Borneo Bird Club

" birding in the Heart of Borneo"

INTRODUCING BORNEO
Borneo, with an area of 743,330 square kilometres (287,000 sq. miles), is the third-largest island in the world. The island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in the north occupy about 26% of the island. The sovereign state of Brunei, located on the north coast, comprises about 1% of Borneo's land area and the wealthiest of all. The rainforest is 130 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world.

It shelters 13 primate species, 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees (267 species are dipterocarp), 221 species of terrestrial mammals and more than 680 species of resident and migratory birds. It is the centre of evolution and radiation of many endemic species of plants and animals. The island of Borneo still holds many mysteries and opportunities to explore its natural landscapes and abundant wilderness. Over the past ten years, 360 new species have been found. That’s an astonishing 3 Biologically diverse and one of the oldest rainforest in the world, discoveries a month!

Scientists have discovered more than 123 new species in the Heart of Borneo area during the past 3 years – an average of more than 3 new species per month. These fascinating finds include the world’s longest known stick insect, a flame-coloured snake and a colour changing frog. In total, 67 plants, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish, five frogs, three snakes and two lizards and a brand new species of bird have been discovered. The Heart of Borneo is a global treasure teeming with unique and extraordinary life. Once described by Charles Darwin as “one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself”, this island within an island is home to 13 primate species, more than 350 bird species, and 150 reptiles and amphibian species. In addition, a staggering 10,000 plant species are sheltered by the region’s rainforests. Numbering among Borneo’s more than 200 species of mammal are elephants, orang-utans, clouded leopard and rhinoceros, co-existing here in one of the last strongholds remaining for these charismatic species.

An elusive new bird species A new bird species, the ‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’, was discovered in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, in the Heart of Borneo. Scientists observed the bird while walking along a 250m canopy-walkway and very quickly realised they were on the verge of discovering something very significant. The bird is an attractive grey colour with bright white arcs above and below the eye, a white throat extending as a broad white stripe down the centre of the belly, and white tufts at the breast sides. The name given to the species refers to the bird’s prominent eye-rings.

The equatorial rainforests of the Heart of Borneo are conserved and effectively managed through a network of protected areas, productive forests and other sustainable land-uses, through cooperation with governments, private sector and civil society. In February 2007, an historic Declaration to conserve the Heart of Borneo, an area covering 220,000km2 of irreplaceable rainforest on the world’s third largest island, was officially signed between its three governments – Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

BORNEO BIRD RACE 2013

For the first time, we launch the first international Borneo Bird Race 2013, where 7 countries and 24 participants will travel more than 1000 kilometres in search of more than 400 species of birds in a wide range of habitats from the coastal regions, freshwater swamps, and lowland forests, to the hills and mountain ranges of Sabah and Brunei. At the end of the day, each team will enjoy the beauty of this land as they count the numbers of recorded species, and the longest list shall earn the prestigious “Bornean Bristlehead Trophy”. The event will be jointly organised by Brunei Tourism and Sabah Tourism Board. Over the years since bird watching has been introduced to Borneo, there were impressive feedbacks and outcomes that helped awareness, conservation, and promotion for Borneo as birding destination. Currently, there is an encouraging growth of birdwatching activities and there were a number of bird races conducted separately all over the region. The notable Borneo Bird Festival has popularised Bird Race for consecutively 5 years and it is timely that the festival is taken a step forward by introducing the 1st Borneo Bird Race 2013.

Objectives of the Borneo Bird Race

1. To promote Borneo as one of the premier bird watching destination of the world;
2. To Network with birdwatching fraternities around Asian region and to the world
3. To encourage travel within Asia.
4. Create awareness and conservation of the bird species unique to Borneo to the local community and to the global birding fraternities.
5. Foster closer integration and harmony through nature festival of the neighboring States of Borneo, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan;
6. Develop and improvement of infrastructure to wildlife watching tourism;
7. To enhance and complement the "Heart of Borneo" initiative - Tourism Program.
8. To increase arrival of eco-tourists and birdwatchers to Borneo.
9. Further development of naturalist guide and birdwatching guide.
10. Support good policies to improve nature tourism.

The Race Route and Itinerary

DAY	DATE	RACE ROUTE AND ITINERARY
Day 1/Fri	31May	BRUNEI
		Arrival of international participants and Umpires. Transfer to Brunei Hotel for check-in. 7:00pm – Welcome note and briefing at hotel. 7.30pm – Transfer from hotel to Tarindak D’Seni restaurant for a Welcome dinner. * Journey includes a 3 mins boat ride to the venue.
Day 2/Sat	1June	BRUNEI: LAUNCHING BRUNEI NATURE FESTIVAL / EXCURSION TO TASEK MERIMBUN
		9:00am – Launching of Brunei Nature Festival 2013 at Bandar Waterfront. Return to hotel for lunch. Afternoon - trip and birding to Tasek Merimbun for all delegates. 7:30pm - Dinner and overnight at Brunei Hotel.
Day 3/Sun	2June	BRUNEI: ULU TEMBURONG
		8:30am - After breakfast, checkout and travel 2.5hours to Ulu Temburong. 11:00am - Check-in at Ulu-Ulu Resort. Race briefing and lunch. After lunch, RACE DAY for “Brunei leg”. 7:30pm - Dinner and overnight Ulu-Ulu Resort. Ulu Temburong National Park - The green jewel of Brunei The green jewel of Brunei, Brunei first national park established in 1991 - a protected 550sq km of Bukit Apoi forest reserve, located in the easternmost part of Brunei. Managed by the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources Brunei. This park is located within the Heart of Borneo initiative a tri-lateral government cooperation to conserve and preserve 220,000 sq. km of connected rainforest in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The topography of Ulu Temburong is mountainous; steep slopes, narrow ridges and numerous peaks. The vegetation structure is mainly primary lowland/hill dipterocarp and sub-montane forest. Some specials recorded here: Bornean wren babbler, Blue-banded pitta, Malaysian rail babbler, Malaysian honey guide, Bornean bulbul and more. What to bring: Overnight Backpack: Please bring along change of clothes, footwear that you won’t mind getting wet in, swimwear, snacks (if needed), towels, sun block lotion, personal toiletries, drinking water bottle, insect repellent, torchlight, hat, binoculars, leech sock, walking shoes & raincoat. Note: Journey from Bandar Seri Begawan to Ulu Temburong National Park can be adventurous; water taxi (20 pax capacity) cruising winding river tributaries of mangrove forest and long boat called “temuai” (4 pax capacity) by skilled locals maneuvering through several rapids.
Day 4/Mon	3 June	BRUNEI: THE EMPIRE HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB
		AM – RACE DAY continues. 2:00pm - After lunch, checkout and travel to BSB. Check-in at The Empire Hotel & Country Club. 7:30pm - Dinner and Awarding night for “Brunei leg”.
Day 5/ Tue	4 June	BRUNEI TO KINABALU PARK, SABAH
		11.00am: Race coordinator & umpire (12 pax) checkout and transfer to Brunei International Airport for flight to Kota Kinabalu. Suggested flight: MasWings MH3136 ETD 1:40pm / ETA 2:15pm. 2:00pm – Participants, Officials & Secretariat (32 pax) checkout and transfer to Brunei International Airport for flight to Kota Kinabalu. Suggested flight: Royal Brunei BI825 ETD 4:25pm ETA 5:05pm. 5.30pm - From KKIA, travel to Kinabalu Park. ET 7:30pm – Arrive Kundasang, check-in at Mt. Kinabalu Heritage Hotel & Spa. 8:00pm – Dinner, Race briefing and overnight. Kinabalu Park - Borneo’s Birders Paradise, gazetted as the first State Park in Sabah in 1964 and declared Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2000. Cover 754 square km area, centre of Plant Diversity for South East Asia; more than 5,000 vascular plant species, an estimated 1,000 orchid species, 621 fern species, nine Nepenthes species, 29 Rhododendron species and two Rafflesia species. Fauna; some 90 lowland mammal species, 22 montane mammal species, 21 bat species, 326 bird species, 62 toad and frog species and a large population of the 850 butterfly species that occur in Sabah. Out of the 54 bird species that are endemic to Borneo, at least 17 are confined to the Kinabalu Park, such as the Friendly Bush Warbler, Whitehead’s Trogon, Fruit hunter, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, Bornean Green Magpie and more. What to bring: Suitable walking shoes, warm clothing/wind breaker, long sleeves shirts, change of clothes, drinking water, snacks if needed, binoculars, water proof bag for camera, hat, raincoat. Note: Race ground at elevation between 1500meter – 1800meter above sea level. Expect 18-24 degree Celsius (temperate climate).
Day 6/ Wed	5 June	SABAH: KINABALU PARK TO SEPILOK
		7:00am - After breakfast, checkout and travel to Kinabalu Park Headquarters. RACE DAY for “Sabah leg”. 12:00noon – Lunch at Liwagu restaurant, surrounded with lush montane forest. 2:00pm – Travel overland to Sandakan with short stops along the way. 6:00pm – Check-in at Sepilok Bed & Breakfast, located near the Sepilok-Kabili Forest Reserve. 7:30pm – Dinner, Race briefing and overnight.
Day 7/Thu	6 June	SABAH: RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE
		RACE DAY at Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), “Sabah leg”. 7:30pm – Fellowship dinner and overnight at Sepilok Bed & Breakfast. Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) is managed by the Sabah Forestry Department. It is one of the most popular Environmental Education (EE) centres in Sabah. A pristine lowland dipterocarp and Mangrove forest with astounding 300 species of birds recorded in the area. The 4300hectares Sepilok-Kabili Forest Reserve and became birders attention worldwide for its iconic Bornean Bristlehead, Black and crimson pitta, Blue-headed pitta, Giant pitta, Black hornbill, Rhinoceros hornbill and more. It is home to the famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. What to bring: Sun block lotion, personal toiletries, drinking water bottle, insect repellent, torchlight, hat, binoculars, leech sock, walking shoes & raincoat.
Day 8/Fri	7 June	SABAH: RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE
		9:00am – Excursion to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and special visit to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. 11:30am – Return to Sepilok Bed & Breakfast for lunch. 1:30pm – Checkout and transfer to RDC for the launching of Borneo Bird Festival and Awarding of the Borneo Bird Race 2013. -------------------- 6:00pm – Transfer to Four Points by Sheraton for check-in and Dinner
Day 9/ Sat	8 June	SABAH : RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE
		Borneo Bird Festival: Talks, Workshops and Guided birdwatching walks at RDC, Sepilok forest. Leisure. Scheduled shuttle transfer to and from hotel to RDC shall be arranged for participants. 7:00pm – Fellowship dinner at Sepilok. Overnight at Four Points by Sheraton.
Day 10/Sun	9 June	END
		Transfer to airport for departure. End.