Trip Report Langkawi
3-12 February 2007
We stayed at the Berjaya Beach Resort and Spa, in Langkawi, located in the Northwest of the island. The resort comprises numerous chalets located on the hillside and on stilts over the sea.
There is a tidal lagoon at one end of the resort which is good for bird species, which can be viewed from the beach, or can be accessed via a path.
There is a small island [Pulau Burau] off the beach which can be accessed at low tide on foot.
The forest canopy behind the resort can be viewed from the beach, and larger species can be identified with binoculars.
There are various tracks between the resort and the ‘Oriental Village’ located approx ½ mile away, including an area of scrub behind the tennis courts.
In the resort itself there are many Common Myna Acridotheres tristis. Also evident in the resort are: Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris, Purple-throated Sunbird Nectarinia sperata, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum, Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica, Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra and Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis.
Further afield there is Telaga Harbour which has a few drainage ditches and short grass around it. These are good for Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus and White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata.
The golf course at the Datai is very good for many species – if you ask the steward he will let you hire a golf buggy for the day for a reasonable fee – a great way to go birding especially if you want to photograph. This is in fact the only way you can get around the course as they don’t allow anyone to wander around on foot.
Gunung Ray forest park is another location – there is a very good road to the summit – charge of less than £1 at the moment. However we found that mid to late afternoon was the best time to visit for birds –it gets extremely hot up there.
Tanjung Rhu is a famous resort –very picturesque which is close to where you can hire a trip into the mangroves to watch the White-bellied Sea Eagles being fed. There is a lot of controversy over this at the moment as they are fed chicken corpses which apparently is resulting in deformities in the young. Let your own conscience guide you on that issue.
The area around the airport is very productive especially if you follow it round to the reedbeds between the Bon Ton Restaurant and the sea wall. Good here for waders. In fact we indulged in a dinner at the Bon Ton and were treated to seeing 3 Purple Swamphens Porphyrio porphyrio and a pair of Yellow Bitterns Ixobrychus sinensis.
The trip up the Cable Car at Padang Matsirat is an adventure but we didn’t observe much at all. Likewise with the walk to the Seven Wells. Rainforest birding is notoriously difficult at any location, but it would probably help if you sourced a guide to take you there.
Overall the birding in Langkawi is very good, there is very little traffic on the roads so one can pull over to the side without any difficulty. The local people are extremely friendly and the cost of living is cheap- even if ,like us, you end up mostly eating in the more up-market restaurants.
List of species seen:-
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Paddy Fields off Pantai Cenang
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus common - Berjaya lagoon/ most water areas
Little Heron Butorides striatus fairly common -Berjaya lagoon/ paddy fields
Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra Berjaya resort
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis Bon Ton restaurant
Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus Berjaya/ Gunung Ray/ Datai
Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus Datai
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus Gunung Ray
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Berjaya/ Padang Matsirat/ Tanjung Rhu/Datai
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Telaga Harbour
Slaty-breasted Rail Rallus striatus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Watercock Gallicrex cinerea Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Bon Ton retaurant
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton/ Telaga Harbour
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Berjaya beach/ Tanjung Rhu
Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Common
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Pantai Kok
House Swift Apus affinis common
Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris Berjaya lagoon
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smymensis Berjaya lagoon/ Airport/ Datai
Large Hawk Cuckoo Heirococcyx sparverioides Datai/ Berjaya lagoon area
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus Datai
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaultia Berjaya lagoon/ Telaga Harbour
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis Common
Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris Berjaya/ Datai/ Gunung Ray
Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulates Gunung Ray/ Padang Matsirat
Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus Gunung Ray
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica common
Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps Datai
Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus Datai
Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni Berjaya
Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goaivier fairly common
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus Datai
Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus Pantai Pasir Hitam/ Pulau Burau
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis Berjaya lagoon/ Tanjung Rhu
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella Datai
House Crow Corvus splendens Datai
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos Telaga Harbour
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius Datai
Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina Datai
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica Berjaya/ Datai
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus Datai
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Datai/ Berjaya/Gunung Ray
Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi Pantai Kok
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Airport
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus Airport/ Datai/ Paddy fields
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis very common
Hill Myna Gracula religiosa telaga harbour
Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malaccensis Berjaya
Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis Berjaya
Purple-throated Sunbird Nectarinia sperata Berjaya
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma Datai/ Seven Wells
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum Berjaya
Eurasian Tree-Sparrow Passer montanus Kuah
Black-headed Munia Lonchura Malacca Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata Pantai Cenang
White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Telaga harbour
Also observed were a pair of Cormorant species – unidentified behind the Bon Ton
And at the same location a Large species of dark Heron – definitely not a Grey heron or Purple heron.
3-12 February 2007
We stayed at the Berjaya Beach Resort and Spa, in Langkawi, located in the Northwest of the island. The resort comprises numerous chalets located on the hillside and on stilts over the sea.
There is a tidal lagoon at one end of the resort which is good for bird species, which can be viewed from the beach, or can be accessed via a path.
There is a small island [Pulau Burau] off the beach which can be accessed at low tide on foot.
The forest canopy behind the resort can be viewed from the beach, and larger species can be identified with binoculars.
There are various tracks between the resort and the ‘Oriental Village’ located approx ½ mile away, including an area of scrub behind the tennis courts.
In the resort itself there are many Common Myna Acridotheres tristis. Also evident in the resort are: Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris, Purple-throated Sunbird Nectarinia sperata, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum, Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica, Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra and Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis.
Further afield there is Telaga Harbour which has a few drainage ditches and short grass around it. These are good for Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus and White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata.
The golf course at the Datai is very good for many species – if you ask the steward he will let you hire a golf buggy for the day for a reasonable fee – a great way to go birding especially if you want to photograph. This is in fact the only way you can get around the course as they don’t allow anyone to wander around on foot.
Gunung Ray forest park is another location – there is a very good road to the summit – charge of less than £1 at the moment. However we found that mid to late afternoon was the best time to visit for birds –it gets extremely hot up there.
Tanjung Rhu is a famous resort –very picturesque which is close to where you can hire a trip into the mangroves to watch the White-bellied Sea Eagles being fed. There is a lot of controversy over this at the moment as they are fed chicken corpses which apparently is resulting in deformities in the young. Let your own conscience guide you on that issue.
The area around the airport is very productive especially if you follow it round to the reedbeds between the Bon Ton Restaurant and the sea wall. Good here for waders. In fact we indulged in a dinner at the Bon Ton and were treated to seeing 3 Purple Swamphens Porphyrio porphyrio and a pair of Yellow Bitterns Ixobrychus sinensis.
The trip up the Cable Car at Padang Matsirat is an adventure but we didn’t observe much at all. Likewise with the walk to the Seven Wells. Rainforest birding is notoriously difficult at any location, but it would probably help if you sourced a guide to take you there.
Overall the birding in Langkawi is very good, there is very little traffic on the roads so one can pull over to the side without any difficulty. The local people are extremely friendly and the cost of living is cheap- even if ,like us, you end up mostly eating in the more up-market restaurants.
List of species seen:-
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Paddy Fields off Pantai Cenang
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus common - Berjaya lagoon/ most water areas
Little Heron Butorides striatus fairly common -Berjaya lagoon/ paddy fields
Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra Berjaya resort
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis Bon Ton restaurant
Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus Berjaya/ Gunung Ray/ Datai
Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus Datai
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus Gunung Ray
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Berjaya/ Padang Matsirat/ Tanjung Rhu/Datai
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Telaga Harbour
Slaty-breasted Rail Rallus striatus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Watercock Gallicrex cinerea Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Bon Ton retaurant
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Mongolian Plover Charadrius mongolus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Reedbeds behind Bon Ton/ Telaga Harbour
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Berjaya beach/ Tanjung Rhu
Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Common
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata Mangrove swamp before Pantai Cenang
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Pantai Kok
House Swift Apus affinis common
Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris Berjaya lagoon
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smymensis Berjaya lagoon/ Airport/ Datai
Large Hawk Cuckoo Heirococcyx sparverioides Datai/ Berjaya lagoon area
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus Datai
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaultia Berjaya lagoon/ Telaga Harbour
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis Common
Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris Berjaya/ Datai/ Gunung Ray
Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulates Gunung Ray/ Padang Matsirat
Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus Gunung Ray
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica common
Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps Datai
Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus Datai
Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni Berjaya
Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goaivier fairly common
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus Datai
Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus Pantai Pasir Hitam/ Pulau Burau
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis Berjaya lagoon/ Tanjung Rhu
Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella Datai
House Crow Corvus splendens Datai
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos Telaga Harbour
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius Datai
Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina Datai
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica Berjaya/ Datai
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus Datai
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Datai/ Berjaya/Gunung Ray
Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi Pantai Kok
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Airport
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus Airport/ Datai/ Paddy fields
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis very common
Hill Myna Gracula religiosa telaga harbour
Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malaccensis Berjaya
Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis Berjaya
Purple-throated Sunbird Nectarinia sperata Berjaya
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma Datai/ Seven Wells
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum Berjaya
Eurasian Tree-Sparrow Passer montanus Kuah
Black-headed Munia Lonchura Malacca Reedbeds behind Bon Ton
Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata Pantai Cenang
White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Telaga harbour
Also observed were a pair of Cormorant species – unidentified behind the Bon Ton
And at the same location a Large species of dark Heron – definitely not a Grey heron or Purple heron.
