The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary sits on the Perak coast at the mouth of the Sungai Kerian, a quiet expanse of mangrove forest, mudflat and aquaculture ponds about 90 km north of Ipoh. It is one of the most important sites in peninsular Malaysia for migratory shorebirds — between September and March the mudflats fill with thousands of plovers, sandpipers, godwits and curlews on their way down the East Asian flyway.
The headline species is the milky stork (Mycteria cinerea), a critically endangered mangrove specialist that breeds nowhere else in Malaysia in numbers. Boats can be hired in the fishing village for trips into the mangroves; the early morning and late afternoon are best. Bring binoculars and insect repellent.