North Malaya – Bintang Range

Just a short distance from the bustling heritage city of Penang we have the town of Taiping. This is base to some of the best birding that peninsular Malaysia has to offer even for the more discerning birdwatchers.

Day 1 – Habitat type: Lowland evergreen forest.

Itinerary:

We pick you up at Penang and drive to Sedim. Here we bird along the many trail here including the longest canopy walkway in the world. By evening we drive to Taiping and check into our resort.

Target Birds: Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Drongo Cuckoo, Violet Cuckoo, Raffles Malkoha, Red-billed Malkoha, Whiskered Treeswift, Grey-rumped Treeswift, Diard’s Trogon, Cinnamon-rumped Trogon, Banded Kingfisher, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Maroon Woodpecker, Dusky Broadbill, Black and Yellow Broadbill, Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Ashy Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Cream-vented Bulbul, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Buff-vented Bulbul.

Day 2 – Habitat Type: Mangrove forest, Coastal wetlands, Rice Paddies and other fresh water wetlands.

Itinerary:

We leave taiping and travel to Kuala Gula. We bird aroung the main bund and take a boat to bird along the mangrove river.

Target Birds: Common Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Milky Stork and Lesser Adjutant, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Chinese Pond-Heron, Little Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-breasted Waterhen, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Common Tern and Little Tern. The Brown-headed Gull, Eurasian Curlew, Whimbrel, Red-necked Stin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Mangrove Whistler and Great Tit,, Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove blue Flycatcher, Mangrove Whistler, Great Tit.

Day 3 – Habitat type: Montane forest and Lowland Rainforest

Itinerary:

We take the first 4 WD to the summit of Maxwell hill and do some easy paced birding.We spend the night in Maxwell Hill, and do some owling at night.

Target Birds: Blyth’s Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black-thighed falconet, Red-headed Trogon, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Lineated Barbet, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-eared barbet, Little Spiderhunter, Spectacled Spiderhunter, Streaked Spiderhunter, Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Cinnamon-headed Pigeon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Mountain Tailorbird, Ashy Minivet, Fiery Minivet, Mountain Fluveta, Brown Fluveta.

Day 4 – Departure Day

Itinerary:

We have lunch at the top and by late afternoon we continue birding and take last 4WD ride down. On the last day we do some birding around the base of the Bintang range.

• Departing: 8 March 2008
• Duration: 3 nights
• Tour leader: Irshad Mobarak & Guna Segaran
• Departs: Penang
• Fitness Level: Average
• Maximum Group Size: 8
• All Inclusive Packages: RM. 1804
• Single room supplement: RM. 465
• Carbon-Clear Voluntary Contribution: RM. 54
• Included in cost: Accommodation, all meals and non alcoholic drinks, transfers, transport, all excursions and guides.
  Not included in cost: Travel insurance, tips, drinks, items of a personal nature.