[Dale Forbes]

Hi all,

I will be in Malaysia late July and early August and was wondering if anyone had any recent info of good tips for finding pittas (basically any of them but especially Garnet, Banded and Blue-headed Pittas) in either Taman Negara National Park or the surrounds of Sepilok.

Any info would be very much appreciated.

Does anyone know anything about the birds in and around Semporna / Sipadan? Anything interesting I should be keeping my eyes open for?

Happy birding,
Dale

[Hor Kee]

Hello Dale, I can't say for Sepilok as I've not gone there yet, but Taman Negara in the peninsula has two great entrances for pittas. The more touristy Kuala Tahan entrance has a good network of trails, particularly the Swamp Loop. Many trip reports have sightings of pittas there. There are many tourist facilities there too, including cheaper accommodation across the river and restaurants. The other entrance is Merapoh, a much smaller and less-well known entrance but certainly more peaceful. It has a tarred jeep track through the forest and a few trails. Garnet Pittas there are regular too.

[Dale Forbes]

Originally Posted by Hor Kee

Hello Dale, I can't say for Sepilok as I've not gone there yet, but Taman Negara in the peninsula has two great entrances for pittas. The more touristy Kuala Tahan entrance has a good network of trails, particularly the Swamp Loop. Many trip reports have sightings of pittas there. There are many tourist facilities there too, including cheaper accommodation across the river and restaurants. The other entrance is Merapoh, a much smaller and less-well known entrance but certainly more peaceful. It has a tarred jeep track through the forest and a few trails. Garnet Pittas there are regular too.

Hi Hor Kee, thanks for the info. Do you happen to have a trail map including the trail names - I cannot seem to find a good one anywhere.
Happy birding,
Dale

[Hor Kee]

A map of the Merapoh entrance can be found on fellow BF member Dave B a.k.a. Dave Bakewell's blog here. In fact, I was with him on the trip described in the blog entry here http://digdeep1962.blogspot.com/2008...lau-taman.html. The Garnet Pitta is regular in the Intrepretive and Gua Gajah (Elephant Cave) trails relatively near the park hq as denoted on the said map.

As for Kuala Tahan, some maps here http://www.asiavalley.com/images/Mal...man_Negara.jpg and here http://pactrexadventures.homebizexpl.../11/GTahan.jpg. Honestly I'm not so familiar with this area.

Do note that late July to early August will fall within the Ramadan fasting month this year, so restaurant food may be harder to come by.

Hope this helps!

[jacana]

Don't forget that you'll get two for the price of one as Malayan and Bornean Banded Pittas have been split.

[GDK]

Hi Dale,

The maps I’ve seen of trail routes around TN are not all together accurate. Ive amended the most crucial bits as best I can from memory on the linked plan Hor Kee has provided for Mutiara resort trails (its not particularly to scale though). The Swamp/Swamp Loop are particularly heavily referenced in trip reports on the net, so its useful to have an idea of where they are. Attached also a wider trail network map given out at the main office on getting your permits.

For birding, the trails around Bumbun Blau & Yong and to Kumbang can also be very good - but you really need to go via a boat ride to drop you off - even though trails do connect up (via river taxi boat crossings I believe?). You can organise an early morning boat pick up and return from either side of the river at the resort or floating restaurants.


In terms of Pittas;

Garnet Pitta sites are often given as along Jenut Muda Trail, the trails around Blau & Yong Hides (Bumbun Blau & Yong) and the trail from the boat drop off to the Kumbang Hide.

Malayan Banded Pitta can pop up anywhere, including the edges of the resort itself.

When at TN in Dec 2011 we had multiple Blue-winged and Hooded Pitta around the start of the Tembeling River Trail and along the stretch of the Main/Swamp Trail between the Tahan hide and the River trail.

Giant Pitta has been muttered about in trip reports eg along the Tahan River Trial


I have not been to Sepilok so don’t know the sites for the Pittas there. I have seen Blue-headed nearby along the Kinabatangon River at Sukau. This was with Robert Chong using his boat – staying at Labuk B&B and Proboscis Lodge – and in 2005 so someone may be able to provide more up to date gen for the area, perhaps repeat your request in the Borneo specific section too.

Have a good trip,

[James Lowther]

saw both blue-headed and black-and-crimson pittas with robert chong last november. based at kinabatangan jungle camp, which is about 3 hrs from sepilok. that area also has giant, blue-winged and hooded (i heard the latter two).
did not see any pittas round sepilok but probably all those spp. are present in the forest at the rainforest discovery centre which is north west of the village, about a 30 mins walk from the orang-utan rehab centre. probably best to try and get as far away from the visitor centre as possible. sorry i can't be more helpful than that. you've got next to zero chance of pittas at the orang-utan centre i'd have thought.
bornean banded and blue-banded pittas are more typical of ridges and lower mountain slopes i think, probably not present or very rare in the coastal lowlands, more likely at e.g. poring hot springs or danum valley.
i've read a really impressive old trip report from sipadan, stuff like pigeons, whistlers etc., trouble is the island itself is basically off limits to visitors now, unless you can sweet talk your boat operator, and the military guards! also it is even really hard just to get a permit to visit the reefs as a diver/snorkeller.
hope that helps,
cheers,
james

[Larry Wheatland]

A couple of years ago we had a male Giant (luckily!), Black & Crimson, and Hooded Pittas around Sepilok. The Giant was at the end of the trail that starts at the Orangutan rehab centre, about 1km from the buildings I think. Bl & Cr (1 seen and a couple of others heard) at the Rainforest discovery centre. Hooded at the back of the grounds of the guesthouse a couple of hundred metres before the Rainforest discovery centre.

At Taman Negara Garnet's relatively numerous, and fairly easy if you crawl in after a calling bird, but agree that Jenet Muda trail's a hot spot. The trail along the river's not bad for Malaysian Banded.

Good luck.

[Dale Forbes]

Hi all, thanks for all the great info!

Originally Posted by Larry Wheatland

A couple of years ago we had a male Giant (luckily!), Black & Crimson, and Hooded Pittas around Sepilok. The Giant was at the end of the trail that starts at the Orangutan rehab centre, about 1km from the buildings I think. Bl & Cr (1 seen and a couple of others heard) at the Rainforest discovery centre. Hooded at the back of the grounds of the guesthouse a couple of hundred metres before the Rainforest discovery centre.
At Taman Negara Garnet's relatively numerous, and fairly easy if you crawl in after a calling bird, but agree that Jenet Muda trail's a hot spot. The trail along the river's not bad for Malaysian Banded.
Good luck.

@Larry, Great news about Sepilok, thank you! Where did you stay in Sepilok? Do you know any decent (i.e. clean and not too expensive) accommodation in the area which is within easy walking distance of the area where you saw the pittas?

[Hor Kee]

Originally Posted by Dale Forbes

Hi all, thanks for all the great info!



@Larry, Great news about Sepilok, thank you! Where did you stay in Sepilok? Do you know any decent (i.e. clean and not too expensive) accommodation in the area which is within easy walking distance of the area where you saw the pittas?

This place called Sepilok B&B is right outside the entrance to the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) of Sepilok http://www.sabah.com.my/sepilokbnb/. Its a bit far from the town though, although it does have its own restaurant.

My birding friends just returned with great pics of the Black & Crimson Pitta from under the canopy walkway and the Bristlehead from on top of it

[Larry Wheatland]

[quote=Hor Kee;2482020]This place called Sepilok B&B is right outside the entrance to the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) of Sepilok http://www.sabah.com.my/sepilokbnb/. Its a bit far from the town though, although it does have its own restaurant.

yes, this was the place, and it was fairly cheap to stay there.