Mount Kinabalu, in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, is the highest mountain in southeast Asia and a world heritage site. Towering over the surrounding lowland rainforest at 4095m high, the mountain and its forested slopes are home to a unique community of tropical rainforest birds, many of which are endemic to the mountains of Borneo. Kinabalu Park Headquarters sits at mid-elevation on the slopes of the mountain and is a world-renowned birdwatching site home to many special birds including the iconic “Whitehead’s Trio” (Broadbill, Spiderhunter, Trogon). Over the past decade, Dr. Thomas Martin of the University of Montana has led a research project studying the birds of the park headquarters. This project has greatly advanced our knowledge of tropical avian ecology and, more broadly, life history evolution. Dr. Martin and his graduate students have produced many publications from this project in high impact journals such as Science, Nature Climate Change, Ecology Letters, Functional Ecology, The American Naturalist, and many more. This video represents a personal tribute to the wonderful birds of Mount Kinabalu, and was filmed mainly by myself over three field seasons (2018-2020) of research in the park. I have also included some clips filmed by friends. I also used a couple audio recordings by Greg Irving and Frank Lambert to improve the audio of this video.
Myself and everyone involved with the project would like to thank…
-Sabah Parks for their many years of support of this project.
-The government of Sabah and the Sabah Biodiversity Centre for permitting the research.
-The University of Montana.
-The National Science Foundation for funding a decade of research on Mount Kinabalu.
-All of the local Sabahan people who always welcomed us and made us feel at home in Sabah.
I also give thanks to these people for their contributions to this video…
-Rayner Ray found the Chestnut-crested Yuhina nest.
-Raoul “Nonno” Gobbo found the Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher and the Hair-crested Drongo nests, and found and filmed the Mountain Wren-Babbler nest.
-Jordan Boersma found and filmed the 1st Fruithunter nest.
-Connor Armstad found and filmed the 2nd Fruithunter nest, and found the Mountain Tailorbird nest.
-Richard Aracil found the Yellow-breasted Warbler, Indigo Flycatcher, and Sunda Laughingthrush nests, and found and filmed the Bornean Forktail nest.
-Jonathan Eckerson found the Little Pied Flycatcher nest, and found and filmed the Mountain Leaf Warbler nest.
-Karl Heide found and filmed the Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler nest, and found the Checker-throated Woodpecker nest.
-Adam Mitchell found the Ochraceous Bulbul nest.
-Derek Arnold found and filmed the Whitehead’s Spiderhunter nest.
-Skylar Sargent found the Orange-backed Woodpecker nest.
-Enroe found and filmed the Bornean Treepie nest.
-Ryan Steiner found and filmed the Pale-faced Bulbul and the Orange-headed Thrush nests.
-Riccardo Ton filmed the Mountain Tailorbird nest.
-Holly Jackson found the Gray-chinned Minivet nest.
Also shoutout to the Borneo 2018-2020 field crews for being awesome and making it an unforgettable time.
Species featured:
0:00 - Introduction
0:23 - Whitehead's Broadbill
1:58 - Chestnut-crested Yuhina
2:33 - Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher
3:29 - White-browed Shortwing
4:07 - Temminck's Sunbird
4:30 - Bornean Green-Magpie
5:13 - Fruithunter
6:16 - Yellow-breasted Warbler
6:51 - Bornean Stubtail
7:54 - Golden-naped Barbet
8:53 - Mountain Scops-Owl
9:29 - Little Pied Flycatcher
10:09 - Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler
10:43 - Bornean Whistler
11:36 - Red-breasted Partridge
11:51 - Ochraceous Bulbul
12:36 - Asian Emerald Dove
12:52 - Whitehead's Spiderhunter
13:17 - Everett's Thrush
14:06 - Indigo Flycatcher
15:03 - Black-capped White-eye
15:28 - Collared Owlet
15:59 - Bornean Forktail
16:21 - Mountain Leaf Warbler
16:50 - Sunda Cuckoo
17:40 - Orange-backed Woodpecker
18:26 - Mountain Wren-Babbler
18:58 - Snowy-browed Flycatcher
19:39 - Ashy Drongo
20:05 - Mountain Imperial-Pigeon
20:39 - Bornean Treepie
21:11 - White-throated Fantail
22:05 - Barred Eagle-Owl
22:25 - Mountain Barbet
22:41 - Pale-faced Bulbul
23:22 - Checker-throated Woodpecker
23:44 - Mountain Tailorbird
24:05 - Temminck's Babbler
24:32 - Crimson-headed Partridge
25:02 - Gray-chinned Minivet
25:44 - Bornean Whistling-Thrush
26:07 - Hair-crested Drongo
26:32 - Orange-headed Thrush
27:11 - Sunda Laughingthrush
27:39 - Whitehead's Trogon
Myself and everyone involved with the project would like to thank…
-Sabah Parks for their many years of support of this project.
-The government of Sabah and the Sabah Biodiversity Centre for permitting the research.
-The University of Montana.
-The National Science Foundation for funding a decade of research on Mount Kinabalu.
-All of the local Sabahan people who always welcomed us and made us feel at home in Sabah.
I also give thanks to these people for their contributions to this video…
-Rayner Ray found the Chestnut-crested Yuhina nest.
-Raoul “Nonno” Gobbo found the Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher and the Hair-crested Drongo nests, and found and filmed the Mountain Wren-Babbler nest.
-Jordan Boersma found and filmed the 1st Fruithunter nest.
-Connor Armstad found and filmed the 2nd Fruithunter nest, and found the Mountain Tailorbird nest.
-Richard Aracil found the Yellow-breasted Warbler, Indigo Flycatcher, and Sunda Laughingthrush nests, and found and filmed the Bornean Forktail nest.
-Jonathan Eckerson found the Little Pied Flycatcher nest, and found and filmed the Mountain Leaf Warbler nest.
-Karl Heide found and filmed the Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler nest, and found the Checker-throated Woodpecker nest.
-Adam Mitchell found the Ochraceous Bulbul nest.
-Derek Arnold found and filmed the Whitehead’s Spiderhunter nest.
-Skylar Sargent found the Orange-backed Woodpecker nest.
-Enroe found and filmed the Bornean Treepie nest.
-Ryan Steiner found and filmed the Pale-faced Bulbul and the Orange-headed Thrush nests.
-Riccardo Ton filmed the Mountain Tailorbird nest.
-Holly Jackson found the Gray-chinned Minivet nest.
Also shoutout to the Borneo 2018-2020 field crews for being awesome and making it an unforgettable time.
Species featured:
0:00 - Introduction
0:23 - Whitehead's Broadbill
1:58 - Chestnut-crested Yuhina
2:33 - Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher
3:29 - White-browed Shortwing
4:07 - Temminck's Sunbird
4:30 - Bornean Green-Magpie
5:13 - Fruithunter
6:16 - Yellow-breasted Warbler
6:51 - Bornean Stubtail
7:54 - Golden-naped Barbet
8:53 - Mountain Scops-Owl
9:29 - Little Pied Flycatcher
10:09 - Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler
10:43 - Bornean Whistler
11:36 - Red-breasted Partridge
11:51 - Ochraceous Bulbul
12:36 - Asian Emerald Dove
12:52 - Whitehead's Spiderhunter
13:17 - Everett's Thrush
14:06 - Indigo Flycatcher
15:03 - Black-capped White-eye
15:28 - Collared Owlet
15:59 - Bornean Forktail
16:21 - Mountain Leaf Warbler
16:50 - Sunda Cuckoo
17:40 - Orange-backed Woodpecker
18:26 - Mountain Wren-Babbler
18:58 - Snowy-browed Flycatcher
19:39 - Ashy Drongo
20:05 - Mountain Imperial-Pigeon
20:39 - Bornean Treepie
21:11 - White-throated Fantail
22:05 - Barred Eagle-Owl
22:25 - Mountain Barbet
22:41 - Pale-faced Bulbul
23:22 - Checker-throated Woodpecker
23:44 - Mountain Tailorbird
24:05 - Temminck's Babbler
24:32 - Crimson-headed Partridge
25:02 - Gray-chinned Minivet
25:44 - Bornean Whistling-Thrush
26:07 - Hair-crested Drongo
26:32 - Orange-headed Thrush
27:11 - Sunda Laughingthrush
27:39 - Whitehead's Trogon