Did you know that Kinta Nature Park is a bird paradise visited by thousands of avid bird watchers and tourists from in and out of Malaysia?
Covering over 900 hectares of disused mining land, the park is located in Kampung Pisang, Batu Gajah. This wildlife sanctuary is the third gazetted park after Royal Belum and Pulau Sembilan. It is being managed by the Perak State Parks Corporation.
There are 1381 aquatic birds belonging to 150 species living in complete harmony with the greenery that fills the scene. When tin ore was extracted from the earth the area was a hive of activity, especially from the tin-mining community of Kinta District.
Kinta Nature Park has been acclaimed as one of the largest heronries in Malaysia. Five species of herons and egrets breed, namely, grey heron, black-crowned night heron and cattle egret.
The grey heron migrates from Africa, India, China, Philippines and Sudan. It is interesting to note that the purple heron, initially a migratory bird, is now a resident species thanks to the conducive conditions prevalent in the park.
Other bird species that have made the park their home include black and red broadbill, blue throated bee-eater, lesser coucal, olive backed sunbird, orange bellied flowerpecker, thick billed green pigeon, yellow eared spiderhunter, kingfisher, woodpecker and stock.
A four-level bird observation tower has been built for convenience of bird watchers.
The park is a shared home to mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and butterflies. This explains why it has become a haven for fishing enthusiasts although fishing is prohibited.
A popular wild orchid, Vanda hookeriana, is endemic to the park. A hybrid of this plant, incidentally, is the national flower of Singapore.
Kinta Nature Park is open daily between 8am and 6pm. Admission is free-of-charge for the time being.
GPS Coordinates: N 04° 25.444′ E101° 03.567′.
