Among some of the surprising bird watching places in the Klang Valley, the Taman Rimba Kiara is one of the hidden gems for this, and you will be surprised with what you can spot here.
I recently had the opportunity to explore this place in the Taman Tun Dr Ismail area of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. Well, because of the Covid19 pandemic that shook Malaysia and the world in 2020, people started to appreciate their backyard more.
So, with border crossings blocked, international travel stopped, people started exploring their areas for birding and bird watching, and for me, Taman Rimba Kiara was one of these fantastic places.
Bird Watching at Taman Rimba Kiara
While Kiara sounds like a huge place, it is. A few areas are dedicated to this massive forest reserve located in the Kuala Lumpur or KL border near Petaling Jaya. Not to be confused, there is the Kiara Hill Park, TTDI Park (Taman Rimba Kiara 2nd Entrance) and Bukit Kiara, where many people go mountain biking.
The bird watching is at Taman Rimba Kiara, which is by the Taman Tun entrance, while some even go to the second entrance of the Taman Rimba Kiara, where the lake is, and some even go up to Kiara Hill for the trails.
Overall, there is a very healthy collection of birds to be spotted here and last checked, and there is an estimated 50 to 60 species of birds to be spotted around here. You can find the most common lowland birds, occasional migratory and sometimes one or two rare species.
A local bird watcher named Roselyn Chuah has even dedicated a special blog on Taman Rimba Kiara, where she updates it with the park’s birds, flora, and fauna. And it would help if you were surprised as she has done a fantastic job documenting and sharing information on her blog.
Recently, there was a brooding woodpecker family on one of the trees here, and it has gained the attention of local birders and bird photographers from around the area. A pair of Crimson-winged woodpeckers had made a home in one of the lower cut tree trunks.
For some strange reason, the nest was much lower than it should be, and this is a clear indication of how urbanized birds can also adapt. Usually, nests are above eye level and past 7-8 meters. This particular nest was a mere 2 meters off the ground, which was rather odd.
Anyway, some bird enthusiasts from around here had arranged for the area to be cordoned off to people, and surprisingly, it worked like a charm which is excellent news for the roosting birds.
Visiting Bird Watchers to Kuala Lumpur
If you are a visiting bird watcher to KL or PJ, you may want to hook up with some fellow birders here, and you can even ask them if they have some time to bring you to this place for bird watching.
Often, birders may be in KL or PJ for a business trip or some other personal reason, and you find yourself with some free time; therefore, you can allocate a few hours to explore some of the bird watching places in PJ to get your fix.
Where is Taman Rimba Kiara?
The location is quite simple, considering that you know where Taman Tun Dr Ismail is. Otherwise, I recommend using Google Maps or Waze to find this place.
The main entrance to Taman Rimba Kiara is near the VADS Building or the old IBM Building. A road leads inside towards Kiara Hill Park, and at the traffic light, you need to turn right into the park.
There is ample parking space outside the central park area for those self-driving, and you can walk in through the main guardhouse or gate area. It is also free parking here, so you need not pay.
How to go to Taman Rimba Kiara?
You need to self-drive here, or you can also take a ride-hailing service like Grab to get here. The best is to use Waze or Google Maps and key in Taman Rimba Kiara to locate this place and then head here.
And for your added information, there is no public transport available to this place. Still, for those taking the MRT 2 Train from KL, the closest station is the TTDI MRT Station or Stesen MRT TTDI, about a 20-minute walk to Taman Rimba Kiara.
Conclusion
Overall, this place is one of the best bird watching locations in PJ or KL as it sits between the border of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. If you did not know, it is located way out of the KL city centre and takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get here from KL city.
For anyone who wants a sure thing, you can plan for some bird watching at Taman Rimba Kiara right here in KL and PJ’s urban area. Just make sure you come prepared with your birding equipment, insect repellent and some snacks.
