Saturday, May 05, 2012

Peninsular Malaysia 500 Club: Is 600 possible?


For a while now I've been wondering whether it is feasible to see 600 species in Peninsular Malaysia - that's 91% of the total list ever recorded (currently 661). I have 37 species more to go to hit that magic number. In case you want to help me get there, I'd be especially glad to receive any up-to date information on the following species in Peninsular Malaysia.

Phasianidae
Long-billed Partridge
Black Partridge
Chestnut-necklaced Partridge
Ferruginous Partridge
Crestless Fireback
Crested Argus

Anatidae
Northern Pintail

Procellaridae
Swinhoe's Storm-petrel 16 May 2012


Threskiornithidae
Black-headed Ibis

Fregatidae
Greater Frigatebird
Christmas Island Frigatebird

Falconidae
Amur Falcon
Eurasian Hobby

Accipitridae
Jerdon's Baza
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
Mountain Hawk-eagle

Rallidae
Slaty-legged Crake

Heliornithidae
Masked Finfoot

Charadriidae
Oriental Plover

Jacanidae
Bronze-winged Jacana

Scolopacidae
Spotted Redshank
Green Sandpiper

Columbidae
Cinnamon-headed Green-pigeon

Cuculidae
Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo
Himalayan Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo

Strigidae
White-fronted Scops-owl
Oriantal Scops-owl

Upupidae
Eurasian Hoopoe

Picidae
Grey-and-buff Woodpecker

Pittidae
Giant Pitta

Oriolidae
Black-hooded Oriole

Monarchidae
Japanese Paradise-flycatcher

Timaliidae
Grey-breasted Babbler
Eyebrowed Wren-babbler

Sturnidae
Chestnut-cheeked Starling
White-shouldered Starling
Rosy Starling

Turdidae
Chestnut-capped Thrush
Eurasian Scaly Thrush

Muscicapidae
Brown-streaked Flycatcher
White-tailed Flycatcher

Dicaeidae
Brown-backed Flowerpacker

Estrildidae
Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch

Motacillidae
Richard's Pipit
















This is a selection, not every bird on the Peninsular Malaysian list I haven't seen. The photos  were all taken outside Pen Mal (obviously!), in Singapore, East Malaysia and Thailand. The list includes a few embarrassing misses, but most resident species on the list read like a who's who of the most difficult ones to see in the Peninsula these days.

So - can anyone help me plan my itinerary over the next twelve months?!

7 comments:

  1. Neoh Hor Kee9:13 am

    Dave, you could try Gunung Raya in Langkawi for both the Jerdon's Baza and Mountain Hawk-Eagle. My dad has photographed both species in one trip there, albeit three years ago, along with the Black-Hooded Oriole at Kisap. The Eye-Browed WB is present in Larut, albeit at low densities. Common Buzzards are usually present at highland locales during the migrant season, recent years have them being seen at Bkt Tinggi. merapoh is a known place for the Crestless Fireback at Sg Relau, and I've heard Giant Pitta there too. The Grey-and-Buff Woodie should be found in lowland and hill forest, I've seen it at Larut a number of times as well as at the durian orchards at Burmese Pools. One Black-Headed Ibis did make an unexpected appearance at Permatang Nibong two years ago, but has not been seen since, so keep a lookout for it there. if you are heading to Perlis for the White-Fronted Scops Owl at the Park and the Jacana at the lake, I'll love to tag along too! Hhope this helps!

    Cheers,

    Hor Kee

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  2. I saw a Grey & Buff Woodie at Bukit Tinggi just last month.

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  3. Good Luck, Dave !

    Plugging away at the sea birding might bring a few surprises...

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  4. Thanks for the tips Hor Kee and Ronnie! I'm fairly familiar with the generic stuff on where to see many of these species. What I'm hoping for is more the "I saw one yesterday at such and such a place" type of gen.

    Thanks for the encouragement John. I will indeed keep plugging away on the high seas, but know that some trips to the sweaty, leech-infested jungle will be inevitable!

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  5. haha, many of your expected rare migrants and vagrants are not easy to find...... seen none of these in Peninsular Malaysia...... but good luck, I guess you should still be able to find some Hoopoe, Common Buzzard and etc by the next season....

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  6. Dave, some of the birds in your list(such the EB Wren-babbler ) are also in my search list. I particularly wanted to get the ER Wren-babler because it has eluded me a couple of times,just because I was out of position by a few meters.Before I make my next attempt in Telapak Buruk. I will email you to see if you are keen to join me.ATiah

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  7. Please do Aun Tiah!

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