Endemic Birds of Borneo

The endemic birds of Borneo have caught my attention after visiting Sabah and Sarawak over the years, where professional birders have taught me a fair bit about this unique hobby.

I took up birdwatching as a hobby in 2007, not that I am a hardcore birder, but at some of the places I visit, there are notable birds to be observed or spotted.

Endemic Birds of Borneo

Birdwatching or birding is a form of wildlife observation in which the world of birds is a recreational activity.

Usually, it is done with the naked eye through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and field scopes and, more recently, via photography with the latest camera technology.

For avid birders, Borneo provides one of the best places in the region to do birdwatching, and the Malaysian state of Sabah is one of the optimum places to start.

Many rainforest lodges and resorts are available here, while the number of nature or birding guides is few. Therefore, this list highlights some endemic birds in Borneo, which are slowly getting smaller in numbers.

Thanks to the many state wildlife parks, there have been specially gazetted areas which are highly protected, where much of the rainforest here has been eaten away slowly by development and deforestation.

Bird watching in the rainforest of Borneo

Birdwatching was heavily introduced in 2008 when local birders in Sabah set up the Borneo Bird Club. Since then, the club has worked for hand in hand with the state tourism board to create the Borneo Bird Festival, which is now in its 5th year. 

While catering to the many birders in the region and as far as Europe, the club then moved to have the first Borneo Bird Race, which covered two countries - Sabah and Brunei in 2013. 

This year, the bird race has included Sarawak, the largest state of Malaysia, to be in the Borneo Bird Race. Therefore it will be three locations to spot the beautiful birds of Borneo for anyone joining this race; chances are you will be spotting several endemic birds of Borneo too. 

Again, if you are an avid birder, this is one of the best chances to spot these birds, as the 10-day bird race will cover most of the famous Borneo birding places.

List of Endemic Birds of Borneo

Update Aug 2022: There is an updated list of endemic birds of Borneo with six new additions.

No.	Common Name	Scientific Name
1	Black-browed Babbler	Trichastoma perspicillatum
2	Black-headed Pitta	Pitta ussheri
3	Black-throated Wren-babbler	Napothera atrigularis
4	Blue-banded Pitta	Pitta arquata
5	Blue-headed Pitta	Pitta baudii
6	Bornean Banded Kingfisher	Lacedo melanops
7	Bornean Banded Pitta	Pitta Schwaner
8	Bornean Barbet	Megalaima eximia
9	Bornean Black Magpie	Platysmurus aterrimus
10	Bornean Black Oriole	Oriolus hosii
11	Bornean Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis superbus
12	Bornean Bristlehead	Pityriasis gymnocephala
13	Bornean Brown Barbet	Calorhamphus fulginosus
14	Bornean Bulbul	Pycnonotus montis
15	Bornean Crested Fireback	Lophura ignita
16	Bornean Crestless Fireback	Lophura pyronota
17	Bornean Falconet	Microhierax latifrons
18	Bornean Flowerpecker	Dicaeum monticolum
19	Bornean Forktail	Enicurus borneensis
20	Bornean Frogmouth	Batrachostomus mixtus
21	Bornean Green Magpie	Cissa jefferyi
22	Bornean Ground-Cuckoo	Carpococcyx radiatus
23	Bornean Ibon	Oculocincla squamifrons
24	Bornean Laughing-thrush	Melanocichla calva
25	Bornean Leafbird	Chloropsis kinabaluensis
26	Bornean Necklaced Patridge	Arborophila graydoni
27	Bornean Peacock-pheasant	Polyplectron schleiermacheri
28	Bornean Serpent Eagle	Spilornis kinabaluensis
29	Bornean Spiderhunter	Arachnothera everetti
30	Bornean Stubtail	Urosphena whiteheadi
31	Bornean Swiftlet	Collocalia dodgei
32	Bornean Treepie	Dendrocitta cinerascens
33	Bornean Whistler	Pachycephala hypoxantha
34	Bornean Whistling Thrush	Myophonus borneensis
35	Bornean Wren-babbler	Ptilocichla leucogrammica
36	Bulwer's Pheasant	Lophura bulweri
37	Chestnut-crested Yuhina	Yuhina everetti
38	Chestnut-hooded Laughing-trush	Garrulax treacheri
39	Crimson-headed Partridge	Haematortyx sanguiniceps
40	Dulit Frogmouth	Batrachostomus harterti
41	Dulit Patridge	Rhizothera dulitensis
42	Dusky Munia	Lonchura fuscans
43	Everett's Thrush	Zoothera everetti
44	Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher	Rhinomyias gularis
45	Friendly Bush Warbler	Bradypterus accentor
46	Fruithunter	Chlamydochaera jefferyi
47	Golden-naped Barbet	Megalaima pulcherrima
48	Hose's Broadbill	Calyptomena hosii
49	Maratua Bulbul	Pycnonotus hodiernus
50	Maratua Shama	Copsychus barbouri
51	Mountain Barbet	Megalaima monticola
52	Mountain Black-eye	Chlorocharis emiliae
53	Mountain Wren-babbler	Napothera crassa
54	Pale-faced Bulbul	Pycnonotus leucops
55	Red-breasted Hill Partridge	Arborophila hyperythra
56	White-crowned Shama	Copsychus stricklandii
57	Whitehead's Broadbill	Calyptomena Whiteheadi
58	Whitehead's Spiderhunter	Arachnothera juliae
59	Whitehead's Trogon	Harpactes whiteheadi
60	Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker	Prionochilus xanthopygius

Source: Phillipps' Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan (Third Edition Fully Revised) by Quentin Phillipps and Karen Phillipps, published by John Beaufoy Publishing.

The Borneo Bird Race 2014

This article has created awareness for these beautiful birds in conjunction with the Borneo Bird Race. For those who love the outdoors or Ecotourism, if you ever go for a nature trip, check with the guides or tour company about bird watching. 

It is also highly recommended that you educate the younger generation about the outdoors and hobbies like this, especially if you have children. 

Gone are the days when families participated in natural outdoor activities like these, where it is very educational, compared to spending countless hours on gadgets, phones or visiting the malls. 

You know I am right when you read this, as I see society in the city getting worse, but we can make a difference. 

For more information on the endemic birds of Borneo, you can also visit the Borneo Bird Club website and the Borneo Bird Race website.

Conclusion

This year, I will be attending the Borneo Bird Race 2014 not as a participant but more as an observer and reporter. It has been a long time since I went on a pure birding trip, with the bird race happening from September to October. 

It is a great time to pick up where I left off. If anyone reading this is also attending this race, please let me know; otherwise, I will see you at the next Borneo Bird Race.