The Malaysian state of Sabah is renowned for its rich biodiversity, making it a paradise for birdwatchers. With over 600 recorded bird species, including more than 60 Bornean endemics, Sabah offers birders a desirable experience. Additionally, the region is home to six unique Sabah endemic birds, further enhancing its appeal to wildlife enthusiasts.

Why Sabah?

The island of Borneo, vast and shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, offers a wealth of birdwatching opportunities. However, Sabah is the premier destination for spotting Borneo’s endemic species, thanks to its high bird density and easily accessible birding sites.

While not downplaying the other birdwatching locations in Borneo, several factors make Sabah particularly appealing for birdwatchers.

Firstly, Sabah has a large enough location and many diverse habitats. The forest of Sabah consists of Montane Rainforests, Lowland Rainforests, Riverine Forests, Mangrove Forests, Beaches and Islands, etc.

Visits to these different habitats will allow a visiting birder to see different types of birds. As opposed to certain locations like Brunei, which have a limited range of habitats, chances of seeing many different species are low.

Second, the bird density in Sabah is remarkably high, allowing birders to observe numerous species across various locations relatively quickly. While larger regions like Kalimantan and Sarawak offer expansive areas, travellers must cover significant distances to see the endemic birds, making Sabah’s compact size an advantage.

Next, the ease of accessibility to birdwatching locations in Sabah and visits to Sabah are very fruitful. Most of the endemic birds on the island of Borneo inhabit montane rainforests. Due to the ease of accessibility to locations such as Kinabalu Park, Mount Trusmadi and Gunung Alab, visitors to these montane rainforests can see many of Borneo’s endemic species in just a single visit.

As for the lowland rainforest birds, a visit to Sandakan and Lahad Datu will also allow visitors to see many of the endemic birds. This is because the birding hotspots are easily accessible from these towns.

In summary, Sabah’s combination of diverse habitats, high bird density, and easy accessibility makes it an exceptional choice for birdwatching in Borneo.

Endemic Bird Locations in Sabah

As Malaysia’s second-largest state, it will take many days to cover the whole state of Sabah. Hence, a birding trip targeting certain locations would be needed for bird watchers hoping to see as many speciality birds as possible in Sabah. This article covers the different areas to visit in Sabah based on the habitat types for birders hunting endemic birds.

Locations for Montane Rainforest Endemic Birds:

• Kinabalu Park
• Mount Trusmadi
• Gunung Alab
• Poring Hot Springs Area
• Crocker Range National Park

Some endemic birds that you can see in the Montane Rainforests of Sabah include birds such as the Mountain Serpent Eagle, Whitehead’s Trio, Bornean Stubtail, Bornean Whistler, Crimson-headed Partridge, Red-breasted Partridge, Fruithunter and many others.

Locations for Lowland and Riverine Rainforest Endemic Birds:

• Tabin Wildlife Reserve
• Kinabatangan River
• Danum Valley
• Maliau Basin
• Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre
• Telupid Forest Area
• Tawau Hills Park
• Klias Wetland Area

Some endemic birds that you can see in the Lowland Rainforests of Sabah include birds such as the Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Bornean Bristlehead, Black-crowned Pitta, Blue-headed Pitta, Bornean Black Magpie and many others.

Most of the endemic birds in Sabah are found in Montane Rainforests. However, some species may move between Montane Rainforests and Lowland Rainforests areas. So, we may get an overlap of species in some of these locations.

Sabah features various habitats, including mangrove forests and wetland areas; however, these locations typically lack a significant presence of Bornean endemic birds. Instead, they are home to numerous resident and migratory water birds. If any endemic species are present, they are likely common ones, such as the Bold-striped Tit Babbler, which can also be found in lowland rainforests and riverine forests. Therefore, we will not cover these habitats in this article.

Some Endemic Birds to Look Out For

A birding trip to Sabah usually targets several endemic bird species. Below are lists of endemic birds typically targeted when visiting Sabah.

Very Rare Endemic:

• Bornean Peacock Pheasant – Telupid (the only known location to see this bird for now).

Sabah’s 6 Endemic Species:

• Black-crowned Pitta
• White-crowned Shama
• Bornean Black-capped Babbler
• Kinabalu Friendly Warbler
• Sabah Partridge
• White-fronted Falconet

Apart from the Kinabalu Friendly Warbler that inhabits montane rainforests of high altitudes, the other 5 Sabah Endemic Birds are found in Lowland Rainforests such as Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre, Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Danum Valley and Kinabatangan River. The Birdwatching Asia Team has encountered the 5 Lowland Rainforest endemic birds in the list above.

Endemic Pittas in Sabah:

• Black-crowned Pitta
• Blue-banded Pitta
• Bornean Banded Pitta
• Blue-headed Pitta

Endemic Pheasants and Partridges to see in Sabah:

• Bulwer’s Pheasant
• Bornean Crested Fireback
• Red-breasted Partridge
• Crimson-headed Partridge
• Sabah Partridge

The best way to see and photograph these birds is to visit some of the bird hides found in Sabah. This includes locations such as Mount Trusmadi, Gunung Alab and Telupid. Otherwise, it is also possible to encounter these birds in the wild.

Other Notable Bornean Endemic Birds in Sabah

Some Endemic Star Birds in Sabah:

• Bornean Bristlehead
• Fruithunter
• Bornean Ground Cuckoo
• Whitehead’s Trio (Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill & Whitehead’s Spiderhunter)
• Hose’s Broadbill
• Bornean Stubtail

Apart from birds that are Bornean Endemics, some birds in Sabah are Sunda Endemic. This means these birds can only be seen in the Sunda Region of Southeast Asia, including Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Some birders make it a point to add some Sunda Endemic exotic birds to their list during their visit to Sabah.

Some Rare Sunda Endemic Birds in Sabah:

• Giant Pitta
• Malaysian Rail Babbler
• Wrinkled Hornbill
• Helmeted Hornbill
• Great Argus
• Storm’s Stork
• Malaysian Honeyguide
• Large Frogmouth

Most of these birds can be seen in the Lowland Rainforests in Sabah, such as Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Danum Valley, Kinabatangan River, etc. The Birdwatching Asia Team finally saw the Giant Pitta at Tabin Wildlife Reserve after numerous unsuccessful attempts to look out for this bird in Peninsular Malaysia!

Conclusion

Sabah is a must-go destination for birdwatchers who wish to complete their list of unique birds to see! Especially with many endemics, these are the must-see birds in Sabah! Due to its isolation from Mainland Asia, the birdlife here has evolved into unique characteristics, and there is a chance that we may get further splits of Bornean subspecies, resulting in an even higher number of endemic bird species.

Please read our other articles regarding birdwatching in Sabah to get valuable tips and tricks on using your trip here fully! You can also check out the Sabah Tourism Board website for more information on visiting these birding locations. Subscribe and follow our website for more information on birdwatching locations, birdwatching events, and birdwatching in Asia.