Bird Watching Locations at Fraser’s Hill – Part 3

Fraser's Hill Bird watching locations
Spread the love

Fraser's Hill Bird watching locations Fraser’s Hill is a popular bird watching destination, for good reason. A combination of cool climate, species diversity, and easily accessible birding spots means that birdwatching here is generally easy and relaxing. It’s possible to bird anywhere at Fraser’s Hill; nevertheless, there are several bird watching locations at Fraser’s Hill that deserve special mention.

This article series aims to provide useful information on these birding hotspots for birders, especially first-time visitors to Fraser’s Hill. 

Bird Watching Locations at Fraser’s Hill – Part 3

The third part of this article series will highlight several jungle trails around the hill. These bird watching locations at Fraser’s Hill are a bit more challenging, but appropriately, they’re also potentially very rewarding. Notably, the forest trails provide birders an opportunity to see birds that frequent the understory in a more natural setting. These trails are:

  1. Bishop Trail
  2. Hemmant Trail
  3. Other trails
    • Abu Suradi trail
    • Mager Trail
    • Kindersley trail
Bird watching locations at Fraser's Hill trails map
Locations of the various trails around Fraser’s Hill, relative to the town centre. The trail paths are approximate.

Before heading off to one of these trails, it’s a good idea to download a hiking app to aid navigation. Komoot is a good one that I use regularly.

Bird Watching Locations at Fraser’s Hill – main trails

Bishop Trail 

This trail is one of the best bird watching locations at Fraser’s Hill. This is especially true if you’re after the more elusive residents of Fraser’s Hill, such as partridges, pittas and wren-babblers. To get here, search for ‘Bishop Trail’ on navigation apps. The entrance sign is quite large; thus, you can’t miss it.

Bird watching locations at Fraser's Hill Bishop Trail
Bishop Trail entrance

Some information on Bishop Trail:

  • Roughly 1.5 km long
  • The entrance is along the main road, about 1km from the town centre
  • Exit is along Jalan Lady Maxwell, near the Muar and Cicely Bungalows.
  • The path is downhill from the entrance until you reach a small stream. Then, the trail is relatively flat until the last section.
  • A large rest hut is near the second stream, about 100m from the first stream. Note that there was a rest station near the entrance before this one (this station is currently unusable).
  • The trail continues on until you reach a second, much smaller rest hut. From here, the path is steadily uphill until the exit. Make sure you follow the sign to exit and don’t go to the Maxwell trail.
  • The trail has guideposts and guide ropes, especially the first part.
Map of Bishop Trail
Map of Bishop Trail, as seen at the entrance. The ‘mother earth’ station (near the entrance) is unusable.

My recommendations for exploring Bishop Trail:

  • The best section for birding purposes is the first part – from the entrance to the second stream. Simply backtrack to exit. This is what I usually do. Nevertheless, go ahead and explore the full trail if you’re up for it!
  • Several species love to hang around the streams, such as the Slaty-backed Forktail and Lesser Shortwing.
  • You might also spot birds taking a bath in the streams, especially in the afternoon.
  • Walk slowly and keep voices to a minimum. You never know what birds you may encounter along the trail (see target species section below).
  • The best time is early morning when the elusive species are more active.
  • Look out for other wildlife and plant life, as the trail is quite biodiverse.
Bishop Trail scenery
Scenery along Bishop Trail.

Be aware:

  • The trail has several steep inclines, especially near the start and end. Make sure you have a reasonable level of fitness before attempting this trail.
  • Proper footwear is essential, since the trail may be muddy and/or slippery at certain places.
  • Fallen trees may block the path occasionally, thus you may have to turn back.
  • Due to the above reasons, this trail is unsuitable for heavy/bulky photography gear.
  • Leeches are sometimes present, especially after rains.
  • Avoid using the trail at night or in bad weather.

Target Species:

Many of the common species around Fraser’s Hill are possible here. Additionally, Bishop’s trail has the potential to produce some unexpected (and memorable) encounters! 

Look out for the following birds (this list isn’t exhaustive):

  1. Collared Owlet
  2. Mountain Scops-Owl – frequently heard at night near the entrance. However, you don’t need to go into the trail to encounter the owl.
  3. Red-bearded Bee-eater
  4. Red-headed Trogon
  5. Rusty-naped Pitta – very shy, even for a pitta! Thus, it’s more likely heard than seen.
  6. Silver-breasted Broadbill – uncommon here but occasionally encountered.
  7. Long-tailed Broadbill
  8. Black Laughingthrush
  9. Streaked Wren-Babbler
  10. Pygmy Cupwing
bird watching locations at fraser's hill little cuckoo dove
A Little Cuckoo-Dove at Bishop Trail
Bishop Trail Little Pied Flycatcher
This female Little Pied Flycatcher was taking a bath in the first stream of Bishop Trail.

Additionally, if you’re lucky, you may encounter the following birds:

  1. Malayan Partridge – seeing them in a more natural setting is very rewarding!
  2. Mountain Peacock-Pheasant – these shy pheasants are rarely encountered along this trail.
  3. Long-billed Partridge – you’ll need to be extremely lucky for this one!
  4. Marbled Wren-Babbler –  a rare resident. Look/listen for them near the streams.
Bishop Trail Marbled Wren-Babbler
If you’re patient (and lucky), you may encounter the rare Marbled Wren-Babbler at Bishop Trail.

Hemmant Trail

This is an easier trail that’s also one of the better bird watching locations at Fraser’s Hill. It’s also great for anyone simply wishing to enjoy a stroll in the forest. Getting to the trail is easy; simply search for ‘Hemmant Trail’ on Google Maps.

Bird watching locations at Fraser's Hill Hemmant Trail
Hemmant Trail exit, near Jalan Lady Maxwell.

Some information on Hemmant Trail:

  • The ‘entrance’ is next to the town mosque.
  • The ‘exit’ is at the intersection of Jalan Lady Maxwell and Jalan Valley. There’s a feeding station just across the road from the exit.
  • Roughly 600m long, running between the golf course and the Silverpark Resort
  • Mostly flat, with a small hill near the middle. 
  • The furthest section (near the ‘exit’) has a boardwalk.
  • There are guideposts and guide ropes throughout.

My recommendations for exploring this trail:

  • You can start from either the ‘entrance’ or the ‘exit’ side.
  • If you’re short on time, focus on the last half of the trail (the half that’s furthest from town). This skips the hill in the middle. This is what I usually do.
  • Since it’s quite short, you can continue birding along Jalan Lady Maxwell (& feeding station) or Jalan Valley.
  • Combining with Bishop Trail is also possible, as the exit is close to Bishop Trail’s entrance.
Hemmant Trail scenery
Scenery along Hemmant Trail

Be aware:

  • The uphill and downhill sections near the middle might not be suitable for everyone. Nevertheless, this trail is still relatively easygoing, especially at ‘birding speed’.
  • Other precautions are similar to Bishop Trail above.

Target Species:

A variety of common montane species may be encountered along this trail. They include (this list isn’t exhaustive):

  1. Greater Yellownape Woodpecker
  2. Black-browed and Fire-tufted Barbets
  3. Common Green Magpie
  4. Black-and-Crimson Oriole
  5. Mountain Tailorbird
  6. Chestnut-crowned Warbler
  7. White-tailed Robin – these birds sometimes perch on the guideposts and ropes.
  8. Large Niltava
  9. Rufous-browed Flycatcher – this flycatcher usually perches quite close to the ground.
  10. Buff-breasted, Grey-throated and Golden Babblers
Hemmant Trail White-tailed Robin
A male White-tailed Robin perching on the guide rope along Hemmant Trail.
Hemmant Trail Large Niltava
This stunning male Large Niltava was photographed near the exit of Hemmant Trail.

Bird Watching Locations at Fraser’s Hill – other trails

There are other, shorter trails around Fraser’s Hill that may be attempted. You’ll probably only encounter the common birds here; therefore, these trails may be skipped completely. They are:

  1. Abu Suradi Trail. This short 0.5 km hiking trail starts near the town mosque. The exit is near the abandoned Jelai Resort. Notably, there is a feeding station at the trail exit. This feeding station attracts common birds and is also accessible by road.
  2. Mager Trail. A short, uphill trail that starts near the car park just after reaching Fraser’s Hill. Ends at the same spot as the Abu Suradi trail.
  3. Kindersley Trail. Very short but steep trail that connects Jalan Lady Guillemard (next to Glasshouse cafe) to Jalan Richmond (partridge feeding spot). More useful as a shortcut rather than a birding trail.

The following trails are NOT recommended for birding:

  1. Maxwell (leech) Trail is rarely used.
  2. Pine Tree Trail – very long and challenging, suitable only for serious hikers. A guide is compulsory.

More information

  1. Check out my Birdwatching at Fraser’s Hill article for a more complete overview of birding at Fraser’s Hill. The article includes practical information for visitors, such as restaurant and hotel options and other birding hotspots.
  2. Please visit my Birds of Fraser’s Hill article series, which highlights some of the bird species that occur here.
  3. Fraserhill.info has some good information on the history of these trails, including why they’re named as such.

Conclusion

These jungle trails provide more challenging bird watching locations at Fraser’s Hill. Even so, birding along these trails may prove very rewarding, especially at Bishop Trail. Moreover, exploring the trails is a great way to experience the wonders of nature that Fraser’s Hill has to offer. If you feel up for it, don’t miss out on exploring these locations!

Do you have any questions or inquiries about this article or birdwatching at Fraser’s Hill? Feel free to comment below or contact us directly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You cannot copy content of this page