Global Big Day 2019 in Malaysia takes place on the 4th of May and surprising that there has not been any hype about this.

This worldwide birding event was conceived in 2015 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and has been an important birding activity that is recognized worldwide.

In 2018, a total of 30,000 people took pain for Global Big Day, with a record set for the number of species seen in one day at 7,025 birds.

Global Big Day Malaysia 2019

This worldwide event usually starts early on a Saturday morning, and birders or nature lovers will start counting the number of species at various locations convenient to them.

The bird count numbers from each individual are then submitted to the eBird website, and people from all over the country will do so to create the Malaysia Global Big Day total for the year.

What Happened To Global Big Day Malaysia 2019?

For some reason, this event was not publicized openly, and checking some of the regular clubs; it seemed like no one was participating.

Last year, the Wild Bird Club of Malaysia was seen promoting the even, and even giving out a pair of Minox binoculars and some other prizes for submitting their checklist.

On writing this article for Global Big Day 2019 Malaysia, there was nothing on the Wild Bird Club Malaysia website, but I saw some postings on their Facebook Page.

In the last couple of years, the birders in Sabah were extremely active about this, but there has been no information in Sabah about the 2019 Global Big Day in Malaysia.

What Was The Previous Global Big Day Count For Malaysia? 

In recent years, Global Big Day Malaysia has been getting a good response from the public sector, namely the bird watchers, bird photographers and nature lovers all over the country.

• Global Big Day Malaysia 2018 – 460 species
• Global Big Day Malaysia 2017 – 378 species
• Global Big Day Malaysia 2016 – 319 species
• Global Big Day Malaysia 2015 – 353 species

How To Participate In Global Big Day Malaysia?

Those interested in participating can follow the instructions below, provided by eBird;

1. Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. Sign up for eBird. It’s 100% free.

2. Watch birds on 4 May: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert, or go out all day long. Even 10 minutes in your backyard will help. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report birds from anywhere in the world.

3. Enter what you see and hear on eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or—even easier—download the free eBird Mobile app. You can enter and submit lists while you’re still out birding, and the app will even keep track of how far you’ve walked, so you can focus on watching birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app for help with identification. Please enter sightings before 8 May to be included in our initial results announcement.

4. Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, keep an eye on how the lists are growing in different parts of the world. Follow along with sightings from more than 150 countries, including the Cornell Lab’s Team Sapsucker in Florida, Alabama, and Texas. Stats will be updated in real-time on our Global Big Day page.

Best Places To Spot Birds in Malaysia for Global Big Day

The best places depending on where you are located. Each state in Malaysia has its own popular birding locations, and if you are a birder, you would know where they are.

If you are a beginner, the best places would be large parks or forest reserves. For example, if you live in and around Kuala Lumpur, the Lake Gardens, Templer Park, FRIM or Kiara Park would be great places to count them.

If you are in Kota Kinabalu, Likas, Tanjung Rhu, Crocker Range, or Kinabalu Park would be ideal for this. Other states, same principle applies.

ConclusiThis is not a competition at

At the end of the ion, but a fun event, where you can introduce birds to your kids, loved ones or even friends. The simple objective of counting the species of birds is not that hard.

I hope that this year, Malaysia makes it into the top 20 on the world list, as the highest-ranking we achieved is number 17. For Global Big Day 2018, we came in at number 18 globally, and third place in Asia after India and China.

The Top eBirder for Malaysia in 2018 was no other than Mr. Andrew Saini from Sabah, who managed to spot 151 species, followed by Mr Neoh Hor Kee from Penang, who spotted 143 species one day.

Till the results come out, I wish everyone a Happy Global Big Day Malaysia 2019, and may you spot many birds this Saturday.