Selangor Bird Fair - Wings over Kuala Kubu Bahru 2018

Red-Headed Trogon - Male

Red-headed Trogon, the symbol of avian elegance and beauty, never fails to make my heart sing with joy. It's soft pigeon-like cooing sound filled the forest in Bishop's trail that Sunday early afternoon as both Indira and Peter spotted it whilst we were going down the steps. We had just completed our Selangor International Bird Race 2018 after zipping around Kuala Kubu Bahru, Millenium Stadium, The Gap (Selangor), Fraser Hill (Selangor Border) from 21st to 22nd April 2018 in a Perodua Myvi driven by Amir, from Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor (MDHS) the organizer of the Race. Team Katala handed in our log book at the reception of Shahzan Inn by 11.30am, half an hour before noontime deadline set by the organizer. We double-checked the names of each birds written down by Indira, against Mr Allen J's Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The results of the International Bird Race has been announced in Local Council's website HERE. 

Lesser Yellownape

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

Asian Emerald Dove

Asian Emerald Dove of Richmond Bungalow kept us in awe post-Race as we waited patiently for the Malaysian Hill Partridge to show up. We couldn't wait any longer for the family of partridges since there was the closing ceremony of the Bird Race to attend and we haven't had our lunch yet. MDHS arranged for the international participants to stay at 
Sarang by the Brook, Kuala Kubu Bahru on Friday night. I birded at Sarang by the Brook on Saturday morning, alongside a short road which was surrounded by forest with a stream nearby. The White-rumped Shama was the first bird seen that Saturday morning, hopping about Sarang by Brook. Black-headed bulbuls, Asian Brown Flycatcher and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker were some the birds which also showed up that morning. Indira had given a talk on Friday night about the Critically Endangered Philippine Cockatoo (also known as Red-vented Cockatoo). The talk ended quite late around 11.30pm and it was almost midnight when we returned to Sarang by Brook. WOKKB 2018 event would begin at Mini Stadium Kuala Kubu Bahru by 9am on Saturday morning, so we left Sarang by Brook by 8.40am. WOKKB 2018 album in Facebook has more pictures of the Race which covered Kuala Kubu Bahru right up to Selangor border of Fraser Hill. Full list of birds seen pre and post Wings over Kuala Kubu Baru 2018 were recorded and entered into eBird Malaysia portal as below:-

https://ebird.org/malaysia/view/checklist/S44896796

https://ebird.org/malaysia/view/checklist/S44896629

https://ebird.org/malaysia/view/checklist/S44896421


https://ebird.org/malaysia/view/checklist/S44896239

We would be celebrating Global Big Day soon in Malaysia on 5th May 2018. Global Big Day is an initiative from Cornell Lab of Ornithology to gather as many people as possible worldwide, to bird and enter their sightings in eBird. GBD 2018 in Malaysia is being promoted by Wild Bird Club Malaysia and will be coming up soon on 5th May, Saturday. Go to Wild Bird Club Malaysia website HERE to find out how you can participate in GBD 2018.


Peter and Indira Widmann are the founders of Philippine Cockatoo Foundation. I have had the privilege of meeting them last year in Palawan Island, where the Foundation is based, during the Katala Festival. Read about this Festival HERE.
It was the pre and post Bird Race birdwatching, the time spent with Indira and Peter, reconnecting with nature, listening to the songs of birds and observing these birds in the wild, and meeting up with friends, which were the most memorable moments of WOKKB 2018, for me.