Raptor Watch at Tanjung Tuan: Honey-buzzard highway of Malaysia

Raptor Watch is an event organize by MNS the first weekend of March annually in Tanjung Tuan. Tanjung Tuan has been listed as an important raptor site by BirdLife International, National Geographic Society and Hawkmountain. The main objective of the Raptor Watch are to raise awareness on the importance of raptor migration,gain public support in conserving Tanjung Tuan, monitor the raptor population, and promote other raptor migration watching sites and flyways throughout Malaysia.

RW is an opportunity for the general public to witness one of nature’s most exquisite offerings. Raptors migrate southward to escape the bitter cold of the northern winters and make the same venturous journey back during spring to their breeding grounds in temperate Asia.The spring raptor migration actually begins in mid February and lasts till mid April. For those who are not able to come to the RW, you can still go anytime within this period to see the birds. Over the years of monitoring, MNS has discovered that the peak period to watch the most number of birds is the first weekend of March. 

During the spring migration, thousands of raptors can be seen flying across the Straits of Malacca. Having to use massive amount of energy flying across the Straits of Malacca, the raptors will be flying low at the event site making it possible to have a good view of these magnificent birds.

But for many years Tanjung Tuan has been facing a development threat. The sea front of Tanjung Tuan is expensive real estate. As Tanjung Tuan is an extension of the Port Dickson holidaying coasts, its value as a vacation spot is high. For many years plans after plans were drawn by local authorities to develop Tanjung Tuan. And throughout these years, Malaysian Nature Society has been striving to keep Tanjung Tuan intact.

The need to conserve Tanjung Tuan was mainly for the migratory raptors. Tanjung Tuan is an important stop-over site for migratory raptors after crossing the Straits of Malacca. It provides food for the raptors as well as a resting spot. For raptors arriving late in the evening, it provides shelter for the night before they take off for flight the next day. Without Tanjung Tuan, many raptors may never make it back, due to exhaustion and lack of food.

The conservation of Tanjung Tuan is also important for its surrounding marine life and its forest growth. The trees in Tanjung Tuan acts a gene bank for tropical timber trees and the waters of Tanjung Tuan is rich with coral and sea-grass, both important for green turtles that lay eggs in secluded beaches of Tanjung Tuan.

Help us fundraise for the continuity of Migratory Raptor Conservation especially in Tanjung Tuan by purchasing a range of RW merchandise. 100% proceeds of the purchase will go towards supporting MNS’s conservation work in Conservation, Education and Public Awareness activities.

Author and Illustrator: Sonny Wong,Annabelle Aiyling Mew

Published by: Malaysian Nature Society

Number of page: 19

Format: Paperback

Language: English