The first Sony Bird Race 2024 will take place at Fraser’s Hill in Pahang from 19 to 20 October. This is the first time that a major camera brand in Malaysia is organising an actual bird race to promote its products.

Technically, this should be called the Sony Bird Photo Race, as the rules indicate that participants must take photos of the birds as submission mechanics. Again, Sony Malaysia should have consulted some bird race experts or us at Birdwatching Asia for clarification. Anyhow, this is the first time; therefore, read on for more information.

Sony Bird Race 2024

The Sony Bird Race is open to everyone, and only Sony cameras and lenses can be used for this birding event in Pahang. The good news is that Sony Malaysia will be providing loan units for those who wish to join but do not have any Sony gear.

You should register early and apply for the Sony camera and lens loan for the race, which will be at the event area at 6.00 PM on 19 October. The loan for the Sony camera and lenses is limited and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Objective: Spot and take pictures of the birds in Fraser’s Hill.
• Judging: Photos judged on exposure accuracy, focus accuracy, color accuracy and creativity (composition and story).
• Rules and Guidelines: All participants must follow ethical birding practices. A complete list of rules will be provided upon registration.

Sony Bird Race Prizes

This event also offers some amazing prizes, including a stunning Sony FE200-600mm F5.6-6.3 OSS telephoto lens, perfect for bird photography. Other prices are equally interesting, and you can view them below.

1st Place

• SONY FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS (worth RM8,499)

2nd Place

• GPO 8×42 Passion ED Binoculars (worth RM2,499)
• Tenba Axis V2 Backpack (worth RM1,197)

3rd Place

• Ulanzi Zero F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod (worth RM1,580)
• Ulanzi BP10 Hardshell Camera Backpack 35L (worth RM699) and
• Ulanzi 17″ Protective Wrap (worth RM36.90)

4th Place

• Peak Design travel backpack (worth RM1,399)

5th Place

• Sunset SD Card V90 256GB (worth RM1,199)

Register for the Sony Bird Race 2024

Those interested can register for the Sony Bird Race 2024 from the official Sony Malaysia website.

Conclusion

As this is Sony Malaysia’s inaugural event hosting an actual bird race and workshop event, the news will undoubtedly travel around, and other brands may follow suit by organising their own bird races at Fraser’s Hill or other places.

This article was written by David Hogan from Birdwatching Asia, and I am not affiliated with Sony or was invited to write this article. It is done out of my love for promoting birdwatching to everyone. It is our duty to find information like this and promote it to other birders or anyone interested, hence why we get a lot of targeted visitors to our birding site.

However, the brands do not see our importance as a special birdwatching media in Malaysia to market and promote birding-related events and information. Hopefully, this will change in time. The marketing people’s closed mindset needs to change to keep up with international standards.