birdwatching in asia. james birding resources

In 2005/2006, I took a year off from work just to bird watch. In total, I spent 141 days away from my home in Singapore to bird watch for long periods in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. That excludes birding at every opportunity available when I was back home.

While countries like Malaysia and Thailand have lots of literature available to help the independent birder, there are also several other lesser known places that hold good potential for birding. Unfortunately, there is very little written up about them.

With that in mind, I have dedicated several months just to write up these birding guides and web pages. My aim is to help birders make a more informed decision when choosing their next birding destination. In those countries, English is not widely spoken and there is a general belief is that wild birds are meant to be hunted for fun or to be eaten. In many of those cities, the wild birds have been almost hunted out. The remaining forests are in urgent need of protection.

As more birders visit these places, the local communities will benefit more from the increased tourist spending. It is my hope that this incentive will drive the locals to realise that birds are worth more to their community when they are left alive and free.

I have added many pictures to the two DIY guides below to enrich your reading experience. Those who prefer to have just the text version may download the Microsoft Word version at the seperate links provided at the side.