Brunei Darussalam has around 622 species of birds, Indonesia about 1,500, Malaysia more than 800, and the Philippines around 530. Photo credit: iStock/PhuuchaayHYBRID
With rising interest in birdwatching, catering to this niche tourism segment can be lucrative for BIMP-EAGA countries as they are home to some of the world’s most colorful and distinct birds.
Brunei Darussalam has around 622 species of birds, Indonesia about 1,500, Malaysia more than 800, and the Philippines around 650.
Many of these birds may be found in the BIMP-EAGA subregion, which aspires to become an ecotourism destination of choice in Asia and the Pacific. Birdwatching, or avitourism, falls under ecotourism, which is an important contributor to local and national economies, providing income to rural communities while helping to preserve natural resources and the cultural heritage.
Paradise for birdwatchers
Birdwatching tours in Brunei offer tourists sightings of whiskered terns, rufous night heron, stork-billed kingfisher, osprey, brahminy kite, white-bellied sea eagle, and the common kingfisher.
According to a Forbes article, the Kutai National Park in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is a must-visit for birdwatchers as it is home to the whiskered treeswift, scarlet-rumped trogon, and barred eagle-owl. Meanwhile, the Tangkoko Nature Reserve in Sulawesi is home to the Sulawesi hornbill and ornate lorikeet.
Some of the bird species highlighted in package tours in Malaysia include the blue-banded pitta, Bornean frogmouth, Bornean marbet, mountain serpent eagle, mountain rail-babbler, crested shrikejay, barred eagle-owl, oriental bay owl, dulit frogmouth, black oriole, and the hose's broadbill.
In the Philippines, birdwatchers may want to visit the Pasonanca Natural Park in Mindanao, which is home to the white-eared tailorbird, the Zamboanga bulbul, southern silvery kingfisher, Mindanao tarictic, blue-capped kingfisher, Philippine trogon, black-faced coucal, orange-tufted spiderhunter, Philippine drongo cuckoo, and many more. Mindanao is also home to the endangered Philippine monkey-eating eagle. In Palawan, birders can spot roosting rufous night-herons, blue paradise flycatchers, black-naped monarchs, rufous-tailed tailorbirds, ashy-fronted bulbuls and Palawan bulbuls, the oriental dwarf kingfisher, the white-vented shama, pale spiderhunter, the Palawan flowerpecker, and on the rare occasion—the chestnut-breasted malkoha.
Top markets
Europeans and Americans are among the most avid birdwatchers.
The United Kingdom is the largest source country in Europe, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.
In 2021, 14.82 million people in the United States participated in birdwatching.
According to various reports, tourists who identify as birdwatchers tend to be well-educated and wealthy, making them an attractive target market.
Indeed, Malaysia’s recent launch of birdwatching tourism packages targeted tourists from the UK and the US, as well as from Denmark, the People’s Republic of China, and Singapore. The packages include birdwatching tours in Sarawak and Sabah.
“The promotion of the birding segment aligns with our commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism,” said Tourism Malaysia Director General Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd. Ghapar in a news release. "Malaysia is fortunate to have approximately 873 bird species, representing 7.4% of the global population. Among them, 91 species are either endemic or nearly endemic and can only be found in this country. Therefore, Tourism Malaysia is ready to promote more niche tourism segments as birding offers a unique travel experience in Malaysia and has the potential to contribute to the economic growth of the tourism industry and local community."
A total of 15 tour packages are being offered by seven travel operators for travel periods beginning 14 October to 31 March 2024.
Birding for health
Over the years, various studies have reported that birdwatching, or encounters with birds, is good for mental health, according to a news report.
A study published by Nature reported that everyday encounters with birds were associated with time-lasting improvements in mental well-being, not just for healthy people, but for those diagnosed with depression. The report is based on the feedback of nearly 1,300 people who used a mobile phone app to log their mood over the day after seeing or hearing birds.
A 2017 study found a positive correlation in the presence of birds in urban neighborhoods with a lower prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among residents.