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
- Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle
- Crested Goshawk
- Rhinoceros Hornbill
- Black Hornbill
- Oriental Pied-Hornbill
- Dollarbird
- Crimson-winged Woodpecker
- Banded Woodpecker
- Black-and-yellow Broadbill
- Black-crowned Pitta
- Common Iora
- Green Iora
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
- Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
- Pacific Swallow
- Cream-vented Bulbul
- Red-eyed Bulbul
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Bornean Black-capped Babbler
- White-crowned Shama
- Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker
- Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
- Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker
- Yellow-vented Flowerpecker
- Brown-throated Sunbird
- Van Hasselt’s Sunbird
- Copper-throated Sunbird
- Ornate Sunbird
- Purple-naped Spiderhunter
- Little Spiderhunter
- Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
- Asian Fairy-bluebird
- Lesser Green Leafbird
- Spotted Dove
- Oriental Darter
- Scarlet-rumped Trogon
- Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
- Black-eared Barbet
- Gray-and-buff Woodpecker
- Crimson-winged Woodpecker
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
- Bornean Black Magpie
- Ashy Tailorbird
- Pacific Swallow
- Bornean Black-capped Babbler
- 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.












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.