Birding in Raja Ampat Islands

Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica)
I organize birding tours for visitors who like to watch birds in tropical islands of Raja Ampat. The main targets are Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise. There are a lot of birds that visitors can watch as well such as the Glossy Mantled Manucode, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Suphur-crested Cockatoo, Yellow-faced Myna, Brown-headed Crow, Torresian Crow, Mimic Meliphaga, Puff-backed Meliphaga, Radjah Shelduck, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Eastern Osprey, Willie Wagtail, White-breasted Woodswallow, Pacific Swallow.
Raja Ampat's bird of paradise
Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra)
Birdwatching activity can be carried out at Warduwer beach, along the road side, or inside the tropical rainforest of Waigeo. I organize birdwatching tour by motorized boat to small islands inside Kabui bay, and north-eastern region of Waigeo too. In Kabui bay, we can watch Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Stephan's Emerald Dove, Frigate Birds, Little-pied Cormorant, Sooty Tern, Lesser-crested Tern, Little Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Moustached Treeswift, Singing Starling.
In my previous experience, tour participants like the birding tour by boat because they could also see a lot of karst islets whose scenery are very beautiful and also enjoy swimming and snorkeling in remote white sandy beaches. For this purpose, visitors could bring their snorkeling masks.
ITINERARY
Birdwatching and Snorkeling
Day 1 (lunch, dinner)
Transfer by car to Pelabuhan Rakyat
Going by passenger ferry to Raja Ampat
Arriving in Waisai, you will be transferred by boat to homestay
After checking into your room, you could enjoy swimming and snorkeling at the house reef of the homestay
In the afternoon at around 15.00, we will go birdwatching to a small island at the entrance area of Kabui bay
Palm cockatoo  in Waigeo
Palm Cockatoo
Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
We will wake up early in the morning at 03.40 and then make preparations.
At 04.00 we will leave our homestay by a motorized boat to a beach further in the south. It takes around 15 minutes to reach it. Landing at the beach, we shall continue our trip by hiking to the top of the hill for around 1 hour. After that, we will enter a small hut by a cliff to watch Wilson' Bird of Paradise. We will watch it until around 09.00 and then return to homestay to have breakfast and take a rest.
You could enjoy snorkeling during the day.
At 15.00 we will go to Warduwer beach to enjoy birdwatching where birds such as Pied Imperial Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, White-breasted Woodswallow, Yellow-faced Myna, Spangled Drongo. At 05.00, we will return to homestay.

Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
We will wake up early in the morning at 05.00 and then go hiking to the top of the hill where we will watch Red Bird of Paradise. We will watch it until 09.00. After that we will walk down the hill to a viewpoint above the homestay. Here, we will watch birds that like to fly and land on the canopy of the forest such as Hooded Butcherbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Blyth's Hornbill. For birds under the canopy that live in the area include Dusky Scrubfowl, Mimic Meliphaga, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Papuan Pitta, and etc. We will walk down and then take a rest.
After that we will go to coastal area of Gam island at the entrance of Kabui bay by boat to enjoy birding. Our target birds are Olive-backed Sunbird, Radjah Shelduck, Mimic Meliphaga, Beach Kingfisher, Striated Heron, Wimbrel, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, White-bellied Sea Eagle

Day 4 (breakfast, lunch)
At around 05.30, we will go hiking to the hill behind our homestay. There, we will climb a platform and sit to watch any birds that fly over the canopy of the forest and land on the tree-top branches such as Blyth's Hornbill Hooded Butcherbird, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Blyth's Hornbill. Sometimes White-bellied Sea Eagle, Brahminy Kite, or tens of Lesser Frigatebirds fly over the sea. From this view point we can also see the beautiful scenery of Kabui bay. At around 09.00, we will walk down the hill to return to homestay.
After lunch, we will say goodbye to the staff of the homestay and leave for Waisai harbor, where we will return to Sorong by ferry again. Arriving in Sorong, you will be transferred to hotel.

Target birds to watch:
Red Bird of Paradise
Wilson's Bird of Paradise
Great-billed Parrot
Eclectus Parrot
Great-billed Parrot
Coconut Lorikeet
Palm Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Red-cheeked Parrot
Violet-necked Lory
Spice Imperial Pigeon
Pinon Imperial Pigeon
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Claret-breasted Fruit Dove
Pink-spotted Fruit Dove
Beautiful Fruit Dove
Blyth's Hornbill
Dusky Scrubfowl
Common Paradise Kingfisher
Yellow-faced Myna
Spangled Drongo
Hooded Butcherbird
Helmetted Friarbird
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
Beach Kingfisher
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Eastern Osprey
Brahminy Kite
Radjah Shelduck
Willie Wagtail
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Beach Stone Curlew
White-breasted Woodswallow
Moustached Treeswift
Pacific Swallow
Bridled Tern
Lesser Frigatebird
Olive-backed Sunbird
Black Sunbird
Mimic Meliphaga
Puff-backed Meliphaga
Singing Starling
and etc

Marine Life:
Clown Anemonefish
Clark's Anemonefish
Red and Black Anemonefish
Pink Anemonefish
Spinecheek Anemonefish
Pink Anemonefish
Striped Surgeonfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Saddled Butterflyfish
Ornate Butterflyfish
Moorish Idol
Small-toothed Whiptail
Christmas Tree Worm
Giant Sea Clam
Blue Sea Star, and etc.

Things to bring:
Clothing that is suitable for tropical island, swimming, and coral reef snorkeling,
For rainforest trip: t-shirts, and long pants, socks
Hiking boots or sport shoes, flip-flops
Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, swim fins)
Binoculars
Camera
Anti insect lotion
Oil or Sunblock lotion

For Prices in Rupiahs, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

The prices include:
Transfer by car in Sorong from hotel to harbor
Passenger ferry ticket from Sorong to Waisai
Transfer by boat from Waisai to Homestay
Accommodation and food in homestay
Transfer by boat to birding sites
Payment to land owners who own the birding site of Red BOP and Wilson's BOP
Transfer by boat to Waisai harbor
Ferry tickets from Waisai to Sorong
Transfer by car to a hotel in Sorong

Prices do not include:
- Entrance Fee to Raja Ampat,
for foreign tourist Rp. 1,000,000/ person
for Indonesian tourist Rp. 500,000/ person
- Airfare
- Travel insurance
- Hotel in Sorong before and after the tour
- Any personal expenses

What to bring

Asian birders in tropical islands of Raja Ampat
Singaporean birdwatchers
In general, most birdwatchers know what they should bring such as ED lens binoculars, spotting scope, laser pointer, camera with telephoto lens such as D-SLR camera with 150-600 mm G2 Tamron lens or bridge camera such as Nikon P900, Nikon P1000, Canon SX60HS, and Sony H400. A field guide book Birds of New Guinea is also needed. Because, Raja Ampat is located near the equator, the weather can change anytime. The weather can be sunny in the morning but rainy in the afternoon. Bringing a light rain poncho and plastic wrapping for camera is highly recommended.
Booking
If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

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Merchandise

Please, support this blog by buying art drawings and illustrations of wild animals and plants in the form of prints on various products as follows:

Watercolour Sketch of Bird

Watercolour Sketch of Bird
Fruit Dove from Tropical Rainforest

Vector Art Drawing in Inkscape

Vector Art Drawing in Inkscape
Swimming with Whaleshark

Vector art illustration in Inkscape

Vector art illustration in Inkscape
Baby leatherback turtle was reaching for the sea

Drawing of Paradise Bird

Drawing of Paradise Bird
Lesser Birds of Paradise art print on classic T-shirt

Digital Drawing in Autodesk Sketchbook

Digital Drawing in Autodesk Sketchbook
A Couple of Red Bird of Paradise