Birding at Sepilok and the Rainforest Discovery Centre

The bird

Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve

Twenty-five kilometres from Sandakan, a rigid steel walkway sits twenty-five metres high in the lowland dipterocarp canopy. This 347-metre structure offers eye-level access to the emergent trees and clear sightlines for the rhinoceros hornbill. Walk the trails to the observation hide below, or scan the mid-canopy foliage for the Bornean bristlehead.

The Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve was initially gazetted in 1931 and is now a Class VI Virgin Jungle Reserve that has been protected from commercial logging for nearly a century. The forest is dominated by massive dipterocarp trees like the yellow seraya and the towering menggaris. The ecosystem has very few leguminous trees which means the local foliage is high in complex fibres and phenolic compounds. This floristic chemistry dictates the diet of the resident primates and birds. These trees provide the structure for a canopy that supports over 300 avian species. Because the reserve covers more than 4,300 hectares the birding extends well beyond the famous rehabilitation centres.

The Rainforest Discovery Centre is the main entry point for birders. It is run by the Sabah Forestry Department. It opens at 8am but if you buy your tickets the day before the guards let you in at 6am. That early start is essential. The dawn hours are when the canopy is most active before the equatorial heat builds up and pushes the flocks deep into the shade.

Steel walkway and observation towers

The walkway at the Rainforest Discovery Centre is the standout feature of the reserve. Unlike the swaying rope bridges found at other rainforest sites this walkway is a massive steel gantry system. It is heavily engineered so it does not bounce. You can leave a spotting scope or a large lens trained on a fruiting tree for hours.

The walkway connects observation towers that reach even higher into the canopy. The structure is 347 metres long and sits 25 metres above the ground. From here you have clear sightlines across the top of the forest. This is the place to watch for the rhinoceros hornbill and the black hornbill. Both frequently cross the open airspace. Wallace's hawk-eagle is a regular sight and rides the morning thermals above the canopy. When the dipterocarp trees undergo mast fruiting usually between June and August the crowns erupt with noisy flocks of frugivores. This brings green pigeons and barbets into close view.

Bornean bristlehead flocks

The Bornean bristlehead is the bird people fly to Borneo for. It belongs to its own monotypic family and has no close relative anywhere in the world. With its heavy black bill and bizarre scaly red head it is unmistakable but it is highly nomadic. It is an evolutionary enigma. Finding one requires scanning the mid-canopy foliage.

They travel the canopy in noisy parties of 6 or 10 and cover huge distances as they forage. The Bristlehead Tower on the walkway is the most probable location in the area for an encounter. If a flock passes through the elevation puts you at exactly the right height to photograph them. The only strategy is to put in the hours on the towers and listen for their strange and varied calls.

Forest floor birds and migrants

If the bristlehead is the canopy prize the forest floor holds its own targets. In 2024 the reserve opened a new open-concept bird observation hide deep along the Pitta Trail. It is draped in camouflage netting and designed to minimise acoustic disturbance. This hide has quickly become a reliable place to photograph the endemic Sabah partridge. The birds here have grown tolerant of quiet observers. Because the partridge is entirely terrestrial the ground-level perspective is vital for photography.

With patience at the hide you may also see the black-crowned pitta and the rufous-backed dwarf-kingfisher. Along the darker stretches of the trails you might find the blue-banded pitta or the Bornean banded pitta. September and October bring palearctic migrants down the flyways to escape the northern winter.

Dawn birding and evening walks

Your days here run on a strict schedule. You want to be on the walkway at 6am to catch the dawn chorus and the first movement in the canopy. By 10:30am the heat often shuts the birding down.

The late afternoon brings a second window of activity. As daylight fades around 6pm the focus shifts to the mammals. The canopy towers are the gathering point to watch the dusk launch of the red giant flying squirrel. These massive gliders launch from the emergent crowns on most evenings and use a glide ratio of about 3.1 to navigate between the trees. Biomechanical studies show these specific squirrels are adapted to the tall dipterocarps of the tropical rainforest. If you want to see the western tarsier you need to book the guided night walk. This runs from 6pm to 8pm and you must register at the ticket counter by 5pm to secure a spot.

Kabili Trail and lodge grounds

Moving away from the walkway the trails offer a true jungle trek. The Kabili Trail penetrates deep into the reserve toward the coastal mangroves. It runs for 20 kilometres round trip and requires a specific entry permit from the Forestry Department. It is dense and humid and full of terrestrial leeches during the rainy months. The birds here are harder to spot than from the canopy towers. Finding them requires sharp field craft and quiet walking but the trail takes you past ancient emergent trees like the famous Sepilok Giant.

The immediate grounds of the lodges are also productive. Sepilok Nature Resort is built around a natural lake and gardens planted with over 150 species of Asian orchids including the giant tiger orchid. Dawn birding around the chalets turns up the massive stork-billed kingfisher on the water on most mornings while the forest edge yields the black-and-yellow broadbill and various trogons. Since there are no boundary fences wild orangutans and reticulated pythons sometimes traverse the property. MY Nature Resort features a raised timber boardwalk of about 305 metres that leads to a private viewing deck. This gives you a quiet place to set up a tripod for the flying squirrels away from the public towers.

Stay length and seasonal timing

To explore the different habitats and allow for the weather you should plan for a minimum of 3 nights. This gives you multiple dawn ascents to the canopy walkway. You need these if you are trying to intercept nomadic flocks or the bristlehead.

The climate of eastern Sabah dictates not only your comfort but the fundamental behaviour of the wildlife. Eastern Sabah has no single dry season but the months from March to May offer a reliable window. The trails dry out and leech activity drops and the clear conditions trigger breeding behaviour across many resident birds.

From June to August the dipterocarp trees often undergo mast fruiting. This brings the frugivores but afternoon convectional thunderstorms become frequent by September. From November to February the northeast monsoon brings heavy torrential rain. In these months, low light makes photography beneath the canopy harder and walking the Kabili Trail calls for time and steady footing through deep mud.

Lodge reservations and trail permits

If the bristlehead and the canopy walkway are what you are coming for, let the team know your dates and how many mornings you want on the towers. The team arranges the lodge, the transfers from Sandakan and any permits needed for the trails.

--- Sources referenced on this page: Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department. Facts verified 9 September 2026.