The Malaysian state of Sabah is well-regarded as an excellent birding destination. Located on the northeast part of Borneo, Sabah is often considered the ‘gateway’ to the island thanks to good infrastructure and a well-established eco-tourism industry. For birdwatchers, Sabah provides visitors an opportunity to see hundreds of bird species, including the vast majority of the Bornean endemic birds. And one of the best ways to do this is to go birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.

Birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Birdwatching Asia had the pleasure of going birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve for 4 days and 3 nights in October 2024. The visit was part of our project to cover the bird photography locations around Sabah.

Intro to Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Tabin Wildlife Reserve is an expansive protected area located on the eastern part of Sabah. With a total area of more than 122,000 ha (larger than Singapore), Tabin is considered the largest wildlife reserve in Malaysia. This reserve was created in 1984 to protect Sabah’s wildlife, and was the last known stronghold of the critically endangered Sumatran Rhino in Malaysia.

Among birders, Tabin isn’t as well-known a birding destination in Sabah as compared to Danum, Kinabalu or Kinabatangan. This is a shame, as Tabin boasts more than 300 species of birds, including many of Borneo’s highly sought-after endemic species.

Birds that can be seen here:

Hornbills

Birding at Tabin Wildlife Reserve is a great way to see hornbills. As the safari vehicles drive along the wide dirt roads, the hornbills may be seen flying across or perched by the roadside. In a way, the experience is rather similar to hornbill spotting at the Kinabatangan. 

All of Borneo’s hornbills may be seen at Tabin. During our visit, we saw 7 species, only missing out on the Wrinkled Hornbill:

1. White-crowned Hornbill (Berenicornis comatus). One of Borneo’s rarer hornbills. We saw several of them foraging along the oil palm plantation during the afternoon safaris.

   

2. Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). This critically endangered hornbill is a magnificent species that is a must-see for anyone visiting Malaysia. The call of this bird is something special, and gives it its quirky Malay name: Enggang Tebang Mertua (literally – hornbill chopping down in-laws house). We were flabbergasted to see one flying almost right over our heads!

   

3. Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros). The only ‘rhinoceros’ left in Tabin. This iconic bird is the most common large hornbill at the Reserve.
4. Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus). Quite easy to see during the afternoon safaris along the main entrance road.
5. Oriental Pied-Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris). A common species, but nice to see regardless. Some of them were quite tame, and easy to photograph.

   

6. Bushy-crested Hornbill (Anorrhinus galeritus). A gregarious and noisy species. Indeed, at Tabin we sometimes saw them perched in rows of about 5-8 birds, calling loudly all the time.
7. Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus). Usually seen flying across the roads during the safaris. Their wings often create a ‘whooshing’ sound that can be heard from some distance away.

Pittas

Tabin is excellent for pittas, as the mix of primary and mature secondary forest provides plenty of suitable habitats for these ground-dwelling forest gems. All of Sabah’s resident pittas may be seen at Tabin, although some are easier to see than others. 

1. Giant Pitta (Hydrornis caeruleus). The ‘holy grail’ of pittas. Very difficult to see, due to its scarcity, shy nature and large territory size. Thanks to our expert bird guide, we were fortunate enough to see a male bird during our visit to Tabin.
2. Blue-headed Pitta (Hydrornis baudii). This gorgeous Bornean endemic is rather easy to see at Tabin. A few individuals were rather tame, allowing good views and photos.

   

3. Bornean Banded-Pitta (Hydrornis schwaneri). Relatively common around Tabin, but more difficult to see due to its shy disposition. Well-worth the effort, though, as this Bornean endemic pitta is absolutely stunning!
4. Black-crowned Pitta (Erythropitta ussheri). Sabah’s very own endemic pitta. Beautiful but loves to skulk in the undergrowth, requiring a bit of patience to see.
5. Blue-banded Pitta (Erythropitta arquata). A generally rare Bornean endemic that’s typically found in hilly or submontane areas. At Tabin, this pitta is possibly even more difficult to see than the Giant. During our visit, we only heard their calls, from some distance away.
6. Western Hooded Pitta (Pitta sordida). A common species around Tabin.

Wren-Babblers

Both of these wren-babblers are rare Bornean endemics, and thus highly sought-after by birderwatchers. 

1. Black-throated Wren-Babbler (Turdinus atrigularis). Close relative of the Large and Marbled Wren-Babblers from Peninsular Malaysia. They like to travel in flocks in the understory, calling and singing loudly. We encountered them a couple of times during our trip.

   

2. Bornean Wren-Babbler (Ptilocichla leucogrammica). This ground-dwelling bird is very elusive, thus is rarely seen. According to our guide, Tabin is one of the best places in Sabah to see it. Unfortunately, we didn’t encounter it during our visit.

Miscellaneous Bornean endemics

1. Sabah Partridge (Tropicoperdix graydoni). Sabah’s own endemic gamebird. Small and skulking, this bird is more likely to be heard than seen.
2. Bornean Crested Fireback (Lophura ignita). Beautiful pheasant that may be seen as they forage along the dirt road.
3. Bornean Ground-Cuckoo (Carpococcyx radiceus). Yet another highly desired species. Loud but exceedingly elusive and difficult to see. During our visit, we clearly heard a pair of birds calling, but they were too deep inside the forest to track.
4. White-fronted Falconet (Microhierax latifrons). One of the world’s smallest bird-of-prey. Generally uncommon and sparsely distributed.
5. Bornean Bristlehead (Pityriasis gymnocephala). Probably the number one species on the wishlist of every birder visiting Borneo. And the one that most will miss. Nope, we didn’t see it either!

Photos of other birds we saw at Tabin

How is the experience birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve?

Birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve is mainly done via three ways:

1) Vehicle safaris

These are done on trucks or 4×4 pickups, depending on your tour package. The usual schedule is one safari in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at dusk/night. The safaris travel along two main routes:

• Main access road. This route takes visitors on a wide dirt road bordering the Reserve and an adjacent oil palm plantation. This route is best for viewing hornbills, raptors, canopy-dwelling birds, mammals and nocturnal wildlife.
• Core area road. This route goes east a few kilometres into Tabin’s pristine interior. Here, the forest cover is more dense and visitors are more likely to see the middle- and understory birds.

2) Walking along the core area road

As the safari vehicle traverses this road, your guide may lead you to explore some of the forest area on foot. This is the best way to see the multitude of forest species, especially the pittas and wren-babblers.

3) Walking around the resort area

The resort itself is located within a lush forest area next to a river. A variety of birds and wildlife may be seen by simply walking around this area, during the daytime or at night. For safety reasons, walking outside the resort area without a guide is not allowed.

Be sure to book the specific birdwatching package, as then you will be assigned a specialist bird guide who will bring you to places the general visitors typically won’t visit.

Anything else other than birds?

Of course! Tabin Wildlife Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot, and holds a rich assemblage of wildlife within its borders.

1. Carnivorans, such as civets, Binturong, Leopard Cat and if you’re extremely lucky, the elusive Sunda Clouded Leopard.
2. Bornean Elephants
3. Primates such as the Horsfield’s Tarsier, Bornean Orangutan, Northern Grey Gibbon and the rare Sabah Langur.
4. Various reptiles and amphibians to excite even the most ardent of herpetologists and herping enthusiasts.
5. Unfortunately, the Sumatran Rhino is no longer found here, and is considered to be functionally extinct in Malaysia.

Accommodations & Packages

There’s only one place to stay within the Reserve: Tabin Wildlife Resort. This exclusive resort offers well-appointed accommodations set within the lush rainforest of Tabin. 

Resort facilities:

• 10 rooms/lodges next to the river, for up to 3 adults.
• 10 lodges built into the surrounding hill, and can fit up to 3 adults. Accessing these rooms requires climbing up many flights of stairs, so may not be suitable for everyone.
• The reception and restaurant area (Sunbird Cafe) is built next to the river and provides nice views while you’re having meals.

Other things to do besides birdwatching?

1. Lipad Mud Volcano is the nearest mud volcano to the resort, and a popular attraction. Here, visitors can view a variety of animal tracks as well as apply the mud to the face.
2. Hike through the jungle to the beautiful Lipad Waterfall.
3. Guided night walks around the resort to spot a variety of nocturnal animals such as amphibians, snakes and insects.

Tour Packages

Tabin Wildlife Resort offers a variety of packages to suit all nature lovers. Nevertheless, for those intending to go birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve we recommend taking a specific birdwatching tour. The 4D3N birdwatching tour seems to be the best, allowing visitors enough time to search for Tabin’s avian jewels as well as to soak in the jungle’s beauty.  Additionally, they also offer 3D2N tours, and a longer 8D7N tour that includes visiting Sepilok, Kinabatangan and Tabin.

For bookings and enquiries, contact them directly at their official website.

Getting here

The nearest town is Lahad Datu, which is 45 km away. Lahad Datu is 170 km by road from Sandakan, and 150 km from Tawau.

Most visitors will arrive via Lahad Datu Airport, where there are regular turboprop flights from Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. From there, visitors will be picked up by the resort. 

Driving yourself all the way to the resort is also possible, although only by using 4×4 vehicles as the dirt road can be muddy at times. Navigation is simple, as there’s only one road to the resort. The drive takes about 1.5 hours from Lahad Datu.

Best time to visit? 

Birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve can be done year-round. However, the period between November until February is the wet season in northeast Borneo, where rain will be more prevalent.

The majority of species, including the most highly-sought after ones at Tabin are residents; thus, they can be seen all year. Migratory species visit during the northern winter, September until April (mostly flycatchers, warblers).

Conclusion

Despite being not as well-known, Tabin Wildlife Reserve is an excellent eco-tourism destination, on-par with other, more famous parks in Malaysia like Taman Negara or Danum Valley. Indeed, Tabin boasts a bewildering array of flora and fauna that reside within its expansive borders.

For birders, birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve is a great way to see a variety of rainforest birds. More than 300 species have been recorded here, and Tabin is especially good for sighting hornbills, raptors and pittas. Visitors may also have a chance to see some rare Bornean endemics, such as the Bornean Ground-Cuckoo and Bornean Wren-Babbler.

In short, birdwatching at Tabin Wildlife Reserve is an easy recommendation for any birder visiting Sabah.