I was in Malaysia for meetings, and added three birding days afterwards for day trips out of Kuala Lumpur. I made arrangements through Endemic Guides, who were extremely helpful.
I stayed at the Number Eight Guest House in downtown Kuala Lumpur, and was picked up there by my guide at 5 or 6 a.m. each day and dropped off in the evening. (The three sites were each about an hour and a half drive to reach.) Number Eight is close to a huge number of inexpensive restaurants and street food stands and also within minutes walk of a large mall. I chose Number Eight because it was inexpensive but clean and had the possibility to make reservations by internet.
On the three days we went to three different habitats: broadleaved evergreen forest at lower (Bukit Rengit/Krau) and higher elevations (Fraser’s Hill), and coastal forest/mangrove/shoreline (Kuala Selangor). I purchased and studied the Princeton Field Guide “Birds of Southeast Asia” in advance, anticipating that there would be bird waves in the forest that would allow only a few seconds look per species. This was indeed the case, although there were also good long looks through the telescope at perching kingfishers, cuckoos, Black Hornbill, and broadbills.
My guide was Lee Kok Chung, and he was familiar with all the sites and where to look for specific birds. He knew the calls of the forest species that we were seeking. He often attracted species to come into view using song playback. He was amazingly good at locating birds in the canopy and understory, in places where I looked but did not notice any bird. Only a couple of times did I find birds on my own before he had pointed them out.
In the three days I identified 160 bird species, of which four were heard but not seen (including Red Junglefowl). I missed a fair number of species that Lee saw in the bird waves, because I spent time getting a firm ID for individuals that would be life birds. Highlights of the trip were very good views of Silver-eared Mesia, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Large Niltava, Grey-chinned Minivet, many woodpecker species, and Jambu Fruit Dove.
I recommend Endemic Guides for others planning to go to Malaysia.
http://www.endemicguides.com/Birds/Tour/Kuala_Lumpur_Birding.htm
KS= Kuala Selangor and surroundings including shoreline and parks
B.R. = Bukit Rengit (Krau forest)
F.H. = Fraser's Hill
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus heard at KS
Banded Woodpecker Picus mineaceus B.R.
Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus B.R.
Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha F.H.
Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus K.S.
Checker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis BR
Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus KS
Common Flameback Dinopiium javanense K.S.
Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus B.R.
Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis K.S.
Buff-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis B.R.
Fire-tufted Barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus FH
Gold-whiskered Barbet Megalaima chrysopogon BR
Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala KS
Brown Barbet Calorhamphus fuliginosus BR
Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata KS
Black Hornbill Anthracoceros malayanus BR
Red-headed Trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus FH
Blue-tailed Bee-Eater Merops pholippinus KS
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis BR KS
Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris KS
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis KS
Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis KS
Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella BR
Large Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx spaverioides heard at FH
Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii BR
Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus downhill from FH
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea KS
Black-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus diardi BR
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris BR
Raffles's Malkoha Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus BR
Red-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus javanicus BR
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis BR
Dollarbird Eurystomus Orientalis BR
Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda BR
Silver-rumped Needletail Rhapidura leucopygialis BR
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta all locations
Grey-rump Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis BR
Barred Eagle Owl Bubo Sumatranus KS
Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia FH
Pink-neck Green Pigeon Treron vernans KS
Little Green Pigeon Treron olax BR
Spotted Dove Streptopelia orientalis KS
Jambu Fruit Dove Ptilinopus jambu BR
Little Cuckoo Dove Macropygia ruficeps FH
Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica heard downhill from FH
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata Melaka
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus KS
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata shoreline near KS
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus shoreline near KS
Common Redshank Tringa totanus shoreline near KS
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres shoreline near KS
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos shoreline near KS
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaulti shoreline near KS
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva shoreline near KS
Little Tern Sterna albifrons shoreline near KS
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus shoreline near KS
Gull-billed Tern Sterna/Gelochelidon nilotica shoreline near KS
Grey-headed Fish-eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus downhill from FH
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela KS
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus KS
Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis Ptilorhyncus FH
Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius BR
Purple Heron Ardea Purpurea KS
Great Egret Casmerodius albus KS
Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia KS
Little Egret Egretta garzetta KS
Gray Heron Ardea cinerea KS
Little Heron Butorides striatus KS
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax KS
Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus KS
Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus KS
Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae FH
Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus BR
Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus BR
Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus BR
Black-and-Red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchus BR
Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis BR
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus BR
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus KS
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus KS
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus BR
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer FH
House Crow Corvus splendens all over
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos downhill from FH
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis KS
Black-and-Crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus FH
Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Hemipus picatus FH
Pied Triller Lalage nigra KS
Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris FH
White-throated Fantail Phipidura albicollis FH
Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica KS
Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola KS
Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea BR
Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi KS
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica KS
Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalasina downhill from FH
Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westernanni FH
Large Niltava Niltava grandis FH
Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus FH
Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys FH
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus BR
Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis all over
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus Leucorynchus KS
Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis BR
Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus KS
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis BR
Hill Myna Gracula religiosa BR
Blue Nuthatch Sitta azurea FH
Great Tit Parus major KS
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica BR
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica all over
Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps BR
Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus FH
Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier all over
Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus BR
Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus burnneus BR
Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos BR
Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni BR
Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus FH
Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala downhill from FH
Mountain Bulbul Hypsipetes mcclellandii FH
Buff-vented Bulbul Hypsipetes charlottae BR
Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex BR
Hairy-backed Bulbul Hypsipetes criniger BR
Rufescent Prinia Prinia rufescens BR
Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris BR
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis KS
Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea KS
Mountain Tailorbird Orthotomus cuculatus heard at FH
Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps KS
Arctic Warbler Phyllocopus borealis FH
Oriental White-Eye Zosterops palpebrosus KS
Chestnut-crowned Warbler Scicercus castaniceps FH
Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris FH
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Garrulax mitratus FH
Abbott's Babbler Malacocincla abbotti KS
Sooty-capped Babbler Malacopteron affine BR
Pygmy Wren Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla FH
Golden Babbler Stchyris chrysaea FH
Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps FH
Striped Tit Babbler Macronous gularis KS
Black-eared Shrike Babbler Pteruthius melanotis FH
Blue-winged Minla Ninla cyanouroptera FH
Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris FH
Mountain Fulvetta Alcippe peracensis FH
Long-tailed Sibia Hererophasia picaoides FH
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prinochilus percussus BR
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma BR
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus F.H.
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum B.R.
Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis K.S.
Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata FH
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Anthreptes singalensis BR
Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra BR
Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna FH
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava FH
Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata KS
White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata FH
White-headed Munia Lonchura maja KS