Located just by the Johor-Melaka border, you can do birdwatching at Sungai Rambai paddy fields as the area is massive and an unknown location for birding.
Judging from Google Maps, the paddy fields span around eight kilometres across, which is just an estimate of how big this place is.
Birdwatching at Sungai Rambai Paddy Fields
Sungai Rambai is a local Malay village that shares the state border with Johor and is not on the main highways. To access this place, you need to use Jalan Melaka or Highway 19 (Lebuh AMJ) to get here.
Once you get here, there are several smaller Kampung roads that you can explore, but keep in mind that you are entering a local village, and driving caution must be observed.
If you take the Alor Gajah-Melaka-Jasin or AMJ Highway, look for the exit to the Sungai Rambai Airstrip or Jalan Tambak Merah (M112) and then look on the left and turn into Jalan Parit Penghulu (M121) or you can go further and turn into other roads leading into the paddy fields.
From Melaka city, it can take around 40 minutes to drive to Sungai Rambai, and this is by using the main Highway 19. Using the coastal road through Merlimau will take you about 50 minutes to get here.
Once you are here, you can explore the many villages found around Sungai Rambai, namely Batu Gajah, Sebatau, Parit Putat, Parit Perawas, Parir Sialang, Parit Sidang Seman, Parit Gantong, Jalan Tambak Merah, Jalan Gafar and Parit Penghulu.
And when you are here, you can also explore the Sungai Rambai Recreational Park situated next to the Johor-Melaka border. You can find several food stalls, a lotus pond and rest stops around this park.
As for birdwatching at the Sungai Rambai Recreational Park, I am yet to visit this place, and when I do, I will surely put in a review here.
And the best time to visit the paddy fields is towards the end of the year when the paddy is green. However, anytime is also a great time to visit Sungai Rambai as there are also plantations, ponds and parks found around here.
Birds at Sungai Rambai Paddy Fields
The list here is taken from several birding blogs from Malaysian bird watchers and photographers that have been to this location;
- Ashy Tailorbird
- Barn Swallow
- Baya Weaver
- Black-backed Swamphen
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater
- Black-naped Oriole
- Black-winged Kite
- Brahminy Kite
- Brown Shrike
- Cattle Egret
- Common Greenshank
- Common Myna
- Common Redshank
- Common Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Eastern Marsh-Harrier
- Eastern Yellow Wagtail
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
- Greater Painted-Snipe
- Grey-headed Swamphen
- Golden-bellied Gerygone
- House Crow
- Intermediate Egret
- Javan Myna
- Large-billed Crow
- Lesser Adjutant
- Lesser Coucal
- Lesser Whistling-Ducks
- Lesser Sand-Plover
- Little Egret
- Little Ringed Plover
- Long-toed Stint
- Olive-backed Sunbird
- Oriental Pratincole
- Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Wood Sandpiper
- Pacific Golden Plovers
- Paddyfield Pipit
- Painted Stork
- Pied Harrier
- Purple Heron
- Rock Pigeon
- Savanna Nightjar
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Slaty-breasted Rail.
- Spotted Dove
- Striated Heron
- White-breasted Waterhen
- White-browed Crake
- White-headed Munia
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Yellow-bellied Prinia
- Zebra Dove
- Zitting Cisticola
Conclusion
Lately, I have been doing some birdwatching in Melaka and visited several locations like the Batang Tiga Paddy Fields and several coastal locations. But time does not permit me to be here every week; therefore, I will update as I can.
Melaka is relatively unexplored in birdwatching, and there are several locations where this can be done. However, most visitors come here due to the historical popularity of the food and culture.
Things are changing, and hopefully, with this article on birdwatching at Sungai Rambai Paddy Fields, there will be more interest in this hobby, with more birders headed here.
