Umgawa Nature Series: 8 REASONS TO BIRDWATCH IN LANGKAWI

Birdwatching is not just about spotting and identifying a bird then ticking it off on your checklist. It is not about seeing it 20 meters from the balcony of your hotel, although that is a delight when it happens. Birdwatching is about appreciating the true beauty, color and characteristic of a particular bird species. Of seeing it “in the wild”; within its natural habitat. Of understanding and connecting, in a manner of speaking, with one of Earth’s most vibrant and diverse creatures.

Here, we offer 8 reasons why birdwatching is a must-do activity in Langkawi:

1. A perfect way to experience Langkawi’s diverse eco-systems and habitats to bird watch in - montane, mangrove, wetlands, scrubland and mudflats, under the forest canopy, seas, beaches, rivers.

2. There is a certain sense of accomplishment and satisfaction acquired when you spot a bird, observe it up close on your binoculars, then identify it and find out you were correct!

3. The challenge of seeing a hornbill in the wild. Have you seen a Hornbill in the wild, up close? You may have spotted them flying. You may have heard them making those guttural noises in the rainforest. You may have heard them land or about to take off – they can be pretty noisy when they do this. But when they are perched within the rainforest foliage they are so furtive and so secretive they become notoriously difficult to spot. Plus, in Langkawi you may get the chance to see the largest of them all – the Great Hornbill which can be up to 1.3 meters long (about 4 feet) from tip of the beak to tail end.

4. You could get the lucky break of experiencing a “Bird Wave” when flocks of different birds join forces to disturb a particular area of terrain. It is the way they get the insect life flying and become bird food. And for you, the excited birdwatcher, the chance to see a large number of different bird species in one go.

5. The chance to spot some of the very rare species of birds like the recently discovered Mountain Hawk Eagle. These are migrants from Thailand found to be nesting in Langkawi. Plus other rare bird species - Jerdon's Baza, Brown Winged Kingfisher, European Oriole and Plain Backed Sparrow.

6. To give your frontal neck muscles a stretch and your eyes a good workout from all that greenery you will be staring at.

7. To gather a unique and memorable body of knowledge of bird life to boast to the folks back home to add depth to all those other Langkawi memories.

8. To see whether you can manage to spot the 260 species of birds in Langkawi, 30% of which are migratory birds from Thailand, China, Siberia, Manchuria

usually seen between October to April