Mangrove Blue Flycatcher
Spotted in mangrove area of Manukan Island and Sepilok Laut.

Mangrove Whistler
Spotted in jungle trail on Manukan Island. Look like bulbul from a distance.

Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Spotted near Rafflesia Information Centre of Tambunan.

Mountain Tailorbird
Spotted in Kinabalu Park. Very fast and hyperactive. Nearly impossible to photograph.

Mugimaki Flycatcher
Spotted in Kinabalu Park, near Balsam Restaurant.

Ochraceous Bulbul
Spotted in Kinabalu Park.

Olive-backed Sunbird (top: male, below: female)
The most common sunbird of Sabah. People always mistake them as humming bird, due to its tiny size and bee-like hovering skill. There is no humming bird in Sabah.

Olive-Winged Bulbul
A common bulbul in the countryside, especially tree area with small fruits.

Orange Bellied Flowerpecker
This is quite a common bird but I love its bright colors, look like flying gem. It likes to hang around in gardens with dense shrub.

Oriental Darter
Also known as Snake Bird. Spotted in river of Kota Belud and Kinabatangan. One of the most photogenic birds. After fishing, it likes to spread its wings on a tree top to keep them dry.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher
Spotted in night safari in Kinabatangan. I was so near that I could touch it. This is the most beautiful and colourful kingfisher species in Sabah.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Indigo Flycatcher
Spotted in Kinabalu Park. I like indigo color.

Jambu Fruit Dove
Spotted in mangrove of Sepilok Laut.

Lesser Adjutant
Seen in Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. A bird with bald head, haha..

Lesser Coucal
This is one of the best known birds for village people. They think Lesser Coucal has the formula to heal broken bone, so they would purposely break the bone of its chick. The parent will bring back the herb to heal the chick.

Little Cuckoo-Dove
Spotted in hill forest of Tambunan. This dove was taking a nap after heavy meal of fruits.

Little Egret
Though this bird is migratory bird. We see them all year round, mainly around dumpster sites.

Little Pied Flycatcher
Spotted in hill forest of Tambunan.

Little Spiderhunter
The commonest spiderhunter species, but I am always confused them with sunbirds.

Long-tailed Parakeet
A agricultural pest as they feed on fruits and seeds. A bit surprise to see one in Tanjung Aru Beach.

Magpie Robin
A common singing bird, always seen around housing and forest edge. Chinese calls this bird “Happy Bird” (喜鹊) as they believe this bird is a messenger for good news.

Malaysian Blue Flycatcher
Spotted in Maliau Basin and Kinabatangan (Sandakan).

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Greater Coucal
Spotted in Tawau Hills Park. It freaks out many people coz this bird likes to make gu-gu-gu ghost-like sound.

Greater Green Leafbird
Spotted in Maliau Basin and Rainforest Discovery Center (Sandakan City).

Green Imperial pigeon (top: male, below: female)
Can be seen in flock at coastal or mangrove area in late afternoon.

Green Iora
Usually active in canopy area, quite common at Rainforest Discovery Center (Sandakan City). I was very surprised to see them active in low ground in KK Wetland Centre.

Grey Heron
A common migratory bird spotted in Likas Lagoon.

Grey-Chinned Minivet
Spotted in Kinabalu Park.

Grey-rumped Treeswift
Look unfamiliar to you? Actually this treeswift is very common, but it seldoms stop to let people to take a good look of it. You can see this bird dipping for water in Likas Sport Complex in the afternoon.

Grey-Tailed Tattler
Spotted in mudflat next to golf course of Sutera Harbor Resort.

Helmeted Hornbill
Spotted in Tawau Hills Park.

House Crow
You can see a small population in Sinsuran of Kota Kinabalu. It got small patch of grey feather behind its head.

Hill Myna
This bird is the most popular pet bird in Sabah coz of its ability to mimic human voice. Hill Myna is very smart and adorable but unfortunately its population in the wild is declining. If you have a Hill Myna that can “talk” very well, it will become the thief’s target very soon.

House Swift
Spotted in old shoplot in Kuala Penyu. The shop owners never remove their nest. Instead, they think it is a lucky sign. The shop that got the most bird nest also got the most business. The house swift also seems to be able to recognise individual. When I walk around as a stranger, they become nervous and make noise.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Crested Myna
Spotted in Tanjung Aru beach of Kota Kinabalu. Its head look like Elvis Presley, haha..

Crested Serpent Eagle
Spotted in Kinabatangan River.

Crimson Sunbird
Very widespread, spotted in Gaya Island, Tun Fuad Stephens Park, Maliau Basin… It is a very busybody and shameless bird. It always comes near to check me out.

Dark-Hawk Cuckoo
Spotted in Kinabalu Park. It makes very high-pitched and loud call but very difficult to spot. I saw it coz it moved.

Dark-throated Oriole
Spotted in butterfly farm of Poring.

Dollar Bird
Very common in Tanjung Aru beach. If you wonder why it is called Dollar bird, look at the photo of its wings in photo above. Isn’t it look like a US dollar bill?

Dusky Munia
A boring bird commonly seen in paddy field but is endemic to Borneo.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
This is the MOST COMMON bird of Sabah. I bet nobody will object what I say. 50 years ago, there were only a few sighting records of this bird, but now they are everywhere. No, they are not native species of Sabah.

Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher
Spotted in Silau-Silau trail of Kinabalu Park.

Glossy Swiftlet
The most common and widespread swiftlet of Sabah. You can see many of them build nest on the wall in Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort. Their saliva is similar to bird nest swiftlets, but used in very amount to glue the nest. Some evil bird nest sellers extract their saliva and sell it as bird nest! FYI, some swiftlet farmers also use Glossy Swiftlet to raise the brood of bird nest swiftlets (by replacing the eggs).

Great Egret
Though this biggest egret is only a migration bird, it is accepted as the icon (city bird) of Kota Kinabalu. They eyes area will turn green when they are in horny mode (mating season, see photo above). However, they never build a nest here. So in the past some villagers thought the egrets were the messengers from God (as this bird always look/spy at them at river side and never has a nest).

Crested Serpent Eagle
Spotted in Tabin lowland forest, Lahad Datu.

Great Argus Pheasant
Its feather is always used as ornament, e.g. traditional headgear of Murut headhunters.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Chestnut-crested Yuhina
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).

Chestnut-hooded Laughing Thrush
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).

Chinese Egret
This look like ordinary egrets we see everywhere. But this one is a rare migratory bird and every birders want to see it. Note the green leg, and mandibles in different colors.

Cinnamon Bittern
Very common water bird in paddy field and wetland.

Common Greenshank
Spotted in KK Wetland Centre. This one should be a migratory bird but seem like it decides to settle in Sabah. I see it there most of the time.

Common Iora
Common bird in forested or mangrove area of countryside. Most of the time you hear it but can’t see it. It hides itself in the tree very well.

Common Moorhen
Spotted in paddy field of Penampang.

Common Redshank
Spotted in paddy field of Penampang.

Common Ringed Plover
Spotted in Likas Lagoon (Kota Kinabalu).

Common Sandpiper
Spotted in mudflat next to golf course of Sutera Harbor Resort.

Copper-throated sunbird
Spotted in mangrove of Sepilok Laut.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Bornean Bristlehead
This is the most iconic bird of Borneo. Birders from all over the world always look for this unique bird of Borneo. It is the sole representative of the family Pityriasis. You have a good chance of spotting Bornean Bristlehead from canopy walkway of Rainforest Discovery Center and Danum Valley.

Brahminy Kite
Spotted in hill area near Kota Kinabalu. In late afternoon, you could see a few of them near KK Wetland Centre.

Brown Barbet
Most Barbet are colorful species and some even call them “5-color bird”. But the one I spotted is a boring and plain species. Seen in Tun Fuad Stephens Park of Kota Kinabalu.

Brown-capped Woodpecker
Woodpecker always amuses me. Brown-capped woodpecker is very common in coastal area. This species is very easy to find in Likas Sport Complex (Kota Kinabalu) in afternoon time, when there is nobody jogging.

Brown-throated Sunbird
Spotted in car park garden of Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort. The second commonest sunbird.

Brown-wood Owl
Spotted in Tawau Hills Park. I was so so so happy to get its shot. The ranger told me that there was always an owl stayed near building light at night, so it could get easy meal, as many beetles gathered at light. At first attempt to photograph it, it saw me and fleed. But came back to same spot after 15 minutes. So I moved very very slowly, and freeze when it looked at me. At last I got its photo.

Buff-necked Woodpecker
Spotted in mangrove of Sepilok Laut.

Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Spotted in Maliau Basin Studies Centre and Crocker Range Park.

Buff-vented Bulbul
Spotted in Poring Hot Spring.

Buffy Fish Owl
Spotted in night safari in Maliau Basin and Kinabatangan (near to river).

Bushy-crested Hornbill
Spotted in Kinabatangan.

Cattle Egret
This egret likes to feed on the parasites on cattle thus getting this name. The feather of its head and neck area will turn yellow during mating period.

Chestnut Munia
Very common in paddy field, a major pest. The farmers hate them very much. This bird can perch on very thin grass, as if they know kung fu or something.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Black-and-red Broadbill
Spotted next to the lake of Tun Fuad Stephens Park (Kota Kinabalu), a pleasure surprise.

Black-and-yellow Broadbill
A cute and colorful bird found in South East Asia. I saw it at Kinabatangan River (Sandakan) and Mt. Silam (Lahad Datu).

Black-Capped White-Eye
Spotted around Liwagu Restaurant of Kinabalu Park. Very cute and cartoon-like small bird.

Black-headed Bulbul
Spotted in butterfly farm of Poring Hot Springs.

Black-Headed Gull
Spotted on the way to Gaya Island.

Black-Nest Swiftlet
These birds are supposed to be cave dwellers. Due to their precious bird nest, many people have started swiftlet farming by playing bird song to attract swiftlets to build nest in vacant shoplot, so they are getting common even in town area. Swiftlets never perch on wire and they have excellent aero-dynamic skill that they can even make love in the air, oh yeah..

Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Spotted in Kinabalu Park (montane forest).

Blue-eared Kingfisher
Spotted in Kinabatangan, Sandakan.

Blue-Naped Parrot
The best place to see this bird is in Tanjung Aru beach of Kota Kinabalu. In fact, this bird is endangered species in Philippines, somehow they establish a small population in Tanjung Aru. They are so noisy that you won’t miss them. They build their nest in the tree holes.

Blue-Throated Bee Eater
Very beautiful and colorful bird. I spotted them in Tun Fuad Stephens Park and KK Wetland Centre. When they catch a bee, they would purposely rub the bee to produce a chemical that attracts more bees to them.

Bornean Whistler
A bird endemic to Borneo and live in montane forest. Very easy to spot in Kinabalu Park.

Borneon Treepie
Spotted in Silau-Silau trail of Kinabalu Park. Endemic to Borneo.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Bird-watching is one of the things I do during travel, so I have more than 150 photos of different birds in Sabah. I was not using a cannon-size 500mm lens, so my bird photos shot with cheap 250mm lens are mostly low-quality and blur. Anyway, this is still a nice guide, because 90% of the Sabah birds normal people see daily are listed here. I organize the list in alphabetic order of their common names. I’m not an expert birders. Please let me know if there is any mistake.

Ashy Bulbul
Spotted in hill area of Rafflesia Information Center (Tambunan).

Ashy Tailorbird
Can be easily seen in coastal garden and mangrove area. Very noisy and active, and fly low in flock. As they are restless and like to hop from branch to branch, this makes them very hard to photograph. Their babies look so much bigger than the parents. As the nest of Ashy Tailorbird is sometimes hosted by cuckoo, these may not be their real babies..

Asian Black Hornbill (top: male, below: female)
Spotted in Maliau Basin. You can see it in Lok Kawi Wildlife Park too.

Asian Fairy Bluebird
Spotted in hill forest of Tawau Hills Park and Poring. Very shy and hard to get close.

Asian Glossy Starling
This bird is everywhere. Black shiny body with red eyes. The juvenile has heavy stripes. Your fruits are finished if they come, and they always know to pick the best ones.

Banded Woodpecker
The commonest mid-sized woodpecker of Borneo. This one is spotted in Rainforest Discovery Center (Sandakan City).

Barn Swallow
A winter migratory birs spotted in Tawau Hills Park.

Black-backed Swamphen
A common bird in Likas Lagoon and swampy area.

Black-Naped Monarch
Spotted in forest of Tawau Hills Park and Gaya Island. Very curious bird. Its “beard” looks funny.

Black-Winged Flycatcher
Spotted in Tun Fuad Stephens Park, Kota Kinabalu.

Black-Winged Stilt (top: male, below: female)
A migratory bird spotted in Penampang paddy field and Likas Lagoon.

Blue-banded Pitta
Pitta is the Jewel of Borneo due to its rareness and colourful feathers. Blue-banded Pitta is endemic to Borneo and always on the must-see list of birders. Too bad this bird is very elusive and sensitive, so you only can find it in undisturbed rainforest such as Danum Valley.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo