred Eagle Owl, Rajah Scops Owl, Sumatran Trogon, both Rusty-breasted and Sumatran Wren-Babblers and best of all most of us managed to see the mega-skulker Schneider s Pitta. On the last leg of the tour we visited a foothill area of Kerinci Seblat National Park with a distinctively different set of specialties. This year birding was difficult even at this usually easy place as most birds were in the height of the breeding thus absolutely non-responsive. The undoubted star along the Tapan Road was the Graceful Pitta, which after two days of searching finally gave us remarkable views. Other goodies included the endemic Cream-striped and Spot-necked Bulbuls, Sumatran Green Pigeon, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Sumatran Treepie, Sumatran Drongo and Sumatran Leafbird. So yet again we had an adventurous and tough tour but we certainly all got plenty to remember. After a long journey from London the group gathered at Jakarta airport for the pre-tour extension. As our afternoon flight to Bandar Lampung was a few hours away we decided to take our lunch out and pay a quick visit to Maura Angke, which is a small mangrove reserve in Jakarta. Despite it being wrong time of day in the midday heat we saw a few interesting birds. The highlights included scope views of several Ruddy-breasted Crakes, a fine Grey-cheeked Green-Pigeon, a Horsfield s Bronze Cuckoo, Small Blue Kingfisher, a Mangrove Whistler for some of us, Sunda Woodpeckers, several Bar-winged Prinias and a stunning male Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker. After our quick lunch we headed back to the airport and flew to southern Sumatra into Lampung Province. It was with some relief that we arrived at our comfortable hotel with time to recover from the long journey. It did not seem like very many hours later that we were up and heading towards Liwa. A six-hour journey took us to this lively city in the southwestern part of the island. From here we were transported to a nearby village from where we started our hike into the real wilderness! First we were walking through rolling coffee plantations, then down into a small stream bed, which we followed for a few kilometres, 2 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

3 before climbing up to primary foothill forest of Way Titias. Notable birds along our hike were Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Lesser and Chestnut-naped Forktails, White-capped Munias (amongst three other species) and Baya Weaver. After this strenuous trek into our camp we were all very eager to go birding early next morning! The next two days we were birding in this splendid foothill forest on fairly good trails and we had several good birds like Malaysian Hawk- Cuckoo, Blue-banded Kingfisher, Sumatran Trogon, Banded Broadbill, Blue-masked Leafbird, Sumatran Bulbul, Sumatran Drongo, Crested Jay, Black Laughingthrush, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-chested Jungle-Flycatcher, Spotted Fantail, Maroon-breasted Philentoma and Yellow-eared Spiderhunter. But all these did not help on our frustration that despite hearing our main target - the Sumatran Ground-Cuckoo, on two occasions, it remained unseen. Even though we knew we were trying to see a real mega-skulker we were very sad when we had to leave Way Titias without this bird. Our return walk was uneventful and we were glad to spend a night in bed in Liwa. Next morning we birded secondary habitat in search of another rare and poorly known Sumatran endemic, the Buettikofer s Babbler. After we managed to record a chattering party of these skulkers we all had great views and it quickly became the best bird of the extension. Later we drove back to Bandar Lampung and settled in to our luxury hotel for a single night stay, where we also met the other participants of the Sumatra tour. Early next morning we were already on our way to the rich lowland forests of Way Kambas National Park. After checking into our accommodation just outside the entrance gate of the park, we then began our exploration of this magnificent area. The first bird we put the scope on was a Spectacled Spiderhunter. Still in the lodge garden, while waiting for our permissions, our first bird within the park was a Blue-breasted Quail a great start! All together we spent four days at this bird-rich site, much of the time exploring the forest along the access road and some excellent forest trails. We also made several visits into the swamp forest and made the most of the pre-dawn period for our owling activities, which were conducted on a daily basis! It always takes time to get to grips with nightbirds but the effort is usually worthwhile and this year was no exception! On our first dusk attempt we failed to find the localised Bonaparte s Nightjar and even the first pre-dawn session was almost blank with only a Malaysian Eared Nightjar and a Bat Hawk. Our first evening, however, started to deliver the goodies with great views of a Reddish Scops-Owl right above our head in a thick tangle and splendid looks at a Large Frogmouth! The latter gave us fantastic views (even in the telescope) as well as a rendition its weird and very unusual song! The following morning we got rained off but we heard the Bonaparte s Nightjar so we were hopeful that the evening session would prove successful! This second evening was magical with a Bonaparte s Nightjar as a starter, followed by telescope views of a Sunda Frogmouth and we finished the day with the bird of the trip in the form of the much hopedfor Oriental Bay Owl. It took us a while to find this remarkable bird but eventually we saw it well as it was perched on a liana just a few centimetres off the ground. Next evening we concentrated on the missing nightbirds and we found a Gould s Frogmouth plus a Large-tailed Nightjar, while the last morning produced a Brown Hawk Owl. Early mornings and late afternoons were a good time to keep an eye open for gamebirds on the road and as well as the expected Red Junglefowls, we saw a smart male Crested Fireback too. The swamps were almost dry this year despite being here a month earlier then last year! So we had three visits to the Rawa Gajah area and even after three attempts only one of us managed to see the rare Whitewinged Duck. It was a sheer accident that a mammal forced a family party of a female and six ducklings to leave the forest cover and Stewart was lucky enough to be there at the right moment. Unfortunately when we all got there they had already returned to the impenetrable swampy forest edge and they were never to be seen again. Even the nomadic specialty, the Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon was far from numerous but we did see a nice pair. Other goodies around the grassy swamp area included Lesser Adjutants, Black-thighed Falconets and a Grey-headed Fish-Eagles. The 3 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

4 walk along the riverside yielded the superb looking Black-and-red Broadbill, both Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfishers as well as Malaysian Blue Flycatchers (the latter is a riparian specialist). Other highlights at Way Kambas included several brief encounters with the rarely seen Storm s Stork, which is a rather secretive forest dweller. Rod spotted one on our first drive as it was quietly feeding on a forest pool by the roadside and in the coming days all of us had different quality views at the same location. There were plenty of multicoloured birds to look for in the forest and our persistence resulted in great views of Banded, Black-and-yellow and Green Broadbills. The latter was one of the favourite birds of Douglas! We also saw several electrifying male Banded Pittas, as they hopped through the undergrowth. Along the main track we had several Red-bearded Bee-eaters, which was Stewart s most long-awaited Asian bird. Other colourful highlights included the gaudy Red-crowned Barbets, a stunning male Banded Kingfisher and several great views of three species of lowland trogons such as the vivid Red-naped, the skulking Diard s and the smaller Scarlet-rumped. Although Way Kambas was logged and just few large trees remained it has recovered pretty well in the last twenty years as the presence of a good diversity of woodpeckers indicates. We managed to see no less then eleven species from the undergrowth inhabiting Buff-necked Woodpecker to the massive White-bellied Woodpecker of the open drier forests. The colourful Rufous-winged, Checker-throated and Maroon Woodpeckers were all tracked down and we even managed to see a female of the scarce Orange-backed Woodpecker. This year again like in the last few years hornbills were a little thin on the ground with only Asian Black and Oriental Pied Hornbills being recorded. Scarlet and Fiery Minivets, Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes joined the canopy flocks, which also housed no less then five species of malkohas (Red-billed, Raffles, Chestnut-breasted, Chestnut-bellied and Blackbellied), Green Ioras and Lesser Cuckooshrikes, as well as various species of leafbirds and sunbirds. The undergrowth held a great selection of babblers, such as the charismatic Fluffy-backed Tit- Babbler, the rather scarce Black-throated babbler and the very common Chestnut-winged and Ferruginous Babblers. Short-tailed and Black-capped Babblers foraged on the ground and both gave absolutely outstanding views. The drab plumaged Malacopteron species (Sooty-capped, Scalycrowned, Rufous-crowned and Moustached Babblers) drew attention to themselves with their mournful morning songs but eventually we tracked down all of them while they carefully foraged through the under- and midstorey of the forest. The duetting of the Chestnut-rumped Babbler, when the concealed blue skin on the neck was visible, was a favourite performance as well. Flycatchers are not numerous in Way Kambas to say the least, however we saw splendid Rufous-winged Philentomas and several Grey-chested Jungle-Flycatchers too. Grey-rumped and Whiskered Treeswifts chattered from the canopy and we had great views of the seldom seen Thick-billed and Spectacled Spiderhunters too. Other goodies included two sightings of the enigmatic Bat Hawk, a Jerdon s Baza, the musical though furtive Black Magpie and the shy White-crowned Forktail. Several mammal species were also seen including almost daily sighting of the incredible Siamang Gibbon. The sound made by these agile primates have to be heard to be believed and their cute faces are so human-like they really are a miniature great ape! Two species of macaque, Yellow-throated Marten, Wild Boar, Red Muntjac and Sambar were also seen. The mammal highlight was however definitely the Asian Elephants at night along the main track. Among the many squirrels, it was the colourful Prevost s Squirrels that stood out amongst those we saw along the river. Leaving the hot and humid Way Kambas behind, we enjoyed one night of comfort in Jakarta before we flew to Padang in central Sumatra and travelled to the famous Kerinci Seblat National Park. Our first port of call was Keresek Tua, our base from which to explore this endemic-rich birding Mecca! We were warmly welcomed by Pak Subandi, in his simple but clean home-stay where all the visiting birders stay. The imposing volcano cone of Gunung Kerinci, which is the highest peak of Sumatra, was now within striking distance via only a ten minutes drive through a tea plantation (probably the 4 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

5 biggest in the World). We could now focus on an altogether different task, tracking down as many endemics of the region as possible in five days. Most of our time at Gunung Kerinci was spent on the trail that leads to the summit of this remarkable volcano. We climbed as far as the first shelter (a misleading name as it is in fact the third!) on one occasion but most of our birding was concentrating on the lower slopes. This is definitely one of those localities where patience and perseverance pays as the birding is usually very slow and at times frustrating, owing to the fact that many of the sought-after endemics are shy ground-dwellers, as well as being scarce. All in all it is very difficult to see them! Fortunately hard work usually gains some reward and our patience and persistence proved worthwhile with a good proportion of the desired endemics and specialties seen in this relatively short space of time. Our first late afternoon s birding produced almost nothing but a leader-only Sumatran Whistling Thrush along the trail but we were lucky enough to find a superb adult Barred Eagle Owl at dusk in the dry riverbed! After returning to our accommodation we had a quick dinner and went early to bed all thinking of the forthcoming days at this great place! Next day we decided to climb higher on the mountain so we started early but apart from a roding Dusky Woodcock and a far calling Rajah Scops- Owl we had nothing to show for our efforts yet. Just after Air Minum we heard the distinctive call of the endemic Red-billed Partridge and after a few nervous minutes we managed to see this usually very tough endemic. In recent years this species has been very difficult, so it was a delight to get it on our very first morning. Climbing to higher elevations we found Sunda Warblers, Mountain Tailorbirds, White-browed Shortwings, Mountain Leaf-Warblers and Black-fronted White-eyes frequently joined forces, whilst other canopy dwellers included delightful Blue Nuthatches, Longtailed Sibias, White-browed Shrike-Babblers, colourful Grey-chinned and Sunda Minivets, and vivid Temminck s Sunbirds. We got up as far as the burnt tree where we spent a few hours but there was no sign of the mythical Sumatran Cochoa. We had great views of the recently split endemic Sumatran (Blue-tailed) Trogon and Sumatran Owlet. The latter has a completely different vocalization from the Collared Owlet. For the next two days we concentrated on the lower slopes between the forest edge and Air Minum. Around banana clearing there was a fruiting tree where we had Barred Cuckoo-Doves and both Black-browed Barbets and Fire-tufted Barbets. The best bird on this fruiting tree, however, was definitely the Rufous-vented Niltava, which we saw twice, first a fine male and then a juvenile, both of which gave excellent views. It was very surprising to see this species as low on the mountain as this because it is usually a flycatcher of the higher parts and certainly has not been recorded below Air Minum by János before. Nearer to the ground, Grey-throated, Golden and attractive Spot-necked Babblers emerged from the dark shrubbery and wren-babblers were also prominent. One of them is the gorgeous but very shy Sumatran Wren-Babbler, which was a long awaited split from the Himalayan Long-billed Wren Babbler Rimator malacoptilus and all of us had absolutely brilliant looks at a singing pair just a few metres away. This performance helped it to third place in the Bird of the tour contest. A real favourite for all of us! The other endemic skulker was the chunky Rustybreasted Wren-Babblers, with its very melodious and sweet hot wet tea song. To complete the wren-babbler set we had several views of Pygmy and Eye-browed Wren-Babblers too. Occasionally Lesser Shortwings emerged from the dark undergrowth and from time to time, attractive Sunda Blue Robins and Snowy-browed Flycatchers would appear on the trail. Indigo and Little Pied Flycatchers were also relatively common and we saw the handsome Large Niltava a few times. One afternoon we also visited the Letter W Waterfall where we saw not only the Giant or Waterfall Swiftlet but also had a fine Blyth s Hawk-Eagle. 5 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

6 Our main target on the lower slopes was definitely the endemic and mythical Schneider s Pitta. It is always a very difficult bird to see well but this year most of us managed to get on this ultra shy skulker. Several hours were spent walking the trail and finally some of us got lucky when a female ran along the trail. Sometimes it was as close as only 6 metres but unfortunately the narrow trail does not allow easy viewing so not everybody got on to it. Later we walked this pitta territory many more times but it was not until the very last minute on the mountain when Rod also had a fine male briefly at the same spot. It managed fifth place in the bird of the trip competition. Other notable birds included the recently split Sunda Cuckoo, the endemic Shiny and Sumatran Whistling Thrushes and Green Magpie. Sadly, trapping for the cagebird industry has taken its toll on Kerinci s birds, with species like the Silver-eared Mesia now virtually extinct and others such as Sunda Laughingthrush are much rarer than they were. Nightbirding on these lower slopes was difficult. After several attempts we managed to see the rare Salvadori s Nightjar and also had crippling views of the localised Rajah s Scops Owl on two occasions but the Sumatran Frogmouth did not show for us despite a lot of effort. On our last full day we made another attempt at Sumatran Cochoa and climbed to the higher parts of the mountain. We reached the first-shelter area remarkably early but we did not have a sniff of the cochoa. Instead we had Sunda Bush-Warblers, the scarce Orange-spotted Bulbul, Mountain Whiteeyes and even a fine male Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon of the endemic etorques race, which showed well (which lacks orange on the breast). Kerinci Mountain was difficult birding indeed and slightly reluctantly, but relieved, we had to leave this great forest behind and after a final morning we descended from the mountain for the last time (at least we thought!). The short journey from Keresek Tua to Sungai Penuh took us only about an hour this time. In late afternoon we settled into our simple hotel (but with a very welcome hot shower!) ready for the final leg of the tour. From Sungai Penuh, it is relatively straightforward to access mid-elevation forest and we spent two days birding the road from Bukit Tapan down to Mauro Sako before returning to Padang. The usually very productive Tapan Road was a little bit slow this year as all the birds were breeding or feeding young. There were a few more endemics for us and we managed to find most of them. Pride of place went again to the stunning endemic Graceful Pitta that finally performed just a few metres away, standing right out in the open for several minutes! It sounds easy but it took us a lot of effort to achieve this sighting. It was definitely the best bird of the Tapan Road for the group and this absolutely excellent sighting definitely helped it to be the second best bird of the trip! On our first morning, still at a higher elevation, we had great looks at a pair of Sumatran Green Pigeons and the recently split Sumatran Leafbird. Also Sumatran Treepies went noisily through the treetops and both endemic bulbuls (Spot-necked and Cream-striped) frequented the fruiting trees along the road. It was not just the endemics that kept us busy, as several more localized and difficult species were also present. Flycatchers were prominent this year with superb views of the unobtrusive Rufous-chested Flycatcher and the understorey skulker Rufous-browed Flycatcher. Also Fulvous-chested Jungle- Flycatcher was seen on two different occasions, a write-in for the tour! Further goodies included the enigmatic Giant (Waterfall) Swiftlet, the diminutive Lesser (Sunda) Forktail, the skulking Grey-headed and Horsfield s Babblers as well as a superb pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills. Mixed flocks held other notable birds like Green-billed Malkohas, Long-tailed Broadbill, noisy Maroon Woodpeckers, Greater Yellownape, Sunda Cuckooshrikes, Black-and-crimson Orioles, Sumatran Drongos and both Black and Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes. Fruiting trees along this Tapan Road attracted no less then thirteen species of bulbuls, including Grey-bellied, Scaly-breasted, Cinereous and Ochraceous Bulbuls. On our last morning we decided to leave early and had another last desperate try along the lower slopes of Kerinci for the missing birds, before taking the same route back to Padang as we came on. Unfortunately we did not catch up with anything on our final morning as it had rained heavily the 6 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

7 previous day so even the usually dry riverbed was a rushing river! The trail was wet and muddy so after a few hours we decided to say good-bye (for the last time now) to Gunung Kerinci. On the way down Rod got lucky and saw a fine male Schneider s Pitta so at least for him it was a great return to this love-and-hate mountain! On our drive back although no birding was planned, a couple of roadside stops did produce some open country common birds including Lesser Coucal and House Swift. We had an excellent group of Birdquesters yet again, who really worked hard and deserved all the endemic birds this magnificent island could offer to us on the 2008 tour! All that was left for us next day was to fly back to Jakarta and head home! 7 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

8 SYSTEMATIC LIST Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species which were not personally recorded by the leaders are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species which were only recorded in Java are marked with the symbol (J). PHALACROCORACIDAE Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris (J): We saw it on both visits to Maura Angke on our first and last days of the tour, just outside Jakarta airport. A total of about 20 birds each time. Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster (J): Four birds were seen on our first day on the seaside part of Maura Angke with another flyover bird on our last day also at Maura Angke. ARDEIDAE Grey Heron Ardea cinerea: We saw several around Jakarta on our first and last days of the tour but we also had one close to Padang airport on Sumatra. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: We had singles on both visits to Maura Angke on our first and last days of the tour, just outside Jakarta airport. We also had one along the paddies on our way from Keresek Tua to Sungai Penuh on Sumatra. Striated Heron (Little H) Butorides striatus: Three were seen in the mangroves at Maura Angke on our first afternoon and also about five there on the last day. A single bird was seen at Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas National Park on Sumatra too. Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa (J): We saw several birds around Jakarta airport and at Maura Angke on both of our visits, including a few in very nice breeding plumage. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (J): A single bird was seen in flight at Maura Angke on our last afternoon. Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus: A single bird was seen by half the group at Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas National Park on Sumatra plus a non-leader sighting by Rod on our last afternoon at Maura Angke. Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus: Several flocks in open areas, usually during journeys. Great Egret Egretta alba (J): We had three on our first and a single on our last visit to Maura Angke, just outside Jakarta airport. Little Egret Egretta garzetta: We had up to 30 birds on both of our visits to Maura Angke, just outside Jakarta airport. We also had one along the paddies on our way from Keresek Tua to Sungai Penuh on Sumatra. CICONIIDAE Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea (J): Superb prolonged flight views of a single bird at Maura Angke on our last afternoon was a great final of the tour! Storm s Stork Ciconia stormi: Rod spotted this shy forest stork on a roadside pool at Way Kambas National Park on our first day. Later we all had several short views at the same location on our four-day-long stay as we always checked the shrinking pool hoping for a better sighting. This endangered species is usually difficult to observe except on Borneo. Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus: We had great views in the open swamps at Way Kambas and along the river near Way Kanan. Up to five birds were seen on this year s tour. Classified as vulnerable by Birdlife International, with the declining world population estimated at less than Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

9 ANATIDAE Sunda Teal Anas gibberifrons (J): Up to twelve birds allowed excellent views at Maura Angke on both of our visits. Bound to be declining its habitat is being methodically destroyed. White-winged Duck (W-w Wood-D) Cairina scutulata (NL): This year the swampy forest was extremely dry with very little accessible and suitable habitat for this species. Despite a lot of effort only Stewart managed to see a female with six ducklings at Rawa Gajah. This family party was disturbed from the overhanging poolside vegetation by a mammal but they quickly disappeared again, without being seen by the rest of the group. Classified as endangered by Birdlife International. The world population is estimated at 450 with Sumatra holding about one third of them. The population is declining due to habitat loss and degradation and also human exploitation and disturbance. ACCIPITRIDAE Jerdon s Baza Aviceda jerdoni: We disturbed one in the forest while walking the trails at Way Kambas, which we managed to tape in for a brief sighting. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus: Great views of one along the entrance road at Way Kambas National Park. Bat Hawk Machaeramphus alcinus: Two encounters with this rare and elusive raptor this year. First we saw one carrying food at dawn from the Way Kanan clearing, while watching Malaysian Eared Nightjars and a few days later one was seen crossing the entrance road high in the sky in full daylight. Black-winged Kite (B-shouldered K) Elanus caeruleus: A few over the tea plantations near Gunung Kerinci and also along the road towards Sungai Penuh. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus: Probably the same pair was seen on several occasions around Way Kanan and at Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas. Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus: Fairly good views along the river at Way Kanan and also at Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas. Also classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela: About four were seen of this common species in Way Kambas this year. Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis: A single bird was seen by Denzil, Mike and János on our drive to Keresek Tua and later a nice pair was seen circling at Gunung Kerinci. The long broad wings of this species are distinctive. Changeable Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus limnaeetus: This species was only seen on our pre-tour extension around Liwa. First we had a pair on the first part of the walk into Way Titias and later another was seen from the Hotel at Liwa. Blyth s Hawk Eagle Spizaetus alboniger: Our first sighting was at the Letter W Waterfall near Gunung Kerinci and later another was seen soaring along the road to Mauro Sako. The long crest, the barred underparts and the tail-pattern make this species both attractive and distinctive. FALCONIDAE Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius: Up to four were seen almost daily at Way Kambas especially around Rawa Gajah. PHASIANIDAE Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis: A pair crossed the entrance road at Way Kambas on our very first drive-in and the female dropped into the roadside ditch, where we had great views of it with a little bit of persistence. 9 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

10 Red-billed Partridge Arborophila rubrirostris: A great surprise on this year s tour that this rather rare and elusive endemic was heard almost daily at several elevations. Owing to trapping this species has been very shy and extremely difficult to see in the last few years. We saw three birds on the first morning just above Air minum where they even walked across the path in front of us. Excellent! It even made it into the top five birds for Mike. Ferruginous Partridge Caloperdix oculea (H): We heard this shy and hard-to-come-by species on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias but it did not want to play. Crested Fireback Lophura ignita: Only a single male and two females were seen at Way Kambas. Sadly it is less often seen on the entrance track than in the past, probably owing to the increased motor bike traffic and the very deep concrete ditch which stretches along the first few kilometres. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus: A few seen along the road at Way Kambas almost daily. An article a few years ago in the OBC journal suggests that this species may be under threat from hybridization with domestic fowl. Sumatran Peacock Pheasant (Bronze-tailed P P) Polyplectron chalcurum (H): We heard several calling birds on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias, where, despite a lot of effort only Kamal saw one. Later we did not had a sniff around the usual places at Gunung Kerinci and unfortunately we only heard it along the Tapan Road too. Great Argus Argusianus argus (H): We heard this ultra-elusive species a few times at Way Kambas but no sighting. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. RALLIDAE Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca (J): Excellent views of about five different birds at Maura Angke on both of our visits to this mangrove site. White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea (J): Two were seen on our final day of the tour at Maura Angke. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus: A couple were seen at Maura Angke on both of our visits there. Also a single near Landos on the paddies on the pre-tour extension plus a juvenile at Padang Airport. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (J): Three were seen at Maura Angke on our last day. Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus (J): A singleton was seen on our second visit to Maura Angke. CHARADRIIDAE Dusky Woodcock Scolopax saturata: We heard it roding over the forest at Gunung Kerinci on three different mornings but unfortunately only some of us had an extremely brief glimpse as it shot over the clearing once, like a missile! COLUMBIDAE Sumatran Green Pigeon Treron oxyura: A tricky endemic to see well but we were very lucky to have a superb scope filling view on the upper stretch of the Tapan Road. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon Treron sphenura: Just a single male was seen on the higher slopes of Gunung Kerinci. This is the etorques Sumatran race which lacks orange on the breast. Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostra: A fine male and two females were seen along the entrance road at Way Kambas by some of us. Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon Treron fulvicollis: On this year s tour we had very few of this hardto-come-by and nomadic species but at least we all had great views of a fine pair on the way to Rawa Gajah. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 10 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

11 Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon Treron griseicauda (J): We saw this fine green pigeon at Maura Angke close to Jakarta airport on both of our visits. First we had a female in the scope and on the second visit a lovely pair posed for us as long as we wanted. Little Green Pigeon Treron olax: Several good views at Way Kambas both at the Rawa Gajah area and along the main track. Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans: A single male was seen at the Satwa Sumatra Elephant Ecolodge garden on our arrival. Pink-headed Fruit Dove Ptilinopus porphyreus: It was only a leader only sighting this year. János spotted a flying bird which perched for a few seconds but did not stay long enough for others to get onto it. They seem to be a lot shyer and thinner on the ground than in the past again, presumably as a result of hunting. Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea: Good numbers were seen on most days at Way Kambas. Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia: It was rather common at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and we also had a few along the Tapan Road later on the tour. Rock Pigeon (Rock Dove) Columba livia: Present in fair numbers sadly! Especially around human settlements. Barred Cuckoo Dove Macropygia unchall: Doug saw one at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later it was regularly seen and heard at Gunung Kerinci. Little Cuckoo Dove Macropygia ruficeps: It was fairly common along the road between Sungai Penuh and Mauro Sako where many were scoped as we saw up to 25 in a day. Island Collared Dove Streptopelia bitorquata (J): Quite a few were seen at Maura Angke on both of our visits. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis: A few sightings in open areas and it was common in Java, where at least 25 were seen. Emerald Dove (Green-winged Pigeon) Chalcophaps indica: It was common at Way Kambas this year, where we bumped into them on the entrance road regularly and also along the trails. PSITTACIDAE Blue-rumped Parrot Psittinus cyanurus: This and the next species were most commonly seen flying over. The musical calls of this species were a familiar sound along the main track at Way Kambas, especially in the late afternoons. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus: Our first ones were seen on the pre-tour extension and later we had many fly-over birds at Way Kambas. We also had perched views once or twice, though most sightings suggested it was one of those species that appears permanently airborne! CUCULIDAE Sumatran Ground-Cuckoo Carpococcyx viridis (H): We worked hard, very hard for this enigmatic species but we were slightly unlucky and did not see it. It was rediscovered at Way Titias as recently as 2007 and only a handful of hardcore birders visited the site since, which is pretty tough terrain to bird. We heard a pair of cuckoos on two occasions; once at dusk when visibility was very limited and second time a pair was continuously calling and responded to our tape but only our local leader Kamal got to see it and perhaps some of us had some glimpses of movement on the forest floor. Very frustrating after so much effort! Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus fugax (NL): An immature was seen by Denzil at Way Titias but unfortunately it did not stay long enough. This species used to be lumped in Hodgson s Hawk-Cuckoo but now has been split into four species of which this Malaysian Hawk- Cuckoo is resident in peninsular Thailand, Malaya, Borneo and Sumatra. 11 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

12 Sunda Cuckoo Cuculus lepidus: Great views of a juvenile bird at Gunung Kerinci. It was fed by a Mountain Leaf Warbler and we could watch it for several minutes in the canopy. It is a split from Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus. Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii: It was commonly heard along the tour but was only seen once at Way Kambas. Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus: Heard regularly and an immature was seen by half the group while cruising along the river at Way Kanan. Rusty-breasted Cuckoo (Indonesian C) Cacomantis sepulcralis: Only heard once at Way Kambas and a few times at Gunung Kerinci. We had flight views at the latter site. Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus: Another one which was heard a few times at Way Kambas but only seen in flight distantly. A canopy species, which is easily overlooked. Horsfield s Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis (J): Two were seen on our first visit to Maura Angke of this Austral migrant. Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris: One was seen by János and another one by Rod at Way Kambas but it was along the Tapan Road where we all had good views of a juvenile bird which was still being fed by a Grey-throated Babbler. Black-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus diardi: It was seen daily at Way Kambas this year. This lowland species is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus sumatranus: One was seen along the entrance road at Way Kambas on our last morning by half the group. This is a rather scarce bird, which is also easily overlooked. Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis: We had one at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and also at least two different birds in the mixed flocks above Mauro Sako. Raffles s Malkoha Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus: Another attractive bird that was seen regularly seen at Way Kambas. We had up to five birds daily. Red-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus javanicus: We had two encounters with this attractive cuckoo species along the main track at Way Kambas and we all had great views of it. The second bird posed for us in a dead branch in the full morning sunlight in its full glory! Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris: A few were seen in the mixed flocks at Way Kambas. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis: We had good views of several birds at Way Kambas. One gave us a hard time while sitting in a thick tangle not moving but was later positively identified as this species. Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis: A single bird was seen in the central highlands in lakeside vegetation on our return journey from Kerinci to Padang. TYTONIDAE Barn Owl Tyto alba: One was seen on two different occasions at Gunung Kerinci by some of us as it was perched on a roadside post among the cabbage fields. Oriental Bay Owl Phodilus badius: An outstanding bird! We only heard it on one evening at Way Kambas, it was silent on all other nightbirding sessions. After some work we finally got great views of this enigmatic owl as it was perched on a liana just a few centimetres off the ground. This species was the clear winner of this years Bird of the trip competition! STRIGIDAE Reddish Scops Owl Otus rufescens: Another nightbird, which gave good views at Way Kambas after some work. We spotted it as it called from a thick tangle right above us. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Mountain Scops Owl Otus spilocephalus (H): Heard only at Gunung Kerinci. 12 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

13 Rajah Scops Owl Otus brookii: Mega views of this restricted range species at Gunung Kerinci this year! It is always a challenge to see this one but we were lucky and had two sightings of three birds on two different occasions. Barred Eagle-Owl Bubo sumatranus: Absolutely superb views of an adult bird still in daylight on our first afternoon at Gunung Kerinci. Later we saw two more times and also heard several individuals both at daytime and at night. Sumatran Owlet Glaucidium peritum: Great views of this recently split Sumatran endemic form at Gunung Kerinci. The vocalizations are completely different from the Collared Owlet. Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata: Two were seen at Way Kambas on our last pre-dawn birding by half of the group. Brown Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica (H): We heard it twice briefly at Way Kambas but it was always distant. PODARGIDAE Large Frogmouth Batrachostomus auritus: This huge, bizarre and unmistakable frogmouth is always a highlight of Way Kambas and this year was no exception! We saw one flying over and then had good perched views as well (even in the scope!). It surely has one of the best nightbird calls of the world and it was a delight to hear it on several occasions. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Gould s Frogmouth Batrachostomus stellatus: Strangely enough we only heard this relatively common frogmouth only once this year. We managed to get a look at it as it was perched directly overhead. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Pale-headed Frogmouth Batrachostomus poliolophus (H): Most frustratingly it was only heard this year at Gunung Kerinci. We heard it several times but could not get a view. Rod and János actually had the briefest of a glimpse on one evening as it flew off. This species is also classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Sunda Frogmouth Batrachostomus cornutus: They were very vocal this year with about five different birds heard. This species is always frustratingly difficult to see but we were lucky enough to spot one from the entrance road and had superb scope views of this rarely seen frogmouth. CAPRIMULGIDAE Malaysian Eared Nightjar Eurostopodus temminckii: We heard it on one occasion at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later we had two birds at the Way Kanan clearing at dawn in Way Kambas. Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus: Great looks at one on two occasions near the river at Way Kanan in Way Kambas. Savannah Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis: A single one was seen flying at dusk right in front of our hotel in Liwa on the pre-tour extension by János but unfortunately everyone else was in the rooms so it was a leader-only bird. Bonaparte s Nightjar Caprimulgus concretus: It took us several attempts to see this little-known, superbly patterned nightjar in Way Kambas. Definitely the nightbirding highlight of this remarkable place as it is very difficult to see this species anywhere else in the World! In fact, up until recently this species was only really known from specimens. With a population estimated to be less than 10,000 and declining due to habitat loss and degradation, this species is classified as vulnerable by Birdlife International. Salvadori s Nightjar Caprimulgus pulchellus: We had flight views of this rare nightjar at Gunung Kerinci early one morning and heard it several other times. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 13 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

14 APODIDAE Giant Swiftlet (Waterfall S) Hydrochous gigas: We had a minimum of five birds coming to roost at dusk at the Letter W Waterfall near Gunung Kerinci. Later we also had five birds over the upper stretch of the road to Mauro Sako. The heavy body, big head and broad, long wings help distinguish this little-known and somewhat mysterious species which is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Edible Nest Swiftlet Collocalia fuciphaga: It was common around Way Kambas. It would seem that the birds in Sumatra are classified as Edible-nest and not Germain s Swiftlets. The taxonomy of this confusing group is far from clear! Glossy Swiftlet (White-bellied S) Collocalia esculenta: Regularly seen throughout but especially common in the Kerinci area and along the Tapan Road. Cave Swiftlet (Linchi S) Collocalia linchi (J): The common swiftlet around Jakarta. Some of those in the lowlands of Southern Sumatra may have been this species too. Identification in the field is extremely difficult! Silver-rumped Swift Rhaphidura leucopygialis: Just three were seen at Way Kambas this year along the entrance road on our first afternoon. House Swift Apus nipalensis: We had a single bird on a roadside stop flying low over a lake on our way back from Kerinci to Padang. This form is often lumped in Little Swift A. affinis. HEMIPROCNIDAE Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis: It was seen daily at Way Kambas this year. Whiskered Treeswift Hemiprocne comata: Some great scope views of several at Way Kambas and also seen very well along the road from Bukit Tapan to Mauro Sako. A fantastic bird, always a delight to watch! TROGONIDAE Sumatran Trogon (S Blue-tailed T) Harpactes mackloti: Absolutely superb looks at several individuals on this year s tour! We had daily encounters with this remarkable bird on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Later we had several sightings at Gunung Kerinci and also two on the road to Mauro Sako. This and the closely related Javan Trogon are totally different from all the other Asian trogons. This species was formerly lumped in Javan Trogon H. reinwardtii with the name Blue-tailed Trogon being used for the enlarged species. However, there are quite large morphological differences between this and the larger Javan subspecies and the Handbook of Birds of the World was the first modern publication to treat them as separate species. Red-naped Trogon Harpactes kasumba: Nice views of both male and female at Way Kambas. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Diard s Trogon Harpactes diardii: We had great views of a lovely pair at Way Kambas on our first day and several others were heard later. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Scarlet-rumped Trogon Harpactes duvaucelii: A few sightings at Way Kambas, the best of which was spotted by Rod, a stunning male perched out in the open by the roadside. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Red-headed Trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus: Several were seen on the lower stretches of the Tapan Road. A juvenile bird with very prominent wing patches and very short tail was a rather strange looking bird! 14 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

15 ALCEDINIDAE Blue-eared Kingfisher Alcedo meninting: Up to five of this blue and orange jewel was seen daily along the river at Way Kambas. Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona: One was seen along a small stream on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias. We do not usually see this species on the main tour. Small Blue Kingfisher Alcedo coerulescens (J): Excellent scope views of this much appreciated species at Maura Angke on our first visit. Rufous-backed Kingfisher Ceyx rufidorsa: Most of us enjoyed good views of this species at the Rawa Gajah area of Way Kambas while looking for Stewart s White-winged Duck family. Others were mainly heard or just seen fly by in the forest. Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis: Common and conspicuous at Way Kambas. Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella: First Doug saw one briefly at Way Kambas on our first day then we heard this forest kingfisher several times. Finally we all had excellent views of a male along one of the trails which was perched and calling for us for several minutes. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis: Seen on the pre-tour extension regularly and also several times in the Way Kambas area. Collared Kingfisher (White-c K) Todirhamphus chloris: We saw this species at Maura Angke on both of our visits and also some of us had one on a roadside wire on the drive to Letter W Waterfall near Kerinci. Rufous-collared Kingfisher Actenoides concretus (H): This shy forest kingfisher was only heard once by János. Most of our pre-dawn nightbirding carried on well into daylight so we simply had no dawn time to look for it on this year s tour. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. MEROPIDAE Red-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis amictus: Several brilliant views of these incredible birds along the main access track at Way Kambas. It was a long-awaited bird for Stewart! CORACIIDAE Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis: Probably the same pair was seen twice at Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas. BUCEROTIDAE Bushy-crested Hornbill Anorrhinus galeritus: First we heard and saw three birds on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias and later also heard them along the Tapan Road. Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulatus: We had only one flight view at Gunung Kerinci this year. Asian Black Hornbill (Black H) Anthracoceros malayanus (H): Heard on three different occasions at Way Kambas but we never got close to them. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris: We had three birds in flight on one of our return journeys from Rawa Gajah at Way Kambas. Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros: First we had some flight views on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Later we had absolutely unforgettable encounter with this impressive species as a pair was feeding on a fruiting tree at close range along the road towards Mauro Sako. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Helmeted Hornbill Buceros vigil (H): We only heard this amazing hornbill on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 15 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

16 MEGALAIMIDAE Fire-tufted Barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus: First we heard the insect-like song of this large barbet at Way Titias and later it was commonly seen at Gunung Kerinci and along the road to Mauro Sako. Gold-whiskered Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon: We regularly heard these huge-billed barbets along the lower stretches of the road to Mauro Sako and finally saw a few on fruiting trees. Red-crowned Barbet Megalaima rafflesii: Some good views of this most colourful barbet at Way Kambas. This species is a specialist of extreme lowland forest and Way Kambas is probably the best place to see this bird in the whole world. It is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Red-throated Barbet Megalaima mystacophanos (H): Heard on a few occasions on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Black-browed Barbet Megalaima oorti: Several good looks of this colourfully-marked species in the foothill and montane areas, especially at Way Titias, Gunung Kerinci and along the Tapan Road. Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis: Heard almost daily at Way Kambas and we finally saw one on a fruiting tree from the entrance road. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala: Only one was seen on our pre-tour extension on the way to Way Titias. Brown Barbet Calorhamphus fuliginosus: We had several great views of this rather plain barbet at Way Kambas, where we had up to 10 birds daily. Their bright orange-pink legs and large bills give them a distinctive appearance and their call is much different from any other Asian barbets. PICIDAE Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus: The first one we saw was at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and later several showed well at Way Kambas too. Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha: We heard it at Gunung Kerinci and later we saw about four in mixed species flocks along the Tapan Road. Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus: Two sightings of this most handsome Asian woodpecker at Way Kambas. A real stunner! Banded Woodpecker Picus miniaceus (NL): Only Rod managed to see this rather scarce lowland woodpecker at Way Kambas this year. Checker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis: We had several views on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias and later a fine pair responded well to the tape at Way Kambas. Common Goldenback (C Flameback) Dinopium javanense (H): This year we only heard this widespread species at Way Kambas in the Rawa Gajah area. Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis: Only two were seen along one of the forest trails at Way Kambas. Buff-necked Woodpecker Meiglyptes tukki: Several amazing views of this inconspicuous woodpecker at Way Kambas. This species is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis: Several great scope views of this massive woodpecker along the river at Way Kambas. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Picoides macei (J): Just a single bird was seen at Maura Angke on our second visit. Grey-capped Woodpecker Picoides canicapillus: One was seen in the foothill forest of Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Sunda Woodpecker (Brown-capped W) Picoides moluccensis: About 15 were seen at Maura Angke on our visits and several were seen both on the pre-tour extension and Way Kambas too. 16 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

17 Grey-and-buff Woodpecker Hemicircus concretus: About six of this tiny, short-tailed and largecrested woodpecker were seen at Way Kambas this year. An agile species of the upper canopy, which frequently forages amongst the smaller twigs and hangs upside-down in a tit-like manner. Maroon Woodpecker Blythipicus rubiginosus: We saw our first ones at Way Titias and then we recorded it all along the tour in most proper forest habitat. Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus: A fine female of this elusive woodpecker showed very well on our last morning at Way Kambas for half of the group. EURYLAIMIDAE Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus (H): This often tricky bird was only heard at Way Kambas this year. Black-and-red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos: One was seen along the river near Way Kanan on our boat trip to Rawa Gajah in Way Kambas. Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus: Several sightings of this handsome bird at Way Titias and Way Kambas. We also heard it along the Tapan Road. Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus: Great views of this lovely bird at Way Kambas plus many others heard. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae: First we heard it on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias and later many were seen above Mauro Sako, including a fairly large group of at least 15 birds in a mixed flock. Green Broadbill Calyptomena viridis: Absolutely amazing looks at this glowing forest jewel at Way Kambas. This was a much wanted bird for Doug and even made it into his top five birds of the tour! Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. PITTIDAE Schneider s Pitta Pitta Schneideri: A very difficult bird to see well but this year most of us managed to get on this ultra shy skulker. Several hours were spent walking the lower trails at Gunung Kerinci to increase our chances of seeing this elusive species and finally some of us got lucky. First we heard one on our first day at Gunung Kerinci and then a female was seen on the trail sometimes as close as only six meters away but unfortunately the narrow trail does not allow easy viewing. Later a fine male was also seen briefly. Classified as vulnerable by Birdlife International with an estimated world population of between 2,500 and 10,000, which is declining due to habitat loss and degradation. It was the fifth on the Bird of the trip competition. Black-crowned Pitta (Graceful Pitta) Pitta venusta: This year we had to work hard for this one as well! It took us several attempts in a steep gully to get good views of the other endemic pitta of Sumatra. After a few trials it finally came in silently and everybody had great looks of this stunner as it stood in the open just a few meters away for minutes. This absolutely excellent sighting definitely helped it to be the second best bird of the trip! Classified as vulnerable by Birdlife International with an estimated world population of that is declining due to habitat loss and degradation. It is likely to be more threatened than Schneider s Pitta as it occurs at lower altitudes. Banded Pitta Pitta guajana: We had repeated great views of different males at Way Kambas. We had about three excellent sightings in total. The Sumatran ripleyi subspecies is the brightest form of this colourful ground-dweller! This species even made it into the top five birds of the trip. Actually this year s group members were pitta-lovers as all three species we saw got into the top five! 17 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

18 HIRUNDINIDAE Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica: Several sightings throughout the tour but it was most common around Liwa, along the Tapan Road and around the towns in the highlands. CAMPEPHAGIDAE Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Hemipus picatus: We saw our first at Gunung Kerinci and later a party of four were seen along the Tapan Road. Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Hemipus hirundinaceus: Seen several times in small numbers at Way Kambas, where they are a regular constituent of canopy flocks. Sunda Cuckoo-Shrike (Black-faced C-S) Coracina larvata: Only a single calling bird was seen on the upper stretches of the road to Mauro Sako. Bar-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina striata (NL): A fine male was seen by Rod in the Rawa Gajah area of Way Kambas. Lesser Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina fimbriata: This year we only saw it twice at Way Kambas and on both occasions in mixed flocks. Fiery Minivet Pericrocotus igneus: Several good views at Way Kambas, including a few fiery-rumped females and some gorgeous males. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Grey-chinned Minivet (Mountain M) Pericrocotus solaris: Many sightings of this commoner minivet of the highlands both at Gunung Kerinci and along the Tapan Road. Sunda Minivet Pericrocotus miniatus: Several good flocks were seen on Gunung Kerinci, where the red-plumaged females readily identified the presence of this species. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus: Seen only in small numbers at Way Kambas this year. AEGITHINIDAE Green Iora Aegithina viridissima: A common but attractive species in the canopy mixed species flocks at Way Kambas. This lowland species is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia (J): Just a single was seen at Maura Angke on our first visit there. IRENIDAE Lesser Green Leafbird Chloropsis cyanopogon: A single female along the access road at Way Kambas on our last morning, where it is an uncommon species. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati: A few were seen both at Way Kambas and along the Bukit Tapan to Mauro Sako road! Sumatran Leafbird Chloropsis media: We had great views of a pair along the upper section of the road to Mauro Sako this year. It is a fairly recent split from Golden-fronted Leafbird C. aurifrons and is now elevated to the status of fine endemic! Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis: Commonly seen at Way Titias, at Way Kambas and along the Tapan Road. The form in Sumatra, icterocephala, shows a lot of yellow around the head (as indicated by the scientific name). Blue-masked Leafbird Chloropsis venusta: This beautiful endemic leafbird was seen very well on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias. There was a pair attending the same flowering tree for several days plus others were seen too. We did not put much effort into this one on the Tapan Road but Rod saw a fine male. Surely the prettiest leafbird in the world and probably the most colourful Sumatran endemic as well. It is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 18 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

19 PYCNONOTIDAE Cream-striped Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogrammicus: Some great views along the Tapan Road. This is one of those easy Sumatran endemics and a really nice looking bulbul! Spot-necked Bulbul Pycnonotus tympanistrigus: Several small groups of this endemic (up to 20 per day) were seen along the Tapan Road. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus : Just a single was seen on our pre-tour extension on the way to Way Titias. This dispar race has a bright red coloured throat and sometimes called as Ruby-throated Bulbul. Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps: About seven were seen at Way Kambas. Scaly-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus squamatus: About five in total on roadside fruiting trees along the Tapan Road. This and the following species are two of the better bulbuls, which seem to be confined to the middle altitude hill forest! Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Grey-bellied Bulbul Pycnonotus cyaniventris: The first one we saw briefly on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Later small numbers were seen above Mauro Sako, the best views were obtained on fruiting trees. As almost every other species they were also busily feeding juveniles. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster: Commonly seen all along the tour in secondary habitats. Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus: Some of us saw four of this attractive Sundaic endemic at an elevation of 2450m on Gunung Kerinci close to the first shelter area. Much easier to see on Java! Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier: A few sightings of this open-country species throughout the tour. Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus: Just a single bird was seen at Way Kambas but later we had more satisfactory views along the lower section of the Tapan Road. Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex: Characterized by its white eyes, this species was the most common bulbul along the track at Way Kambas. Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus: Seen on a couple of occasions at Way Kambas. Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos: It was only seen once along the Tapan Road where their orange orbital rings could clearly be seen through the scope. Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus: Several seen daily along the Tapan Road. The white beard of this species is very distinctive. Yellow-bellied Bulbul Alophoixus phaeocephalus: Seen daily at Way Kambas especially along the forest trails. It is a classic understorey bulbul and a bit skulky. Hairy-backed Bulbul Tricholestes criniger: Some great looks both at Way Kambas and along the Tapan Road. Buff-vented Bulbul Iole olivacea: Just four seen at Way Kambas this year. A fairly non-descript species, it is best recognised by its greyish eyes and slightly crested appearance. Surely overlooked if you have to identify it from the guide book as the illustration is so poor. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Sumatran Bulbul Ixos virescens: Another recently split Sumatran endemic that we saw well in small flocks on a couple of occasions on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias. Later we had a few observations at Gunung Kerinci usually at fruiting trees and also along the Tapan Road. It used to be called Sunda Bulbul and was a Sundaic endemic. Streaked Bulbul Ixos malaccensis: About six of this large sized nondescript bulbuls were seen along the Tapan Road. This species is also classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 19 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

20 Cinereous Bulbul Hypsipetes cinereus: It was seen regularly in the foothill forest of Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Later on the main tour it was only seen along the Tapan Road, where they were relatively common with a maximum of 10 being seen in a day. It used to be the Sumatran cinereus subspecies of Ashy Bulbul H. flavala without any green in the plumage. DICRURIDAE Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus: A few were seen all along the tour. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer: Three were seen at Gunung Kerinci and a few daily along the Tapan Road. This small and elusive drongo is restricted to montane forest and many seem to lack the rackets! I cannot recollect if we saw any with full rackets this year at all! Sumatran Drongo Dicrurus sumatranus: This stocky, endemic drongo was common in the foothill forest at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Later we had several along the Tapan Road as well. They seem to travel regularly in the company of Long-tailed Broadbills. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus: It was fairly common at Way Kambas with great rackets. ORIOLIDAE Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus: Heard several times but only seen by János at Way Kambas. So this regular constituent of the canopy flocks remained leader-only this year. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Black-and-crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus: Some superb eye-level views of males and females along the Tapan Road. Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella: Several sightings of this handsome bird both at Way Kambas and along the Tapan Road. It was usually seen in the vicinity of fruiting trees where various bulbuls could also be seen. CORVIDAE Crested Jay Platylophus galericulatus : Unfortunately only Mike and Stewart got on this handsome corvid at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Two fast moving birds were spotted from a ridge but they quickly disappeared in the valley. This coronatus race is brown like the one in Borneo. Green Magpie (Common G M) Cissa chinensis: Great views of this beauty at Gunung Kerinci on two different occasions. Also seen along the Tapan Road by some of us. Sumatran Treepie Dendrocitta occipitalis: We only heard it at Way Titias and at Gunung Kerinci. Later we had some great views of this endemic along the Tapan Road, where it is common. Black Magpie Platysmurus leucopterus: Heard regularly the drunk-man call of this ultra-shy corvid at Way Kambas and we managed to lure them into view on two different occasions. This Sumatran leucopterus subspecies has white in the wings which was clearly visible. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Racket-tailed Treepie Crypsirina temia (J): We saw two of these at Maura Angke on our last day. Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca: About ten were seen at Way Kambas. 20 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

21 PARIDAE Grey Tit Parus cinereus: Our first sighting was at Maura Angke on our first afternoon in Java. Later small numbers were seen on most days in the mixed flocks at Gunung Kerinci and a few along the Tapan Road. The form concerned used to be lumped in Great Tit P. major as ambiguous subspecies in the cinereus group. SITTIDAE Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis: Two sightings of three birds, on both occasions in mixed flocks along the entrance road at Way Kambas Blue Nuthatch Sitta azurea: This brilliant bird was commonly seen at Way Titias, at Gunung Kerinci and even on the upper stretches of the Tapan Road. Probably the finest of the nuthatches! TIMALIIDAE Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratum: Mega views of this interesting forest floor skulker at Way Kambas this year. It was also heard regularly. White-chested Babbler Trichastoma rostratum (H): A riparian specialist, which was heard a few times along the river at Way Kambas but proved to be elusive. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Ferruginous Babbler Trichastoma bicolor: This handsome babbler was commonly heard at Way Kambas but we also had several sightings. Short-tailed Babbler Malacocincla malaccensis: First of all some of us glimpsed a skulking bird at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later half the group had brilliant views of this quickly moving ground-dweller at Way Kambas on our last morning (the other half was looking for the White-winged Duck). Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Buettikofer s Babbler (Sumatran B) Pellorneum buettikoferi : This little-known species was seen on our pre-tour extension at Way Titias. First János saw one skulking in the fern type habitat but after a recording was made of a fast-moving party they gave excellent views for everybody. This species is sometimes lumped in Buff-breasted Babbler but vocalization and distribution suggest it to be a good species. Horsfield s Babbler Malacocincla sepiarium: We heard it in the foothills of Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and later we had repeated great views of this understorey skulker in dark gullies along the Tapan Road. Moustached Babbler Malacopteron magnirostre: The Malacopteron babblers are not the most inspiring to look at but they do have distinctive melancholy songs, which are a characteristic dawn sound. First we heard it in the foothills of Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and later we had repeated looks of several pairs of this species at Way Kambas. Easily recognised by the distinct moustache. Sooty-capped Babbler Malacopteron affine: As with the other Malacopterons, the mournful morning song is the most conspicuous feature! This is the most common and least visually distinctive of the four and we had up to twenty daily both at Way Titias and at Way Kambas! Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Scaly-crowned Babbler Malacopteron cinereum: First we saw it in the foothills of Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and later several were seen at Way Kambas as well. Smaller than the next species with relatively unstreaked underparts and pink legs. Rufous-crowned Babbler Malacopteron magnum: We had good views of this species, perhaps the least common of the four seen, at Way Kambas twice. A large species with distinctly streaked underparts and dark grey legs. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. 21 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

22 Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus montanus (H): This usually conspicuous bird was only heard this year both at Way Titias and Way Kambas. Sumatran Wren-Babbler Rimator albostriatus: An absolute stunner! We had mind-blowing views of a duetting pair at Gunung Kerinci and several others were heard. This shy and rather scarce endemic performed very well for us just a few meters away. Thanks to these great views it made it into third place in our overall favourites list. This marvellous species was a long awaited split from the Himalayan Long-billed Wren-Babbler R. malacoptilus, with which it was previously lumped. Rusty-breasted Wren-Babbler Napothera rufipectus: The other Sumatran endemic wren-babbler, which was seen very well on a couple of occasions at Gunung Kerinci. This robust bird is definitely the finest songster of the region. The usual hot wet tea call was a prominent sound of the early mornings. Marbled Wren-Babbler Napothera marmorata: Only János saw a skulking adult with a freshly fledged juvenile in the stream bed on the way out from Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. The two birds disappeared quickly and didn t respond at all. If only we had known that they would not co-operate along the Tapan Road either this year! Eye-browed Wren-Babbler Napothera epilepidota: Several excellent sightings at Way Titias, Gunung Kerinci and also along the Tapan Road. Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla: Several great views of this fearless and tailless little bird at Gunung Kerinci. Rufous-fronted Babbler Stachyris rufifrons: Just a pair was seen at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Golden Babbler Stachyris chrysaea: A fairly common constituent of the understorey flocks in the foothills and mountains of Sumatra. Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps: The main constituent of the understorey flocks in the highlands. Grey-headed Babbler Stachyris poliocephala: A pair of this attractive babbler was seen very well along the Tapan Road. Spot-necked Babbler Stachyris striolata: It was seen only by János at Way Titias but later it showed well at Gunung Kerinci for everybody. Chestnut-rumped Babbler Stachyris maculata: Regularly heard and seen at Way Kambas. If you see the blue skin patch on the neck when singing and duetting then you have had a good view! Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Black-throated Babbler Stachyris nigricollis: A very responsive pair of this often elusive and scarce babbler was seen brilliantly at Way Kambas on our last morning by half the group. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Chestnut-winged Babbler Stachyris erythroptera: Common regularly encountered in understorey flocks at Way Kambas. Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis: The first ones we saw were at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later several were seen at Way Kambas. They are most common in the scrappy forest around the clearings and along the river where they like to frequent vine tangles. Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler Macronous ptilosus: We all had repeated good views of this charismatic species at Way Kambas, most frequently noticed by its strange call. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Black Laughingthrush Garrulax lugubris: This strange laughingthrush was first seen in the foothills at Way Titias and later several groups were encountered along the Tapan Road. Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus: A few were seen daily along the Tapan Road but it seemed much less common then in previous years. 22 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

23 White-browed Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis: Several good looks at both sexes in the mixed flocks at Gunung Kerinci. Brown Fulvetta Alcippe brunneicauda: It was a very common bird around Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later a few were seen along the Tapan Road. Long-tailed Sibia Heterophasia picaoides: This canopy species was quite common at Gunung Kerinci at higher elevations. TURDIDAE Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys: Commonly heard at Gunung Kerinci, where we had some excellent looks at confiding individuals. The best views were of birds hopping on the trail right between our legs! Also heard on the higher parts of the Tapan Road. White-browed Shortwing (Blue S) Brachypteryx Montana: We had many good sightings at higher elevations on Gunung Kerinci. A superb songster and a very handsome bird with its glowing white forehead in the dark undergrowth. Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis: The first one was seen at Maura Angke close to Jakarta airport on our first day. Later a singleton was seen on our pre-tour extension near Liwa and a few in Way Kambas. However, most of these fine songsters were seen in cages along the roadside. White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus: About three were seen at Way Kambas although they were always a little bit shy (the bolder ones are already in cages!). Sunda Blue Robin Cinclidium diana: We had some great looks at several males and females of this Sundaic endemic at Gunung Kerinci. Actually quite common, although always inconspicuous. Lesser Forktail Enicurus velatus: Another Sundaic endemic, which was common along the streams at Way Titias. We also had extremely good views along the Tapan Road. Chestnut-naped Forktail Enicurus ruficapillus: Only Rod and János saw one on the walk in to Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. It is a rather scarce bird in Sumatra and was a write-in for us. White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti: Half the group had really nice looks at one on our last morning at Way Kambas. Shiny Whistling-Thrush Myiophonus melanurus: This Sumatran endemic was fairly common and conspicuous along the trail at Gunung Kerinci, where we had repeated good views. It was also seen high in the canopy of fruiting trees. Sumatran Whistling-Thrush (Chestnut-winged W-T) Myiophonus castaneus: Another recently-split and a very smart Sumatran endemic indeed. It is less numerous then Shiny Whistling- Thrush but we had several great views in the dry riverbed and along the forest trail too at Gunung Kerinci. Blue Whistling-Thrush Myiophonus caeruleus: We saw two at the Letter W Waterfall near Kerinci and another along the Tapan Road. PARDALOTIDAE Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea: It was very common in the mangroves at Maura Angke on our first and last day but we also had a few at Way Kambas. The song is more impressive than the bird! SYLVIIDAE Sunda Warbler Seicercus grammiceps: This friendly little sundaic endemic was numerous and obliging at Gunung Kerinci, with repeated excellent views. Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris: Several encounters along the Tapan Road this year. 23 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

24 Mountain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus trivirgatus: Commonly encountered at Gunung Kerinci and we saw one feeding a juvenile Sunda Cuckoo C. lepidus. Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis: Fairly common at Way Kambas by voice and we also had many sightings! Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps: A couple were seen on the pre-tour extension at Way Titias with several encounters later at Way Kambas. Olive-backed Tailorbird Orthotomus sepium (J): Two were seen near Maura Angke on our first afternoon. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus: A few good views at Way Kambas plus several more heard. Mountain Tailorbird Orthotomus cuculatus: Common in the mixed flocks at Gunung Kerinci where we got some great looks. Hill Prinia Prinia atrogularis: Common and fairly conspicuous (vocally at least), especially around the forest edge, at Gunung Kerinci and along the Tapan Road too. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris: It was only Rod who saw a family party of four at Way Kambas. We also heard it on our way back from Kerinci to Padang on a roadside stop by a lake. Bar-winged Prinia Prinia familiaris: Another Sundaic endemic. It was very common in the mangrove at Maura Angke and we also saw it near Way Titias on the pre-tour extension as well as at Way Kambas. Sunda Bush Warbler (Mountain B W) Cettia vulcania: Another friendly (near) Sundaic endemic (it just strays into Nusa Tenggara - The Lesser Sundas) which was seen very well at Gunung Kerinci. MUSCICAPIDAE Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyias umbratilis: We all had great views of about three at Way Kambas with others heard. This inconspicuous species is classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Fulvous-chested Jungle-Flycatcher Rhinomyias olivacea: This species was common in the foothills at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension but surprisingly we also had two along the Tapan Road and it was a write-in for the main tour as well! Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina: Just a few were seen along the Tapan Road. Indigo Flycatcher Eumyias indigo: Many sightings of some very confiding individuals at Gunung Kerinci. Rufous-browed Flycatcher Ficedula solitaris: This smart understorey skulker was probably the most common flycatcher at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension. We also had good views of several along the Tapan Road. Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra: Very common on or near the path at Gunung Kerinci. Rufous-chested Flycatcher Ficedula dumetoria: This most handsome a rarely seen flycatcher was seen along the Tapan Road. We had a pair in one of the wet gullies we visited. It made it into the top five birds for Denzil! Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni: A few were seen and others heard up in the high elevation forests of Gunung Kerinci. Large Niltava Niltava grandis: We had two sightings of this superb flycatcher at Gunung Kerinci. On both occasions we saw the same pair. Rufous-vented Niltava Niltava sumatrana: Strangely this colourful flycatcher was only seen on the lower parts of Gunung Kerinci this year whereas most years it is only seen above Air Minum. We had a fine male and then a juvenile on a fruiting tree. 24 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

25 Malaysian Blue Flycatcher Cyornis turcosus: A riparian specialist, which was seen a few times at Way Kambas. Classified as near threatened by Birdlife International. Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis: Fairly common at Gunung Kerinci and along the Tapan Road MONARCHIDAE White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis: We had several at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension and it was also fairly common at Gunung Kerinci and along the Tapan Road. Spotted Fantail Rhipidura perlata: A few were seen in the foothills of Way Titias on the pre-tour extension. It is a bird we do not usually see on the main tour. Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica: It was very common at Maura Angke and we also had several sightings at Way Kambas. Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea: Up to six were seen daily in mixed flocks at Way Kambas and we even found the nest of one. Maroon-breasted Philentoma Philentoma velatum: Just a rather brief view of one in a mixed species flock at Way Titias on the pre-tour extension. This is another fairly localized bird on Sumatra. Rufous-winged Philentoma (R-w Flycatcher) Philentoma pyrhopterum: Seen well at Way Kambas, where we had several sightings. Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi: A single female was seen at Way Kambas. PACHYCEPHALIDAE Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola (J): Most of us managed to see one at the mangroves of Maura Angke on our first visit there. ARTAMIDAE White-breasted Wood Swallow Artamus leucorhynchus: Several sightings in open habitats all along the tour. LANIIDAE Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach: Common around the forest edge at Gunung Kerinci and in the scrubbier habitats along the Tapan Road. STURNIDAE Asian Glossy Starling (Philippine G S) Aplonis panayensis: Half the group had two small flocks in flight close to Padang airport. Black-winged Starling Sturnus melanopterus (J): This rather scarce coastal bird was seen at Maura Angke on our last day but unfortunately only by Rod and János as it disappeared before others could get on it. Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus: We saw a few at Maura Angke and then we had several sightings at Gunung Kerinci in the agricultural habitats. Hill Myna Gracula religiosa: It was fairly common and conspicuous around Rawa Gajah at Way Kambas. NECTARINIIDAE Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus maculates: A fine male was seen only by János at Way Titias and later several males were seen well along the main track at Way Kambas in low vegetation. 25 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

26 Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus: A fine male was seen only by János and Rod at Way Titias and later about three individuals showed very well by the track at Way Kambas. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma: This widespread species was seen well at Way Titias, at Way Kambas and along the Tapan Road too. Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker Dicaeum trochileum (J): Several great views of both sexes at Maura Angke on both of our visits there. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Buff-bellied F) Dicaeum ignipectus: A few were seen at Gunung Kerinci on different fruiting trees and also great looks at a fine male along the Tapan Road. Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex: One of this warbler-like species was seen at Way Kambas and two others in feeding flocks along the Tapan Road. Plain-throated Sunbird (Brown-t S) Anthreptes malacensis: Commonly seen around our lodge at Way Kambas and also at Maura Angke near Jakarta. Red-throated Sunbird Anthreptes rhodolaema: Just a pair was seen along one of the trails at Way Kambas. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Anthreptes singalensis: Seen on several occasions at Way Kambas and also seen along the Tapan Road. This short-billed species is largely insectivorous and often travels with mixed species flocks. Purple-naped Sunbird Hypogramma hypogrammicum: Seen well at Way Kambas on two occasions. The large size and green streaky plumage are quite reminiscent of a spiderhunter. Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis: Seen on a few occasions around our accommodation at Way Kambas, along the Tapan Road and common in Jakarta. Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja: A few superb males were seen around Rawa Gajah at Way Kambas. Temminck s Sunbird Aethopyga temminckii: It was fairly common at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Later several were seen along the Tapan Road. This form was formerly lumped in Scarlet Sunbird A. mystacalis which, following the splitting-off of Temminck s Sunbird, is now endemic to Java. Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra: It was seen on several occasions at Way Titias but we only had flight views later at Way Kambas and Gunung Kerinci. Thick-billed Spiderhunter Arachnothera crassirostris: This elusive species was seen on three occasions at Way Kambas and showed extremely well on a flowering tree near our lodge. Always a tricky species to see. Spectacled Spiderhunter Arachnothera flavigaster: Good views of a single bird on our last day at Way Kambas for half the group. Later we also had several along the Tapan Road. Yellow-eared Spiderhunter Arachnothera chrysogenys: One sighting at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. This species is rarely seen on the main tour. Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera affinis: A single juvenile bird was spotted by Rod and seen by everybody along the Tapan Road. The taxonomic status of this form is complex. Most authors lump Grey-breasted Spiderhunter A. modesta in this form using the name Grey-breasted Spiderhunter for the enlarged species. For a while, there was a trend to split off the form everetti (of Borneo) as a separate species, Bornean Spiderhunter, and treat all the other forms as one species: Grey-breasted Spiderhunter A. affinis (as followed by Mackinnon & Phillipps). However, it has now become more popular to treat the largely submontane and montane forms in the Greater Sundas as one species, Streakybreasted Spiderhunter A. affinis and the less heavily streaked lowland forms of the mainland and west Borneo as Grey-breasted Spiderhunter A. modesta. This could well change again! 26 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

27 ZOSTEROPIDAE Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus: First seen at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension and later it was also recorded and at Gunung Kerinci and also along the Tapan Road. Black-capped White-eye Zosterops atricapilla: A very common bird at Gunung Kerinci where up to 25 were seen daily. An unusually nice whit-eye! Mountain White-eye Zosterops montanus: Several flocks were seen high up at Gunung Kerinci when we climbed to the first shelter. PASSERIDAE Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Tree S) Passer montanus: The common open country and town passerine in this part of the world. Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus: A few were seen around Padang airport. White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata: A small group of five showed well around the paddies near Landos on our pre-tour extension. Javan Munia Lonchura leucogastroides: First seen at Maura Angke and Jakarta Airport but it was seen around the paddies near Landos on the pre-tour extension as well. White-capped Munia (Chestnut M) Lonchura ferruginosa: Several flocks were seen around the paddies at Landos on our pre-tour extension. This species was used to be a Javan endemic until it was found at this location a few month before us. It is a rather localised bird on Java too. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata: It was seen at Maura Angke in Java and some flocks in the paddies around Landos as well as along the drive to the Tapan Road. White-headed Munia Lonchura maja: Two were seen only by János near Landos on the pre-tour extension and later several were seen on the roadside along the Tapan Road. Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus: Several were seen around the paddies near Landos on our pretour extension. MAMMALS Pale Coloured Giant Squirrel Ratufa affinis: There are four species of Asian giant squirrels, of which we saw one. R. affinis was seen several times at Gunung Kerinci where it is very common at least by voice. Black-striped Squirrel (Black-banded S) Callosciurus nigrovittatus: Seen on several occasions at Way Kambas. Prevost s Squirrel Callosciurus prevostii: The genus Callosciurus is referred to as the beautiful squirrels, a sub-group within the tree squirrel group. They are indeed attractive, particularly this species which was seen on several occasions at Way Kambas. Three-striped Ground Squirrel Lariscus insignis: This is one of a number of Asian striped ground squirrels, a sub-group within the ground squirrels group. Seen on numerous occasions at Gunung Kerinci, especially around the base shelter area. They seem to be attracted to rice and occasionally Stewart s nuts too. Low s Squirrel Sundasciurus lowii: One of the Sunda tree squirrels. It was seen on several occasions at Gunung Kerinci where it was quite common. Sumatran Shrew-like Mouse Mus crociduroides: We saw an all black looking mouse on several occasions at Gunung Kerinci which could well have been this species. [Tiger Panthera tigris: We saw fresh paw marks not far from our camp at Way Titias. Surely the endangered Sumatran Tiger is still in these super forests!] 27 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

28 Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula: We saw three in a single morning at Way Kambas. First along the entrance road then a pair chasing each other up in the canopy along a forest trail. This species lives in varied forest habitats up to 2,750m and hunts, alone or in family groups, by both day and night. Mitred Leaf Monkey Presbytis melalophos: The taxonomy of this genus is complex. Basically, the Banded Leaf Monkey P. femoralis, (which is only found in NE Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula) is sometimes lumped in this species with the name Banded Leaf Monkey being used for the enlarged species. We saw this attractive species on several occasions at Gunung Kerinci and also along the Tapan Road. Silvered Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus cristatus: This species can live in big groups. We saw a few at Way Kambas. Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis: Seen at Maura Angke and also at Way Kambas. Sunda Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina: A few were seen at Way Kambas. This diurnal mammal living in troops of between Unlike other primates, they will descend from the trees and flee on the ground when alarmed. Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis: We saw two and heard it a few times at Way Titias on our pre-tour extension. Siamang Hylobates syndactylus: Their extraordinary vocalisations were heard on many occasions at all the main sites we visited. Good views were obtained at Way Kambas several times. We also had good sightings at Gunung Kerinci. Surely one of the most amazing creatures in the forest! [Tree Shrew sp. Tupaia spp.: There are four species of tree shrews in this genus in Sumatra, of which T. glis (Common Tree Shrew) and T. tana (Large Tree Shrew) are the more familiar and likely. Several were seen along the Tapan Road which we believed were Common Tree Shrews. At Gunung Kerinci however, on a few occasions, a different Tree Shrew was seen. It resembled Mountain Tree Shrew T. montana but this species only occurs in the mountains of Borneo, and so it was clearly not this species and consequently species level identification remains unclear.] Eurasian Wild Boar Sus scrofa: This familiar mammal was seen around the Way Kanan clearing at Way Kambas. Indian Muntjac Muntiacus muntjak: Seen on a number of occasions at Way Kambas. Sambar Cervus unicolor: A large deer seen on a couple of occasions in Way Kambas. Asian Elephant Elephas maximus: An amazing encounter with a party of 8 at about 22:00 when we were returning from our nightbirding session at Way Kambas. You often see signs of their presence but rarely the animals themselves. REPTILES Asian Water Monitor Varanus salvator: Seen on a few occasions in Way Kambas. APPENDIX: overall results of the Bird of the tour contest Species Points Nominations 1st Bay Owl nd Graceful Pitta rd Sumatran Wren-Babbler th Banded Pitta th Schneider s Pitta Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

29 Bay Owl, Way Kambas Large Frogmouth, Way Kambas Banded Broadbill, Way Kambas White-capped Munia, Landos Black-capped Babbler, Way Kambas Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler, Way Kambas 29 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

30 Sumatran Wren-Babbler, Kerinci Sumatran Wren-Babbler, Kerinci Blue Nuthatch, Kerinci Sunda Warbler, Kerinci Sumatran Owlet, Kerinci 30 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

31 Sumatran Trogon, Kerinci Rajah Scops Owl, Kerinci Rajah Scops Owl, Kerinci 31 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008

32 Rhinoceros Hornbill, Tapan Road Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Tapan Road Horsfield s Babbler, Tapan Road Grey-headed Babbler, Tapan Road Sunda Forktail, Tapan Road Black-and-Crimson Oriole, Tapan Road 32 Birdquest: Sumatra 2008