It’s not a new mammal family, but definitely a new addition to our collection! Spotted this stunning-looking mammal on Waigeo Island. While everyone was enjoying coffee and waiting for fruit-doves, some local kids called us into the forest. We couldn’t really understand what they were saying—but soon enough, this beautiful creature appeared, low and close. What a surprise and such a beautiful moment!
Is a long journey from Malaysia – Sulawesi – Jayapura (~26 hours without a bed, too much coffee and waiting) …for the day1 when we arrive, we give Magnificent Riflebird a try but failed to have any photo .. but the bird was well seen above our “hide”
Day2 – Nimbokrang
We start our drive, walk ~430am, 15 min drive and ~20min walk … the first Bird-of-paradise is waiting for us .. before we walk into our “hide”. The bird keeps calling, trying to attract female … but seem it is not attractive enough. only one female comes close and fast. The male trying to “show off” with some action but the female flew off just immediate it trying to show his “dance”
I am mostly recording video, so this picture I share is a Jpeg extract from Canon Digital Photo Professional software …
– one of the most easier, walk not that far and the birds just there without any waiting
– first Bird-of-Paradise of the trip and amazing beautiful
非常漂亮的天堂鳥。
update 202508
It’s amazing how this bird kept calling during all three of our visits—only once did it attempt to display for a nearby female. I really enjoy watching this species dance; it’s not as dark or fast-moving as some other birds-of-paradise, which makes it even more enjoyable to observe.
It’s our last day at the first birding spot, and we were happy with our choice—got an even better view of this stunning Bird-of-Paradise. Since I already had good shots of its display, I focused on capturing it in flight. And yes… it flew off right after a nearby female called!
202507, Nimbokrang, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia
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update 202507
After several years, I’m finally back in West Papua—so excited to return! Our first bird-of-paradise of the trip was the same as before: a beautiful male Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, calling at dawn in the dim morning light.
– let’s share some old pictures and video
– this was 2019 Oct, our West Papua Bird Photography trip first Birds-of-Paradise and one of the most easier.
– special of this bird is the tails
2. King Bird-of-paradise, 王极乐鸟, 王天堂鳥, Cicinnurus regius, ヒヨクドリ, Cendrawasih Raja
update 202602
This is one of my absolute favorite birds, and seeing it always gets my heart racing. This trip was particularly special because we found a much better vantage point. Unlike the first spot where the birds stayed high up after a 15-minute walk, this site offered open, low-level views for everyone. It did require a 40-minute trek through flat, muddy trails, but the proximity was worth it. Some of us even went back for a second round to capture better shots. I am already looking forward to returning in August 2026. Who wants to join me?
202507, Nimbokrang, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia
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update 202508
This is definitely one of my favorite birds-of-paradise. It usually stays high in the canopy, but with some luck, you can still capture its stunning poses and display.
For this trip, we were lucky—it came down really low, giving us a perfect chance to photograph this beautiful bird up close!
202507, Nimbokrang, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia
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BoP #2 which is my target #1 for this tour, was just about 20min walking after Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, but this is so much smaller, higher & active makes only a very limited angle to get the full view. I am lucky to have this just ~5min wait.
King Bird-of-paradise, 王极乐鸟
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3. Lesser Bird-of-paradise, 小极乐鸟, 小天堂鳥, Paradisaea minor, コフウチョウ, Cendrawasih Kecil
– The only BoP we didn’t see much and dancing .. just hear most of the time … the location we wait seem not the really correct location for “dancing” … but it did flying across and let us record
– 在非常高的樹上叫不停，就見到它們飛來飛去。幸運都停了一會。
update 202508
Same as before—it stayed high up in the trees. But this time, we were lucky to be much closer (surprisingly, we didn’t walk much on this tour—except one guest who followed me for the Black Sicklebill). Still, the bird was displaying with a few females nearby, and everyone was happy with the show!
– another not so obvious Bird-of-Paradise got from Irian Jaya.
– this is so far away, and somehow it still belongs to BoP .. we got it record ..
– 鳥不是特別出色，還要在遠遠的。
– 攝於伊里安查亚
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After 5 days of “enjoy”, reasonable food, easy walk (flat), air-cond room, not far from airport and bird spots .. we finally move to 2nd destination Arfak Mountain..
After got the information before, we get ready with some extra food … sleeping beg, insect repellent, etc .. just before we going into a “no Phone” (only a particular spot can get a phone signal which is a bit distance from our “homestay”. After ~2 hours of offroad travel, we arrive at our homestay a little bit late and with rain .. so we call this a day and enjoy our cold stay
Here, we need to split into a few groups to decide on different BoP hide due to limited “hole” for photography …
Day1 at Arfak Mountain
5. Western Parotia, 阿法六线风鸟, 阿法六線風鳥, Parotia sefilata, カンザシフウチョウ, Parotia Arfak
– lucky to have this amazing, lovely bird for bird #1 .. we walk a very steep hike ~45-60 degree uphill for ~500m … we saw the bird-eating, calling for the whole morning but just not dancing … at ~9 am, we almost give up … the female came to the dancing group, followed by the male than the moment begin …
update 202602
This is one of our main target species, both to photograph and to witness in person just how incredible its display can be. It is a big bird, and once it starts displaying, it looks both spectacular and amusing at the same time. No matter how many times we watch it, the display never gets boring. Sometimes, we even return again in the afternoon, hoping to catch more action.
##### It’s hard to miss this amazing bird when visiting West Papua—but getting good photos during its “dance” is still a big challenge. The bird moves in every direction with lightning speed, often in low light. Once we had enough photos, everyone switched to video mode, hoping to capture its incredible display. This shot shows the moment it ends its dance—standing still and shaking its head. Captured at 40fps and turned into a short video. Hopefully, I’ll get to share the full display video soon!
– a big overall blackbird, with a colorful throat depends on the angle and also have a Blue eye
– the male famous with ballerina dance displaying to attract female
– 非常特别的天堂鸟。大，黑，喉会变黄绿。为吸引母鸟会跳草裙舞
201910, Mount Arfak, West Papua, Indonesia
update 2020 Jul
Western Parotia, 阿法六線風鳥, 阿法六线风鸟, Parotia sefilata
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so amazing to see it dancing ..
update 2020 Jan 16
a close look at the Juv
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6. Red Bird-of-paradise, 红极乐鸟, 紅極樂鳥, Paradisaea rubra, ジュウニセンフウチョウ, Cendrawasih Mati-kawat
actually, this is the last BoP of the tour but I really like it so much when I process the pictures …. can’t wait to share this great moment with you all. Endemic, common but somehow I really like this
update 202508
This year’s setup is much better—a shorter walk and an improved bird hide gave us a better viewing angle. Unfortunately, no female showed up, so the bird just did a short display as if preparing, then left. Still, a stunning bird and a moment worth witnessing.
This marks the final Bird of Paradise for our 16-day West Papua trip. Everyone was thrilled to see this beautiful and relatively easier species. It looked like it was just starting to display and call for a female—but no luck today. Still, it was fun watching it practice its dance moves!
– another BoP that really amazes us, it keeps cleaning the “dancing” ground and displaying (dancing) to attract a female. make a lot of photo opportunity
– one of the easiest and beautiful Bird-of-Paradise
– every morning, it will come to “dance” ground clearing and calling the female – this is a moment after an hour clearing, no female is approaching so it is resting and preening nearby
– 一隻蠻普通+漂亮的風鳥，天堂鳥。
– 每天它都會到這清理，呼叫。希望母鳥的到來。
update 202602
This is one of the easiest Birds-of-Paradise to see, yet it is still among the most stunning and beautiful. This time, the display site was amazingly right beside the roadside! Compared to past trips, where we needed to hike 1–2 hours on steep slopes, this felt like a real luxury. If we have an extra morning, I would definitely return to enjoy this spectacular display again.
I will be revisiting West Papua in 2026 — anyone interested in joining?
update 202509 ##### Still remember the moment—our porters and local guides were late, so everyone rushed to the birding spot without them. Luckily, we arrived just in time to witness something special. A truly lucky group to see this stunning Bird-of-Paradise performing its display to attract a female. Such an incredible experience with these amazing birds! 还记得当时的情景——我们的挑夫和当地向导迟到了，大家只能自己快步前往观鸟点。幸运的是，我们还是赶上了精彩的时刻。 真是幸运的一组人，看到天堂鸟为了吸引雌鸟而展示求偶舞。这种鸟真是太神奇了！
#####
update 202105
– one of the most seen, photograph BoP, but still like this bird very much. the body contains so much color and the chest “green” can changing depend on lighting and angle to “purple”
It’s not a lifer for me, but watching this bird display openly—with such a unique courtship dance and even mating—definitely made my July 2025 unforgettable. Even with highlights like the dancing Western Parotia, displaying Black Sicklebill, close views of King Bird-of-paradise, a flying Twelve-wired BOP, and up-close Owlet-nightjars… this moment will stick with me forever.
It’s truly a privilege to witness this amazing courtship display. We were lucky to see it many times and even managed to capture it in slow motion with new technology—something that would’ve been nearly impossible just a few years ago. Enjoy the moment!
Frogmouth is one of my favorite bird family .. and I like to see them at night .. this frogmouth is huge !!! average 53cm !!!! We do not really look for it but on the way to our BoP saw it on the wire, road site so I decided to walk down shoot it with handheld .. yes handheld 😀 to reduce time waste …
It’s a massive bird (according to the field guide, 45–60 cm), and it truly looks huge when seen up close. We were lucky that Ahmad took us to his house—yes, just right across from it—to see three of them roosting. But I still hope to see it one day at night, with those glowing red eyes!
这是一只体型非常大的鸟（根据图鉴约45–60厘米），现场看真的很大！
很幸运 Ahmad 带我们去他家（就在他家对面）看到3只正在栖息的鸟。但我还是很想哪天能在夜晚看到它，看到那双“红眼睛”的样子。
202507, Nimbokrang, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia
– One of the most beautiful Monarch seen so far …this male just lovely with a blue eye-ring.
– male Blue-white and female is orange-rufous
– 非常特別與漂亮的王鶲
update 202102
– when I first saw the female, I was like wow this Monarch is just gorgeous. then we spent quite some time getting the male into the frame too.– as other Monarch, active and noisy bird– 當我們見到母鳥時真的不能相信這麼漂亮的王鶲– 讓後我們都決定用一點時間把公鳥拍下。
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– heard this bird calling many places but just too shy to show
– obvious bill shape
– 很多點都能聽到它叫。就是很難見到。
update 202507
Excited to revisit this amazing birding spot soon! During our last trip, we spent quite a bit of time searching for this unique “hook-billed” bird—but the effort was totally worth it. Can’t wait to try again in West Papua!
58. Vogelkop Bowerbird, 褐色园丁鸟, 褐色園丁鳥, Amblyornis inornata, チャイロニワシドリ, Namdur Polos
– one of the amazing birds, how this bird behaves… we spend our rest time to monitor this bird for 2 evenings.. it just amazing collect and put the same color “rubbish” to decorate the house.
– while we hiking for other birding sites, I actually notice some colorful rubbish been hide in some hole …think the bird knows how to keep the “rubbish” in another location if it is not required.
– 蠻大，沒什麼顏色的鳥。
– 非常特別的鳥，會把不一樣的”垃圾“。顏色分類。真的很厲害。
update 202105
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59. Common Paradise-Kingfisher, 普通仙翡翠, 普通仙翡翠, Tanysiptera galatea, ラケットカワセミ, Cekakak-pita biasa
– Blue-white, red bill & long-tailed
– this bird is common especially at Raja Ampat, but it just too active and shy ..
– 印尼拉賈安帕群島蠻普通的鳥，可是很害羞。不容易拍照片。
Common Paradise-Kingfisher, 普通仙翡翠, 普通仙翡翠, Tanysiptera galatea
– pink crown, green black-white breast- orange-yellow belly
– 非常漂亮的果鳩
– 粉紅頭冠，灰白臉與胸，綠背。
– 非常害羞。
update 202508
Small and stunning—another beautiful fruit-dove!
In all my previous visits, we only had brief glimpses, often high up and far away. But this time, it came down low and stayed with us for a good while. What a treat!
One of the most common lowland birds in West Papua—but still very special, especially when it opens its mouth, showing off that bright, shiny color. And the female is just as stunning! (I’ll post her next time.)
For us, after a long day of travel, this was the first bird to welcome us—right outside our room!
update 202102
- this bird very active and beautiful for both male and female
- captured our stay at our hotel at Raja Ampat
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62. Lesser Frigatebird, 白斑军舰鸟, 白班軍艦鳥, Fregata ariel, コグンカンドリ, Cikalang Kecil
– one of the least common in this region with the Greater
– male is easier to distinct but females sometimes confuse.
– LF which refers has obviously the extended spurs which absent from Greater Frigatebird. some angles may confuse with Christmas Island Frigatebird.
update 202101
- captured this at our hotel near the beach while our stay at Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- the spurs extend from the center white breast
- blackhead, the white breast should be an adult female?
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63. Golden Monarch, 金王鹟, 黑黃王鶲, Carterornis chrysomela, キイロカササギビタキ, Kehicap Emas
One of the most common birds around, but this time it kept its distance and wasn’t too friendly. Still, we managed to get plenty of nice flight shots.
Such a beautiful bird, especially when its wings are fully open!
This bird is endemic to Papua Island, and unlike some species that require long waits, this one was a quick and lucky tick! It perched right where we wanted—such a satisfying moment.
Big thanks to the team for their persistence! We finally got a good look at this fairly common lowland forest bird in West Papua. It was a bit of a shame the first one only I managed to photograph—but luckily, we found it again and everyone got their shot!
This was another tricky bird to get! We spent two hours on the first afternoon, and only I managed to get a partial shot of the head and body. The next day trying for Papuan Pitta was another tough one—again, I was the only one who got a photo. On our final evening, Ahmad suggested trying a new bird hide. （bird not come for feed) —just walked and flew around. But in the end, everyone finally got a look at this Papua endemic!
It’s a huge bird with a brightly colored head. I missed it during my last trip, but this time I finally got to see two—moving around almost like pets, even with names! Really happy to finally see this massive and beautiful bird.
202507, Nimbokrang, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia
69. Mountain Owlet-nightjar, 灰裸鼻鸱, 山裸鼻鴟, Aegotheles albertisi, ミヤマズクヨタカ, Atoku gunung
update 202508
This is another one of my favorite bird families—always a top priority whenever I visit sites where it’s possible to see them. During our 4-day stay at Mount Arfak, we saw four individuals: three Mountain and one Feline Owlet-nightjar. This one was especially memorable—so beautiful and just about 5–8 feet away, staring right at us!
It’s not a new family or species — I’ve definitely photographed this bird before during a previous visit to the Arfak area. But this time, I got to witness it fighting with a Lophorina superba while trying to attract a female at the “stage.”
This tiny parrot was feeding—maybe on ants?—along a tree trunk. Luckily, a few came down low near the village, giving us a great look. Up close, it’s truly beautiful; otherwise, it just looks like a little green blur zipping around!
This bird showed up a few times throughout our West Papua trip and became one of our frequently seen species. Unfortunately, only I managed to get some record shots—others only saw it walk past! It actually paused in this spot for around 4 seconds, but due to the bird hide’s viewing angle, not everyone could get a photo.
This is one of the most common birds on Waigeo Island—you can often see them flying around. We were lucky to stay at a resort where they flew close by and occasionally perched on nearby fruit trees. Just before heading out for our evening birding session, this lovely female came really close and low for us—what a treat!
74. Beach Kingfisher, 白头翡翠, 海灘翡翠, Todiramphus saurophagus, シロガシラショウビン, Cekakak Pantai
update 202509
This kingfisher is quite common from Maluku to Papua Island—not a rare bird, but like many kingfishers, it can be shy when approached. Also, it’s not the easiest to photograph, especially with its bright head that’s easy to overexpose.
After our noon break, we explored along the river and were lucky to spot one perched nearby. Even better, it came back again for another look!
One of the exciting moments was spotting this shy and rare bird through the thick morning mist. Thanks to Pak Esli’s persistence, he returned the next morning and got a much better view!
This bird behaves much like a fantail but has the appearance of a drongo—a truly unique combination. While the rest of the group was in the hide, I was left outside (no seat available), which turned out to be a blessing, as I got to enjoy this strange and wonderful bird up close!
78. Brown Oriole, 褐鹂, 褐色黃鸝, Oriolus szalayi, チャイロコウライウグイス, Kepudang Coklat
update 202509
It gives off a call similar to an oriole, yet its appearance is rather plain and understated. Despite its simple look, it’s a species we rarely get to see up close or capture in photographs, making this encounter quite special.
One of the easiest and most rewarding night birding moments! This lovely endemic owl started calling right at dusk near the roadside. We didn’t have to wait long — just a short walk into the bushes, and there it was, perched and showing well for everyone. A truly special night encounter!
It’s not a new mammal family, but definitely a new addition to our collection! Spotted this stunning-looking mammal on Waigeo Island. While everyone was enjoying coffee and waiting for fruit-doves, some local kids called us into the forest. We couldn’t really understand what they were saying—but soon enough, this beautiful creature appeared, low and close. What a surprise and such a beautiful moment!
The barred eagle-owl (Bubo sumatranus), also called the Malay eagle-owl, is a species of eagle owl in the family Strigidae. It is a member of the large genus Bubo which is distributed on most of the world’s continents. This relatively little-known species is found from the southern Malay Peninsula down a string of several of the larger southeast Asian islands to as far as Borneo.
update 202310
– if everyone have a bird to attract you to Birding ? for me this is one of them, many years ago a garden nearby house… this bird build their nest same location for almost every years.. I spend many many time to look at them .. monitor especially with my love one (family, best buddies …)
– happy to see the chick still always looking for it’s parent before roosting
– a new game change, found this with Thermal camera, have this months ago but just too busy to explore but finally with a very close friends group and use it for few occasion and found colugo and this pair owl from total dark
– 新的热感照相机, 真的很容易找到晚上的物种。在这次婆罗洲行，试了一下。找到猫猴与这对鸮。
202309, Trusmadi, Sabah, Malaysia
update 202112
– this bird use to urban jogging area Penang, we were lucky to have it low this trip
– 这只鸟已在这公园生活很久，非常幸运的2年后。旧地重游，还站这么低。
202112, Penang, Malaysia
update 202101
- it is weird to see the bird calling in the morning ~11am
update 2016 Jul 21
2. Buffy Fish Owl, 马来渔鸮,馬來漁鴞, Ketupa ketupu, マレーウオミミズク, TUMBUK-KETAMPI BIASA
– medium size bird
– Large orange-brown owl with prominent “horns” and bright yellow eyes (ebird)
– common found near ponds, stream, and river
update 202405
– this is my 2nd time saw this owl catch a fish in the day time, just in-front of us. The bird with one eye injured but how it can catch prey in day time instead ?
– 这是我第二次见到这猫头鹰在光天化日下捉鱼。虽然他的一只眼受伤了，可是他还是活了很多年。
202404, Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia
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update 2024003
– another good night outing, we had >8 Buffy Fish Owl in 1.5 hours. Very common owl that normally live near river, lake ..
– 一个1.5小时的夜观，见到不少于8只马来鱼鸮。这鸟蛮普通的，在河边，湖边都不难见到。
202403, Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia
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update 202303
– few days of raining, from center to North. rain seem continuous for last 3 days. We did night owl searching at night under rain too. Look at the Buffy, the face seem not happy with the rain
– after long lock-down, we just can’t go out for outdoor activities. hope the pandemic will end very soon.
– 马来西亚已封城几个月。终于，开放低程度的户外活动。这鸟，尽然出现在我家附近的一个小森林。
202109, Kuala Lumpur
update 202101
– a tiring day where I spend my nights for owling and morning for some warbles
– lucky to spotted 5 species of Owl with pictures and 1 heard only
– this is one of the most seen owls in the night where I spotted a minimum 4 different individual
202101, Selangor, Malaysia
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update 2017 April 10 finally got another 2 stand together in the morning 😀
update 2016 Jul 22
3. Collared Owlet, 领鸺鹠, 領鵂鶹, Glaucidium brodiei, ヒメフクロウ, PUNGGUK-KECIL GELANG
– smallest Owl in Asia ~15cm, 60g +-
– normally found submontane, montane area but also found lowland before
– always making a loud call
update 202602
We were just out for a casual walk when we heard a strange alert sound coming from the birds. It turned out to be some birds trying mobbing to this tiny owl! It perched quite low and stayed remarkably close while we were heading to lunch. Even though we weren’t specifically looking for owls today, who could possibly resist such a cute little thing?
We spent around 30 minutes listening to the Red-throated Barbet calling, but couldn’t get a clear view. Luckily, a few other species came in close, including this tiny and adorable owl!
Sometimes, there’s too much info on social media—but here’s my experience: I used the Canon R5 Mark II with full-area AF and animal eye detection. The owl was about 30 meters away, and paired with the RF 100-500mm, it locked onto the eye perfectly without hesitation. Highly recommend trying it out yourself!
有时候，社交媒体上的信息太多了，反而容易迷茫。但这里是我实际的经验：我使用的是 Canon R5 Mark II，相机设置为全区域自动对焦+动物眼睛识别。这只猫头鹰大约在30米远的地方，用 RF100-500mm 拍摄，相机毫无犹豫就锁定了眼睛对焦。推荐大家亲自试试！
202510, Fraser Hill, Pahang, Malaysia
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update 202506
We were lucky to witness this owl perched low and calling right in front of us. It looked like it was putting its whole body into each call—an incredible sight!
– After returning from Sumatra, Indonesia, some of us extended our trip by two days to Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia. As anticipated, the rainy season brought limited activity. However, this tiny owl made our day by perching very low, just about 10 feet away—our first sighting of it!
– a very special Photography tour, which parent come with a kid (12 years old) for birds Photography. I told them the behavior of this bird and we were lucky patient wait to have it came really low and close.
– last bird of Fraser Hill for current Photography tour, customers happy with ~20m away … I am happy too .. what a cute bird
– 福隆港摄鸟团最后一只鸟，客人对20米外的它已满足。当然我也高兴。好可爱啊
202403, Fraser Hill, Pahang, Malaysia
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update 202302
– a quite morning, and suddenly heard this cute owl calling near lucky to have few minutes before it continue it’s chase.
– 非常安静的一个早上。突然这鸟叫的很大声，很快的找到他后。拍了1-2分钟就飞高了。
202301, Fraser Hill, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202210
– a very boring day, but luckily this bird gave us good look before raining
– 非常安静的一天。幸好有这鸟出现让我们在下雨前拍到好好的。
202210, Pahang, Malaysia
update 202209
– another bird that never get bore, guests say they either want to see an owlet or snake for the tour.. lucky to see this low and long
– 另一只百看不厌的小可爱。客人讲他们一就看到最少一只鸺鹠或一条蛇。还好，不然又要去找蛇了。
202209, Fraser HIll, Pahang, Malaysia
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– a bird that we always love to see or photograph. But the size and behavior （always at canopy) always make us just skip this bird each time we heard it
– 一只每个鸟人都喜欢的鸟。可是他的习惯，通常我们都当没听到。（都站高高）
202208, Fraser Hill, Malaysia
update 202206
– a very casual walk around with few friends, this bird seem to active and gave us good view.
update 2018 Aug 20 – Borneo Collared Owlet got this from KNP
4. Oriental Scops-Owl,东方角鸮,東方角鴞, Otus sunia,コノハズク,JAMPUK KECIL ASIA
– very small owl, winter visitor
– Smallish scops-owl with bright yellow eyes (ebird)
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– we were very lucky to see 2 pairs which is very close in the morning for a day trip near the mangrove – 非常幸运的在一日游，看到两对。。。
update 2015 Jan 12
oriental scops owl,东方角鸮, Otus sunia
update 2014 Aug 21
oriental scops owl,东方角鸮 [Otus sunia]
5. Reddish Scops-Owl, 棕角鸮, 棕角鴞,Otus rufescens, アカチャコノハズク, JAMPUK MERAH
– very small owl, rufous in color with prominent ear-tufts
– a small and common seen at secondary/primary forest always make constant call.
update 202402
– this bird do not make any vocal when we were at Taman Negara, but come to here it call non stop and after boring for 1 hour. This bird just sudden appear .. cute and persistent call owl in the forest
– a weird single individual, sometime very shy, sometime very tame … any how happy to see it again
– 非常有性格的一只鸟（应该是同一只，附近没这鸟叫了）。有时很乖，有时害羞到累。可是见到已很好。
202309, Sabah, Malaysia
####
update 202306
– this little owl not that common but also not difficult to seen but my camera no luck on this owl for long. saw it many times just <10m away but without camera. Finally this time with camera and it is really near.
– 这只小可爱，总与我的相机无缘。很多次它站低时，相机总是不在我身边。这次终于很近的看到他。
202306, Kinabatangan River, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
###
6. White-fronted Scops-Owl,白额角鸮,白額角鴞,Otus sagittatus, ハナジロコノハズク, JAMPUK KENING PUTIH
– rare bird for Malaysia. not that many locations for this bird
– make high speed repeat vibration call (refer video below)
– Large for a scops-owl. This predominantly light brown species is most readily identified by its bright silvery-gray brow. Like other scops-owls, can be difficult to see; listen for its call, a series of low, rapid, trembling hoots that cut off quickly. Predominantly found in lowland forest, though also ventures into lower foothills. (ebird)
update 2020 Jul 9
White-fronted Scops-Owl,白额角鸮, 白額角鴞, Otus sagittatus, ハナジロコノハズク, Burung Hantu Kening Putih
update 2020 April 25
White-fronted Scops-Owl , 白額角鴞, Otus sagittatus, ハナジロコノハズク, Burung Hantu Kening Putih
update 2018 Oct 8
saw this owl 2 different location in 2 day, suppose to look for frogmouth but saw these birds twice but missed the Blyth’s frogmouth for 2 nights 🙁
update 2017 Jul 30 – rare owl for Malaysia .. was lucky to spot it months back.. too bad was too busy to tried for a picture .. finally got a record shot. The same week, got a very good photo of the owl at another location … very lucky saw it keep calling
Very lucky to witness how it call and shake the body .. it is a 4k record
– A very large, grayish-brown owl with yellow eyes and distinctive ears. Note the fine barring and dark streaks on the pale underparts, and white patches on the shoulders.
Update 202504
It was a dramatic day — we missed our target in the morning and were caught in heavy rain by noon. Fortunately, the evening brought reasonably good birding. The next morning, however, turned out to be truly special. We had a great encounter with this bird as it flew back to its roosting site, and we managed to capture the moment perfectly without any issues.
It was another fantastic experience to see this bird again—even if just once—as it flew straight toward us. Not a particularly tough challenge for me with the R1: 98 frames in about 3 seconds, all perfectly in focus
– a not so common owl found Malaysia. Big size and with very vocal if found the correct one.
– I am making some nearby forest for trying the new CANON R1 to trying for AF lock on, AF tracking, Image Quality, Pre-capture … and trying again the in camera upscale. Found this bird roost at one of the Palm Oil plantation before strong sunlight come in, the bird sudden flying out to its’ roosting side.the R1 as expected captured most of the frame without any issue even with background change.
– a wonderful dawn light with lovely bird looking at us. It is time to go back to sleep.
– 早上漂亮的光线。它看着我们，应该是讲晚安。下次再见
202303, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202302
– a bird that make me excited everytime I see it. and especially in the day time with flying toward me .. with CANON R to capture this kind of photo is so easy
– 每次见这鸟都兴奋无比。尤其见他飞向我。佳能R 这种对焦+追焦。多么容易
202010, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202209
– in one month, 2 sites 6 birds found. Lucky guests, 4 birds calling and 2 are so near to use. They might fighting for territory.
– a good practice of my guests, we leave them alone after short time of photograph session. They say “don’t disturb them too long” ! and they are photographers .
– 一个月内2个地方见到4只（遇到6只，2只听到看到很远）。这4只一直在叫，可能在争区域。
– 2位摄影客人，只是拍了几分钟就要离开了。他们讲不要打扰太久。
202209, Selangor, Malaysia
#
– what a day end with fantastic bird, heard the bird call once. Think guest doubt about my hearing (i think). But I am pretty sure the bird make call few times and roughly know the direction. After 1++ hour spent, we had good view of this bird.
Dusky eagle-owl, 乌雕鸮,烏雕鴞, Bubo coromandus, ウスグロワシミミズク, Burung Hantu Bertanduk, BURUNG-HANTU BERTANDUK KELABU ASIA
update 2020 Aug
Dusky eagle-owl, 乌雕鸮,烏雕鴞, Bubo coromandus, , ウスグロワシミミズク, Burung Hantu Bertanduk, BURUNG-HANTU BERTANDUK KELABU ASIA
update 2020 Jul8
Dusky eagle-owl, 乌雕鸮,烏雕鴞, Bubo coromandus, , ウスグロワシミミズク, Burung Hantu Bertanduk
update 2020 May 21
2020 March 19
– still same place, same tree
2018 Aug 20
– one of the most beautiful owl so far I saw
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8. Brown Wood-Owl, 褐林鸮, 褐林鴞, Strix leptogrammica, オオフクロウ, CARIK-KAFAN COKLAT BIASA
– very common Peninsular Malaysia, ranging from lowland to highland
– this bird making a different common call and stay long
– a quite common owl across Malaysia, mostly on montane but also found lowland forest
– 叫不一樣的叫聲。蠻普通的鴞。
– Borneo one look different and having different call (refer to picture below)
update 202403
– this is one of the common Fraser bird, getting difficult .. due to some reason ? or behavior change ? 6-8 years ago, it is so easy to get a good view of this bird… but now most of them shy and standing high up .. for reason ? – I am lucky 2024, 2 trips got this bird with good view for more than 10 minutes – 在6-8年前，福隆港是很普通的鸟。可是为什么这几年连看都难看到？什么理由？ – 2024 非常幸运，已2团都看的不错。
202403, Fraser Hill, Pahang, Malaysia
#####
update 202101
– a good moment to see this owl making some call
– shooting this with car body as support
幸運的見到這鴞在叫。 這攝頻沒用腳架，只是靠在車拍的。
#
#
update 2018 Aug 20
*** Borneo one seem to have different call and look
Brown Wood-Owl, 褐林鴞,Strix leptogrammica, オオフクロウ, leptogrammica Group
– for me to choose one of the most common wide spread but difficult bird to be seen in Malaysia… this is one of them .. and finally got one really close and stay but never want look at ours; angle….
Mountain Scops-Owl, 黄嘴角鸮,黃嘴角鴞, Otus spilocephalus, タイワンコノハズク, Burung Hantu Gunung
update 2018 Aug 20
– one of the most often hear but not seen bird
10. Sunda Scops-Owl, 巽他领角鸮, 巽他領角鴞,Otus lempiji, スンダオオコノハズク, JAMPUK BIASA
– common wide spread
– garden, forest palm oil plantation ..
– Both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo having different call
update 202502
It was truly an owl-filled day—we spotted six owl species in just one day! This last one had been particularly elusive; we had tried to get a good view of it a few days ago without much success. But today, it seemed to stay in place for a long time, giving everyone a perfect view.
– last bird ? no .. the Blyth’s Frogmouth decided to give us good view after this owl appear .. close and cute always
– 西马行最后一只鸟？不。。。这鸟出来后，星喉蟆口鸱也出来让我们看看他的可爱。
202402, Pahang, Malaysia
####
update 202310
– a quick Owl session with buddies, but only heard the main target calling but manage to have 2 nightjar, 4 owl ?this guy seem very tame on today
– 朋友们突然要去找鸮，来个几个小时。主要目标听到看不到。可是还是2只夜鹰，4只猫
202310, Selangor, Malaysia
update 2018 Aug 20
another common garden to forest owl
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11. Brown Boobook, 鹰鸮, 鷹鴞, Ninox scutulata, アオバズク,PUNGGUK BETEMAK BIASA
– small and common
– brown and big yellow eye
– Brown hawk-like owl with large, unsettling yellow eyes. Note solid brown back, patchily brown-spotted white breast, and the pale triangle above the bill. Adaptable, found in a wide range of forested habitats from primary rainforest to orchards and gardens. Most active at night and dusk; often hunts from an exposed perch. Gives a series of rising hoots: “woo-wuh! woo-wuh! woo-wuh!” (ebird)
###
update 202206
– another casual morning with buddies, lovely owl to greet us.
– 与朋友的一个愉快的早上。一位朋友没来，只有tag他了。
202206, Selangor, Malaysia
#
– another poor bird, not sure nesting or why active near falconet nest but the falconet very aggressive chasing this owl and make it flying around.
– 可怜的鸟，不知道为何在这非常活跃。可是这里黑腿小隼在筑巢（喂食），一直会去追它。
202206, Ulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202205
– a very casual birding day with my buddy in Sandakan, a bird that give us a good time even common for both of us.. let’s birding …and Salt fish time
– 与我的好鸟友轻松的摄鸟日。虽然不是什么特别的鸟，可是我们也拍的高高心心。然后去吃咸鱼。
202205, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
202203
– found this lovely owl making call and manage to found it
– 这鸟叫不停，不难找道它
update 202103
– cloudy day make the forest more humid and the owl went for a bath before sleeping in the dawn
– 可能天氣悶，這貓頭鷹。盡然睡前去洗個澡。
#
update 202102
– lucky to have this while we looking for our target bird close
202102, Selangor, Malaysia
#
update 2018 Aug 20
12. Northern Boobook, 北鹰鸮,北鷹鴞,Ninox japonica, アオバズク, PUNGGUK BETEMAK UTARA
rare winter migrant, very brown boobook alike
update 202101
- a rare (or overlook of similar look Brown Boobook) winter visitor
- found this bird stand near the light and keep catching moth and insects
#########
13. Spotted Wood-Owl, 点斑林鸮, 點斑林鴞, Strix seloputo, マレーモリフクロウ,CARIK-KAFAN BERBINTIK ASIA
update 202209
– a special evening with new camera AF, overall quite dark but the AF still working good
– 非常漂亮夕阳，新的相机对焦。虽然有点暗了，对焦还是行的。
202209, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202204
– this bird seem active after dawn making noise attract my attention
– 奇怪的猫头鹰，日出后还叫不停。
202204, Tg Karang, Selangor, Malaysia
update202105
– another lockdown, so missed the chance to revisit u again. stay safe – another special outing to test the new Fujifilm XF70-300
15. Sunda Owlet, 巽他鸺鹠, 巽他鵂鶹, Taenioptynx sylvaticum, ヒメフクロウ, PUNGGUK-KECIL GELANG SELATAN
– a recent split (202110) from Collared Owlet and this only found Borneo Island
– 近期分出来的鸟种，这只只发布在婆罗洲鱼苏门答腊
update 202505
Day 1 at KNP started strong—we got both Whitehead’s Trogon and Whitehead’s Spiderhunter. Later, we had another great moment with the Bornean Stubtail. I heard this Owlet call, and shortly after, we spotted it perched in the open, looking right at us.
– a small owl making constant call which sometime can be very miss-leading direction. another bird that recently split from Collared Owlet
– in the right season, it can be any where but when it is not active .. no sound at all and can be stay at same place just non move.
– 非常小的鸮，通常一直叫不停。它的叫声，有时非常非常难找到它的方向。
– 在不对的季节，他可以完全不叫。
202406, KNP, Sabah
#####
update 202407
– a long waiting day, today patient pay off with different prize. Missed the Bulwer’s Pheasant male…. after long wait … before we call it a day, heard this owl far away .. just try ours’ luck after long wait before we decided to walk back to ours’ car I saw this bird flying toward car park. Not long after walk toward car park, after got the Bornean Leaf bird and got this bird stay there for long for us.
– a lucky trip to KNP, saw this bird yesterday with some reasonable photo. Today saw it mating and than stay low and quite long for us (even it is misty)
– another tiny bird from far … but still amaze who can find this owl (me !!! haha I also wonder how I found it). no choice to be part of environment shot
– both indranee Group & leptogrammica Group both show have different look and call .. Borneo one seem smaller too
update 202510
It’s always a pleasure to see this owl resting quietly in the open. This individual seemed to be keeping its distance from a nearby Buffy Fish Owl. Hopefully, there won’t be any territorial dispute between them.
– it is a lucky night, after got the Barred Eagle Owl… this bird just stand there for us .. another good picture to show the different between indranee Group (Peninsular Malaysia) & leptogrammica Group (Borneo)
17. Collared Scops Owl, 领角鸮, 领角鸮, Otus lettia, JAMPUK BIASA
update 202502
It was truly an owl-filled day—we spotted six owl species in just one day! This last one had been particularly elusive; we had tried to get a good view of it a few days ago without much success. But today, it seemed to stay in place for a long time, giving everyone a perfect view.
– a Sulawesi endemic – small size owl just like other Boobook
– 蘇拉威西特有種 – 與其他鷹鴞一樣，都蠻小的。
update 202511
This species has always been a favorite and rarely disappoints when it comes to good views. This time, four individuals came close, and two were even feeding together—such a cute moment! Big thanks to the guests for trusting the wait.
update202310 – as usual, even special target tour. we still spend some time for my lovely owls. Arrive here, not very long. There are 4birds calling and 2 of them perch near for us to take pictures. – 如常，目标鸟团。我们一样晚上找找我喜爱的猫头鹰。到达折后，没等很久。4只鸟在叫，2只还让我们拍好好。
202310, Tomohon, Sulawesi, Indonesia
update 202304
– 2023 April Sulawesi-Halmahera Bird watch trip end. Today finally got to sleep until 6am and wake up for proper breakfast. Tomorrow another new challenge.
– a special boobook, with special call.
– this bird is first ever bird we saw so tame, it stand there for such a long time for us to have good view.
– overall rufous front, brown back. Yelloweye, white-browed
– 蘇拉威西特有種的貓頭鷹。
– 棕色，前部淺棕色。
update 202511
We spent over 20 days in Sulawesi last month, and overall did quite well with owls. Among them was this small Sulawesi endemic owl—once considered common, but now increasingly harder to photograph.
Thankfully, we had a few great views and good opportunities to capture this shy species. A real treat for the tour!
– it is a season where most of them not roosting at common area. We stay until dusk (~5pm) and managed to have good view of a pair of them .. just wake up with stretch wing
– 在这季节，在他们平时睡觉的点都没见到这鸟。只好留到下午5点左右。终于骗到他出来，伸伸身体。
202304, Tangkoko, Sulawesi, Indonesia
####
update 202102
#
53. Minahassa Masked-Owl,米纳仓鸮, 米納倉鴞, Tyto inexspectata, ミナハサメンフクロウ, Serak Minahasa
– a rare Sulawesi endemic, light brown, heart shape face
A small owl with ear tufts, a black facial border, yellow eyes, prominent black streaking on pale underside, and intricately patterned upperparts with conspicuous white wing markings. Occurs in gray and rufous forms. Adult’s crown is streaked; juvenile’s is barred. Inhabits forest and plantations within lowlands and foothills.[Ebird]
– pretty common across the center of Halmahera, almost can heard it’s call.
– cute and not that shy owl.
– 很特别的叫声，外表也不一样。蛮好看。
– 在哈马黑拉岛的特有种。几乎很普通，那都可以听到叫声。
– 可爱，也不很害羞的鸮。
update 202304
– first night, after heavy rain and long travel. we decided not look for the owl and owlet-nightjar. Next night, we didn’t spend much time to ticked this bird and Moluccan Owlet-nightjar at the same spot.
55. Halmahera Boobook, 哈岛鹰鸮, 哈馬赫拉鷹鴞, ハルマヘラアオバズク, Pungguk maluku
– a small owl, found near forest here which call really funny like frog
– lovely and not so boring boobook.
update 202511
Years ago, we had to travel far to see this species, but now it’s being found much closer to regular birding areas. Still, it’s always a joy to see and hear it again — a wonderful Halmahera endemic owl.
– it is fun to trying to find this owl without knowing where it should be. We just trying ours’ luck and yes.. it is calling dusk and managed to have good view of it not too late of the night.
56. Sulawesi Scops-Owl, 苏拉威西角鸮, 蘇拉威西角鴞, Otus manadensis manadensis, セレベスコノハズク, Celepuk Sulawesi
– common Sulawesi endemic
– 蠻普通的蘇拉威西特有種
update 202511
Incredible to see that this bird still remembers me since my last visit in June—it’s just as tame and approachable as before. It perched around 6 meters above ground and stayed for 10–15 minutes, giving us a lovely session.
– it is almost not possible to miss this bird either day time or night time. me and my buddy+guests like owl and and woodpecker for start .. and this is very first owl we got and before we meet our “torch holder” (guide found us in the dark in the forest)
a owl we always heard and wanted to see in Borneo, even it can be different sub-species or species (in future) but It is much easier here .. a small owl like other small and active in dark
– even it is high chance to find it’s roosting bird, but we always like to find the bird in night. Ours’ first morning, have a good try and the bird didn’t make any sound… I am amaze how I found it (haha, by the thermal camera.. found it once very near and 2nd time quite a distance)
– as other Boobook, the bird small and making a lot of noise
– looking for owl always my birding trip target, we spent first night with see it flying and calling non stop at casual spot. But 2nd night managed to have it just road side.want to revisit … hope can plan .. anyone ?
A small brown owl with feathered ear tufts and yellow eyes, restricted to Lombok. Mostly brown with scattered white and pale markings on wings, sparsely streaked underparts, and a clear “double” facial disk with both blackish and white borders. Found in various forests and plantations in the lowlands and foothills. Distinctive: the only small owl on Lombok, and the only owl there with ear tufts. Gives a single note song, “woot,” ascending slightly at the end [Ebird]
This is one of our main targets for visiting Lombok Island. It didn’t take long to spot the bird, but we had to wait patiently for a better photo opportunity.
Although it’s a common owl on Lombok, getting a clean shot still required some effort—but it was worth it!
这是我们前往龙目岛的主要目标鸟种之一。虽然很快就观测到它，但我们花了不少时间等待更好的拍摄机会。
尽管这只猫头鹰在龙目岛相对常见，但想要拍到干净漂亮的照片依然不容易——不过一切都是值得的！
202512, Lombok island, Indonesia
#####
update 202412
This special, quick, and relaxed trip to Lombok, Indonesia, focused on our second main target. We spotted a few birds, but only one came reasonably close and perched low. It resembled other scops-owls, offering another great sighting enhanced by modern technology.
This has to be one of the cutest scops-owls I’ve ever encountered—endemic to the Banggai Islands. Its curious nature, constantly tilting its head while watching us, made the encounter even more delightful. Always a joy to see this charming little owl again!
Another endemic owl from Lore Lindu on our current Indonesia birding trip. This tiny species prefers to perch high and call frequently—thankfully, not too challenging to locate with a bit of patience.
202511, Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia
62. Sulawesi Masked-Owl, 苏拉仓鸮, 蘇拉威西蒼鴞, Tyto rosenbergii, Serak Sulawesi, セレベスメンフクロウ
update 202511
Not a lifer, but definitely a pleasant surprise! We were searching for another target when this lovely owl showed up. It stayed around for a while, giving us a great chance to enjoy and photograph it—always a joy to see.
One of the easiest and most rewarding night birding moments! This lovely endemic owl started calling right at dusk near the roadside. We didn’t have to wait long — just a short walk into the bushes, and there it was, perched and showing well for everyone. A truly special night encounter!
– small owlet like other owlet always like to be calling long at canopy and make other birds attention. But this endemic’s back of the owl simply awesome
– 与其他鸺鹠一样小小只。喜欢站高高，叫不停。可是这一只特有种背部很特别美。
update 20231211
– the bird just sit there !!! actually local make tree hole for them nesting so the area become territory of both bird… just look for them without call back or any action
Very small rufescent owl, with yellow-orange eyes, and sparse, light speckles on the underparts. Although does not possess true ear tufts it can show “false” ones when alert. Occurs within extensive humid rainforests in the lowlands of Wet Zone of Sri Lanka. Roosts singly or in pairs in the understory, but also found in upper levels of trees at night. Combination of small size, all rufous color, lack of prominent facial border, and only limited markings below separates it from all other owls on Sri Lanka. Song is a short “woOLoo”, rising in the middle. [Ebird]
– 被发现少于20年的斯里兰卡特有种。
update 20231222
– one of the bird I really want to see, we went same site for 2 days both day also not full open for picture but we had very good view of this very special endemic bird
Medium-sized owl with significant variation in plumage and vocalizations across its large range. Either gray or brown in coloration, with prominent pale ear tufts and pale face outlined in black. Fond of open wooded habitats from lowlands to foothills, often found roosting in temples, houses, and gardens, particularly in rural areas. Larger and more strongly tufted than both Oriental and Mountain Scops-Owls; both also lack the black facial border. Listen for this species’ incisive, short hoots, given at well-spaced intervals (often around 10 seconds). [Ebird]
It is quite a common bird, even in Malaysia. It was previously classified as the Sunda Scops-Owl but is now considered part of the Collared Scops-Owl. We often had one just outside our room, almost every day.
There is always debate about using torches or flashlights on birds, with no clear consensus on whether it is right or wrong for nature. However, there are certain actions we should never take or support, such as keeping them in cages or tying them up. It’s disheartening to know that many people still do such things, often just for the sake of a photograph.
This was one of my main targets for our Kenya birding trip, and I’m so glad we got it—our very first owl of the trip! As expected, it was sleeping during the day. Of course, we all wished for a shot with its eyes open or in a better pose, but I’m happy we chose not to disturb it just for a photo. Big thanks to my amazing team—you all are awesome!
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