bird tours asia

Birding Tours in Asia

Asia is the Earth’s largest and most populous continent and supports dense and large human settlements as well as vast and barely populated areas. Located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres, Asia shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of  Europe  and the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and  Africa . Asia is subdivided into 49 countries and six regions: North Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia (Near East), South Asia ( Indian Subcontinent ), East Asia (Far East), and Southeast Asia.

In terms of biogeography, the Asian continent is made up of four biogeographic realms, the whole of the Indomalayan realm (also known as the  Oriental Region ), a large portion of the Palearctic realm (the entire Eastern Palearctic, and a thin sliver of the easternmost edge of the Western Palearctic), part of the northeast of the Afrotropical realm (the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula), and the northwest of the Australasian realm (eastern Indonesia).

Asia has extremely diverse climates and geographic features and ranges from Arctic (Siberia is one of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere) and Subarctic in the north to tropical in  southern India  and Southeast Asia, and is dry in the interior. The Himalayas between  Nepal  and  China  is the tallest mountain range in the world, the Yangtze River in China is the longest river in the continent, and the famous Gobi Desert is in  Mongolia , Central Asia.

Following  International Ornithological Congress  (IOC) taxonomy, v10.2 (December 2020), the bird list of Asia stands at a staggering  3,832 species , 423 of these are globally threatened and several are monotypic families, like  Ibisbill ,  Crab-plover ,  Spotted Elachura ,  Grey Hypocolius ,  Hylocitrea ,  Rail-babbler ,  Wallcreeper , and  Przevalski’s Finch . We have an extensive range of exciting tours covering the breadth of the region, these are outlined below with links provided to more specific details like detailed tour itineraries, trip reports, client testimonials, and photo/video galleries. These tours make an ideal bird holiday:

  South Asia (Indian Subcontinent) Birdwatching Tours

India birdwatching tours.

India  offers so much for the visiting birdwatcher and provides an excellent option for anyone interested in birds and wildlife, whether that be listing species, photographing them, or just enjoying them. Our  Northern India  tour provides an amazing Himalayan foothill birding experience, with opportunities for  Ibisbill ,  Wallcreeper ,  Indian Skimmer , and  Bengal Tiger  at Corbett National Park. In  Northwest India  we have the chance to observe  Asiatic Lion  at the fantastic Gir National Park, plus top birds like  Crab-plover ,  Grey Hypocolius , and  Demoiselle Crane , while in  Northeast India , in the amazing Eastern Himalayas at Eaglenest, spectacular birds like  Temminck’s Tragopan ,  Spotted Elachura ,  Bugun Liocichla  can be found, while below on the plains of Kaziranga National Park we can find  White-winged Duck  and  Greater One-horned  (Indian)  Rhinoceros . Birdwatching in  Southern India  results in loads of Nilgiri and Western Ghats endemics like  Malabar Trogon ,  Black-and-orange Flycatcher , and  Nilgiri Thrush  and many more. We also have a specific tour extension looking for the Endangered ( BirdLife International )  Forest Owlet , a great add-on to our other longer tours. For those looking for more endemics, our  Andaman Islands  tour is sure to suit with  Andaman Woodpecker ,  Andaman Hawk-Owl , and  Andaman Crake  on the cards. Most of our  Indian  tours are during the early part of the year, though we do have one very good  Monsoon Specialties  tour looking for the Critically Endangered ( BirdLife International )  Great Indian Bustard  along with  Lesser Florican ,  Green Avadavat , and  Indian Spotted Creeper . Incredible ancient cultures and amazing food to go with the great birds, wildlife, and scenery are on offer throughout India.

Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan Birdwatching Tours

Further Indian Subcontinent  (South Asia) tours include an endemic-filled birding adventure in  Sri Lanka  where we find all the island’s endemics and specials like  Serendib Scops Owl ,  Sri Lanka Blue Magpie ,  Sri Lanka Frogmouth ,  Malabar Trogon , and  Red-faced Malkoha , along with overwintering beauties like  Pied Thrush ,  Kashmir Flycatcher , and  Indian Pitta . Our  Nepal  tour offers an easy introduction to Himalayan birding with some of the most spectacular scenery, great mammals ( Bengal Tiger  is possible), and the endemic  Spiny Babbler .  Bhutan  is great year-round, and we have  spring  and  fall  (autumn) tours. Key birds in Bhutan include  Ward’s Trogon ,  White-bellied Heron , and  Black-necked Crane . As with all our  Indian Subcontinent  tours these amazing destinations offer so much more than just the birds. We also offer short extensions to our Bhutan tours in  Northeast India , visiting Nameri and Kaziranga National Parks for more great birds and wildlife.

  North and Central Asia Birdwatching Tours

Mongolia, china, taiwan, and japan birdwatching tours.

Central Asia provides some of the most remote and thrilling birding opportunities in Asia and our Mongolia  tour offers  Henderson’s Ground Jay ,  White-naped Crane ,  Kozlov’s Accentor , and  Altai Snowcock . Our East Asia tours include  China  (Yunnan, Sichuan, and Qinghai), Japan, and Taiwan. In  Yunnan  we look for  White-eared Night Heron ,  Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant , and  Giant Nuthatch  as well as enjoying some amazing forest bird-feeding stations, while in  Sichuan  pheasants abound with Chinese Monal being one of the best, along with  Giant Laughingthrush ,  Grandala , and  Przevalski’s Finch . On the Tibetan plateau of  Qinghai   Tibetan Snowcock ,  Ibisbill , and  Crested Tit-warbler  can be found. The small island of  Taiwan  supports 28 endemic birds (including  Mikado Pheasant ,  Swinhoe’s Pheasant , and  Taiwan Blue Magpie ) and some top world birds like  Fairy Pitta ,  Chinese Crested Tern , and  Black-faced Spoonbill .  Japan  is a winter wonderland where endemic birds and cranes form a focal point, with  Hooded Crane ,  Red-crowned Crane ,  White-naped Crane , and others all possible. The mighty  Blakiston’s Fish Owl  and  Steller’s Sea Eagle  are both highlight birds too.

   Southeast Asia Birdwatching Tours

Thailand birdwatching tours.

Southeast Asia is a biodiversity hotspot and is home to 20% of the world’s flora and fauna with over 2,500 bird species recorded from the subregion. Thailand  has a national list of over 1,000 species, we have three tours to the county, these offer amazing birding, fantastic photographic opportunities, and great food.  Central Thailand  is a magnet to overwintering shorebirds with  Spoon-billed Sandpiper ,  White-faced Plover , and  Nordmann’s Greenshank  being the most-wanted.  Blue Pitta ,  Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo , and  Great Hornbill  are found in the forests here.  Northern Thailand  holds some excellent resident birds like  Giant Nuthatch ,  Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant , and  Rusty-naped Pitta , with a plethora of northern migrants like  Siberian Rubythroat ,  Baer’s Pochard , and  Pied Harrier .  Southern Thailand  is full of hornbills, pittas, and trogons with  Malayan Banded Pitta , Critically Endangered ( BirdLife International )  Helmeted Hornbill ,  Green Broadbill ,  Crested  (Shrikejay)  Jay , and  Scarlet-rumped Trogon .

Read More About Asia

Vietnam, cambodia, laos birdwatching tours.

Close to Thailand,  Vietnam  and  Cambodia  both offer incredible birds.  Southern and Central Vietnam  provides amazing views (and excellent photo opportunities) of highly sought-after secretive forest pheasants, pittas, and laughingthrushes, with Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta,  Golden-winged Laughingthrush , and Collared Laughingthrush being a few of the best. We have an extra small group tour here to maximize on birding enjoyment and comfort. Cambodia provides probably the best place in the world to see several globally rare species, such as  Bengal Florican ,  Giant Ibis ,  White-shouldered Ibis ,  Greater Adjutant ,  Milky Stork ,  White-rumped Falcon ,  Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo , and several Critically Endangered ( BirdLife International ) vultures coming to a “vulture restaurant”, as well as a visit to the  Angkor Wat World Heritage Site . We can also arrange custom tours for the rare and endemic  Bare-faced Bulbul  in Laos, please ask if you’re interested in looking for this unique species.

Malaysia (Peninsular and Borneo) Birdwatching Tours

Peninsular Malaysia  provides the chance of  Rail-babbler ,  Mountain Peacock-Pheasant , and  Malaysian Partridge .  Borneo  is a naturalists dream,  Sabah  is full of endemics like  Whiteheads’s Trogon ,  Whitehead’s Broadbill , and  Bornean Ground Cuckoo  plus four endemic pittas ( Blue-headed Pitta  and  Blue-banded Pitta  take some beating). The chance for  Bornean Orangutan  and  Proboscis Monkey  should not be missed, it is a perfect wildlife holiday. Our tour of  Sarawak  focusses on localized endemic birds like  Dulit Frogmouth ,  Bornean Frogmouth , and  Black Oriole  and is an amazing off-the-beaten-track birding experience.

Philippines and Indonesia Birdwatching Tours

Two vast-stretching archipelagic countries wrap up the Southeast Asia sub-region, with  the Philippines  and  Indonesia  providing some of the greatest birds and birding in the world, these two countries have almost 700 endemics between them. Our tour of  the Philippines  visits the islands of Luzon, Mindanao, and Palawan, looking for  Philippine  (Monkey-eating)  Eagle ,  Palawan Peacock-Pheasant ,  Wattled Broadbill ,  Celestial Monarch , and  Whiskered Pitta  along with overwintering  Japanese Night Heron  and  Chinese Crested Tern . We have seven tours in  Indonesia , with more on the way soon. Our  West Papua  tour is the one to go for if you want birds-of-paradise.  Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise  is considered one of  the  best-looking birds in the world, but the rest are not bad either! Other possibilities on our tour include  Vogelkop Bowerbird ,  Western Crowned Pigeon , and  Spotted Jewel-babbler . For some more adventure, our special Biak, Numfor, and Kofiau tour is full of stunning endemic birds like  Numfor Paradise Kingfisher ,  Biak Paradise Kingfisher ,  Kofiau Paradise Kingfisher  and loads more!  Sulawesi and Halmahera  is just as exciting with  Hylocitrea ,  Maleo ,  Ivory-breasted Pitta , (Wallace’s)  Standardwing , and numerous endemic kingfishers available. Our comprehensive tour of the  Lesser Sunda  islands takes in Sumba, Rote, West Timor, Alor, Flores, and Komodo Islands, and targets the region’s endemics like  Flores Hawk-Eagle ,  Sumba Buttonquail ,  Rote Boobook ,  Alor Myzomela ,  Flores Monarch , and  Komodo Dragon . Our Bali and East Java tour connects with special endemics like  Bali Myna ,  Black-winged Starling , and  Javan Banded Pitta  and we now also offer Bali birdwatching day tours. Situated next to Bali, the island of Lombok has an endemic owl ( Rinjani Scops Owl ) and some interesting endemic subspecies that makes for a great relaxing trip. Further jaw-dropping birds like  Javan Trogon ,  Sumatran Trogon ,  Schneider’s Pitta ,  Graceful Pitta , and  Bonaparte’s Nightjar  are features of our West Java and Sumatra birding tour.

Western Asia Birdwatching Tours

Azerbaijan, georgia, and israel birdwatching tours.

Western Asia is also great for birding, and we also have tours to Azerbaijan and  Georgia  in the fall (autumn) and winter. We can offer custom tours to  Israel  any time of the year, though the passage periods are often the most exciting time for birding here.

Our  Azerbaijan tour  features loads of top birds of the eastern edge of the Western Palearctic and the western edge of Asia such as  Red-fronted Serin ,  Black Lark ,  White-winged Lark ,  Pallas’s Gull ,  Grey-headed Swamphen , and  Caspian Snowcock .

We have a  fall tour  to the famous Batumi bottleneck in Georgia, a raptor paradise (for example  Steppe Eagle ,  Lesser Spotted Eagle , and  Eastern Imperial Eagle ) with many other interesting passerines present too, while our  winter tour  provides an opportunity for the localized  Caucasian Grouse ,  Caucasian Snowcock ,  Little Bustard ,  Güldenstädt’s Redstart ,  Mountain Chiffchaff ,  Great Rosefinch ,  Krüper’s Nuthatch , and  Wallcreeper .

We can also provide customized tours in Asia, we advise booking as far in advance as possible because  our guides  get booked up two or three years in advance.

Borneo: Sabah Classic Tour July 2024/September 2025

Georgia: Eagles & Endemics in Fall September 2024/2025/2026

India: Assam – Kaziranga & Nameri National Parks November 2024

India: The South – Western Ghats & Nilgiri Endemics January 2025/2026

Philippines: Spectacular Endemic Birding January 2025/2026

India: The North – Tigers, Amazing Birds & the Himalayas January 2025/2026

Sri Lanka: Island Endemics, Wintering Specialties & Blue Whale Pelagic January 2025/2026

India: The Northwest – Lions & Desert Birding in Gujarat February 2025/2026

India: Andaman Islands Endemics February 2025/March 2026

Japan: Spectacular Winter Birds February 2025/2026

Birding Tour India: Forest Owlet Extension February 2025/2026

Georgia: Mountain & Steppe Birding in Winter March 2025/2026

Vietnam: Southern and Central Vietnam: Endemics and Regional Specials March 2025/2026

Nepal: Easy Himalayan Birding March 2025/2026

India: The Northeast – Spectacular Birds & Mammals April 2025/2026

Bhutan: Complete Bhutan Birding in Spring – from Lowlands to Pheasants April 2025

Taiwan: Endemic Birding Extravaganza April 2025

China: Yunnan Tour May 2025/2026

Mongolia: Steppes & Gobi Desert Birding May 2025/2026

Indonesia: Biak, Numfor, & Kofiau – Stunning Paradise Kingfishers and Small-Island Endemics May 2025

China: Sichuan Tour May 2025/2026

Indonesia: Lombok Extension – Rinjani Scops Owl Premium Tour June 2025

China: Qinghai Tour June 2025/May 2026

Indonesia: Bali and East Java – Bali Myna and Other Rare Regional Specials June 2025

Indonesia: The Lesser Sunda Islands – Comprehensive Tour June 2025

Indonesia: Sulawesi & Halmahera – Spectacular Endemic Birding July 2025

Birding Tour Indonesia: West Papua and Southwest Papua – Birds-of-Paradise & Endemic Birds of the Arfak Mountains and Waigeo Island August 2025

India: Rajasthan – Monsoon Specialties August 2025/2026

Papua New Guinea: New Britain Premium Extension – Bismarck Archipelago Birding September 2025

Peninsular Malaysia September 2025

Borneo: Sarawak – Restricted Range Endemics September 2025

Bhutan In Fall: Monals, Cranes and Mountains November 2025/2026

Cambodia Birding Tour: Regional Specials & Globally Rare Birds January/December 2026

Central Thailand Birding Tour: Shorebird Spectacle & Jungle Birding January 2026

Northern Thailand Birding Tour: Spectacular Resident & Migrant Birds February 2026

Southern Thailand Birding Tour: Jewels of the South February 2026

Asia gallery.

Ultramarine Flycatcher

Malayan Banded Pitta

Sulawesi Scops Owl

Greater Yellownape

Wreathed Hornbill

Whitehead's Trogon

Mangrove Pitta

Red-headed Trogon

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Wallcreeper

White-crowned Forktail

Black-and-yellow Broadbill

Buffy Fish Owl

Green-tailed Sunbird

Gurney's Pitta

King Bird-of-paradise

Lesser Adjutant

Testimonials from our asia birding tours.

The 2016 Northern India Birding Ecotours trip was everything I had hoped for and more. As a novice both when it came to Asian birds and Indian travel, the trip couldn’t have been better. Andy Walker, our guide, was brilliant at finding the expected birds and some amazing rarities and getting us good looks. I managed close to 400 lifers combined with Fatehpur Sikri, the Taj Mahal, some fascinating glimpses of rural India and a spectacular time in the Himalayan foothills. Our driver, van, train travel and hotels were all comfortable and worked like clockwork. Thanks for the trip of a lifetime.

Highlights of the Western Ghata and Nilgiri tour included seeing the regional endemic bird species such as Nilgiri Blue Robin, White-bellied Blue Robin, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Sri Lanka Bay Owl, giant squirrels and Asian Elephants. The local cuisine was also a highlight! Dylan was friendly and professional with a good sense of humour. He knew when to be intense, when to lighten up on the birding and was always cordial. Dylan was never demeaning when answering questions. Our local guides were excellent, especially in Thattekad and Masinagudi.

We spent three weeks with Andy in Thailand and enjoyed the trip thoroughly. Andy worked so hard to find the birds, and get us on them. He was very patient and took the time we needed. He knew all the best places to go, knew what birds would be expected, identified them in an instant and still managed to find some pretty good rarities along with the known birds, Himalayan Cutia anyone? And we spent literally hours getting great looks at Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Andy got us very close without disturbing the birds or any other birders. It was a highlight of the trip. We are hoping to see Andy in York later this year for a days birding on his home patch!

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Pitta Nature Tours Southeast Asia Birding Tours

An ocean away from North American birders lays Southeast Asia with incredible Pittas, sparkling Kingfishers, raucous Hornbills, and more than 3,000 species of unique birds. Endemic species are found in incredible densities here—especially in Indonesia.

Tour Details

It was just easy and fun to spend a long day of birding with Tim. I came away from the experience wanting to go back.

Lesley M Custom Tour , 2017

Featured tour, bali & the lesser sundas no set dates at this time.

The remote Indonesian islands of Sumba, Rote, Timor, and Flores—the Lesser Sundas, are home to nearly 90 endemic species of birds. Along with a day trip to see Komodo Dragons, and several days birding on Bali this is a tour you won’t soon forget.

Tours Offerings

No set dates at this time bali & the lesser sundas view details, 2023 dates tbd java & lombok view details.

Looking for something else? Want to go somewhere not listed? Besides our set tours, we have experience birding all over the world and know numerous talented and local guides.  We can help put you in touch with the right guides in the right places. Just Ask!

2020, '22, & '23 Trip Advisor Travelers' Choice Award Consistently earning great reviews from birders!

Himalayan Snowcock and Cassia Crossbill! Another trip with Tim, another success! These were the “big two” for this trip and Tim delivered in spades.

Paul K Most Wanted , 2018

Recent tours & updates, august 27-29, 2023 2023 himalayan snowcock expedition view trip report, july 27-31, 2023 2023 most wanted view trip report, july 25-30, 2023 2023 georgia audubon custom view trip report, june 15-17, 2023 2023 cassia crossbills & more view trip report, april 18-24, 2023 2023 texas - lrgv, aransas, & hill country custom view trip report, january 12-23, 2023 2023 chiapas view trip report, august 28-30, 2022 2022 himalayan snowcock expedition view trip report, july 19-23, 2022 2022 most wanted #2 view trip report, july 15-19, 2022 2022 most wanted #1 view trip report, june 23-25, 2022 2022 cassia crossbills & more view trip report, may 11-14, 2022 2022 utah highlights view trip report, august 5-9, 2021 2021 most wanted #2 read recap, july 30 - august 1, 2021 2021 himalayan snowcock expedition read recap, july 25-30, 2021 2021 georgia audubon custom read the recap, july 15-19, 2021 2021 most wanted tour #1 read recap, july 8-10, 2021 july 2021 idaho custom tour read the recap, june 24-28, 2021 2021 lake-cook audubon custom tour read the recap, june 6-8, 2021 2021 cassia crossbills and more tour recap read the recap, may 27, 2021 may 2021 utah custom day tour read the recap, may 16, 2021 2021 marathon birding tour read the recap, march 8, 2021 press release: mwbirdco is now pitta tours read the release, january 21, 2021 january 2021 utah custom day tour recap read the recap, march 14, 2020 2019 bali & the lesser sundas recap read the recap, check out our blog to see more updates and recaps,   see more updates on on our blog read more, january 27, 2021 january 2020 utah custom day tour recap read the recap, january 5, 2021 yucatan and cozumel 2022 dates announced learn more, september 3, 2020 2020 flammulated owling season recap read the recap, august 20, 2020 2020 mini most wanted tour recap read the recap, july 15, 2020 2020 cassia crossbills and more tour recap read the recap, december 31, 2019 2019 year in review read the recap, march 3, 2020 java and lombok tour announced learn more, february 10, 2020 yucatan and cozumel 2021 dates announced learn more, february 2, 2020 gullstravaganza 2020 recap read the recap, january 24, 2020 yucatan and cozumel 2020 recap read the recap, september 8, 2019 mini most wanted 2019 recap read the recap, august 31, 2019 mountain west most wanted 2019 recap read the recap, frequently asked questions, what is mountain west birding company.

When we started guiding in 2007, we never imagined taking our tours beyond the confines of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada—thus Mountain West Birding Company was born. Mountain West specialized in Flammulated Owl, Himalayan Snowcock, and Cassia Crossbill Tours.

Do your tours require a deposit?

For any full-day or longer tour we require a 25% deposit to hold your space. Final payments are generally required 90-days before the start of the tour. For our smaller tours we often don’t require payment till the time of the tour, but ask if you decide to cancel please provide a weeks notice so we can try and fill your space.

What is your cancellation & refund policy?

We understand that emergencies happen. We offer a full refund up to 90 days prior to the start of most multi-day set itineraries, with a 5% processing fee. Any cancellations made between 89-60 Days are subject to a 50% fee. Cancellations made less than 59 days before the start date forfeit the cost of the tour. If you have to make a last-minute cancellation, we will do everything we can to work with you on a refund or reschedule! For our smaller tours we often don’t require payment till the time of the tour, but ask if you decide to cancel please provide a weeks notice so we can try and fill your space.

How many clients are allowed on your tours?

From the start we’ve always desired to keep our tours both manageable and enjoyable. For that reason all of our public tours cap at 7 or 8 people. This keeps our groups smaller and provides a more comfortable experience while traveling together. We do offer private tours for individuals, and small groups, as well as large groups. We can accommodate almost any size of private group, just send us an inquiry to learn more.

Why did you change your name to Pitta?

After a decade leading tours in the western United States we expanded our offering with new tours in Southeast Asia and Central America. As we work on expanding further and offering more International options,, we decided we needed a name that reflected that change!

What forms of payment do you accept?

For most tours we accept cash, check, Venmo, and all major credit cards. Credit card payments do come with a 5% processing fee. We can also accept bank transfers for international clients—however these also include a processing fee determined by the transfer amount.

How strenuous are your tours?

Most of our tours are not physically demanding. Often birding from well maintained roads, by car, and lightly on foot. However, in the mountains of the western United States we do offer some tours with hikes at high elevation, and with a large elevation gain. These hikes generally require our guests to be in good physical shape. Many of our tours also offer long days with early starts and late ends. While not physically demanding, the pace can be strenuous. Check in the tour details at the bottom of each tour to read about the pace and difficulty, and feel free to ask if you’re unsure or would like more information!

Can you guarantee we will see our target birds?

While we cannot guarantee we will see every target bird, we make every possible attempt to find our targets on our tours. Birds have wings, ranges and distribution fluctuate, and habits change. But with more than 25 years birding experience and some of the best local guides available during our international tours, we have a very high success rate on locating our targets. Some times birds don’t cooperate and things don’t work out as planned, in which case all we can do is keep trying while we have time!

Check out our FAQs page to see more questions and answers!

Recent photos from our tours, check out more tour photos on flickr, mailing list.

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Asia Birding Tours

Birding in asia.

The most populated continent of Asia offers far more than busy cities and crowded streets. Ancient cultures, delicious foods and extraordinary biodiversity are just a few of the reasons to explore Asia.

Dancing cranes in Japan. Orangutans in Borneo. Temples in Cambodia. Spicy food in Thailand. Festivals in Bhutan. History in Vietnam. These are a few things that could become embedded into your memory.

From the mountains of the Himalayas to the lowland rainforests of Borneo there is a huge range of wildlife to be experienced, ranging from elephants and gibbons to tapirs and leopards. More than 3,800 species of birds call Asia home as well! Bornean Banded Pitta, Helmeted Hornbill and Fire-tufted Barbet are a couple of the phenomenal species that can be encountered on our Asian excursions.  

Broadbills, hornbills, pheasants, pittas and trogons are some of the most colourful bird families on the Asian continent.     

A large pheasant, the Great Argus, is one of the most sought after species for birders in Southeast Asia. The male is one of the largest pheasants in the world and the tail feathers are up to 143cm in length. This species can be found in lowland forests of Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, which encompasses Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and a small piece of Myanmar.

There are a number of key birding areas spread across this massive continent. Some of these areas are Doi Inthanon National Park in northern Thailand (Thailand’s highest mountain with an impressive species list covering many habitat types where you may encounter the elusive Green Cochoa or the vibrant White-capped Redstart), the Danum Valley in northern Borneo (one of the oldest rainforests in the world where the odd, yet highly sought after Bornean Bristlehead and the spectacular Black-crowned Pitta can be found) and Cat Tien National Park in southern Vietnam (a lowland tropical forest and biosphere reserve where you could catch a glimpse of the impressive Bar-bellied Pitta or the Blue-rumped Pitta).  

Thousands of migratory cranes (Hooded and White-naped) are on display in Japan in the winter time and put on quite a spectacle. The massive Steller’s Sea Eagles are also abundant and put on a show worth watching.  Who knew birding in the winter time could be so much fun?

Learn more about our Thailand birding tour, Cambodia and South Vietnam birding tour , Bhutan birding tour and our Peninsular Malaysia birding tour.

We also offer expeditions cruises in Asia including Japan’s National Parks, Arts and Culture cruise and the Western Pacific Odyssey cruise.

Asia Land Birding Tours

Cambodia & South Vietnam

Western India & the Himalaya

Peninsular Malaysia: Fraser's Hill &

Borneo: Bristleheads & Orangutans

Asia small-ship expeditions.

Indonesia Sailing: Whale Sharks &

Western Pacific Odyssey Cruise

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Naturalist Journeys is pleased to offer Asian birding tours. This year we offer a Thailand birding tour that follows an exciting, bird-filled itinerary. Click the tour below to learn more about this Thai birding tour.

Guided Group Tours

Group travel is rewarding and fun! With more eyes you see more species. Travel Planners of Naturalist Journeys have been creating memorable journeys for 40+ years. We offer you small-group birding and nature tours, limited to just 8-13 persons led by expert guides. Learn and explore with like-minded people, enjoy local food and culture, and immerse yourself in birding and nature.

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• Acanthisittidae – New Zealand Wrens
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• Aegithinidae – Ioras
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• Arcanatoridae – Dapple-throat & Allies
• Artamidae – Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Currawongs
• Atrichornithidae – Scrub-birds
• Bernieridae – Malagasy Warblers
• Bombycillidae – Waxwings
• Buphagidae – Oxpeckers
• Calcariidae – Longspurs & Snow Buntings
• Callaeidae – Kokako & Saddlebacks
• Campephagidae – Cuckooshrikes, Cicadabirds, Trillers & Minivets
• Cardinalidae – Cardinals, Grosbeaks & Allies
• Certhiidae – Treecreepers
• Cettidae – Bush Warblers, Tesias & Allies
• Chaetopidae – Rockjumpers
• Chloropseidae – Leafbirds
• Cinclidae – Dippers
• Cisticolidae – Cisticolas, Prinia, Tailorbirds & Allies
• Climacteridae – Australasian Treecreepers
• Cnemophilidae – Satinbirds
• Coerebidae – Bananaquit
• Conopophagidae – Gnateaters
• Corcoracidae – Australian Mudnesters
• Corvidae – Crows, Jays, Magpies & Allies
• Cotingidae – Cotingas, Fruiteaters & Allies
• Dasyornithidae – Bristlebirds
• Dicaeidae – Flowerpeckers
• Dicruridae – Drongos
• Donacobiidae – Donacobius
• Dulidae – Palmchat
• Elachuridae – Spotted Wren-babbler
• Emberizidae – Buntings, New World Sparrows & Allies
• Erythroceridae – Yellow Flycatchers
• Estrildidae – Waxbills, Munias & Allies
• Eulacestomatidae – Ploughbill
• Eupetidae – Rail-Babbler
• Eurylaimidae – Broadbills
• Formicariidae – Antthrushes
• Fringillidae – Finches, Seedeaters, Euphonias & Allies
• Furnariidae – Ovenbirds
• Grallariidae – Antpittas
• Hirundinidae – Swallows & Martins
• Hyliotidae – Hyliotas
• Hylocitreidae – Yellow-flanked Whistler
• Hypocoliidae – Hypocolius
• Icteridae – Oropendolas, Orioles, Blackbirds & Allies
• Ifritidae – Blue-capped Ifrit
• Incertae Sedis – Uncertain Families
• Irenidae – Fairy-bluebirds
• Laniidae – Shrikes
• Leiothrichidae – Turdoides Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Barwings & Sibias
• Locustellidae – Grassbirds & Allies
• Machaerirhynchidae – Boatbills
• Macrosphenidae – Crombecs, Longbills & African Warblers
• Malaconotidae – Bushshrikes, Tchagras, Puffbacks & Boubous
• Maluridae – Australasian Wrens
• Melampittidae – Melampittas
• Melanocharitidae – Berrypeckers & Longbills
• Melanopareiidae – Crescent-chests
• Meliphagidae – Honeyeaters
• Menuridae – Lyrebirds
• Mimidae – Mockingbirds, Thrashers & Allies
• Mohoidae – O’os
• Mohouidae – Whitehead, Yellowhead & Brown Creeper
• Monarchidae – Monarchs, Paradise Flycatchers & Allies
• Motacillidae – Longclaws, Pipits & Wagtails
• Muscicapidae – Old World Flycatchers
• Nectariniidae – Sunbirds & Spiderhunters
• Neosittidae – Sitellas
• Nicatoridae – Nicators
• Notiomystidae – Stitchbird
• Oreoicidae – Australasian Bellbirds
• Oriolidae – Old World Orioles, Pitohuis & Figbirds
• Orthonychidae – Logrunners & Chowchilla
• Pachycephalidae – Whistlers & Allies
• Panuridae – Bearded Reedling
• Paradisaeidae – Birds-of-paradise
• Paramythiidae – Painted Berrypeckers
• Pardalotidae – Pardalotes
• Paridae – Tits & Chickadees
• Parulidae – New World Warblers
• Passeridae – Old World Sparrows
• Pellorneidae – Fulvettas, Ground Babblers & Allies
• Petroicidae – Australasian Robins
• Peucedramidae – Olive Warbler
• Philepittidae – Asities
• Phylloscopidae – Leaf Warblers & Allies
• Picathartidae – Rockfowl
• Pipridae – Manakins
• Pittidae – Pittas
• Pityriaseidae – Bristlehead
• Platysteiridae – Wattle-eyes & Batises
• Ploceidae – Weavers, Widowbirds & Allies
• Pnoepygidae – Wren-babblers
• Polioptilidae – Gnatcatchers
• Pomatostomidae – Australasian Babblers
• Prionopidae – Helmetshrikes
• Promeropidae – Sugarbirds
• Prunellidae – Accentors
• Psophodidae – Whipbirds, Jewel-babblers & Quail-thrushes
• Ptilogonatidae – Silky-flycatchers
• Ptilonorhynchidae – Bowerbirds & Catbirds
• Pycnonotidae – Bulbuls
• Regulidae – Goldcrests & Kinglets
• Remizidae – Penduline Tits
• Rhagologidae – Mottled Berryhunter
• Rhinocryptidae – Tapaculos
• Rhipiduridae – Fantails
• Sapayoidae -Sapayoa
• Scotocercidae – Streaked Scrub Warbler
• Sittidae – Nuthatches
• Stenostiridae – Fairy Flycatchers
• Sturnidae – Starlings, Mynas & Rhabdornis
• Sylviidae – Sylviid Babblers, Parrotbills & Fulvettas
• Tephrodornithidae – Woodshrikes & Allies
• Thamnophilidae – Antbirds
• Thraupidae – Tanagers & Allies
• Tichodromidae – Wallcreeper
• Timaliidae – Babblers
• Tityridae – Tityras, Becards & Allies
• Troglodytidae – Wrens
• Turdidae – Thrushes
• Tyrannidae – Tyrant Flycatchers
• Urocynchramidae – Przevalski’s Finch
• Vangidae – Vangas
• Viduidae – Indigobirds & Whydahs
• Vireonidae – Vireos, Greenlets & Shrike-babblers
• Zosteropidae – White-eyes, Yuhinas & Allies
• Accipitridae – Kites, Hawks & Eagles
• Aegothelidae – Owlet-nightjars
• Alcedinidae – Kingfishers
• Alcidae – Auks
• Anatidae – Swans, Geese & Ducks
• Anhimidae – Screamers
• Anhingidae – Darters
• Anseranatidae – Magpie Goose
• Apodidae – Swifts
• Apterygidae – Kiwis
• Aramidae – Limpkin
• Ardeidae – Herons, Egrets & Bitterns
• Balaenicipitidae – Shoebill
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• Bucconidae – Puffbirds
• Bucerotidae – Hornbills
• Bucorvidae – Ground Hornbills
• Burhinidae – Thick-knees & Stone Curlews
• Cacatuidae – Cockatoos
• Capitonidae – New World Barbets
• Caprimulgidae – Nightjars & Nighthawks
• Cariamidae – Seriemas
• Casuariidae – Cassowaries
• Cathartidae – New World Vultures
• Charadriidae – Plovers, Lapwings & Dotterels
• Chionidae – Sheathbill
• Ciconiidae – Storks
• Coliidae – Mousebirds
• Columbidae – Doves & Pigeons
• Coraciidae – Rollers
• Cracidae – Chachalacas, Curassows & Guans
• Cuculidae – Old World Cuckoos
• Diomedeidae – Albatrosses
• Dromadidae – Crab Plover
• Dromaiidae – Emu
• Eurypygidae – Sunbittern
• Falconidae – Falcons, Kestrels & Caracaras
• Fregatidae – Frigatebirds
• Galbulidae – Jacamars
• Gaviidae – Divers or Loons
• Glareolidae – Coursers & Pratincoles
• Gruidae – Cranes
• Haematopodidae – Oystercatchers
• Heliornithidae – Finfoots & Sungrebe
• Hemiprocnidae – Treeswifts
• Hydrobatidae – Northern Storm Petrels
• Ibidorhynchidae – Ibisbill
• Indicatoridae – Honeyguides
• Jacanidae – Jacanas
• Laridae – Gulls, Terns & Skimmers
• Leptosomatidae – Cuckoo Roller
• Lybiidae – African Barbets
• Megalimidae – Asian Barbets
• Megapodiidae – Megapodes
• Meropidae – Bee-eaters
• Mesitornithidae – Mesites
• Momotidae – Motmots
• Musophagidae – Turacos, Plantain-eaters & Go-away-birds
• Numididae – Guineafowl
• Nyctibiidae – Potoos
• Oceanitidae – Austral Storm Petrels
• Odontophoridae – New World Quails
• Opisthocomidae – Hoatzin
• Otididae – Bustards, Floricans & Korhaans
• Pandionidae – Ospreys
• Pedionomidae – Plains Wanderer
• Pelecanidae – Pelicans
• Pelecanoididae – Diving Petrels
• Phaethontidae – Tropicbirds
• Phalacrocoracidae – Cormorants & Shags
• Phasianidae – Pheasants, Grouse, Partridges & Allies
• Phoenicopteridae – Flamingos
• Phoeniculidae – Wood Hoopoes & Scimitarbills
• Picidae – Woodpeckers
• Pluvianellidae – Magellanic Plover
• Pluvianidae – Egyptian Plover
• Podargidae – Frogmouths
• Podicipedidae – Grebes
• Procellariidae – Petrels, Diving Petrels & Shearwaters
• Psittacidae – African & New World Parrots
• Psittaculidae – Old World Parrots
• Psophiidae – Trumpeters
• Pteroclidae – Sandgrouse
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• Ramphastidae – Aracari, Toucans & Toucanets
• Recurvirostridae – Avocets & Stilts
• Rheidae – Rheas
• Rhynochetidae – Kagu
• Rostratulidae – Painted Snipe
• Sagittariidae – Secretarybird
• Sarothruridae – Flufftails
• Scolopacidae – Woodcock, Snipe, Sandpipers & Allies
• Scopidae – Hammerkop
• Semnornithidae – Toucan Barbets
• Spheniscidae – Penguins
• Steatornithidae – Oilbird
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• Strigopidae – New Zealand Parrots
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Asia is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth’s total land area and 9% of Earth’s total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Its 4.8 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world’s population.

In general terms, it is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. The border of Asia with Europe is a historical and cultural construct, as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them. It is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East-West cultural, linguistic, and ethnic differences, some of which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line. A commonly accepted division places Asia to the east of the Suez Canal separating it from Africa; and to the east of the Turkish Straits, the Ural Mountains and Ural River, and to the south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black seas, separating it from Europe. Geographically, Russia is partly in Asia, but is considered a European nation, both culturally and politically. It is separated from the Americas by the Bering Strait. The Gobi Desert is in Mongolia and the Arabian Desert stretches across much of the Middle East. The Yangtze River in China is the longest river in the continent. The Himalayas between Nepal and China is the tallest mountain range in the world. Tropical rainforests stretch across much of southern Asia and coniferous and deciduous forests lie farther north.

Asia has extremely diverse climate features. Climates range from arctic and subarctic in Siberia to tropical in southern India and Southeast Asia. It is moist across southeast sections, and dry across much of the interior. Some of the largest daily temperature ranges on Earth occur in western sections of Asia. The monsoon circulation dominates across southern and eastern sections, due to the presence of the Himalayas forcing the formation of a thermal low which draws in moisture during the summer. Southwestern sections of the continent are hot. Siberia is one of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere, and can act as a source of arctic air masses for North America. The most active place on Earth for tropical cyclone activity lies northeast of the Philippines and south of Japan

Birding Asia

From a birding perspective every part of Asia has something to offer. In the far east  country bird lists are long and varied with high endemism in the island nations of Indonesia and The Philippines in particular. Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia has tropical forest and a great variety of birds. India has huge dense cities and almost pristine National Parks with a birdlife as diverse as the country itself with high elevations, dry states, tropical areas, savannahs and the rest. Despite the size of the population there are a great many wild areas containing big predators and big game animals.

Taman Negara, Malaysia – © V yacheslav Argenberg CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Malaysia still has some great birding forests but they are under great threat from loggers, Sri Lanka’s endemics are sometimes hard to find but the search is through beautiful landscapes and India is rich culturally as well as in terms of its birding spectacle. With a large proportion of the world’s bird families and some wonderfully diverse habitat there plenty for birders to hope to see.  Over the last few years birding as a hobby has grown in some countries like Malaysia many of whom are also keenly photographing birds. China’s vast country also have more birders and birding tourism is growing with a number of home-grown birding companies to choose from. The vast steppes of Mongolia in the north have their particular special birds as do the jungles of Borneo and the forests of colder northern countries.

Not only are the birds colourful but there are many Asian photographers and artists who have captured these glories and a few images appear on these pages. Asia has very marked differences in attitudes towards the wild world in general and birds in particular. The caged-bird trade devastates local wild populations in, in particular, Indo-China.

Gurudongmar Lake, Sikkim – © Yoghya CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand Hindu reverence for ALL wild animals means that birds are still densely packed and widespread in India. China’s massive population and intensive agriculture has impacted on the Avifauna and habitat destruction is rife just about everywhere. Even where there are large national parks and reverence for wildlife, poachers can decimate populations and bring them to the brink of extinction as is happening with Bengal Tigers and less ‘loveable’ species like pangolins… much of it to feed ‘traditional’ medicine practiced in China. Growth of protection societies has been slow but does make a difference, especially where the green tourist dollar supports local economies. Forests making way for monoculture palm plantations, the adoption of western agricultural techniques and even the over use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories on animals can almost wipe out whole species before anyone even notices their impact.

This page is sponsored by Rockjumper Birding Tours

Number of bird species: 3845

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Southeast Asia

Birds of south-east asia, birds of central asia: kazakhstan, turkmenistan, uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan, tajikistan, afghanistan, birds of east asia, birds of south asia. the ripley guide, birds of south-east asia: concise edition, birds of the indian ocean islands, collins field guide to the birds of south-east asia, important bird areas in asia, the 125 best bird watching sites in southeast asia, threatened birds of asia (2 volume set), birdlife asia, oriental bird club, sanctuary asia, bird tour asia, birdtours 2 asia, kingbird tours, 2013 [09 september] - birding ecotours, sibagu - bird names in oriental languages.

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Elektrostal, visit elektrostal, check elektrostal hotel availability, popular places to visit.

• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Bykovo Manor
• Balashikha Arena
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pekhorka Park
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Saturn Stadium

Our leaders are a mix of Asian-based and Asian nationals, whom lead both our scheduled and custom tours. On top of the broad range of scheduled tours offered, we offer a range of custom tours, whether it be extensions to the advertised scheduled tours, but also stand-alone tours. Using Birdtour Asia in-house expertise we can tailor the custom tours to suit your requirements. We use a number of locally-based guides for this, and are actively encouraging and promoting the use of young, keen guides throughout the region. Some of our most popular guides are below, though we also have several other guides who lead custom, private tours with us.

James Eaton - throughout the region

James's teenage years eventually led him to Asia, thinking nothing of skipping college lessons for a long trip with Rob to India! Residing in Malaysia, he has built an enviable, intimate knowledge of the identification, vocalisations and behaviour of the birds throughout the whole continent. This has resulted in the discovery of at least five undescribed species to science in Indonesia (two now described!), as well as numerous rediscoveries during his visits to over 70 islands within the archipelago. The culmination of his field-time has resulted in the publication of over 95 manuscripts and articles , over the past 20 years, and lead-author of the Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago . ‍ James has a PhD, having studied taxonomically cryptic species and their conservation status. A keen conservationist, with a particular interest in trying to put an end to the bird trade through surveys and research, and a member of the IUCN Asian Songbird Trade and Hornbill specialist groups. On top of that, he is the eBird reviewer for Indonesia and East Malaysia. Like all our leaders, James has more than a passing interest in the mammals of the region, and is attempting to see all of Asia's megafauna and primates (a very slow, drawn-out and often frustrating process!).

Rob Hutchinson - throughout the region

Rob began birding almost as soon as he could lift a pair of binoculars and foreign travel soon developed this into a passion for world birding, with a special interest in the birds of the Oriental region. Since graduating with a BSc in genetics he has travelled throughout the region, visiting many remote areas in search of the regions very rarest birds. ‍ Rob is an accomplished photographer and keen sound recordist who has authored many scientific papers on the vocalisations, distribution and taxonomy of the region’s birds including several elevating little-known forms to species rank. His main interested is his adopted country of the Philippines where he has seen most extant species and co-authored A Naturalists guide to the birds of the Philippines , and is passionately involved in the conservation of the islands. His travels across the region have netted more than 2,800 species - likely more than anyone else - and he enjoys sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

Wilbur Goh - China, Southeast Asia

Wilbur is a Malaysian who started birding in his early teens, an obsession which has blossomed into a lifelong love affair with the region’s birds. Having travelled the length and breadth of the country for birding, Wilbur knows intimately the habits and calls of Malaysian birds. He has led numerous trips and field surveys as a member of Malaysian Nature Society, spending hours in the field honing his field skills, before deciding to be a full-time guide. Birding in other countries throughout Asia has also helped him to broaden his experience, and though Malaysia will always be his specialty, he's one of the more experienced guides in Papua, and other areas of eastern Indonesia now. Whether in the field or out of it, he is always keen to share his knowledge and passion for the local avifauna. His easy going, relaxed attitude, even during the most intense birding days has made him an extremely popular guide.

Shashank Dalvi - India

Shashank is a researcher, conservationist and entrepreneur from India with more than 20 years of field experience and an immense knowledge of the natural history of the country. His work has led to the discovery of the new bird species, Himalayan Forest Thrush, apart from several rediscoveries and range extensions across almost all vertebrate taxa in India. His research work on birds also includes understanding biogeographic barriers on population genetics and the impact of land use change on bird communities. Shashank was also instrumental in exposing the mass-scale hunting of Amur Falcons in Nagaland and subsequently designing a conservation action for the species. In 2015, Shashank completed a Big Year in India, with 1,128 species seen just within the country. This led to him developing a mobile application called Vannya to get more Indians to actively start watching birds. The application is now used by more than 50,000 people across the world. For 15 years, Shashank has been juggling all his research, conservation and education work with guiding bird tours because he enjoys the challenge and the constant reminder of the reason he fell in love with India's wildlife. He is also the only birder to have spent time on all the main Nicobar islands, during his research projects over several months in recent years.

Mike Nelson - throughout the region

Mike has been a birder since he was six, when he became fascinated with the birds in his English garden. With a father in the oil industry, he grew up in the Middle East and the Caribbean, eventually settling in the United States in 1980. Having lived in and travelled to over 40 countries he is an experienced world birder and as an avid sound recorder, he has logged over 12,000 sound recordings. Mike developed a particular interest in Asia during his birding travels and having led numerous tours in Asia, working as a full-time guide for Birdtour Asia was a natural progression to share his knowledge and enthusiam on tours throughout our region. He is now a firm favourite on several of our tours where he now spends far more time on tours than he does at home!

Yeo Siew Teck - Borneo

Born and raised in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo, it was little surprise that Yeo grew up influenced by the natural world. He was involved in numerous expeditions to remote areas of this rich island, and he can include the rediscovery of Black Oriole among his achievements. Although his first love has always been birds he is renowned for his all-round expertise in Borneo’s organisms, including finding a new species of pitcher plant, Nepenthes appendiculata , and was the first person to record the sound of a rare, fossorial frog species - Gastrophrynoides borneensis . ‍ Yeo is a keen conservationist, heavily involved with the Malaysia Nature Society and the Sarawak Forest Department, for whom he surveys the states National Parks. A Sarawak tour with Yeo will not only be productive birdwise, but an all-round nature experience as he enjoys sharing his knowledge with participants.

Khaleb Yordan - Indonesia

Born and raised in the metropolis of Jakarta, Khaleb was soon venturing outside of the urban sprawl while still a kid, where he soon gained an appreciation for birds and mammals. Since then he has gained an intimate knowledge of the endemics and specialities of Java, Bali and Sumatra with a particular emphasis on west Java, where he has shared many of his adventures with his brother, Boas. He has been involved in several bird research monitoring projects, including taking boats off Java for Burung Laut Indonesia as a member of the Seabird Working Group, and avifaunal studies in the Moluccas. Khaleb is the perfect guide for custom tours throughout Java, Kalimantan and Sumatra, and increasingly the rest of Indonesia as he's now becoming increasingly experienced in Papua and Wallacea.

Wichyanan Limparungpatthanakij - Thailand

Growing up in Thailand's lush countryside, Jay has been a wildlife enthusiast for as long as he could remember. As a young kid he explored the seasonal floodplains armed with a pair of cheap plastic binoculars and the famous Lekagul & Round's field guide published in 1991. Bird identification has become one of his lifetime obsessions, culminating in the publication of Birds of Thailand in 2018, which he co-authored with the renowned Uthai Treesucon. ‍ Having seen over 940 species in Thailand, he's the regional eBird reviewer for Thailand, and a member of both the Thai and Philippine Rarities Committees. On top of his, he studied his MSc on the ecology of mixed-species flocks, and is an avid researcher, his publications can be viewed here . He has led bird tours throughout Thailand for over a decade since his years in college, there really is no one better to guide you through Thailand.

Martin Kennewell - Eastern Palaearctic

Martin, like the rest of us, has been a birder since childhood, cutting his teeth around the gravel pits of the Trent Valley in Nottinghamshire. His travels have taken him to all parts of the globe and he’s amassed well over 8,000 species worldwide. ‍ For nearly 20 years he’s been based in Asia, mostly in Singapore where he was involved in the discovery of several country firsts and numerous other rarities. This gave him the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Asia and build up an excellent knowledge of the region which he now shares on several Birdtour Asia tours with a focus on the Eastern Palearctic including Middle East, across to Mongolia, China and Japan. ‍ Following his early retirement (from his professional work, not birding!) he lives with his family in the Philippines where he is already an active member of the birding, Odonata and Lepidoptera communities.

Otani Chikara - Japan

Otani was born and raised in Tokyo, with a few years in London during his formative years. His loves for nature and birds began in childhood and he's been studying and enjoying birds ever since. ‍ After graduating from the University of Tokyo, his life has evolved around nature, working as researcher for nearly 40 years and as a bird guide for much of that time. His passion has led him across the world in pursuit of birds (even rediscovering Roborovski’s Rosefinch in the process!), though it’s in Japan where his in-depth knowledge has been of most value, culminating in him authoring the ‘Birds of Japan’ field guide. ‍ With such a background, Otani is the perfect guide to make any birding trip to Japan a memorable experience.

Sayam Chowdhury - Bangladesh

Sayam has been working in behavioural ecology, research and conservation of globally threatened species in Bangladesh and abroad for the last ten years, especially on Critically Endangered birds including Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Baer’s Pochard and Masked Finfoot, and vanishing riverine birds. His undergraduate degree in Environmental Science, coupled with international training and an MPhil in Biodiversity Conservation from the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, has further cemented his footing in Conservation Science. Working in close quarters with local communities has helped him gather unique experiences as an advocate of nature, inspiring people and being inspired at the same time. He is Assistant Coordinator of the International Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force. His other notable works include gathering scientific knowledge on the secretive Masked Finfoot, identifying conservation problems and actions to address those, leading forest bird monitoring programme at 15 PAs in Bangladesh and proposing two new protected areas in Bangladesh based on his work on riverine birds. He serves as a member to the IUCN Species Survival Commission. On top of all that, he's a very keen birder!

Sumaraja - Indonesia

'Raja is a much loved face on all of our Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sundas and Banda Sea tours, and anyone who has been fortunate enough to share a tour with him will sing his praises for his attention to detail, and his legendary banana pancakes! Raja is also an experienced birder, having co-led over 60 tours with us since 2007 he has more experience in the region than any of us! Prior to guiding for Birdtour Asia, he was Ben King's righthand man on many of his tours and explorations, including birding on Wetar, successfully finding Wetar Ground Dove way back in 2008 - three years before we began our Banda Sea Cruise.

Steven An - China

Majored as an International Tour Guide in China and after graduation from college, he guided numerous cultural tours throughout China for several years before he peered through a birders telescope at Poyang Lake in 2008 and discovered a new passion! This was his life-changing moment and since then has become a top birder, and proficient in leading birding tours throughout China. He has co-led several tours with Birdtour Asia since 2013 and already solo-guided several of our private, custom tours. Steven is able to lead private tours throughout China, including targeted trips for the rarest species.

Pete Simpson - Philippines

Pete started birding around Britain as a kid, graduated to Western Palaearctic trips in his twenties and world birding in his thirties. He left the UK for good in 2006 on a world trip that took in all seven continents in the first two years. His first trip to Philippines was in 2007 and he returned regularly between tours around Southeast Asia, eventually settling permanently in Davao, Southern Mindanao in 2010. Pete has been working since with the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Regional Department of Environment on shorebird and raptor migration and with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines to introduce more people to birdwatching. He is undoubtedly the the most active and knowledgeable birder in Mindanao and between guiding tours Pete is busy exploring Mindanao and adjacent area of the Visayas, finding new sites and studying its least-known birds.

Boas Emmanuel - Indonesia

Boas was born in Jakarta and developed a passion for wildlife at a young age, during his teenage years his interest focused more and more on birds, after making birding expeditions with brother Khaleb. He lead his first birding tour in 2010 and his experience has continued to grow so that he now guides across much of the archipelago, including many photographic tours for those hoping to capture the spectacular endemics with a particular focus on endemic pittas. Besides his tour leading, Boas is heavily involved in survey work when the opportunity arises, this includes the Indonesia Seabirds Survey (ISSUE) now known as Burung Laut Indonesia, and he was part of the Black-browed Babbler survey team that rediscovered the species in 2021 after it had been lost for over 170 years.

Hery Kusumanegara - Java & Bali, Indonesia

Hery is a senior ranger of Bali Barat National Park in Bali, Indonesia. He has worked tirelessly for the protection of the Critically Endangered Bali Myna conservation program for several years now, empowering locals community around the park. He started birding at an early age and has extensive experience leading custom birding tours for Birdtour Asia for several years now, primarily in East Java and his native Bali. His patience, passion and keen eye are already well-known, add to that his ever-present smile he’s been a firm favourite with all of our participants. Whether it be an extension to a scheduled tour or a stand-alone tour we are able to offer the best opportunities to see the Java and Bali specialties with Hery.

Tim Dinh - Vietnam

Tim is one of the most experienced, and sought-after birdwatching guides in Vietnam. He started his bird-guiding career in 2010 and has rapidly evolved since, seeking out not only the most well-known Vietnamese specialties, but with a knack for finding some of the least known-species in the country. Tim’s favourite bird families are the babblers and laughingthrushes from Vietnam, and his skills at finding them, and creating feeding stations, has meant that many visitors to the country have benefited from his skills without having ever met him! A tour with Tim will mean that you have special access to the feeding stations, allowing you the most intimate views of the wonderful Vietnamese endemics. Back at home, Tim has a loving wife, a six year old daughter, and a son that is as stubborn as a bird.

Mony - Cambodia

Mony was born in Siem Reap, and still lives there today, where he is one of the chief guides at the Sam Veasna Centre. The Sam Veasna Centre was set up as a conservation initiative to promote community-based ecotourism projects throughout Cambodia. Highly success, and the winner of many awards, Mony has been central to its success, being the centre's longest service guide. He has been co-leading our scheduled tours for many years now, and regularly guides our custom tours to his beautiful country. Known for his cheeky smile and personality, he adds an extra dimension to our Cambodia tours. Not only that, he is the leading bird guide in the country, with his initimate knowledge of the culture, communities, wildlife, and of course first-and-foremost, the birds.

Summer Wong - China

Summer has been guiding in China for more than a decade, initially in Sichuan before branching out to cover all corners, bit specialising in Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet, and Eastern China, honing her birding skills to become a knowledge and well respected tour leader, with an eye for detail to make sure every aspect of a tour runs smoothly. ‍ With a close connection to the Chinese birding network, she is always up-to-date on the latest birding news, and happy to tailor tours to best suit your requirements. Summer is an accomplished photographer and a keen sound-recordist which has helped her develop a keen ear for bird sounds, even for the multitude of Phylloscopus warblers. On top of the birds, she has a nose for culinary delights, making any China tour an experience beyond the birds and the scenery!

Kuan-Chieh Hung - Taiwan

Chuck, a dedicated Taiwanese birdwatching guide with a Master's degree in Biology specialising in avian vocalisations, has been leading birdwatching groups for nearly 15 years now, sharing his extensive knowledge and passion for birds with fellow enthusiasts. He has observed over 550 bird species in Taiwan, and as an eBird Taiwan local reviewer and iNaturalist curator, Chuck possesses a comprehensive understanding of Taiwan's bird species, as well as its common flora and fauna, while promoting the importance of documenting and learning about local ecosystems. With experience serving in bird-related NGOs, Chuck holds an in-depth knowledge of Taiwan's avian conservation status and ongoing efforts to protect its diverse bird populations. Embark on an unforgettable birdwatching adventure with Chuck and explore Taiwan's vibrant birdlife and natural wonders through the eyes of a seasoned expert.

Agus Nurza - Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Born and raised in Aceh, the northernmost provice of Sumatra, Agus has been a birder since 2007. A qualified vet, his first experience of birding in Sumatra was part of a migratory water-birds survey studying Avian Influenza in Sumatra, since which time he has spent many years conducting and organizing exploration within Leuser Ecosystem Forest in Aceh and is currently very active in promoting tourism through a Birds conservation awareness program in Aceh. He has taken numerous birding trips across Sumatra including several scheduled and custom tours with us. A competent photographer, he enjoys sharing his passion for birds via his blog, tours and workshops and can take people on custom tours throughout Sumatra including clean-up trips for the toughest endemics.

Peter Lobo - India and Bhutan

Peter has led a colourful life; his formative years in hospitality in India took him to Oman where he ran his own restaurant, before returning home and settling in the scenic village of Kalimpong, in the foothills of the Himalaya. Here, he setup Adventure Gurudongma and All India Birding Tours, focusing on wildlife and birding tours, where he has built up a formidable reputation. Having spent 25 years honing his birding skills, not only is he a renowned bird guide but has explored little-known areas all across the Himalaya, many of which are now firmly on the birding path. He takes great pride in unearthing and developing talented local guides into outstanding bird guides, and continues to develop areas through workshops and lectures. ‍ An elected number of the prestigious Bombay Natural History Society's Governing Council and serves as Chief Advisor to the Sikkim Ornithological Society. Currently working on his PhD in Environmental Science (Bio-diversity of Birds of Northeast India: A Key to ornithological Tourism), he is one busy boy!