Tourism Malaysia Sabah has collaborated with The Sandakan Borneo Bird Club to introduce the latest Sabah birdwatching guide and map in conjunction with the upcoming Borneo Bird Festival 2022, which will take place at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan, this October.
This fun birdwatching guide highlights all the popular birding locations around Sabah, including the world heritage site of Kinabalu Park, the amazing Kinabatangan Floodplains, Danum Valley, Tabin, and Sepilok forests. It also provides information about each site, the birds that can be seen there, trails, accommodations, and how to get there.
Sabah Birdwatching Map Guide
Sabah is undoubtedly one of the top birding destinations in Malaysia. Over the years, the tourism board and local community have developed an excellent infrastructure that caters to nature lovers, birders and bird photographers.
The highlight for many birdwatching enthusiasts is none other than the 66 endemic species found only on the Borneo island, such as Bornean Bristlehead, Blue-Headed Pitta, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, and Crimson-Headed Wood-Partridge.
Over the years, Sabah has become the top birdwatching destination in Malaysia due to the efforts of the community, tourism board, and tourism players. This bird guide and map launch will add more positive outcomes for birding here.
Tourism Malaysia Sabah Director, Ms Ednie Rahma Ab Rahim, said,
“The development of this Sabah Birdwatching Map Guide is timely as this will be useful for bird enthusiasts taking part in the festival to refer to. The birding segment is very niche but it yields high tourism revenues which will further boost the economy of Sabah.”
With this new, vibrant birdwatching guide and map, birders and nature lovers can easily plan the areas they want to visit. This initiative was made possible by the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club (SBBC) and Tourism Malaysia Sabah members.
Where can you download the PDF copy of the Sabah Birdwatching Map?
You can use your phone to scan the QR Code below, which will open the two-sided birding map and guide for Sabah.
Update April 2025: The QR Code below may not work for some reason, but I am trying to get it to work or find a new alternative.
Conclusion
The Sabah Birdwatching Map Guide was written by Alexander John, illustrated by Amberlyn Louisa, and issued by Tourism Malaysia Sabah and the Borneo Bird Club. It is also created for birders, birdwatchers and photographers planning to visit Sabah.
The Borneo Bird Festival 2022 will take place at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sandakan from 22 to 23 October. The Sabah Birdwatching Map Guide will also be available there for anyone attending.
I look forward to visiting sabah for bird watching and photography. The last time I visited sabah was to scuba dive in Sipadan many years ago.
Hope to visit your bird sanctuary soon.
Hi Carole, looking forward to having you in Sabah for birdwatching! 🙂
Hi, I will be going to RDC in Sandakan for a few days bird watching and photography. Is it easy to spot birds there or should I employ a local bird guide?
Hello Juliana, usually, if you are those types with a specific list, then I recommend getting a guide, if you want to spot/photograph specific endemics there. Otherwise, solo-birding is perfectly awesome there. I recommend going as early as possible. They open at 8.00 AM, but it is recommended to start birding along the road at the RDC car park from 6.00 AM as there’s a good chance to spot at least 10 species there. Inside, the canopy walks and the towers are ok if you’re looking for raptors, hornbills or the occasional Bristlehead. The recommended routes are the RDC Trails, like the Pitta Trails, Kingfisher Trail and so on. All the best and happy birding!
We would like a copy of the Sabah Bird Watching Guide PDF please. Is it possible to get one?
thanks,
Margaret Mackenzie
Hello Margaret, thanks for the comment and I just tested the QR code link and it does not seem to work. I apologise as I am unable to find an alternate to this and I will start asking around, so I can fix the QR code link. Meanwhile, if you visit Sabah or Kota Kinabalu, you can try visiting the Sabah Tourism Office along Gaya Street as they may have a physical copy available. All the best in your birding.