CHONG LEONG PUAN, GEOFFREY DAVISON, KIM CHYE LIM
The country of Malaysia comprises two halves separated by the South China Sea, the Peninsula and East Malaysia, the latter made up of Sabah and Sarawak. Most of the many Bornean endemic birds can be found in the two latter states, including a dazzling array of pheasants, frogmouths, trogons, pittas, thrushes, and two of the most recently described birds in the world, Spectacled Flowerpecker and Cream-eyed Bulbul, both named to science only in 2019.
The peninsula boasts some of the best lowland forest reserves in the Sundaic region, as well as a variety of highland endemics at famous hill station birding sites like Fraser's Hill. Three monospecific and particularly striking families, the Pityriasidae (Bornean Bristlehead), Platylophidae (Crested Jay) and Eupetidae (Rail-babbler), are best searched for in Malaysia, making the country an essential destination for 'family collectors'.
Whether you are planning a comprehensive birding tour of the Peninsula or northern Borneo, or only to 'escape' for a few days while in Singapore, this new guide covers it all.
