Birding in Sonder

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. To visit this small town, visitors need to fly to Manado city and then continue trip by car for around 1 hour to Sonder town. It is surrounded by forest, agricultural lands, paddy fields and rivers that are the habitat of a lot of species of tropical birds that are endemic to Sulawesi island. 

Yellow-billed Malkoha in Tounelet Slope Forest of Minahasa Highland

Tounelet Slope Forest is a small forest in the middle of Sonder town. It is located behind Siloam Hospital.  Birds that can be watched in this forest include:  

• Black-crowned White-eye, 
• Gray-sided Flowerpecker, 
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, 
• Yellow-billed Malkoha, 
• Sooty-headed Bulbul, 
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, 
• Black-naped Oriole, 
• Pale Blue Monarch
• Sahul Sunbird
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• Barred Rail
• Sulawesi Crow
• Cattle Egret
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Pygmy Hanging Parrot
• Collared Kingfisher
• Hair-crested (White-eyed) Drongo 
• White-nest Swiftlet
• Glossy Swiftlet
• Chestnut Munia, 
• Scaly-breasted Munia, 
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo

Pale Blue Monarch

If we explore higher elevation farm forest of Sonder, we will be able to watch more interesting birds such as:

• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Crimson Sunbird
• Black Sunbird
• Superb Fruit-dove
• White-faced Cuckoo-dove
• Black-faced Munia
• Gray Wagtail
• Black Kite
• Sulawesi Goshawk
• Sulawesi Drongo
• Citrine Canary Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Bush Warbler

The best time to do birding in higher elevation farmland and forest of Sonder is early in the morning. However, if we go too early, the top of the mountain is still covered by fog. 

So, I usually start birding at Tounelet Slope Forest of Sonder town from 05:30 to 07:00 and then continue the higher elevation forest after that. Birds that could be watched in open farmland include Black Kite, and Sulawesi Goshawk.

Subdistrict town of Sonder is located in transitional zone between high elevation and low elevation forest. So, we could see more birds that live in lowland and lower montane forest as well as birds that live in rice field areas such as Green Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Myna, Zebra Dove, White-rumped Triller, Finch-billed Myna, Cinnamon Bittern, Purple Heron, White-browed Crake, Little Egret, Javan Pond Heron and etc. 

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot in Subdistrict Sonder

Birding Equipment

To take this tour, participants need to bring a good pair of binoculars. Most birdwatchers carry 8×42 mm; 10×42 mm or 10×50 mm manufactured by Nikon, Swarovski, Leica or Olympus. 

For taking pictures, a D-SLR or mirrorless camera, with 150 to 600 mm could or 400 mm with teleconverter lens, is a good choice. However, this photographic device is quite heavy. As alternative, a bridge camera such as Canon SX60HS or Nikon Coolpix P1000, Sony RX10 IV and Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 II and etc.

Sooty-headed Bulbul

Accommodation

During the tour, participants could stay in homestays in Sonder or in hotels in Tomohon town. As a tour guide, we could organize the accommodations for participants during their birding tour in Sonder, Tomohon (Mount Mahawu) and Tangkoko Nature Reserve. 

How to get there?

To take this tour, visitors need to fly from their country to Manado city in Indonesia. There are flights between Manado city and major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar and Sorong city. They are served by Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air and SuperAir Jet. 

Flight routes from major cities in Indonesia to Manado city and
between Singapore and Manado city

There are also direct flights between Manado city and Singapore served by Scoot Air; and between Manado city and Guangzhou served by China Southern Airlines. 

Booking

This birding tour can be combined with birding trip to Mount Mahawu and Tangkoko Nature Reseve. The duration of the tour is between 7 to 9 days depending on the time that the participants have. 

If you are interested in taking this birding trip in Sonder, please, contact us by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com and by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Birding in North Sulawesi from Tangkoko Nature Reserve to Sonder in Minahasa Highland