Drongo (8/9) October 2022 - Hairy-crested Drongo (Lifer 559/688)

Glad that AT id the drongo as a lifer which we thought is the Bronze.  Maybe have to inform Joe Sun on his photo. In closer scrutiny of the the drongo's crown, there are indeed some hairs le. It is also related to the "Spangled Drongo", which I noted the name is now reserved to Australia specie. The Hairy one can be seen in montane forest ie KNP and Tambunan, Crocker side of Sabah.

A big, stocky, dark drongo with highly iridescent wings and shiny feathers on breast and back of the neck. Note triangular tail with flaring tips that curl out sideways and a large, curved bill with which it probes for nectar in flowering trees. Long, thin, hair-like feathers on its forehead, present only in some subspecies, may be visible at close range. Birds in Java and Sulawesi have white eyes. Encountered singly or in small flocks; also joins foraging flocks ie bird wave with other species. Frequent sighting it follows the Laughingthrushes at KNP. Found in a wide range of forested habitats. Calls include a varied jumble of various harsh screeches, nasal yelps, metallic sounds, and beep.

Trogon (7/7) Borneo Endemic - Whitehead's Trogon (lifer 558/688) Oct 2022

We were on our first day tour to KNP with Ikwan  in the afternoon After lunch at the canteen  we headed to upper Silau-silau trail . This is the regular section to see the Whiteheads. The valley trail is protected from strong wind and I think it is ideal for birds to roost.  After failing to spot the bird  for 2 hours we decided to walk back to Ligawu which was already pass 4pm. Then we saw excitement from our guide who have returned to usher us back up telling us the Trogon was spotted. And here we go puffing and huffing in quick steps up to the locale; & walla we managed to see this lifer with swelling relieve as we thank the other bird guide who contacted Ikwan. So at times it is good to have some one local to guide you.

The female was also nearby but no good pictures.

So happy that night  I send a photo to Theresa to tell her my encounter. The last time I was birding with her and her girl team we did not manage to see it. Hope she manage to see hers already. So in the month of September - October is a good time to bird here. However in 2022 saw the monsoon rain arriving early. On our third day in KNP was a wash out as we wasted a whole wet day

Whitehead's trogon (Harpactes whiteheadi) is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is an uncommon resident in primary mountain forest. One of Borneo's largest trogons at 29 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) long, it is sexually dimorphic. The male is crimson on the head, nape, and underparts, with a black throat and grey chest; the rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-coloured. The female is similarly patterned, but cinnamon-brown where the male is scarlet. The species was first described for science by Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888, who named it for British explorer and collector John Whitehead. There are no subspecies.

It is primarily an insectivore, but also eats various plant materials, including fruits and seeds. Other than the timing of its breeding—typically between April and June—little is known about its breeding biology. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates Whitehead's trogon as a near-threatened species. 

(Wiki)

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Like most trogons, Whitehead's trogon is sexually dimorphic namely the partners are different in apparent; the male is considerably more colorful than the female.  It ranks among Borneo's largest trogons, measuring 29 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) in length. The male is crimson on the forehead, crown, nape, and sides of the head, with bare blue skin around the eyes. The rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-brown. His throat is black, shading into a grey breast, but the rest of his underparts are crimson. His wings are primarily black, with fine white barring on the secondaries and coverts.  His tail is mostly white underneath; above, the two central tail feathers are cinnamon with a broad black tip, and the remaining tail feathers are primarily black. The outermost tail feathers are white on the terminal half and along the outer web. He has a blue beak, pinkish-brown legs and feet, and reddish-brown irises.  The female is similarly patterned, but duller, with cinnamon-brown replacing the crimson of the male. The barring on her secondaries and wing coverts is cinnamon-brown rather than white. The immature female is similar to the adult female, but her entire ventral side is uniformly coloured, lacking the adult's black throat and grey upper breast. She also has less blue colouring on her beak.

Bulbul ( Bornean split of peninsula Ocracheous) - Penan Bulbul

 I not sure whether to consider it  as a lifer  though it was a split recently in Aug 2021. It has some similarity to the low to mid montane Ochraceous or even Grey-cheeked of peninsula. The Penan bulbul (Alophoixus ruficrissus) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found Borneo. It is usually found in the mid-storey of broad-leaved evergreen and rainforests up to 2000 metres elevation. It can be easily seen in KNP 

A brownish-olive bulbul with a wispy crest and a puffy, glowingly white throat. Inhabits lowland and montane forests, where it prefers primary or well-aged secondary growth. Forages in the middle and lower levels of the forest, usually in small, noisy flocks. Calls consist primarily of loud, dry “chek” notes; song is pleasant and warbling. Similar to Gray-cheeked Bulbul, but darker, especially on the underparts, with a more conspicuous white throat and a longer crest. (Extract from eBird)

Ground bird 13/21) Borneo Endemic - Crimson headed Patridge (Lifer 557/688)

The Red-headed Partridge is the target bird in Gunung Alab 2000m asl. It is an easy shoot here as its very active in numbers too. You will be spoiled for choice which one to shoot. They stay quite a while 10-15 minutes if you guys do not make too much commotion;  unlike the red-breasted partridge which also drop in and out in minutes during our encounter. Maybe the threesome are easily intimidated. 

 A striking species of partridge, the crimson-headed partridge has an average length of around 25 cm (9.8 in) and the weight of one measured male was 330 g (12 oz). Adult males have a distinctive appearance; the heads, necks, and breasts, along with the final section of the undertail coverts, are crimson red, while the rest of the body is dark blackish. The bill is yellow to yellowish white, the iris is brown with a yellow orbital ring, and the feet are grey with one to three tarsal spurs. Adult females have a similar pattern, bur differ in their duller and browner plumage, more orangish red on the head and breast, brownish-black bill, and lack of spurs. Juveniles are duller and have the crimson restricted to the top of the head, with a brownish orange head, rust-red markings on a blackish-brown breast, and red tips to the wing coverts.

The species is unlikely to be confused with any other, with its coloration only resembling that of an immature male black partridge (Melanoperdix niger). It can be told apart from the latter by the black partridge's broader black bill.

Spiderhunter ( 7/12) ) Borneo Endemic - Bornean Spiderhunter (Lifer 556/688)

 

There are a few endemic spiderhunter in Borneo. One of them is this Bornean Spiderhunter. Apparently this tree with its longish pinkish is a favorite of spidenhunters (with their long beak) and even sunbirds. I not sure of the plants name but it may be epiphhytic rhododendron flowers.

We were hoping to see the rarity Whitehead's spiderhunter but it was absent. Instead we got   this lifer. By the way there was a same tree in KNP right behind the canteen as pointed out by Ikwan but it was not flowering. Now you know look for the tree with this flower to get a glimpse of this elusive Whitehead's for many who have yet to see including yours truly.....

We were shooting from a distance of almost 200 feet range  up in this tall tree. The picture is fully cropped. Unfortunately  we were shooting in the late afternoon after the session in hide. If it was in the morning we may have got a chance to see the Whitehead's .....sign.

Medium-sized spiderhunter with an olive back and streaked gray underparts. Inhabits lowland and submontane forests and forest edges, where it feeds primarily on nectar in the understory; favors blossoms of banana and ginger. Very similar in appearance to Gray-breasted Spiderhunter; range overlap is poorly understood but appears to be minimal. Look for Bornean’s more intensely streaked underparts and slightly larger size. Long-billed Spiderhunter can show some streaking on the breast but is much larger and longer-billed, with yellowish underparts. Sometimes noisy, giving loud raspy nasal calls. (ebird)

Avian Encounter October 2022 - Coucals in Langkap

I was in Langkap to search for lifer in the coming migration period. It was a surprising find to shoot both the Lesser and greater Coucal at close range. Many of the roadside reeds and undergrowth were been prune and cut down So it was no surprise birds keep to the remaining  areas. After a short drizzle in the morning helps my finds of these big birds of Chui Chak's  padifields. Birds will come out to dry themselves.

I was shooting full frame of this Greater Coucal on the ground less than 15 ft away. The bird was not intimidated as I shoot from my SUV. The bird remain at the cutdown reeds even after I left the spot. 

 

PITTA ( 8/12) Bornean Endemic - Bornean Banded Pitta (Lifer 555/688)

This is my second Bornean pitta amongst the other 3-4 more. The first one was the easy catch in Sepilok - Black-headed Pitta another split from our peninsula  Garnet. In Tambunan about 1.15 hours from Ranau you can visit a privately operated hide  by KKLee. With the reopening of borders and open sky flying the place is happening and advance booking is necessary because of limited seats. We were lucky to bum into Leong at Gng Alab who so willingly connect us to shoot there The rate was reasonable too. Apparently there were some cancellation by another group due to Covid ...... A blessing in disguise. 

Snappy-looking pitta with a broad egg-yolk-yellow eyebrow, black mask, coffee-brown back, and finely barred underparts. Male has a yellow throat, black crown, and indigo belly patch. Female is similar but duller, with no indigo belly patch, a whitish throat, paler underparts, and a pale brown crown. Listen for its song, a series of well-spaced explosive but mellow “byow!”s. Widely distributed but uncommon to locally common; inhabits hill and lowland dipterocarp forests, where it seems to favor dry ridges, hilltops, and limestone areas.

I still think our peninsula (Malayan) Banded Pitta male with its vivid orange mixed banding and head is much better looker. The latter can be seen at Lancang Pahang and Merapoh Kuala Tahan.