Sungai Congkak Birdwatching

One of the very popular places in the Klang Valley to do birding is Sungai Congkak, located in the state of Selangor and the district of Hulu Langat.

Since the Movement Control Order or MCO was imposed in 2020, many new birders or bird photographers began to visit Sungai Congkak to photograph certain popular species.

Sungai Congkak Birdwatching

In March of 2022, a nesting Silver-breasted Broadbill (Serilophus lunatus) was seen just at the Sungai Congkak Forest entrance, and this attracted the who and who in the Klang Valley birding circle.

Bird photographers from all over the Klang Valley showed up and camped outside to get that perfect shot of the nesting birds above a tree at the car park area here.

I was one of the earlier visitors with the MNS group, but it seemed like every other bird photographer had been there by the end of March, capturing the Silver-breasted broadbills in flight and nesting.

However, my mission was to explore the entire Sungai Congkak as a birding destination and not just to be like the other bird photographers. So, I continued to explore the area and visited Sky Trex, located on the other side of the park entrance.

What to Watch Out For?

This is important because lately, the locals have started collecting entrance fees for birders heading into SkyTrax. When I visited, a lady was charging RM1.00 per person for entry fees, and this was in March 2022. Let’s hope they do not become greedy.

SkyTrax is an adventure zip line company, and when I last visited, the lady collecting the entrance fee told us not to go until SkyTrax. But we somehow ended up around there to look for birds. So, I do not know if this will change over time.

Parking outside is also charged; therefore, expect to pay around RM5 to RM10 per car when you come here. I do not know if free parking is available, but do not simply park your car and block people’s homes or businesses.

The Orang Asli (native) at the corner of the road leading into SkyTrax are also tricky because if you stop near their place and photograph any birds on the trees (the woodpeckers), they will demand some money from you. I heard someone saying they asked for RM10 per person or they would cut the dead tree.

Update June 2024:

Entrance fees have increased (since mid-2023)

• RM 2 (Malaysian) or RM 8 (non-Malaysian) per person. Monday to Friday.
• RM 3 (Malaysian) or RM 10 (non-Malaysian) per person. Saturday & Sundays.
• RM 10 for cars; RM 2 for motorcycles.

What Birds Can Be Seen at Sungai Congkak?

This is probably any birder’s biggest question on what birds can be seen here in Sungai Congkak, and well, there are some exciting birds while the rest are just your common lowland rainforest birds.

For my Sungai Congkak bird list, I saw the following;

1. Silver-breasted Broadbill
2. Long-billed Spiderhunter
3. Raffles Malkoha
4. Gold-whickered Barbet
5. Black and Yellow Broadbill
6. Dark-throated Oriole
7. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
8. Crimson-winged Woodpecker
9. Scaly-breasted Bulbul
10. Red-eyed Bulbul
11. Grey-bellied Bulbul
12. Black Crested Bulbul

Other common birds that make up the bird list include Spotted Doves, Myna, Oriental Magpie Robin, and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. I will visit here again to see if any other species are to be included.

Best time to Visit Sungai Congkak for Birding?

This information must be shared because if you go at the wrong time, the activities and crowd here may make your birding experience a regret, which means that this place gets crowded on weekends and school holidays.

It was mid-week on a Wednesday when I went, and no one was there in the morning. But when my group was done by noon, several families were already at the river and around the homestays.

So, the best time to visit Sungai Congkak for birdwatching is on weekdays and early mornings. Avoid public and school holidays because they will be crowded with many locals and their kids running around, scaring away the birds.

How to Go to Sungai Congkak?

From Kuala Lumpur, it takes about an hour’s drive one way to get here, and this also depends on the day and time as it can take more than an hour during peak hours.

Usually, birders will depart around 6.30 AM to avoid the heavy traffic and get here by 7.30 AM, which is a great time. But you can always leave at 6.00 AM like I did and make a breakfast stop at one of the roadside cafes for some Roti Canai and Teh Tarik.

And once you are here, you may also want to take note of other birding areas around Sungai Congkak that include places like Sungai Tekala, Sungai Tekali, Sungai Perdik, Sungai Lopo and Pangsun.

Conclusion

Overall, I have to say that birdwatching at Sungai Congkak is well worth the experience as there are several birds to spot and photograph here. Again, I would visit on a weekday because this place can get crowded with locals on weekends.

Please explore my site if you want to know about other birding locations around Malaysia, as I will update places that I have personally been to. Thank you, and happy birdwatching.