Peter Malim, Kota Kinabalu info@borneosawah.com
In general, among Sabahan and Malaysian bird lovers, naturalists, scientists or lay man, a great deal is known about the distribution of birds in Sabah and Borneo, but remarkably little is shared to people around the globe. My humble purpose of this brief work is to share with people of similar interest by way of promoting some basic information in fostering cooperation and net working towards conservation and wise use in the field of ecotourism of the diversity avifauna of Sabah.
According to Whitmore (1984), Sabah features some of the most diverse and spectacular forest in the world. As a result, Sabah has an unusually rich avifauna, which has attracted ornithologists and bird watchers around the world since the state’s first natural history was published in 1855 by Motley and Dillwyn. Amazingly at present, The Birds of Borneo by B.E.Smythies is the most comprehensive guide to Bornean birds. In recent years, in order to fill the needs of bird watchers and tourists to have easy reference in the field, the first published Pocket Guide to the Birds of Borneo compiled by Charles M.Francis in 1984 is one of the most popular and widely use in Sabah. Based on literature search, it must be noted that Sabah’s most important ornithologist was John Whitehead, who visited the state many times from 1885 — 1888. He is the best known as the first scientific explorer of Mt.Kinabalu.
In summary, Smythies (2000) recorded that Borneo has about 622 species of birds; 434 are known to breed, and 39 are endemic. There are 526 well-documented species, of which 395 are residents, 35 are Bornean endemics, and 4 are Sabah endemics. There are 51 species have been recorded in Sabah, but unconfirmed.
Below is the checklist of endemic bird species of Borneo.
Mountain Serpent Eagle (Spilornis kinabluensis)
Montane
White-fronted Falconet (Microhierax latifrons)*
Lowland — lower montane
Dulit Partridge (Rhizothera dulitensis)+
Lower montane
Red-breasted Partridge (Arborophila hyperythra)
Montane
Crimson-headed Partridge (Haematortyx sanguiniceps)
Montane
Bulwer’s Pheasant (Lophura bulweri)
Lowland-lower montane
Bornean Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron schleiermacheri)
Lowland
Bornean Ground Cuckoo (Carpococcyx radiatus)
Lowland
Dulit Frogmouth (Batrachostomus harterti)+
Lower montane
Whitehead’s Trogon (Harpactes whiteheadi)
Montane
Golden-naped Barbet (Megalaima pulcherrima)
Montane
Mountain Barbet (Megalaima monticola)
Montane
Bornean Barbet (Megalaima eximia)
Lower montane
Hose’s Broadbill (Calyptomena hosii)
Upland-Lower montane
Whitehead’s Broadbill (Calyptomena whiteheadi)
Montane
Blue-banded Pitta (Pitta arquata)
Upland-lower montane
Black-and-crimson Pitta (Pitta ussheri)*
Lowland-upland
Blue-headed Pitta (Pitta baudii)
Lowland-upland
White-crowned Shama (Copsychus stricklandii)*
Lowland-lower montane
Everett’s Thrush (Zoothera everetti)
Montane
Fruithunter (Chlamydochaera jefferyi)
Montane
Black-browed Babbler (Malacocincla perspicillatum)+
?
Bornean Wren Babbler (Ptilocichla leucogrammica)
Lowland-upland
Black-throated Wren Babbler (Napothera atrigularis)
Lowland-upland
Mountain Wren Babbler (Napothera crassa)
Montane
Chestnut-crested Yuhina (Yuhina everetti)
Montane
Bornean Stubtail (Urosphena whiteheadi)
Montane
Friendly Bush Warbler (Bradypterus accentor)*
Montane
Bornean Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis superbus)
Lowland-lower montane
Bornean Whistler (Pachycephala hypoxantha)
Montane
Yellow-rumped Flowerpacker (Prionochilus xanthopygius)
Lowland-lower montane
Black-sided Flowerpacker (Dicaeum monticolum)
Montane
Whitehead’s Spiderhunter (Arachnothera juliae)
Montane
Pygmy White-eye (Oculocincta squamifrons)
Upland-lower montane
Mountain Black-eye (Chlorocharis emiliae)
Montane
Bornean Bristlehead (Pityriasis gymnocephala)
Lowland-upland
Dusky Munia (Lonchura fuscans)
Lowland-lower montane
Black Oriole (Oriolus hosii)+
Lower montane
Bornean Treepie (Dendrocitta cinerascens)
Montane
* Endemic to Sabah
+ Not found in Sabah