Photographer: Adam Riley   Destination: Malaysia & Borneo

 

This month we are featuring the stunning but notoriously elusive Crested Partridge. This unique galliform, which is the only representative of the genus rollulus, is native to the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. With its striking combination of colours and a proud crested crown atop its head, this distinctive species is a true gem of the forest! While it is usually extremely difficult to spot, a quiet walk through its preferred wet forest habitat can sometimes produce the goods, and be on the lookout for Wild Pigs, as they are sometimes spotted following in tow, scavenging for leftover fruit. Otherwise staking out a blind where the birds are known to frequent can be a good move and is where many lucky people are getting sightings, and indeed cracking images, of this species nowadays.

 

Crested Partridges are monogamous, with males and females staying in close contact as they forage through the undergrowth. Both parents take part with tending to their chicks, and their nests are cleverly built by burrowing small tunnels into a layer of dead leaves scattered across the forest floor.

 

The region of Malaysia, including the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo, offer some of the very best birding and mammal watching in SE Asia. A treasure trove of habitat awaits with slow flowing lowland rivers like the Kinabatangan and Tembeling, lush rainforests that include Taman Negara and the Danum Valley and scenic mountainous habitats from Bukit Fraser to Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range. This area is adorned with some of the most sought-after species in all of Asia including the critically endangered Helmeted Hornbill, Bornean Bristlehead, Rail-babbler, Bornean Ground Cuckoo and Whitehead’s Trogon. The blinds that have recently been setup provide amazing opportunities to see once mythical birds like Bornean Peacock-Pheasant, Bulwer’s Pheasant and our featured species, Crested Partridge! Beyond its extraordinary birdlife, the island is also home to mesmerizing mammals, including the rare and intelligent Bornean Orangutan, unmistakable Proboscis Monkey, diminutive Sunda Leopard Cat, and the mysterious yet majestic Sunda Clouded Leopard.

 

Join Rockjumper today and discover the incredible birds and other wildlife of this remarkable region.