Borneo: Sarawak Endemics

Black Oriole, Hose's Broadbill and Dulit Frogmouth

A terrible photo but this is the hardest trogon to find in Asia, so quite the coup to find it.
A terrible photo but this is the hardest trogon to find in Asia, so quite the coup to find it.
Photo credit: Susan Myers
2025 Tour Price
$3,990
2025
Single Room Supplement $260
2026
Tour Price to be Determined
Maximum group size six with one WINGS leader.
Tour balances paid by check/bank transfer may carry a 4% discount

Borneo is quite rightly regarded as one of the great storehouses of our planet’s incredible biological diversity. Charles Darwin’s famous description, “one great, wild, untidy, luxuriant hothouse made by nature herself,” although often said incorrectly to have been inspired by Borneo, is in fact perfect for Borneo. Sarawak, the legendary land of headhunters and hornbills, is Malaysia‘s largest state, occupying the northwestern portion of the great island of Borneo. Here, the ever-wet rainforests reach unparalleled diversity and are home to a dizzying array of tropical wildlife - a great portion of Borneo’s 650 bird species have been recorded in the state.

In the far north of Sarawak in the Ulu Trusan region, the mountainous Paya Maga IBA is one of the state’s most promising new birding destinations. It can be reached by four-wheel-drive vehicle from the town of Lawas, and the campsite in the forest at the higher elevations allow us access to some very special attractions including Bornean Frogmouth, Bornean Leafbird, Hose’s Broadbill, and the recently rediscovered Black Oriole.

Pulong Tau National Park, Sarawak’s largest reserve comprising nearly 600 sq. km of pristine montane rainforest, occupies the western flank of the Kelabit highlands of northeastern Sarawak.  Its spectacular mountain landscapes include Mount Murud, Sarawak’s highest peak (2,424 m), and the Tama Abu range. The whole area is home to the ethnic Lun Bawang, meaning people of the land. Formerly known as a tribe of fierce headhunters, most have now converted to Christianity and have settled down to quiet lives of growing rice and raising chickens. Don’t worry - definitely no more headhunting! More than 300 species of birds are listed for this park, including the rare endemic Bulwer’s Pheasant and Black Partridge, although we’ll be lucky indeed to find these. With a broad altitudinal range and habitat diversity, Pulong Tau National Park is home to numerous other bird endemics including Bornean Whistler, Mountain Barbet, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, and the enigmatic Dulit Frogmouth. One of the main villages of the Pulong Tau area is Ba’ Kelalan, situated about 1000 meters above sea level, and located deep in the Kelabit Highlands.  This will be our base for three nights.

This tour is a rewarding adjunct to our main Borneo tour in Sabah and will complement that list with some strikingly different birds.

Tour Team
Itinerary (Click to see more)
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Narrative (Click to see more)
Tour Notes

Single rooms or rooms with en suite facilities won’t be available in some places. See Tour Information for details. 

Maximum group size six with one WINGS leader.

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