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Borneo Bird Festival 2010 Review

Borneo Bird Festival 2010 Review

bird-watching-borneo-bird-fest-2009-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 Review

The Borneo Bird Festival 2010 will be the second time around and held at the Rainforest Discovery Center or RDC in Sepilok, Sandakan Sabah from the 15th to 17th October 2010.

This also marks the 2nd year for birders or bird watchers to gather at this amazing festival organized by Sabah Tourism Board in conjunction with promoting Bird Watching and Eco-Tourism in Sabah Borneo.

Borneo Bird Festival Review 2010

Bird Watchers or Birders should be excited as this time around, the Borneo Bird Festival 2010 will feature two new birding books launched personally by Ms. Susan Myers and Mr. Quentin Phillipps who are well-known birders.

This would definitely be a book to get and have it autographed by the authors while attending this Bird Festival here in Borneo.

ruddy-kingfisher-borneo-bird-fest-2010-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewRuddy Kingfisher – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

The Borneo Bird Festival 2010 will also have a number of fantastic booths showcasing bird tours from local travel agents, birding equipment by Nikon and others, exhibits by NGOs and talks by professionals in the field.

The highlight of the event will be the Lectures and Workshops for the Borneo Bird Fest. Notable speakers from important organizations such as;

There are minimal fees to attend Lectures, Workshops, and Guided Tours. You are advised to register early to avoid disappointment as there is limited space for these events.

borneo-bird-fest-sandakan-rdc-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewTwo birders or bird watchers walking along a wooden walkway

whiteheads-trogon-sabah-bird-watching-bbf Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewWhitehead’s Trogon – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

For the birding enthusiasts, there will also the following activities;

  • Photography competition
  • Borneo Bird Race
  • Nature Art Sketching
  • Daily guided birding tour
  • Children’s’ activities

borneo-bird-fest-sabah-international-bird-watchers Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewBird Watchers in action at Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary

scarlet-rumped-trogon-borneo-bird-fest-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewScarlet-rumped Trogon – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

In Borneo, a total of 622 resident and migratory species of bird, with 32 endemic species have been recorded.

Four of these endemics are found on either Sabah’s hill slopes or in its montane forest. Mount Kinabalu is regarded as a distribution center for all except for one of Borneo’s montane birds.

borneo-bird-fest-2010-jungle-bird-watching Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewGroup of bird watchers in the rainforest of Sepilok, Sabah

white-crowned-hornbill-borneo-bird-fest-2010-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewWhite-crowned Hornbill – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

In Sabah, the most sought after endemic species are the Whitehead’s Trogon and Whitehead’s Broadbill, the Blue-headed Pitta and the vividly colored Blue-banded Pitta.

There is also the large and distinctly colored Bornean Ground Cuckoo, the rare and ungainly Bornean Bristlehead, as well as the Golden-naped Barbet with its signature trilling call.

yellow-vented-bulbul-borneo-bird-fest-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewYellow-vented Bulbul – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

buffy-fish-owl-sabah-bird-festival Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewBuffy Fish Owl – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

With this, I will let the pictures speak for themselves as the Borneo Bird Festival 2010 will be even more exciting than the previous year.

susan-myers-datuk-masidi-manjun-borneo-bird-fest Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewSusan Myers and Sabah Tourism Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun

geoff-davidson-borneo-bird-festival-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewGeoff Davidson giving a talk at Borneo Bird Fest 2009

borneo-bird-fest-nikon-booth-sabah-2009 Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewNikon booth at Borneo Bird Festival 2009

borneo-bird-fest-camera-gear-zoom-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewTrying out one of the amazing zoom lenses from Nikon


andrew-siani-borneo-bird-fest-sabah-presentation Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewAndrew Siani explains Bird Calling Techniques and Practices

banded-kingfisher-sabah-borneo-bird-fest-2010 Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewBanded Kingfisher – Picture by Jason Azahari Reyes

*Please take note that all photo credits in this article go to Jason Azahari Reyes and you can visit his amazing website dedicated to Birds of Sabah Borneo.

Borneo Bird Festival 2010 Organiser: Sabah Tourism Board

Contact Person: Noredah Othman (Sabah Tourism Board)
Telephone : +6088 212121
Fax : +6088 212075
Email Contact: noredah@sabahtourism.com
For more information, visit the official Borneo Bird Festival website.


Getting to RDC Sepilok:

  • Located just out of Sandakan town, RDC Sepilok is about 23 kilometers from town. Getting to RDC Sepilok is fairly simple as it takes about 30-40 minutes by car or van. (Self-drive or tour company)
  • There is a public bus service from the Labuk Bus Company that departs from the Sandakan Town Council at RM2.10 (US$0.60) one way but the bus stops at the junction of the main road. You then need to walk in about 1.5km.
  • Taxi service from Sandakan is available with a return trip costing about RM100.00 (US$29). Do negotiate with your taxi about the prices.
  • Getting to Sepilok from Kota Kinabalu (KK) is also possible. A bus ride would take about 7-8 hours from KK to Sandakan and would cost around RM30-50 (US$9-$15) one way. Visit this site for Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan bus fares and tickets.
  • A better option is to fly to Sandakan as there are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching. AirAsia offers some cheap tickets if you book early. Malaysia Airlines also has some decent ticket prices if you want to compare it.

Getting to the RDC via car or bus:

  1. Drive along Jalan Labuk from Sandakan Town
  2. Turn left at the Mile 14 roundabout (with a large Orangutan statue)
  3. Drive along until you see the large, pictorial RDC sign and turn right
  4. Drive for about 500m to the RDC car park
  5. There is a public bus service from the Labuk Bus Company that departs from the Sandakan Town Council at RM2.10 (US$0.60) one way but the bus stops at the junction of the main road. You then need to walk in about 2km or thumb a ride.
map-to-rdc-sabah Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewMap to Rainforest Discovery Center, courtesy of RDC

Tickets/Entrance Fees for the RDC on normal days:

  • Adults: RM10 (US$3)
  • Children (5-17 yrs) RM5 (US$1.50)
  • Children (Under 5 yrs) Free

Opening Hours for the RDC:

  • Daily 9.00 am – 6.00 pm
  • Birders start as early as 7.00 am

What to bring on normal days;

  • Bring mosquito or insect repellent, a poncho or umbrella in case it rains as the walkways are not covered. 
  • Bring some snacks and bottled water as well. 
  • A pair of binoculars are worth bringing if you want to see birds. 
  • Wear proper shoes here as some of the walkways can be slippery. 
  • You may want to bring some snacks if you have kids as there is no food available there except for a kiosk that sells drinks and some local snacks.

* Remember to practice Responsible Tourism wherever you are.


Rainforest Discovery Centre Address and Contact;
PO Box 1407
90715 Sandakan
Sabah, Malaysia.
Telephone: + 60 089 533780 / 781
Website for the Rainforest Discovery Center in Sabah

Map to Rainforest Discovery Center RDC



View RDC Rainforest Discovery Center Sepilok in a larger map

borneo-bird-festival-booklet Borneo Bird Festival 2010 ReviewBirds Watching in Sabah Booklet

Final Thoughts on the Borneo Bird Festival Review

You can also follow Malaysia Asia on Facebook for more information, pictures, and links about Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

If you are interested in learning about Bird watching or attending this event, you can get in touch with the relevant people mentioned above.

This is one of the excellent family activities that you can do in Sabah and a great way to expose your children to nature.

The next three-day event will take place from the 14th till the 16th of October 2011 and is the 3rd Borneo Bird Festival in Sabah.

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    0 comments

    comments user
    That’s Ron

    Great shots… !!

    comments user
    Henry Lee

    bro, are u staying in sabah permanently? haha… just curious 😛

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Thank you That's Ron, most of the credits go to Jason for his amazing pics.

    Henry, No I'm staying in Kuala Lumpur but I do visit Sabah often. When are you going over there?

    Regards,
    David

    comments user
    Nicholas Leong

    Look at those big lenses! 🙂 And that white crown hornbill looks evil! 😛

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Hi Nicholas, yeah, I would love to own one of those lenses. Amazing zoom! Honestly, I am yet to spot the white crowned hornbill too.

    David

    comments user
    KwOnG FeI

    i was attracted to here by the superb pictures…
    initially, i thought u took these pictures..haha

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    KwongFei, thanks and I would love to have taken these pictures. But I have another posting about the Kinabatangan River in the night with pictures I took of Sabah Birds if you're interested.

    David

    comments user
    eunice

    wow so u still often go Sabah… u surely love that area alot! How about Brunei?

    comments user
    Virginia bed and breakfast | Victorian inn bed and breakfast | Romantic bed and breakfasts

    Thanks for sharing this info. Borneo is one of my favorite places in the world their natural beauty really remarkable. This year I'm planning for attend the Borneo Bird Festival. This is my first time that I will attend the festival.

    Best Regards,

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Eunice, whenever I can, I'm there. Brunei not really at the moment but I hear there are some awesome nature places too.

    VBB, awesome! I hope to see you there this year as it will be very interesting.

    David

    comments user
    shloke

    This sounds like a wonderful event! But I'm not a birder. I seem to lack the patience to really get excited.

    Anyway, this is a comprehensive guide to Borneo Bird Festival 2010 Sabah. Well done!

    WOW! You are giving out a 40 page booklet??? AWESOME freebies!

    Cheers!
    mylo

    comments user
    Anonymous

    I was at the hot air balloon festival last night with a friend and we met someone who just returned from a bird watching festival in Sabah. Must be a great event for avid bird watcher and photographers.

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Mylo, The Borneo Bird Fest 2010 is something Nature Lovers would absolutely enjoy but you're right about patience. Some love it while others cannot hack it.

    Yes, a free Birds of Sabah Booklet to those interested 🙂

    Mei, I was there too but it was really conjested so we could have passed each other without knowing.

    David

    comments user
    superwilson

    The birds look nice and the book looks interesting

    comments user
    C. Makulim

    Great post…very informative.

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Wilson, they are really nice and even better with a 300mm lens 🙂

    C.Makulim, thank you for the kind words.

    David

    comments user
    Ciki

    birds are amazing! so vivid like as though they were just within arms reach. great job on the pix !

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Ciki, Actually during the night river cruise in Kinabatangan River, you can touch them and I did! Was an amazing experience. But at tis Bird Festival, I am looking forward to seeing the rare species which is a prized watch from what I hear.

    David

    comments user
    areleaf

    i love bird!and i love borneo!

    this festival is like a dream comes true..yeaahh!!

    comments user
    Administrator

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    comments user
    HyperPlasma

    This festival just for sabah? How about others?

    Anyway..nice photo shot..

    comments user
    Halizayana

    good job, page informasi beginalah yang bagus untuk dijadikan contoh dan boleh dijadikan sumber rujukan tempat menarik mahupun di dalam atau di luar negara…

    comments user
    GSP

    i want to fly free, like a bird. i want to go a somewhere else beside the city. i love borneo, i love the food, i love the people and most of all, i love the nature. cool picture by the way, i enjoy it. and thanks for the info.

    comments user
    Munixâ„¢

    ONE OF THE RICHEST AND MOST DIVERSE COLLECTION OF ANIMAL LIFE on this planet lives in Sabah. Yet, because most of it dwells in the dense rainforest, it is difficult to see – unlike the great herds of the African savannah – wildlife viewing is considered more like a gift than a given for travellers entering the state’s wild places… nice shoot too!

    comments user
    piwit

    aha!! kampung aku..

    comments user
    Kujie

    Birds are among the easiest to be spotted in the wild, even in the busy urban city. Basically how to identify the birds?

    comments user
    rM

    Wonderful and amazing..interesting facts and definitely worth to participate.

    comments user
    RozaniGhani

    Fascinating! I think Sabah Tourism Board should hold a photography competition for local visitor to attract visitor. The camera needed for the competition does not mean the visitor need an expensive camera to participate but cheap camera can also join. I have been to Singapore Botanical Garden but I wish that Sabah will be my next destination for birds sightseing. Good job Sabah Tourism Board.

    comments user
    Deen

    wow! so amazing when we can capture the shot at the rainforest. Great experience. I like to be there.

    comments user
    Unknown

    great capture…interested to join..hehe

    comments user
    shuko

    waa..indahnya hutan sabah..inilah salah salah satu keunikan negeri sabah..tak tahu pula sabah ni ada burung kingfisher..cute giler burung tu.. (^_^)

    tQ David Jr for sharing this info..nice!

    comments user
    MrRollies

    Wow..
    I love birds..
    They're beauiful creatures in this planet!!
    So Colorful and lovely..
    This is really great festival for birds lover !!!
    Btw the place is great..
    Its in sabah where the beautiful tropical jungle located !! =)

    comments user
    QZ92

    aaa..
    Sabah…
    a beautiful state in Malaysia…

    you have a very good picture..keep it up your good work…

    Hey..you can be online promoter you know!

    comments user
    andy sahlam

    wah..sabah bah tu..
    bangga jd orang dibawah bayu..hehe

    comments user
    emanz

    so great festival!!
    I fun with all pictures that u have shown…
    Good Sabah !!
    Malaysia Truly Asia…

    comments user
    joegrimjow

    gadis sabah must proud with this

    comments user
    mknace unlimited

    🙂 🙂 🙂
    nice pic and coverage..

    comments user
    Unknown

    nice pic n sabah is wndful 🙂

    comments user
    Adry

    wow!! amazing… got to be there… bukannya jauh mana pun… hehehe

    Adry @ http://www.adrysabry.com

    comments user
    hazel darwisya

    i feel sad that most unique species of birds are in extinction.

    my step father, an army, said..during the survival in the jungle, they even ate the hornbills..

    i feel sorry..that kind of birds is precious n only very few left in the world..

    comments user
    azizuan

    those birds are beautiful but i'm too far away from there..sob!sob!

    comments user
    khairil

    what a valuable experience if i can go there and capture some picture of exotic animal like that..love to visit sabah but don't no when got chances

    saya[at]khairilafzal[dot]com

    comments user
    Mustaffa Yasin

    Come take care of natural beauty. The beauty of nature should be passed on to future generations.

    comments user
    Salina

    Wow!I'm amazed!The pictures seem so alive and the information provided is fascinating too.It felt like I was there too; gaining the same experience.

    p/s : If canopy-walk is included,it would be a perfect journey!Trust me,I've been there! 🙂

    comments user
    abigemok

    I'm a pure sabahan and proud to live here. There's a lot of beautiful things in sabah 😀
    I really love all of it. Thanks god for the very beautiful ceation

    comments user
    Hafiz Mohd

    Sabah..trully "The Wings of Borneo"

    comments user
    Unknown

    Memang cantik pemandang di sini..saya tak pernah lagi menjelajah ke negeri di bawah bayu.

    suka tenguk Scarlet-rumped Trogon – mempunyai bulu yang berwarna warni.

    burung Whitehead's Trogon dan burung Yellow-vented Bulbul ni pun saya suka..

    Walaupun burung Banded Kingfisher dan burung Buffy Fish Owl ..tidaklah secantik burung-burung diatas tetapi menarik jugak untuk di pandang.

    Semuga kehidupan burung-burung ini akan terpelihara dan dibiarkan berterbangan di habitat mereka….dan semuga 29-30 tahun lagi burung-burung ini masih ada lagi di masa akan datang buat tatapan generasi masa depan.

    …memang menarik gambar-gambar di web ini..mungkin di sebabkan di ambil oleh jurugambar pro…

    comments user
    AbgFeroZ

    what a waste…
    kecantikan dan keindahan itu tidak
    di amati oleh seluruh rakyat malaysia…

    thanks for show it to us…

    comments user
    etaknak

    adakah blog ini msauk pertandingan..huhu..

    kery tgk memang cantik arr gambar alam tersebut…best…

    comments user
    Pakcu Sofi

    soooooo nice..wish to go there~!!

    chipchip~

    comments user
    papabear

    nice birdies… we must do simething to keep them here…

    comments user
    nurizan

    nice place of bird watching, last week i go to sabah but not enough time to go to this place, at least by seeing your picture and information can let us know what is the great thing at this place.. thanks

    comments user
    hanis aleeya

    I miss my Borneo
    Been there for 15 years
    Make me feel like looking home
    When I read about the festival
    Dreaming of my hometown
    A place my home would never be
    Flying birds surrounding it
    Joining the beauty of them
    Sweet life in Borneo
    Of the birds' lives

    comments user
    hanis aleeya aka gadis sepi

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    comments user
    Unknown

    i'm totally amazed with those photo..its totally awesome..u made me reallytempting to go there to experience it myself..nice blog here..i like..

    comments user
    Mohd Idzaney Zakaria

    nice shot and an eye-catch for lovely birds…always hoping for honemoon in Sabah though =)

    comments user
    alissa

    wow…cantiknya gambar…maklumat padat..teringin lah nak g sana

    comments user
    Unknown

    Nature can be too beautiful to enjoy with. Big Wowwss, great shot u have here.

    Sabah, the paradise called home! I Love my Sabah.

    comments user
    Paanblogger

    gile gempak…ramai gak rupanya peminat pelihat burung nie…haha..baru tau yang banyak jugak NGO2 yang berkaitan dengan burung dan alam..

    xbape minat dalam melihat burung..tapi suka amik gambar yg lawa…

    event nie , boleh jadi salah satu tempat untuk dapatkan shoot yg lawa..

    lum berkesempatan lagi nak jejak kaki kat sabah..kalo kat semanjung kawasan mana yng jadi pemilihan birders nie ??

    comments user
    Eyqa Zaque

    Sabah is very unique in nature.
    Proud to be sabahan.

    comments user
    Anonymous

    whoa..beautiful

    comments user
    SyuQ

    fantastic, beautiful

    bird with natures…
    some gift from the god

    comments user
    ery

    nice shot…
    beautiful angle and colour~

    comments user
    Melissa Mjb

    Wow, great shot!

    I've been flown to Sabah for a trip last year. It was really fun.

    I just love the nature. I really hope that I can go there again!

    comments user
    JAIRO

    not away from my place… lama sudah tak pigi … waaaahh ada booklet pasal burung aku nak satu….

    comments user
    Unknown

    I love to watch birds this year the Rainforest Discovery Centre will be host tothe Borneo Bird Festival in Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah on October 15-17,2010.This year two new birding books being launched by two Authors, Ms Susan Myers and Mr Quentin Philips.
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    comments user
    Misz

    Menakjubkan dan sesungguhnya sayangilah Malaysia kita.

    comments user
    Akmad Toshiro

    nothing can beat the nature in borneo, its the best and refreshing..proud to be the one

    comments user
    Pena Crystal

    its so beautiful..the place,the scenery and also all the birds as well..

    i wish to be there one day..:)

    comments user
    :-: LilacMessy :-:

    thumb ups for them!!

    🙂

    comments user
    Alon

    Saya punya kakak duduk di borneo , dia kata dekat sana memang best , permandangan yang indah dan nyaman .. Kan best kalau saya dapat ke sana ?

    comments user
    Mrs. Q!

    cute little birdy~
    ouh. if i can fly now, i'll be there =)

    comments user
    HumanityLife

    kalu laa saya dapat jenjalan di sana.. alangkah bestnye…

    teringin sangat-sangat nak teroka disana… mana laa tau ade lagi benda-benda menarik… 😀

    comments user
    Unknown

    it is hard to find the birds like that.with a beatiful scene and nature.
    this is truly amazing,

    Malaysia is wonderful
    I <3 MALAYSIA..:D

    comments user
    Jason Bugay Reyes

    Thanks David maybe will see you this year at the Borneo Bird Festival heeee

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Thank you all for the wonderful comments. (Terima Kasih kepada anda semua untuk komen di sini)

    Azahari, for sure! Just get the Tapai ready 🙂

    Regards,
    David

    comments user
    Amirul Arif

    such a kewl pics.
    hope our future ancestor can see all this…

    comments user
    Traveling Ted

    Love that picture of the hornbill. I saw many of those in Thailand, but not anything like the one in the picture. Incredible.

    comments user
    Malaysia Asia

    Thank you Ted, now that you mentioned it. I did not bring my 18-200mm lens for this trip. I should have taken more! 🙂

    David

    comments user
    Philippine Travel Guide

    bird watching and photography = perfect

    comments user
    Sophie

    Gorgeous wildlife shots, David!

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