birding the tip of the malay peninsula: bird diversity and birding sites

BirdingASIA 17 (2012): 81–93 81

IntroductionJohor is the southernmost state of PeninsularMalaysia, covering an area which historicallyincluded some of the largest expanses of lowlandrainforest in South-East Asia and even today some20% of this forest cover still remains. Notsurprisingly the state is rich in birds, but sadly isignored by most birders visiting Malaysia who focuson the ‘traditional hotspots’ of Gombak, TamanNegara, Fraser’s Hill and Kuala Selangor in Pahangand Selangor. But with more than 450 recordedspecies Johor has much to offer, particularly forthose passing through or domiciled in Singapore—the main lowland rainforest site in southern Johor,Panti Forest Reserve (Panti FR) is accessible byroad from Singapore in an hour. A week spent inJohor’s diverse habitats can produce 200–250species depending on the season.

This article does not attempt to cover all Johor’ssites, but we hope that it will foster the growinginterest in birding and ecotourism in the state, ajewel of Peninsular Malaysia.

Background to Johor todayJohor, 19,984 km! in area, is the third largest stateafter Perak and Pahang (Lum 2010) and is the onlystate in Peninsular Malaysia that straddles thepeninsula with coastlines bordering the Strait ofMalacca to the west and the South China Sea tothe east. Largely flat, Johor is isolated from themain Titiwangsa mountain range and its satelliteswith few peaks exceeding 1,000 m; the highestbeing Gn Ledang (formerly Mt Ophir) at 1,276 min the north-west, followed by Gn Belumut at1,010 m in the centre. Johor is drained by manyrivers notably the Sungei Johor (Johor river) whichrises in the Panti massif and flows through primaryhill forest, riparian forest and a largely deforestedfloodplain to the mangrove-fringed Tebrau Straitnorth-east of Singapore. Other major rivers includethe Muar, draining into the Strait of Malacca, andthe Skudai, which drains into the western part ofthe Strait of Johor.

Economic development came early to Johor andconversion to oil palm, rubber, gambier andpineapple cultivation account for the bulk of theland-use change, although recently urbanisationand industrial development have increased. JohorBahru, the state capital, has a population of over 2

BIRDING HOTSPOT

Birding the tip of the Malay peninsula:bird diversity and birding sites in Johor

KIM SENG LIM, DING LI YONG, WEI WAH LUM & KIM CHUAH LIM

million people and is congested and sprawling. Thestate government has established a developmentarea—Iskandar Malaysia—and is moving to a newadministrative centre at Nusajaya.

Natural habitats in JohorNot surprisingly, montane vegetation is exceedinglyrare, confined to the few peaks that dot the state,and the dominant climax vegetation is mixedlowland and hill dipterocarp forest, which isunfortunately reduced to a few large blocs in thenorth-east (e.g. Ulu Sedili FR and Endau-RompinNP) and many scattered smaller fragments (e.g.Gn Pulai FR and Arong FR) surrounded by a matrixof monoculture and settlements. The forests aredominated by multiple genera of dipterocarp treeswith heights exceeding 30 m although, givenextensive logging, only a limited amount of whatcan be considered ‘primary’ forest remains.However, there are still large areas of logged forestsin managed forest reserves.

Lowland dipterocarp forests in Johor (as withsimilar areas elsewhere in Malaysia, Brunei andlowland Sumatra) support the richest and mostdiverse bird assemblages in tropical Asia. A patchof lowland forest only 2 km! may support a residentbird community of 190 species (Wells 1999) andwhen migrants are excluded, more than 200 specieshave been recorded in an 8 km section of primaryand logged forest in Panti FR (Yong 2006). Theselowland forests form a crucial habitat for manyglobally threatened lowland specialists such as theVulnerable Crestless Fireback Lophuraerythrophthalma, Endangered Storm’s Stork Ciconiastormi, Vulnerable Wallace’s Hawk Eagle Spizaetusnanus, Vulnerable Short-toed Coucal Centropusrectunguis and Vulnerable Brown-chested JungleFlycatcher Rhinomyias brunneatus.

Swamp-forests have generally receivedconsiderably less attention from biologists as aresult of difficulties in access. However, in Johorwhere swamp-forest is an important habitat, Corner(1978) made one of the best botanical assessmentsof riverine swamp-forests in tropical Asia on theSungei Johor. Swamp-forest, both freshwater andpeat, is partly waterlogged and usually abutsdryland dipterocarp forest and supports a similarbird community, although many ground-dwellingbirds occur in lower densities.

82 Birding the tip of the Malay peninsula: bird diversity and birding sites in Johor

Much of the east coast has sandy beaches withpockets of remnant beach forests and, rarely,mangroves, while the west coast, despiteconsiderable exploitation, supports healthy standsof mangrove forest, with large patches protectedin a few major forest reserves (e.g. Benut) andnational parks (e.g. Tanjong Piai). Although overallspecies diversity is considerably lower than inlowland rainforests, mangroves form uniquehabitats that support a number of specialists,including Mangrove Pitta Pitta megarhyncha,Mangrove Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rufigastra,Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus andCopper-throated Sunbird Nectarinia calcostetha.The adjoining mudflats support a significantpopulation of the Vulnerable Lesser AdjutantLeptoptilos javanicus as well as herons and waders,including in winter the rare Vulnerable ChineseEgret Egretta eulophotes.

There are three Important Bird Areas (IBA) inJohor (BirdLife International 2004, Yeap et al,2007). The south-west coastal IBA extending fromSungei Muar in the north, with Parit Jawa andBenut at its midpoint, to Tanjong Piai and PulauKukup (both Ramsar sites) in the south, includesa significant area of mangrove forest and tidalmudflats. The other IBAs, Panti FR and Endau-Rompin National Park (NP) (shared with Pahangstate), cover large areas of lowland rainforest.

Man-made habitats in JohorLarge areas of Johor are converted to agriculturewith plantations of oil palm which continue toexpand (Peh et al. 2006, Lum 2010) dominatingthe state, whilst many smaller areas of fruitorchards produce durian, banana, pineapple andwatermelon. This landscape supports a species-

poor avian community of adaptable birds typifiedby Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus, RedJunglefowl Gallus gallus and Oriental Pied HornbillAnthracoceros albirostris, as well as a few speciesof bulbul, sunbird, tailorbird and cuckoo; but areasadjacent to forest may exhibit slightly higherdiversity. Oil palm plantations support a numberof owl species, with nest-boxes successfully placedin some estates to attract Barn Owls Tyto alba asrodent control agents. Spotted Wood Owls Strixseloputo are likely to have been attracted by thehigh density of rats and even Barred Eagle OwlBubo sumatranus has been recorded where thereis still forest nearby.

There is a small area of wet paddy cultivationin the north-west and the paddyfields which adjoinareas of secondary scrub and mangroves are usedby foraging Lesser Adjutants and a number ofresident heron species. In winter this area is utilisedby various Aquila eagles, especially the GreaterSpotted Eagle A. clanga which occurs annually,together with harriers, kites and other migratoryherons and passerines (Lum 2010).

A brief history of ornithology in JohorWilliam Farquhar, the Resident of Malacca (laterthe first Resident of Singapore), is credited withthe first recorded collecting in Johor, obtainingspecimens on Mt Ophir sometime after 1795. Hewas followed by other notable naturalists andornithologists—Alfred Russel Wallace visited thesite during July–October 1854, followed by RobertRamsay (1873) and John Whitehead (1884–1885).Possibly even more famously, William Davison,curator and travelling collector to A. O. Hume(Collar & Prys-Jones 2012) and later curator of theRaffles Museum, Singapore, explored and collectedin Johor in 1875, 1879,1880 and 1891. Davison alsoexchanged notes and specimens with HenryKelham, a military officer, in 1879 and Kelham alsoexplored north-west and south Johor and collectedfrom Gn Pulai (Wells 2007). It is not surprisingthat sites in Johor are type localities for Sundaicspecies such as Black Partridge Melanoperdix nigra.

The twentieth century saw further activity inJohor from museum curators based in KualaLumpur and Singapore, including HerbertRobinson, Frederick Chasen and Carl Gibson-Hill(Wells 2007). The American explorer WilliamBeebe visited the Labis district on his way north in1910, and the English educator E. Bromleypublished the first observations of birds in Johorduring the 1940s and 1950s. G. Hutchinson wroteabout woodpeckers in South Johor in 1950 and theplanter and OBC member Dennis Batchelorpublished a detailed account of the birds near MtOphir during the 1950s.

Plate 1. Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyiasbrunneatus, Gn Belumut, Johor, 22 April 2010.

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The formation of the Malayan Nature Society(MNS) in 1940 accelerated the rise of amateurnaturalists and ornithologists who became the mainobservers of birdlife in Johor. Two notable exampleswere Ian Teesdale who explored Johor from 1965–1970 and Derek Holmes who was active in the statebetween 1970 and 1973. From the 1960s to 1970bird observation and ringing was carried out by theRoyal Air Force Ornithological Society and the ArmyBirdwatching Club based in Singapore—theiractivities ceased when the British forces withdrewfrom Singapore in 1971. But the impetus in birdobservation and, to a lesser extent, bird ringing inJohor was maintained by members of MNS branchesin Singapore and Johor. With the collaboration ofthe State Forestry Department, their activitiesincluded bird surveys in the new Endau-RompinNP in the 1980s and proposals to manage and protectthe rapidly diminishing rainforest at Panti—finallyopened as a bird sanctuary in 2010—a LesserAdjutant breeding colony in Batu Pahat, a shorebirdobservation centre at Parit Jawa, and the creationof two wetland national parks at Tanjong Piai andKukup Island.

Johor specialitiesMany of the most sought-after Sundaic lowlandrainforest species are found in the state, includingsome that are extremely hard to find elsewhere in

South-East Asia. Bulbuls and babblers dominate theresident avifauna in most areas of lowland forest inPeninsular Malaysia and some areas such as Johormay support up to 12 species and nearly 20respectively. Many species of bulbuls co-exist andwell-explored sites like the Panti FR have been foundto support up to 12 species, including the scarceFinsch’s Bulbul Alophoixus finschii and the elusive,nomadic Black-and-white Bulbul Pycnonotusmelanoleucos. Babblers exploit the diverse nichesoffered by the complex structure of the lowlandrainforest, with species adapted to the forest floor(e.g. Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratumand Striped Wren Babbler Kenopia striata), theunderstorey (e.g. Black-throated Babbler Stachyrisnigricollis and Chestnut-winged Babbler S.erythroptera) and the middle storey and canopy (e.g.Brown Fulvetta Alcippe brunneicauda and Rufous-fronted Babbler S. rufifrons). Other Oriental birdfamilies well represented in Johor’s lowland forestsinclude trogons, kingfishers, cuckoos, hornbills,barbets, pittas, broadbills, flowerpeckers, sunbirdsand the enigmatic, monotypic Malaysian Railbabbler,the latter more easily seen in Johor than anywhereelse in its range. Some of the best remaining lowlandforest in the Endau-Rompin NP and the Panti FRsupport up to 10 species of cuckoo (including fivemalkohas), four trogons, eight hornbills and fivebroadbills. In contrast, Johor’s isolation from theTitiwangsa range, a main feature of much of thepeninsula, has resulted in many widespread montanespecies, including all the montane endemics, beingabsent from Johor’s highest peaks.

Mangrove forests in Johor support a differentbut much smaller community of birds and a typicalsite e.g. Tanjong Piai, may support 30–50 residentspecies. Generally, the status of many migratorybirds remains poorly known in Johor and there arefew records of thrushes, pittas and rails. On theother hand, the efforts of increasing numbers ofbirdwatchers have found some migratory raritiessuch as Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni and evenvagrants new to the state (e.g. Rosy Starling Sturnusroseus) (Lum in press).

Some of the interesting and important speciesrecorded in Johor are as follows:

Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus (Vulnerable)The extensive mudflats and mangroves on Johor’ssouth-west coast are a major stronghold for thisspecies. An estimated 1% of the biogeographicpopulation occurs within the South-west Johorcoast IBA (Yeap et al. 2007), a stretch of 150 kmfrom the Tanjong Piai and Pulau Kukup FRs, tothe mangrove coast off the town of Parit Jawa. Theyalso forage on fallow fields and counts of up to 25individuals have been seen on occasions.

Plate 2. Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcincus, Bukit Wang ForestReserve, Malaysia, 4 March 2010.

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Plate 5. Cinnamon-rumped Trogon Harpactes orrhophaeus,Taman Negara, Malaysia, 6 October 2010.

Plate 4. Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon Treron fulvicollis,Singapore, 3 September 2011.

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Plate 3. Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon Treron fulvicollis, east coast of Johor, Peninsular Malaysia, 21 April 2005.

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Plate 6. Short-toed Coucal Centropus rectunguis, Panti Forest, Malaysia, 17 April 2011.

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Plates 7 & 8. Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona, Panti Forest, Malaysia, 7 June 2010.

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Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus(Least Concern)This non-migratory raptor is uncommon inPeninsular Malaysia—most recent records are fromthe central-western states of Selangor, Perak andPahang. Easily missed due to its crepuscular habits,it is probably overlooked in Johor, because recentobservations show it to be regular in Panti FR wherethere are two recent nesting records from theBunker Trail area.

Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii(Near Threatened)A specialist of sandy beaches and one of tworesident Charadrius plovers in South-East Asia,it is uncommon and declining across itsrelatively small range due to the development ofsandy beaches for tourism and infrastructuree.g. in eastern Singapore. The sandy beaches ofeastern Johor, especially Teluk Mahkota (Jason’sBay), are probably some of the best places tosee it.

Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon Treron fulvicollis(Near Threatened)Small groups of this uncommon but distinctivelowland-dwelling pigeon may be seen in thelowland forests, especially swampy, logged forestsand mangroves in eastern and south-eastern Johor.

Plate 9. Malayan Banded Pitta Pitta irena, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 17 April 2012.

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It has been recently recorded in the Mersing andUlu Sedili areas and Panti FR.

Short-toed Coucal Centropus rectunguis(Vulnerable)The only coucal found in closed-canopy forests. Apossibly nomadic ground forager, it frequents thefloor and understorey of logged and primary lowlandforests, including swamp-forest. It has been recordedin Endau-Rompin NP and recently in Panti FR.

Cinnamon-rumped Trogon Harpactes orrhophaeus(Near Threatened)This is the least frequently recorded of the fourlowland trogons in Peninsular Malaysia, possiblybecause of its silent behaviour and consistent useof concealed, low perches (Wells 1999). It is regularin the Panti FR where there are many recent recordsand it also occurs in Endau-Rompin NP and UluSedili FR.

Blue-banded Kingfisher Alcedo euryzona(Vulnerable)In Peninsular Malaysia, this species usually occursin hilly and submontane primary forest (Wells 1999).Previously only found north of Negeri Sembilan, itsrecent discovery on streams in Panti FR and GnBelumut FR (S. Cockayne in litt. 2009) extends theknown range southwards by nearly 200 km.


Plate 10. Finsch’s Bulbul Alophoixus finschii, Panti Forest,Malaysia, 17 April 2012.

Plate 11. Black-throated Babbler Stachyris nigricollis, TamanNegara, Malaysia, 27 July 2008.

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Plate 12. White-necked Babbler Stachyris leucotis, Panti Forest, Malaysia, 23 June 2011.


Plate 13. Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus thoracicus, Panti Forest, Malaysia, 3 June 2008.

Plate 14. Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, Panti Forest, Malaysia,3 June 2008.

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Rufous-collared Kingfisher Actenoides concretus(Near Threatened)This colourful inhabitant of lowland forests is easilymissed due to its unobtrusive habits—most vocalin the early morning, it otherwise perches quietlyin the understorey. It occurs at relatively highdensities in Panti FR where as many as four pairsmay be heard within a short distance. It also occursin Ulu Sedili FR and Endau-Rompin NP.

Wrinkled Hornbill Aceros corrugatus(Near Threatened)This relatively small hornbill is a specialist of plains-level lowland forest—particularly swamp-forest(Wells 1999). Now present only in low densitiesthroughout its range, often in pairs, it is still seenin Panti FR swamp-forest despite logging. It alsooccurs in Ulu Sedili FR, Gemaluang FR and Endau-Rompin NP.

Giant Pitta Pitta caerulea (Near Threatened)One of the most sought-after forest birds in South-East Asia, this surprisingly drab species persists inJohor’s lowland forests. Although only occasionallyrecorded from Endau-Rompin NP, it is probablyunder-recorded as much of the park is infrequentlyvisited. There were records from Panti FR in 2009,2010 and 2011.


Malayan Banded Pitta Pitta irena (Near Threatened)The Banded Pitta complex is now recognised toconsist of three full species (Rheindt & Eaton 2010),of which the Malayan Banded Pitta occurs only inthe Thai-Malay Peninsula and Sumatra and isdesignated as Near Threatened because of itsdependence on lowland forests, a fast-disappearinghabitat across its range. The best sites for thisspecies are Panti FR, where it is uncommon, UluSedili FR and Endau-Rompin NP.

Malaysian Railbabbler Eupetes macrocercus(Near Threatened)A bird with complicated taxonomic affinities and aremarkable breeding display (Yong, in prep.), thepoorly known but highly prized MalaysianRailbabbler occurs at surprisingly high densities inPanti FR, probably the easiest site to see it anywherein its range, while it is considerably rarer in Endau-Rompin NP, Ulu Sedili FR and Gn Belumut FR.

Finsch’s Bulbul Alophoixus finschi(Near Threatened)This rare, drab bulbul is largely confined to lowlandforest across its Sundaic range. Probablyoverlooked due to its superficial resemblance toother brown bulbuls, it occurs regularly in PantiFR and there are many recent records, mostly ofbirds feeding at fruiting figs or the Macaranga treeswhich are common along forest edges.

Black-throated Babbler Stachyris nigricollis(Near Threatened) and White-necked BabblerS. leucotis (Near Threatened)With their distinctive facial patterns, these twospecies are among the most striking of the babblers.While Black-throated Babbler is relatively common,

occurring even in logged forests, the White-neckedBabbler appears to be considerably rarer, even inoptimal primary forest habitats. The best places tosee the two species are Endau-Rompin NP, PantiFR and Ulu Sedili FR.

Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilusthoracicus (Near Threatened)A specialist of plains-level lowland forest (Wells1999), it is most regularly encountered at Panti FRwhere it is usually seen perched high up or feedingon fruits in swamp-forest. It has also been recordedat Endau-Rompin NP.

Birdwatching sitesThanks to the efficient network of roads andhighways, a week’s birding covering the major sitesis likely to yield between 200–250 species, includingmany Sundaic endemics. The itinerary couldinclude a day at Tanjong Piai for mangrovespecialists, a day at Parit Jawa for the VulnerableLesser Adjutant and waders, followed by a shortdetour to Sungei Balang for marshland birds andmigrant raptors, with the remaining time in PantiFR for rainforest species. There is the addedpossibility of a half-day side-trip to see MalaysianPlover at Teluk Mahkota (formerly Jason’s Bay)about 28 km north-east of the town of Kota Tinggior at Desaru close to Bandar Penawar. Sites ofspecial interest are described below.

Panti Forest Reserve and Bird SanctuaryThe most popular birding spot in Johor, this sitecovers some 20,000 ha and consists of a mosaic ofprimary lowland and hill forests, peat swamps,logged and regenerating forests and scrub, in a seaof oil palm. An IBA, a large part of it was designated

Plate 15. Gunung Panti from Bunker Hill, May 2009.

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Figure 1. Map of Johor, Peninsular Malaysia,showing birdwatching sites.

1. Panti Forest Reserve and Bird Sanctuary2. Endau-Rompin National Park3. Gn Ledang (Mt Ophir)4. Gunung Belumut5. Parit Jawa6. Sungei Balang7. Air Papan8. Kahang rice fields9. Tanjong Piai and Pulau Kukup National Parks

Plate 16. Endau-Rompin National Park, May 2009.

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as a bird sanctuary in 2010. Access is from thetown of Kota Tinggi and it is also easily reachedfrom Singapore, an hour’s drive away. Over 320species of birds have been recorded here includingsuch sought-after gems as Wrinkled Hornbill,White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis,Malaysian Honeyguide Indicator archipelagicus,Blue-banded Kingfisher, Large FrogmouthBatrachostomus auritus, Storm’s Stork, Giant Pitta,Malaysian Railbabbler, White-tailed FlycatcherCyornis concretus, Black-and-white Bulbul, andScarlet-breasted and Brown-backed FlowerpeckersDicaeum everetti (Lau et al. 2012). Althoughground-dwelling birds and the larger forest speciessuch as hornbills are scarce due to disturbance, itis possible to record over 100 species in a day’sbirding, and over 150 in 3–4 days. There is alsothe exciting possibility of encountering mammalssuch as tapir, elephant, sun bear, leopard and tiger,and up to five species of primate.

Endau-Rompin National ParkThis IBA, with an area of 48,905 ha, is the secondlargest national park in the peninsula and is locatedon the north-eastern border with Pahang (Yeap etal. 2007). It boasts a large wilderness area withremote mountains, rivers and waterfalls, and isworth exploring. Over 195 birds have been recordedhere (Davison 1987), include Great ArgusArgusianus argus, Long-billed Partridge Rhizotheralongirostris, both firebacks, Wallace’s Hawk Eagle,Storm’s Stork, Giant Pitta and MalaysianRailbabbler. There is also an abundance of mammalswith over 60 species recorded, including the globallythreatened Sumatran Rhinoceros Dicerorhinussumatrensis and Ridley’s Horseshoe BatHipposideros ridleyi (Davison 1987). Birdwatchingis challenging as the trails are narrow and physically

taxing. Access is from either Kahang or Selai, withfour-wheel drive vehicles required due to the toughterrain and poor state of the dirt tracks.

Gn Ledang (formerly Mt Ophir)This national park on the north-west border isshared with the state of Malacca. Access is fromthe ancient city of Malacca or from Tangkak inJohor. Chalets and camping grounds are availableas it is a popular hiking destination for thosewishing to scale the 1,276 m peak, the state’shighest mountain. Vegetation ranges from hill tolower montane forest and a suite of interesting birdscan be seen, including Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplaxvigil, all five lowland malkohas, Striped WrenBabbler and Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotusfinlaysoni, the latter locally scarce in Johor. Thereare no true montane species due to its isolationfrom the main range.

Gn BelumutThis state park is in central Johor, south of Kahang.Vegetation consists mainly of primary hill andlower montane forest that reaches an altitude of1,010 m. Of interest here are the abundantJohannesteijsmannia palms and slipper orchids,whilst birds of note include Oriental Bay OwlPhodilus badius, Maroon-breasted PhilentomaPhilentoma velatum, Grey-throated BabblerStachyris nigriceps, Horsfield’s BabblerMalacocincla sepiarium and Ashy Bulbul Hemixosflavala. There are also recent records of Blue-banded Kingfisher and Reddish Scops Owl Otusrufescens.

Parit JawaThis belt of coastal mudflats and mangrove foreston the west coast adjoins a fishing village of the

Plate 17. Gn Belumut, August 2009.

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same name and is part of the South-West JohorIBA (Yeap et al 2007). Access is from the seasidetowns of Muar and Batu Pahat. The latter is alsonoteworthy for its nesting colony of LesserAdjutants, which can usually be observed roostingin mangroves or feeding on the mudflats—this areais one of the easiest places to see this species inMalaysia, along with scores of migrating andwintering waders.

Sungei BalangLocated south of Parit Jawa, Sungei Balang is partof a 2,000 ha rice-field scheme that is good forwintering raptors, shorebirds and open-countrypasserines. It is possible to drive along the bundsbut beware of soft mud. Interesting species includethe Vulnerable Greater Spotted Eagle, ImperialEagle Aquila heliaca and Steppe Eagle A. nipalensis,Black Kite Milvus migrans, Pied Circusmelanoleucos and Eastern Marsh Harrier Circusspilonotus, Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus,wagtails and pipits. The area is also good forwaterbirds ranging from the tiny Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta to the ungainly Lesser Adjutant.Malaysia’s fourth Pectoral Sandpiper C. melanotoswas found here and Rosy Starlings are regularlyrecorded.

Air PapanThe vast shoreline north of the sleepy seaside townof Mersing on the east coast consists mostly ofsandy and muddy shore that attracts waders suchas Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus,Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes, theresident Malaysian Plover and numerous ternspecies. Trips to the hundreds of small islets in theJohor-Pahang archipelago to see Nicobar PigeonsCaloenas nicobarica, terns, Lesser FrigatebirdFregata ariel, the Critically EndangeredChristmas Island Frigatebird F. andrewsi andoceanic birds such as storm-petrels may bearranged from Mersing. North of the beach aremixed habitats ranging from mangroves and rice-fields to remnant coastal forest which still harboursseveral species of hornbill. The small hill of GnArong, still largely forested, can be explored forforest birds.

Kahang rice-fieldsThis is a state-funded rice-field project located inKahang, central Johor. The emphasis here is onorganic rice and fruit farming, and so fewerchemicals are used than elsewhere. The ponds areworth exploring as they are usually full ofwaterbirds that favour fresh water, including LesserWhistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica, CottonPygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus, Purple

Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, Red-wattledLapwing and various quails, crakes and herons.

Tanjong Piai National ParkThis Ramsar site is the southernmost protected areain Peninsular Malaysia and harbours one of themost extensive stands of mangroves left on its westcoast. It attracts many waterbirds to its mudflats,including waders, terns, egrets and Lesser Adjutant.A network of boardwalks enables birders to explorethe mangroves for interesting specialists such asGreater Flameback, Chestnut-bellied MalkohaPhaenicophaeus sumatranus, Mangrove Pitta,Mangrove Whistler and Mangrove Blue Flycatcher.Access is from the sleepy coastal town of Kukup,where good, cheap seafood may be found, abouttwo hours’ drive from Singapore.

Pulau Kukup National ParkPulau Kukup, another Ramsar site is a largemangrove island also near Kukup town. It attractsLesser Adjutant and Chinese Egret in addition tothe resident mangrove species. Access to the islandis by ferry from Kukup. The island has a networkof boardwalks and an observation tower fromwhich one may look for its mangrove specialistsincluding Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove Whistler andMangrove Blue Flycatcher.

Conservation in JohorMuch of Johor’s remaining primary lowland forest,managed by the State Forestry Department, isreserved for future exploitation. The forest reservesare logged in multiple cycles and are usually leftuntouched for about 20–30 years before being re-logged. While some forest species such as babblersand sunbirds are able to survive post-logging (Pehet al. 2005), other important species such aspheasants and hornbills decline in density orbecome extinct.

Fragmentation of the forest into smaller andsmaller patches, separated from each other by largeexpanses of plantations, threatens smallpopulations of forest birds isolated there (Peh etal. 2006). Some isolated forest fragments, e.g. GnPulai, may already have lost many large forestbirds, especially hornbills. Poaching for food andthe pet trade threaten a number of popular cage-bird species such as White-rumped ShamaCopsychus malabaricus and the increasingly rareBlue-rumped Parrot Psittinus cyanurus, which aredirectly trapped from the wild.

The state government, through its wildlifedepartment (Perhilitan), forestry department andthe Johor National Parks Corporation, hasestablished and maintains a number of nationalparks to conserve the remaining forests. The single


Plate 18. Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus sumatranus, Panti Forest, 22 April 2007.

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most important conservation site in Johor is thelarge Endau-Rompin NP, the result of a successfulexpedition and lobby led by the MNS in conjunctionwith the state government (Kudus & Yeap 2010).Endau-Rompin, which extends north into the stateof Pahang, is partly contiguous with major blocsof primary and logged forest, partially protected ina number of forest reserves (e.g. Ulu Sedili, Labis,Mersing and Lenggor) as a major forest complex,forming a major wildlife corridor in Johor’s north-east. The other national parks protect a number ofoffshore islands, Johor’s highest peak (Gn LedangNP), and a large part of the state’s remainingmangroves (Pulau Kukup and Tanjong Piai NPs).Forests are also protected in the state as ‘catchmentforest’, ‘recreational forest’ and ‘bird sanctuaries’,whilst a recent successful lobby led by the MNSadded the Panti Bird Sanctuary to the state’sprotected network in 2010.

ReferencesCollar, N. J. & Prys-Jones, R. P (2012) Allan Octavian Hume. BirdingASIA

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Kim Seng LIMEmail: [email protected]

Ding Li YONG (corresponding author)South-East Asian Biodiversity Society

5-4 Choa Chu Kang St 51, #0-1-173, Singapore 680504Email: [email protected]

Wei Wah LUMEmail: [email protected]

Kim Chuah LIMEmail: [email protected])

birding the tip of the malay peninsula: bird diversity and birding sites

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