Monsoon in Borneo

The sound of rain & a thunderstorm along with birdsong in Borneo’s tropical rainforest

Recording Location: Sabah & Sarawak
Habitat: Lowland tropical rainforest
Duration: 44 minutes (6 tracks)
Year of Release: 2014 © All rights reserved
Download Formats: mp3 & FLAC (44.1kHZ/16bit)

$15

Prices are in Australian dollars (AUD)

Format:

Clear

Album Description

Tropical storms are the lifeblood of Borneo’s forests. Delivering an abundance of precious recycled water, and providing temporary relief from the forest’s steamy humidity, thunderstorms are vital to life in the rainforest.

Leading up to the storm, the air is heavy and still. The soundscape becomes softer, simpler, as if the wildlife is bracing itself for the coming deluge. The rainfall is intense but brief, and it eases to a gentle shower, thunder still grumbling. The melodious calls of Grey-cheeked Bulbul and Hill Myna penetrate through the sound of rain, and the forest starts to come to life again as the storm passes.

Listen to a Sample

Recording Location

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors

Track Listing

1. Morning Dewdrops (4:56)

After a humid tropical night, dewdrops fall from the rainforest canopy in the early morning while a variety of bird species can be heard calling in the forest including Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Black-crowned Pitta, White-crowned Shama and Diard’s Trogon.

2. By a Tropical Pond (5:12)

This track was recorded near a flooded wetland adjacent to the forest, where frogs were calling throughout the day. A family of Hill Mynas whistle from a perched high in the forest and Common Emerald Doves coo from the forest floor.

3. Before the Storm (4:44)

Thick clouds build and the air becomes heavy as a storm approaches. The ‘te-woop te-woop te-woop’ calls of Golden-whiskered Barbets create a rhythm to the soundscape, as do the lower-pitched, slower ‘oooms’ of Common Emerald Dove. Thunder starts to grumble and the birds become quieter as the rain approaches.

4. Rain in the Forest (9:00)

A steady shower of rain falls on the forest. Most of the birds are quietly sitting it out under sheltered branches and foliage. At 3:40 a Grey-cheeked Bulbul sings briefly.

5. Hill Mynas in the Rain (8:48)

Common Hill Mynas sing for a few minutes at the start of this track, after which the rain begins to lighten and the birds become more active again.

6. Dusk Ambience (11:52)

Blue-eared & Golden-whiskered Barbets continue to call along with bulbuls and drongos. As the sun begins to set, crickets and other insects call softly from the undergrowth.

Bird species heard on this album include:

Green Imperial Pigeon, Common Emerald Dove, Greater Coucal, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Diard’s Trogon, Red-throated & Golden-whiskered Barbets, Black-crowned Pitta, Grey-cheeked & Puff-backed Bulbuls, White-crowned Shama, Black-capped Babbler, Bold-striped Tit-babbler, Chestnut-rumped babbler, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Common Hill Myna and Little Spiderhunter.

Applies to albums priced $10 or more.

Monsoon in Borneo