The rise of bird photography in Malaysia has been steady in recent years, and this is all thanks to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where many go to show their prized photos.

If you have done a quick Google search for bird photography, you will see that there is not much information on this subject; hence, I have taken the opportunity to provide essential information here.

Bird Photography in Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the more sought-after locations for bird photography for several reasons, making this hobby easy. The country sits just above the equator and under Thailand, with two main seasons—rainy and dry.

An estimated 814 bird species are found in Malaysia (According to MNS) and spread generously throughout the 15 states, including Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island. However, if you check Wikipedia, it lists 834 species of birds recorded in Malaysia to date.

More importantly, Malaysia’s infrastructure is quite well developed, providing easy access to most birding destinations by air, sea, rail or overland by car, bike and even 4×4.

Due to the demand for bird photography before the Covid 19 pandemic, various locations around the country had seen an increase in avian tourism, which saw a small opportunity to capitalise on this unique market.

However, you do not create overnight bird guides hoping to be ready to lead potential photographers into the rainforest in a few months. This takes a lot of experience and time, resulting in months or even years.

But one state in Malaysia has seen the future, and they have already trained their guides from decades ago to this very day. The most important thing is knowing and understanding what the photographer wants during their trip.

Many bird guides in Malaysia speak excellent English, and some even speak a second or third language. Still, the ultimate concern is the superb birding ethics practised and shared.

One of the worst ethics in bird photography is feeding the birds for the shot, and most bird guides in Malaysia highly tolerate this. If you are the type that feeds the birds to get the shot, you won’t get a good bird guide.

If you go bird-feeding on your trip, some bird guides will cancel the tour and refund your fees as they do not support this unethical practice.

Best Place for Bird Photography in Malaysia

This is the most popular question asked by bird photographers who plan to visit here, and for this answer, there are two recommended places for bird photography in Malaysia which are;

1. Bird Photography in Sabah

Sabah is hands down the number one location for birdwatching photography, which is not plucked from the sky. The reason is that Sabah has been a pioneer in birdwatching for over three decades. Read this article about how Sabah became the top birding destination in Malaysia.

The bird guides in Sabah are all well-trained to handle all kinds of international bird tourists, and you can even find specific language-speaking guides in Sabah. Sabah excels in this also thanks to the Sabah Tourism Board, which has supported and promoted bird tourism at various bird fairs worldwide.

To top it off, Sabah also has its own unique Borne Bird Festival annually at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), which has been an Important Birding Area (IBA) since 2009.

I will also compile a list of places to do bird photography in Sabah; they are probably the best locations. The main reasons are the places’ overall infrastructure, accommodation, roads, guides, services, etc.

Places to do bird photography in Sabah;

• Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDS) at Sepilok, Sandakan
• Danum Valley Conservation Area, Lahad Datu
• Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Lahad Datu
• Kinabalu National Park, Ranau

The best time to do bird photography in Sabah is around August to September due to the general fruiting season, which attracts a lot of birds to certain fruiting trees. One of the best trees to look out for is the fig tree, which attracts many species of birds.

2. Bird Photography in Langkawi

Numerous locations are available in Peninsular Malaysia, but the most convenient place would be Langkawi’s Island in Northern Malaysia. Here, you can get some great photos of the various Hornbills.

Langkawi was selected because of the island’s complete infrastructure. Overall, Pulau Langkawi is well-known as a vacation getaway destination that caters to all walks of life.

The balance of nature and beach is perfect, providing an abundance of flora and fauna that impress nature lovers and bird watchers. A few reputable bird guides are available on the island and can be booked in advance.

Overall, I recommend visiting Langkawi from around October to March, as this is the dry season. Be cautious about booking trips during December and the Chinese New Year because of the super-peak holiday season.

Any other time is excellent, but you should expect rain from April to October, which is not the major monsoon and has fewer visitors to the island. One of the places I would love to stay is the Tanjung Rhu Resort because of its privacy and natural area for birdwatching.

Other Places for Bird Photography in Malaysia

There are many other places in Malaysia where you can do bird photography, but you need to travel or book a guide to take you around. It also depends on the bird photographer and what they want to shoot.

If you want to photograph only the Dulit Frogmouth, you must travel to Sarawak’s highlands, as that endemic bird has only been spotted there. You will also need a local guide to take you to the specific place where the Frogmouth is seen.

If you want to photograph specific shorebirds, you may need to explore well-known areas, such as the Ash Pond in Kuching, Sarawak (Closed), or the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary in the state of Perak.

It is subjective and up to the bird photographer what they want to achieve at the end of the day. But if you are a first-time bird photographer in Malaysia, the above locations are probably the best.

Bird Photography Equipment in Malaysia

Because of the tropical climate, bird photographers in Malaysia must come prepared, and I have narrowed down a list of what you can bring or prepare for your trip;

• Raincoat of Poncho – Highly important as it can rain in the rainforest anytime, and you will want to protect yourself.
• Camera and Lens Raincoat – These are also important for your gear as they can be quite heavy when it rains.
• Leech Socks – These are compulsory for anyone heading into the rainforest.
• Insect Repellent – I know every country has its brands, but in Malaysia, you need a local one that suits our climate.
• Local Bird Book – If you want to know the local bird names and other information, you can buy them here.

If you are booking a specialised bird photography guide for your trip, I would advise that you ask them what is needed for your trip. Bringing your hard cases would be impractical if you go deep into the rainforest.

To buy some of these bird photography equipment, you may need to pre-buy them in our country if you are a visiting traveller. If you are local, you can also look for some of these products at the Bird Watching Malaysia online shop soon.

How to Book a Bird Photography Guide in Malaysia?

If you are planning to visit Malaysia for birding or need a bird photography guide, you can contact me from here, and I will get back to you with a recommendation for some reputable guides. I have been working with many of them for over ten years, and I know who the recommended ones are.

Conclusion

I hope this article on bird photography in Malaysia has provided you with much-needed information. If you enjoyed reading this, please follow me on my Bird Watching Malaysia Facebook Group.

I created this article because of the rise of bird photographers in Malaysia and worldwide in the last five years alone. Before this, there were many bird watchers compared to photographers.