Raptor Watch 2023 takes place from 11-12 March at the usual location of the Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve, which is located at the border of Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, just south of Kuala Lumpur.

I highly recommend doing so this year if you have never participated in this unique event. Apart from watching the raptors, there will be several activities, and this event caters to all walks of life, young and old.

Raptor Watch 2023

While there has not been any official information or announcement made for the event this year, I am proceeding to share the news beforehand so that anyone interested can start to block off dates or make any necessary bookings for accommodations.

Usually, the event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, with several ongoing activities. The main raptor-watching will occur at the lighthouse area, while other activities will happen below and at the main entrance of the forest reserve.

Because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Raptor Watch 2021 was made as an exclusive virtual event streamed online for people in Malaysia and worldwide. This was not the same as being at the actual event, but somehow there was good participation through the online talks.

Raptor Watch 2022 came back as a physical event and saw a large turnout after two years of being locked down due to the pandemic. Many brought their families to experience seeing the raptors flying.

Raptor Watch Activities

Multiple activities will be available throughout the event, including bird-watching, raptor counting, nature walks, mangrove tree planting, beach clean-up, and the not-to-missed Amazing Raptor Hunt.

Some activities require signing up as limited spaces are available; interested participants should inquire about the specific booths or organisers. Please note some of the programs may take place earlier so do arrive early for them.

Program for Raptor Watch 2023

Raptor Watch 2023

• Date: 11 & 12 March (Sat & Sun)
• Time: 7.00 AM to 3.00 PM
• Location: Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve, Melaka

For more information, please visit the official website for Raptor Watch. Or you can also visit the Malaysian Nature Society website for updates on RW2023.

Volunteers can visit this Raptor Watch Volunteer Google Form and sign up.

Conclusion to Raptor Watch

One of the main objectives of Raptor Watch 2023 is to ensure the continued conservation of Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve by promoting this iconic celebration as a national eco-tourism event.

And if you did not know, BirdLife International, National Geographic Society and Hawkmountain have listed Tanjung Tuan as an important raptor site in this part of the world.

For anyone interested in the first birding event in Malaysia for 2022, please take note of the dates, make your accommodation booking early and see you there.

The post Raptor Watch 2023 first appeared on Bird Watching Asia.

One of the more low key birding events is the Taiping Raptor Watch or Festival Helang Taiping, which takes place at Scotts Hill in the historical city of Taiping in the state of Perak.

The Taiping Raptor Watch event’s objective is to do a raptor count as in Autumn, the migratory raptors from the north will head down south, passing the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Taiping Raptor Watch

If you are a raptor lover or want to know more about raptor migration, this event is perfect for you, as it revolves around these birds of prey, consisting of kites, hawks, eagles, bazas and buzzards.

There are a few places around Malaysia to visit to see the raptor migration during the seasons. Still, for a community event, there are specially curated counting events done.

The most famous counting event is no other than Raptor Watch at Tanjung Tuan in Negeri Sembilan, followed by the Taiping Raptor Watch and the not so popular Bedong Raptor Watch Kedah.

Why Do The Raptors Fly Pass Taiping?

This is due to the northern hemisphere autumn; this is one of the major routes taken by Far East Asian raptors migrating south and coastal China into mainland Southeast Asia.

They will pass through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and the south during this migration. The prominent location includes choking points for the raptors, which are in Thailand, Perak and Melaka.

Migratory raptors breed in eastern Russia, Nepal, China, Mongolia, and Japan. During winter, they fly south to countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Bali and the Indonesian islands.

Notable locations to spot these migratory raptors are at Chumphon in Thailand during the Chumphon Raptor Watch, Gunung Jerai, Sungai Petani, Jeniang, Sik and Bukit Selambau Hills, and also in the Bedong area in Kedah. However, Scott’s Hill is in Taiping is the main location for the event.

What Raptors Can Be Seen At Taiping  Raptor Watch?

The whole objective is to spot and count raptors that use the East Asian Fly Way, and there are many raptors to be spotted which include;

• Black baza
• Oriental honey-buzzard
• Grey-faced Buzzard
• Ospreys
• Chinese sparrowhawk
• Japanese sparrowhawk

How Many Raptors Can Be Seen At Raptor Watch?

While the numbers have significantly dropped over the years, on average, you can see around 7,000 to 10,000 raptors during the peak.

In 2012, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) managed to count a whopping total of 64,268 raptors from 13 migratory species. The following year, the number of raptors dropped to 55,915.

There has not been any official announcement on the numbers spotted in recent years, but you can contact MNS Ipoh or Perak for the information if you want to know.

When Does The Monitoring Of Raptors Start? 

Officially, the monitoring of raptor watch starts from the last week of September till the first week of November and makes it a total of six weeks of the northern hemisphere autumn.

Activities at Taiping Raptor Watch

Due to the small scale of the event, some activities occur during the main event, changing from year to year. But I will list down what you may expect at the next event, based on the previous year’s activities.

• Raptor Count
• Presentation by Malaysia Nature Society
• Mini-Exhibition
• Merchandise Stall
• Mangrove Tours
• FireFly Tours

Taiping Raptor Watch
Venue: Scott’s Hill, Taiping, Perak
Date: End October or early November
Organizer: Malaysian Nature Society (MNS Ipoh branch)
Website: –
Tel: –

Other Raptor Migration Sites in Malaysia

There are also a couple of other raptor migration sites located around Malaysia, and those interested can also read about them below;

1. Bedong Raptor Migration site in Kedah
2. Tanjung Tuan Raptor Watch site in Melaka

Conclusion

This is probably the only bird watching event in Taiping on a large scale level with involvement from MNS and the local council. However, since the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, the event was cancelled.

The Taiping Raptor Watch or Festival Helang Taiping has been around for almost 10 years now. For more accurate information, I recommend you contact MNS Ipoh to see if they are organizing the yearly event.

Bird Watching Asia is a birding platform in Malaysia that promotes events and other related information to create awareness for this hobby or sport.

The post Taiping Raptor Watch first appeared on Bird Watching Asia.