Anyone who plans to go bird-watching at Gunung Raya in Langkawi Island should know that you can do this by engaging a local bird guide or even by yourself if you rent a car or bike.

In this review, I enjoyed visiting one of Langkawi’s popular birding sites, where the local guide, Fendi, took me up the mountain to do my inaugural birdwatching in Langkawi.

Bird Watching at Gunung Raya in Langkawi

Gunung Raya is the highest mountain on Langkawi Island, 872 meters (2,860 feet). It is also near the centre of the island. While you may think there is some climbing or hiking to do, fear not, as there is a road that leads up to the peak of Gunung Raya.

This way, you need to rent a car or go with your bird guide, who will have a car, making birding relatively easy here. I was doing some nature photography work for this trip and stayed at the Tanjung Rhu Resort for a few days.

I had booked a birdwatching tour from the resort, and they contacted Fendi, one of the three top bird guides on Langkawi Island. On my birding morning, Fendi came in his car to pick me up from the resort at 7:00 AM. He took a nice and casual drive towards Gunung Raya.

When we arrived at the entrance, we were greeted by a beautiful White-throated Kingfisher on the power lines. Slowly making our way up, we stopped where the Mountain-hawk Eagle is usually spotted.

Unfortunately, the eagle was not present on that particular day, so we moved on towards the peak. Along the way, we made multiple stops, spotting dollar birds, a brown shrike, a red-eyed bulbul, and some Dusky Langurs.

The journey from the foot to the peak takes about 20 minutes to drive up the 12-kilometre road. The peak’s elevation is around 881 meters. Arriving at the peak, I noticed an abandoned resort that once catered to holiday-seekers on the island. It seems that the resort closed sometime in the last couple of years, too.

There is a fantastic viewing tower about six storeys high, and it was closed, too. I believe the views from the top of the tower would be pretty impressive. The resort operator used to charge RM10.00 to go up the tower when it was once in operation. However, it is such a shame to see this place run down.

Anyway, I managed to spot a beautiful Crimson Sun Bird and a Crested Goshawk together in one spot while up here. The usual swallows and swifts are also commonly spotted around.

What Birds to See at Gunung Raya?

From the base to Gunung Raya’s peak, quite a few bird species can be spotted, and I usually recommend spending at least a few hours to see as much as possible.

A notable star bird to spot here is the Mountain-Hawk Eagle, endemic to Langkawi and often sighted by many people halfway up the mountain. But you need someone who knows where to spot it.

On average, you can spot anywhere from 15 to 20 birds in one visit. However, I have heard that some managed to spot up to 30 species in one morning. It is all luck from my experience, and I have heard that some birders have even spotted up to 30 species of birds at Gunung Raya.

During my birdwatching trip to Gunung Raya, I spotted the following birds;

1. White-throated Kingfisher
2. Red-eyed Bulbul
3. Black-naped Monarch
4. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
5. Crimson Sunbird
6. Dollarbird
7. Brown Shrike
8. Pied Hornbill
9. Emerald Dove
10. Thick-billed Green Pigeon
11. Grey Wagtail
12. Asian Fairy Bluebird
13. Asian Palm Swift
14. Pacific Swallow
15. Crested Serpent Eagle
16. Bhramini Kite
17. White Bellied Sea Eagle
18. Thick-billed Crow
19. Common Myna

What are the Best Options for Bird Watching at Gunung Raya?

I strongly recommend that you engage one of the expert bird-watching guides in Langkawi for this. They know exactly where some of the endemic birds can be spotted.

Unless you have been in and out of the island before, you can do it on your own, but if you are a first-timer like me, I suggest contacting Wendy or Fendi, some of the top bird guides in Langkawi.

How to go to Gunung Raya?

You can self-drive from Kuah or Pantai Cenang by renting a car that costs around RM120 and above per day. The map system is straightforward; most local printed maps list Gunung Raya.

Gunung Raya’s entrance is also by the Ulu Melaka Road or Highway 112; signboards indicate the entrance area. When you are near, keep a sharp eye out for the signboards.

What to Expect at Gunung Raya?

Overall, this location is considered an easy bird-watching area. Roads are tarred all the way to the top, making travel via motorbike or car very easy. The only setback here is that there are no shops that sell food and drinks, only an abandoned resort closed off to the public. There is a resort keeper in the vicinity who looks after the place.

It can get a little chilly during the rainy season, from June to July; hence, it is best to prepare yourself before coming up. Your guide should inform you about all of this. If you need the bathroom, you can find one when you exit Gunung Raya, as there are numerous shops and restaurants available along the main Ulu Melaka Road.

Conclusion

Overall, Gunung Raya is one of the recommended places to do some casual bird watching. It is very easy and suitable for all kinds of birders, which also means you can bring your kids and introduce them to birding.

You can be a beginner or an expert birder, and the entire mountain provides some spectacular birds to check off your list. This would be easily manageable here even if you are travelling with your family.

While there, I also managed to explore some other birdwatching locations. At one of them, Darulaman Sanctuary, I spotted my first lifer of the Striated Heron in Langkawi. Again, for anyone planning to do bird watching at Gunung Raya in Langkawi, I strongly recommend getting a local bird guide, and half a day is more than enough.

The post Bird Watching at Gunung Raya in Langkawi first appeared on Bird Watching Asia.

In July 2019, I was fortunate enough to do some bird watching at Kuala Baram Wetlands in Miri, Sarawak. This is one of the few birding locations in Miri where many locals and visiting birders head to.

The Kuala Baram Wetlands is located about 40 minutes from Miri and requires a vehicle to get here. There is no public transportation, and usually, birders will engage a local guide for this.

Bird Watching at Kuala Baram Wetlands

The biggest question on your mind is what kind of birds are found at Kuala Baram Wetlands, and, so you know, the water birds and migratory birds attract the birders.

Kuala Baram Wetlands’ total size is also a whopping 600 hectares of marshland, making this place quite large, and you can easily spend half a day bird watching here. As the marshlands are located just by the main road, birders can easily park their cars and do bird watching or bird photography.

The area consists of sandy beaches, brackish marshes and coastal scrub, an area of prawn ponds, oil palm and fruit tree plantations, while further inland, you will find freshwater lakes and open scrub as a result of extensive forest clearance. eBird includes a list of 173 bird species at Kuala Baram as of August 2023. (Updated)

Conservation Efforts at Kuala Baram Wetlands

Over the years, there has been a lot of talk about protecting the wetlands here, and this matter has been brought to the Miri council and even the forestry department.

However, there have been many complications leading to no action taken. The Kuala Baram Wetlands belongs to a private owner, and nothing can be done unless the owner takes action.

Because of this, local poachers come in the day to illegally trap fish, ducks and birds as and when they like. The Miri MNS has been very upset about the lack of enforcement on this matter.

Even though I was there in July 2019, I saw two groups of poachers setting up nets and harvesting their catch in the late morning. Hopefully, the Miri City Council or someone in Sarawak Forestry will take some action to harm the birds and other wildlife there.

Best Time to Visit Kuala Baram Wetlands

The year-end is the best time due to the rising water levels at the wetlands, attracting many migratory birds from November to January.

However, it is also noted that the months from August to April are also an excellent time to do bird watching at the Kuala Baram Wetlands.

Kuala Baram Wetlands Bird Photos

Below are some of the birds spotted at Kuala Baram Wetlands during my bird watching trip here, and I only had about two hours of birding.

Kuala Baram Wetlands Bird List Report

Below is a bird list from me during my birdwatching at Kuala Baram Wetlands in July 2019. Hopefully, this list will come in handy for anyone planning to visit this place.

1. Asian Brown Flycatcher
2. Asian Glossy Starling
3. Barn Swallow
4. Black-Winged Stilt
5. Blue-throated Bee-eater
6. Chinese Egret
7. Collared Kingfisher (many of them)
8. Common Sandpiper
9. Cattle Egret
10. Greater Sand-Plover
11. Little Green Pigeon
12. Grey Heron
13. Hill Myna
14. Intermediate Egret
15. Lesser Coucal (roadkill)
16. Little Egret
17. Marsh Sandpiper
18. Moorhen (sp)
19. Oriental Darter
20. Paddyfield Pipit
21. Spotted Dove
22. Swiftlet (sp)
23. Scaly-breasted Munia
24. Yellow Bittern
25. Yellow-Vented Bulbul
26. Wandering Whistling-Duck (*Star Bird)
27. White-bellied Sea-Eagle
28. White-breasted Woodswallow
29. Wood sandpiper
30. Whiskered Tern
31. Zebra Dove

The list above was made in just two hours of bird watching at Kuala Baram Wetlands, and I am sure it could reach around 40 or 50 birds if I had spent more time here.

Anyway, to share that this place is a great place to do birding if you are in the Miri area and have at least four to five hours of free time.

Where are the Kuala Baram Wetlands?

Kuala Baram Wetlands is located just 40 minutes from Miri City in Sarawak. It is also very close to the Brunei checkpoint and border.

The location is quite convenient as there are no attractions or anything important found in the area; hence it is peaceful and quiet.

How to go to Kuala Baram Wetlands?

The best way to get here is via a vehicle from Miri City. Only one tour operator offers a unique Miri Birding Tour to several places.

If you want to self-drive, rent a car in Miri and take a nice slow drive in the morning to the wetlands. There is no public transport available to this location.

Conclusion

For anyone interested in bird watching at Kuala Baram Wetlands, contact Wilson Chiam of Brighton Tours. He is probably the only tour company to arrange this trip for you. Wilson also does other bird watching locations around Miri; hence he is your best option in Miri, Sarawak.

And you can also check out my other bird watching places in Sarawak, which I have been writing about over the years.

Visiting the Kuala Baram Wetlands was exciting, considering Miri is not very well known as a bird watching destination. Hopefully, this article can increase the number of bird watchers coming to Miri, Sarawak.

The post Bird Watching at Kuala Baram Wetlands first appeared on Bird Watching Asia.