Birds of the Rainforest Discovery Centre

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Sepilok Birds

During the Borneo Bird Festival, I always try to explore the area and do some casual birding, as I do not participate in bird races or contests. Here are my birds of the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sandakan, Sabah, seen during the last weekend of October 2024.

Birds of the Rainforest Discovery Centre

The RDC, as it is commonly called, is home to well over 300 species of birds, including endemics and general tropical birds. At any time, birders can easily walk away with a half-day count of at least 20-30 bird species at minimum and well over 40 species if the timing is right.

Usually, most visiting birders or photographers come here for just one day, but that is a small gamble, as luck does not always shine brightly. Therefore, I recommend at least two days at the RDC to enjoy birding or photography fully. This can be done by yourself, or if you need to, you can request a guide from the RDC ticket counter.

I’ve been visiting the RDC for over 15 years now, and to be honest, this is still one of the best places for simple casual birding on the east coast of Sabah. Of course, if you are an international visitor, you will most likely take a birding package that covers both the RDC and Kinabatangan River to maximise your birding adventure.

One of the best places to see birds is at the Rainforest Skywalk at the RDC, a massive steel canopy walk stretching one kilometre above the canopy. There are also several towers where you can sit and wait for the birds.  I usually love to visit this place when I come here.

Now, for those visiting here, I am just sharing my birds of the RDC list for October 2024, where I spent around three days here for the Borneo Bird Festival 2024, which takes place in the main vicinity of the centre. Below is the list of birds I saw, followed by some photographs.

Birds of the RDC

  1. Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle
  2. Crested Goshawk
  3. Rhinoceros Hornbill
  4. Black Hornbill
  5. Oriental Pied-Hornbill
  6. Dollarbird
  7. Crimson-winged Woodpecker
  8. Banded Woodpecker
  9. Black-and-yellow Broadbill
  10. Black-crowned Pitta
  11. Common Iora
  12. Green Iora
  13. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
  14. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
  15. Pacific Swallow
  16. Cream-vented Bulbul
  17. Red-eyed Bulbul
  18. Yellow-vented Bulbul
  19. Bornean Black-capped Babbler
  20. White-crowned Shama
  21. Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker
  22. Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
  23. Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker
  24. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker
  25. Brown-throated Sunbird
  26. Van Hasselt’s Sunbird
  27. Copper-throated Sunbird
  28. Ornate Sunbird
  29. Purple-naped Spiderhunter
  30. Little Spiderhunter
  31. Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
  32. Asian Fairy-bluebird
  33. Lesser Green Leafbird
  34. Spotted Dove
  35. Oriental Darter
  36. Scarlet-rumped Trogon
  37. Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
  38. Black-eared Barbet
  39. Gray-and-buff Woodpecker
  40. Crimson-winged Woodpecker
  41. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
  42. Bornean Black Magpie
  43. Ashy Tailorbird
  44. Pacific Swallow
  45. Bornean Black-capped Babbler
  46. Asian Glossy Starling

Now, in just two days, I managed to rack up 46 bird species at the RDC, which is very decent. And some got away without me having the chance to identify them, but overall, it’s all part of the birding journey.

Photos of the Birds of RDC

Below are some random photos of the birds I saw in October 2024. Please excuse the quality as I am not a bird photographer who focuses on the best quality of pictures. To me, an ID shot of the bird is good enough, and if I get some nice photos, it’s a bonus.

Sabah Black-crowned Pitta
The beautiful Black-crowned Pitta.
Sabah Banded Woodpecker
A Banded Woodpecker.
Sabah Brown-throated Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird.
Sabah Green Iora
Green Iora stopping for a few seconds to get a nice decent shot.
Sabah Black Hornbill
A solo Black Hornbill.
Bornean Black-capped Babbler
A Bornean Black-capped Babbler is seen in low lighting conditions.
Sabah Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha.
Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
A Yellow-eared Spiderhunter is seen high on top of a tree.
Rhinoceros Hornbill
The Rhinoceros Hornbill is commonly sighted around the RDC.
Partridge Sabah
The endemic Sabah Partridge.
Sabah Wallace's Hawk Eagle
Wallace’s Hawk Eagle, camouflaged against a tree.
Sabah White-crowned Shama
The White-crowned Shama is one of the sensitive birds here.

Do note that you can visit the RDC earlier, around 6.00 AM, but when you exit, please pay for the entrance fees at the counter. The counter only opens at 8.00 AM for visitors, so if you come early, no one will be there. And if you come with a bird guide, they usually know what to do.

Rainforest Discovery Centre
Address: Jalan Fabia, Sepilok, 90715 Sandakan, Sabah
Hours: Daily 8.00 AM to 5.00 PM
Tel: 089-533 780
Website: Rainforest Discovery Centre

Conclusion

If you are planning to do birdwatching at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, please make arrangements early, including the accommodations and transportation. If you book a bird guide for Sabah, they usually make the arrangements for you.

Finally, thank you for reading my article. If you have further questions about Sabah, I recommend you check out the Sabah Tourism website, which contains valuable information about birding and other general tourist stuff.

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