Borneo Bird Festival returns after two-year hiatus

One of Malaysia’s largest nature festivals, the 12th Borneo Bird Festival, returns after a two-year hiatus to celebrate the magnificent birds of Borneo and its natural landscape.

Co-organised by the Borneo Bird Club, Sabah Forestry Department and supported by Sabah Tourism Board, the Borneo Bird Festival is an annual bird-watching festival commemorating native birds in Borneo.

While encouraging ecotourism and raising wildlife conservation issues, the event is also a wonderful venue for gathering nature lovers together and forging ties between local and foreign participants.

The event took place at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan, from 22 to 23 October.

A series of activities were spread throughout the two-day event for birders and non-birders with Bird Race, Bird Photo Race, Exhibitions, Workshops, Bird Camp and Talks on Birds.

Among the main attractions of this festival are the Bird Race and the Bird Photography competition. This competition regularly attracts birding enthusiasts and photographers from all over the world.

Canon Marketing Malaysia (Canon) sponsored prizes close to RM 4500 for the Bird Photo Race as part of its ongoing efforts to foster a love for photography and tight bond with the birding community in Malaysia.

Canon were part of the Borneo Bird Festival 2022 to step up efforts in elevating the public awareness on environmental conservation and birding.

Participants were allowed to explore Canon’s products at the “Touch & Try Sessions”. The company showcased a full range of their EOS R-series cameras, EF and RF super telephoto lenses and binoculars for participants.

Canon users who visited the booth enjoyed free complimentary camera and lens check-ups handled specifically by in-house camera product specialists.

Hunter Zhang, Director of Image Communications Business Division shared on Canon’s local and regional initiatives with regards to environmental conservation.

“The Borneo Bird Festival resonates deeply with Canon as we believe in cultivating the awareness of nature and conservation. At Canon, ‘Imaging for Good’ is a way to foster a better society, creating and capturing the beauty of nature and the wildlife for future generations.

“We are more than happy to support the birding community by sharing Canon’s sentiment when it comes to preserving wildlife, product knowledge and expertise to captivate stunning visual moments,” said Zhang.

Sabah is home to 66 endemic bird species found only in Borneo and remains one of the top birding destinations in Malaysia.