TRK for the birds

I am so convinced that Taman Rimba Kiara is an ideal ground for bird watching.  Of course, it was much better in previous years when there wasn't so much development, i.e. condominiums surrounding the taman.  Then, it was easier to spot the real big birds or raptors which were not afraid to come close to the ground.
     This Oriental Honey-buzzard was often spotted during the raptor migratory period.

This Crested Serpent-eagle was a regular to the taman, spotted frequently by the pond and even undeterred by human presence.  Although one can still see it but not regular anymore.

However, this is not to say that the taman is no longer attractive as a birdwatching site.  On the contrary, having spoken to a few senior as well as amateur birders, we agreed that there is hardly another urban taman where one can see so many common or garden birds.  This will be particularly appealing to those who are new to birdwatching, and so accessible too, the taman is within easy driving distance for most.
     Furthermore, feeding trees are aplenty, and the trees fruiting one after another, which means that the birds do not have to fly off somewhere to forage.
     The common birds are easy to spot and photograph.  For example, there are more Oriental Magpie Robins here than anywhere else, and to top it off, one can easily sight this bird in various development of growth, from juvenile to sub-adult to adult stage.  It will be enlightening and educational for a lot of people.

Female OMR

Male OMR

Juvenile OMR

Sub-adult OMR

     Then more fun awaits.  One would want to go for the more attractive birds, and more challenging too, because these are not so frequent to the taman like the Woodpeckers, Malkohas and Barbets. All one needs is patience to stalk and repeat visits to the taman.

Green-billed Malkoha

Male Common Flameback Woodpecker

Female Common Flameback Woodpecker

Coppersmith Barbet

Female Asian Koel

     When the migratory period begins, it gets more fascinating as the migratory birds like the Bee-eaters and Shrikes not only stop by but stay for months.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Brown Shrike

     When one is lucky one also gets to sight the really rare visitors to the taman like the Collared Kingfisher, Common Emerald Dove and Banded Woodpecker.
      There are more than 50 species of birds spotted in this taman, and I hope to continue to add on to the list.

Common Emerald Dove

Collared Kingfisher

Banded Woodpecker