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MikeBirder - Malaysian Birds

Hi

Welcome to my Malaysian Birding Blog. I migrated to blogspot.com as my blog at multiply.com closed shop in 2012. I wish to showcase all Malaysian birds that I have photographed whether here or overseas. My countdown of lifers started in 2005. Coming to Oct 2024 my countdown of lifers photograph has reached
577/688 species of birds of Malaysia in photos.

My shooting gear was a EF400mm f4 DO lens and Canon 7D body which to me is the ideal setup for mobility and bird chasing at that time. Eventhen the weight over my shoulder is more that 5.5 kg. As of June 2016 I have also acquired a Fuji XF 100-400mm OIS lens to complement my travelling cum birding trip overseas. My Fuji X-T2 went kaput recently and I upgraded to the X-T5 in 2023 ; the weight over my shoulder is much lighter now by 30%. In December 2018 I acquired the Nikon Coolpix P1000 as supplementary camera for distance shooting of 3000mm.
Fuji have finally made available their new XF 200-600mm lens which I yet to decide to spend another RM10,000. As for Fuji body I will stop with X-T5 36megapixel ..........

I am a weekend birder. Do feel free to drop me a line at mikebirding@gmail.com and I see whether you can tag along in my outings. My usual day trip is just an hour ride away to Hulu Langat, Lancang, Kemensah, Krau, Awana, Hulu Kali, Gombak Ole Road, Fraser's Hill , Bukit Tinggi and KSNP & Coastal Sg Janggut Jeram side of the coast . Overnite trip to Merapoh & Amp; Cameron, Air Hitam and further north to Kuala Sidim is a seldom affair but for lifer we travel. Panti in Johor is another good birding site that I yet to go. Then there are the Borneo birds of Sabah and Sarawak of Malaysia which I seriously much go to chalk up more lifers. This I did in 2018 to Sepilok Sandakan and Kinabalu Park. Next Danum and LahatDatu . In 2024 I visited a new happening birding spot inTalang Seremban.......

WARNING Birding is an addiction once you started its hard to stop. The wifey and children are now birding widow and orphan.

ALL PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG ARE COPYRIGHT OF MIKEBIRDER. KINDLY SEEK PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER IF YOU want to use them for commercial purposes.

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Monday 2 September 2013

Why we should bird quietly


That is why I for one prefer to bird alone or the most a twosome. So MNS & Bird Tour should not organised birding outing anymore issit?


Ecotourism has become a major strategy in conservation. The hope is that the financial benefits of bringing tourists to see native plants and animals in their natural environs raises local interest in protecting those environs. Tourists enjoy seeing birds and other animals engaged in their daily activities, and ideally those birds and animals are more assured of having intact habitat.

Recent research has uncovered a downside to this arrangement, however, one that should be familiar to anyone who has taken a wilderness walk with a child: Human voices tend to scare off the very wildlife we are interested in seeing.

Daniel Karp and Roger Guevara played recordings of human voices along transects through high density bird community habitat around Refugio Amazonas, an ecotourism lodge in southern Peru. Censuses of birds were taken following the broadcasts, by aural and visual counts.

Detection counts of birds along the transects after the recordings were played decreased by as much as 37%. This was true both in locations frequently visited by tourists and in remote locations where humans are rarely seen.

A decline in animal sightings has the potential to reduce interest in ecotourism activities, eroding support for environmental protection. It also means that the birds’ typical behavior patterns are being disrupted.


The reduction in bird calls and sightings is likely the result of those individuals adopting predator responses that render them less visible. This time spent hiding from potential danger may mean less time spent foraging, defending territory and attracting a mate, all to the detriment of the birds’ overall health.

The researchers found no evidence that birds might be becoming habituated to human voices. The decrease in census numbers following broadcasts of human voices was the same in locations where birds were likely to encounter people on a regular basis as in locations where avian-human interactions are infrequent.

If birds were becoming habituated to human voices, one would expect the decrease in census numbers to be smaller in higher traffic areas.

Fortunately, this is a problem with a fairly easy solution. Operators of ecotourism resorts and wildlife tour guides can promote a silent approach to wildlife viewing. Benefits will accrue to both humans and animals – tourists are more likely to see the species they are interested in, and those species are less likely to have their typical behaviors disrupted.

The adage “take only pictures, leave only footprints” can now be amended to include “hear only animal calls.”

--Karren Bassler is a contributing writer based in Madison Wisconsin and a consultant with Superior Nonprofits, LLC

1 comment:

  1. Hi Mike , this is interesting and i agree with the findings .We (bird couple-Robin and Cecilia ) do enjoy birding quietly and it does lead to more encounters with birds . We live in T .Melawati .KL. Do you mind if i shared this article on my FB ?

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