Birding in Tambrauw and Sorong (5 Days/ 4 Nights)

I have just completed a tour in Klabili village of Tambrauw regency and in the birding sites at the outskirts of Sorong city and Aimas town. I guided a couple from the Netherlands. We spent 3 days/ 2 nights in Klabili and 2 days/ 2 nights in Sorong to watch birds. During our stay in Klabili, we explored the rainforest of the village where we saw various species of rainforest birds including Papuan Pitta, Eastern Hooded Pitta, Blyth's Hornbill, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-faced Myna, King Bird of Paradise, Sahul Sunbird, Black-capped Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Frilled Monarch, Streaked-headed Honeyeater, Brahminy Kite, Long-tailed Honey-buzzard, and New Guinea Vulturine Parrot (Pesquet Parrot -ebird)etc. 

Eastern-hooded Pitta

We also did some night walks in Klabili where we saw Papuan Frogmouth and Flying fox.

At the outskirts of Aimas town in Sorong regency, we saw Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Hooded Butcherbird, Black Butcherbird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, and Metallic Starling. We also explored coastal area in the north coast of Sorong. There, we saw Common Sandpiper, Pacific Reef Heron, Brahminy Kite, Torresian Crow, Beach Kingfisher. We also saw, perhaps, a Blue Rock Thrush, on top of a rocky islet. Well, it is not a common bird in this region. 

Birdwatching in the north coast of Sorong regency

We also visited Love Hill of Sorong where we saw Yellow-faced Myna, and Black Butcherbird. In mangrove area at the outskirts of Aimas town, we saw White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Orange-fronted Imperial Pigeon, Common Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover and Little Heron. There were Scaly-breasted Munia and Spotted Dove which, probably, were escaped caged birds. 

Rainforest at the suburb of Sorong city; Brahminy Kite, Beach Kingfisher

To watch birds, I use 2 pairs of 10×50 binoculars. I carried one and the other pair was mounted on the tripod. This allows everyone to watch birds that were sitting on distant branches of trees. 

Wompoo Fruit-dove

Also read: 

• Sorong city Birding Tour
• Morning Birding Tour in Sorong city

Birding Tour in North Sulawesi: Tangkoko, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu & Sonder Forest

Some Birds in Sonder of Minahasa Highland

North Sulawesi is one of the best places in Indonesia for birdwatching. In a short distance, you can visit rainforest, lakes, farmland, and mountain forest. A birding tour that includes:

• Tangkoko Nature Reserve
• Lake Tondano
• Mount Mahawu
• Sonder Forest

This trip gives you the chance to see many special birds that only live in Sulawesi.

Birds in North Sulawesi

Tangkoko Nature Reserve

Tangkoko is a famous rainforest area in North Sulawesi. It is one of the best places to see Sulawesi’s unique birds. The forest is close to the coast and has many different habitats.

Some birds you may see here include:

* Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher

* Green-backed Kingfisher

* Sulawesi Hornbill

* Lilac Kingfisher

* Sulawesi Pitta

Gursky's Spectral Tarsier

The best time to watch birds in Tangkoko is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when birds are most active. In addition to birds tour participants could also see mammals, reptiles and insects. Attractive mammals include Celebes-crested Macaque, Spectral Tarsier, and Sulawesi Bear Cuscus. 

Rusty-backed Thrush

Lake Tondano

Lake Tondano offers a different birding experience. It is a large lake surrounded by villages, rice fields, and open land. This area is good for seeing waterbirds and birds that live in open spaces.

You may see:

* Wandering Whistling Duck

* Purple Heron

* White-browed Crake

* Yellow Bittern

* Collared Kingfisher

The lake area is also a good place to see birds flying over the water and feeding in the fields.

Collared Kingfisher

Mount Mahawu

Mount Mahawu is a small volcano with cool mountain forest. There is a walking path around the crater, making it easy to explore. The higher elevation means you can see different birds than in the lowland forest.

Some possible birds include:

• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Scops Owl
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Mountain White-eye
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-Dove

On clear days, you can also enjoy beautiful views of the crater and surrounding landscape.

Crater of Mount Mahawu

Lake Linow

This is a volcanic lake that is always visited by tourists. We could see a lot of species of birds both along its shore and in the water. There are Sunda Teal, Javan Pond Heron, Whiskered Tern, Little Egret, Woodsandpiper, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Waterhen and etc.

Sonder Forest

Sonder Forest is a quieter and less crowded birding spot. It has mountain forest with tall trees and thick vegetation. This makes it a good place to find shy birds.

You may find:

• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Sulawesi Drongo
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• Black-naped Fruit-dove
• Black-crowned White-eye
• Crimson Sunbird
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Mountain Tailorbird
• Black Sunbird

Because fewer people visit Sonder, it is peaceful and great for slow birdwatching and photography.

Yellow-sided Flowerpecker

Why Visit All These Places?

Each location offers a different type of habitat:

* Rainforest

* Lake and rice-field wetlands

* Farmland

* Mountain forest

* Water-falls

By visiting all four places, you increase your chances of seeing many different bird species, especially those found only in Sulawesi.

Barred Rail

Best Time to Go

You can go birdwatching in North Sulawesi at any time of year. However, the dry season usually makes forest trails easier to walk. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to see birds.

A Great Birding Experience

A birding tour to Tangkoko, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu, and Sonder Forest is a wonderful way to explore nature in North Sulawesi. With beautiful scenery and many special birds, this trip is perfect for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Flight routes to Manado city

How to get there?

You need to fly to Manado city. It is the capital of North Sulawesi province in Indonesia. We could meet you at the airport and then organize your tour to birding sites mentioned in this blog post.

Accommodations

There are homestays, guesthouses and hotels that you could stay in during your birding/ wildlife watching tour in this part of North Sulawesi province. We could organize it for you.

If you are interested in taking day birding tour to the above places and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by pressing this contact link.

Birds and Paddy Fields in Sonder

Also read:

• Birding Across Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Mount Mahawu, Sonder Forest and Manado city
• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland

Birding in Minahasa of North Sulawesi

Minahasa Peninsula is a region in the Province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is a good destination for visitors who like birding. There are a lot of species of birds which tourists can watch in the mountains, agricultural lands, paddy fields, and lowland areas. 

Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher

Crimson Sunbird

The high elevation forests in Mount Mahawu and Sonder of Minahasa are the habitat of birds such as:

• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher (Actenoides princeps)
• Sulawesi Pitta (Erythropitta celebensis)
• Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)
• Sulawesi Myzomela (Myzomela chloroptera)
• Turquoise Flycatcher (Eumyias panayensis)
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis omissus)
• Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra)
• Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)
• Black-crowned White-eye (Zosterops atrifrons)
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker (Dicaeum aureolimbatum)
• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Black-faced Munia, 
• Superb Fruit Dove, 
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove
• White-faced Cuckoo-dove, 
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, 
• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, 
• Collared Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Drongo, 
• Gray-wagtail
• Sulawesi Leafwarbler, and etc. 

Activities of birding in Sulawesi, especially in this part of Minahasa Peninsula could be done all year round.  Sulawesi island is one of the seven avifauna regions with the highest endemic birds in Indonesia. Most birdwatchers go birding early in the mornings and in late afternoons.

Yellow-billed Malkoha, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove, Crimson Sunbird, White-breasted Woodswallow, Sooty-headed Bulbul

Mount Mahawu is a volcano. Visitors could go up the stairs along its slope to reach its crater. From the top of Mount Mahawu, visitors could see the beautiful landscape of Minahasa land. 

The Crater of Mount Mahawu

More birds could be found in agricultural lands around Subdistrict town of Sonder including Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Zebra Dove, Black-naped Oriole, Pale Blue Monarch, Brown-throated Sunbird, Sahul Sunbird, Finch-billed Myna, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Slender-billed Crow, Brush Cuckoo, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, and etc.

Hair-crested (White-eyed) Drongo, Warbling White-eye, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Collared Kingfisher

In the paddy field areas of Subdistrict Sonder, visitors could watch Collared Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow, White-browed Crake, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, and etc. Water birds play important role in agricultural environment. Cattle Egret, for example, eat a lot of insects. This helps farmers to eliminate pests from their food crops such as rice, corn and vegetabe plants.

Cattle egret in newly plowed paddy field on Subdistrict Sonder

The farmland of Subdistrict Sonder is worth visiting. Visitors could enjoy walking tours to see various kinds of crop plants that farmers grow. There are clove, rice, corn, banana, papaya, kangkung, tomato, chilli, aubergine, and etc. The villagers also run pig, poultry and fish farming. 

Some of the agricultural commodities in Minahasa highland: rice, banana, clove, aubergine and vanilla

Where is Minahasa and How to get there? 

Minahasa is a regency in the Province of North Sulawesi of Indonesia. The capital of the province is Manado city. Visitors need to fly from their countries to one of the major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar. After that, the trip to Manado city can be carried out by one of the Indonesian airlines such as Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air, or TransNusa.

Flight routes to Manado city

Land route between Manado city and Tomohon town or Subdistrict Sonder in Minahasa highland

Arriving in Manado city, visitors could continue their trip by car to Tomohon town or subdistrict town of Sonder. 

Accommodation

There are hotels, resorts and homestays in Tomohon town. 

The tour guide for Birding Minahasa is located in Subdistrict Sonder.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Minahasa and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Sonder
• Birdwatching in Sonder of Minahasa Highland of Indonesia
• Birding Walk in the Farmland, and Paddy Fields of Sonder in Minahaaa Highland 
• Birding in High Elevation Forest of Minahasa
• Walking Tour, Birdwatching and Butterflywatching in District Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birdwatching in Minahasa Highland
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder
• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com

BIRDING IN THE FORESTS OF SAUSAPOR, KLABILI, GAUKSUAK AND WAIGEO IN SOUTHWEST PAPUA PROVINCE

The Province of Southwest Papua is a great destination for visitors who love birding. A lot of tourists travel to Raja Ampat to enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving. As a matter of fact, there are also visitors who go there to enjoy birding and wildlife watching. Here are some of the birding destinations whose entry point is Sorong city:

Birding in Tambrauw regency

• Sausapor - this is a small district town located in the northern coast of Tambrauw regency. It is a 4-hour car ride from Sorong city. Visitors who go there can watch Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove, Oriental Dollarbird, Blyth's Hornbill, Rainbow Bee-eater and a lot more. For accommodation, visitors can stay at Sansapore Beach Resort. Because Sausapor is a coastal town, visitors can enjoy watching sea birds too such as Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-naped Tern, Sacred Kingfisher, Oriental Pratincole, and etc.

• Klabili village is located between Sausapor and Sorong city. A lot of birds could be watched there including Hooded Pitta, Papuan Pitta (formerly called Red-bellied Pitta), Western-crowned Pigeon, Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Lesser Birds of Paradise, and etc. 
• Gauksuak - It takes around 1 hour by motorized vehicle from Sorong city to Gauksuak forest. The Gauksuak beach is the place for watching Pacific Swallow, Black-naped Tern, Little-crested Tern, Pacific Reef Heron, Common Sandpiper and etc. The hill forest of Gauksuak is the habitat of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and etc.

Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)

Helmeted Friarbird

Birding in Higher Elevation Forest of Minahasa

The higher elevation forest of Minahasa is an interesting site to visit for birwatching visitors. Mount Mahawu is the famous destination because visitors could enjoy birding along the slope of the volcano. There are Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi Myzomela, Superb Fruit Dove, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Uniform Swiftlet, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove, Sulawesi Leafwarbler, Purple Needletail, Japanese Goshawk, Gray-rumped Treeswift and etc.

Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Superb Fruit Dove, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove

More birds could be watched early in the mornings between 06:00 to 09:00. However, sometimes around 06:00 A.M. fog still covers the canopy of the forest especially near the top of the crater area of the volcano. As a matter of fact, the highland of Minahasa is surrounded by volcanoes. This makes the land fertile. 

Agriculture develops well in this regency. Farmers grow rice, corn, potato, sweet potato, banana, cabbage, mustard green, carrot, spring onion, chilli, lemon grass, papaya, durian, rambutan, aren tree that produce nectar for making palm sugar, vanilla, clove. They sell their produce to cities and towns in eastern and central region of Indonesia including Sorong, Ambon, Gorontalo, and Balikpapan. 

Volcanic crater of Mount Mahawu in Minahasa highland of Indonesia

The next high elevation forest can be explored in Subdistrict Sonder. This is the site for watching Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Warbling White-eye, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Crimson Sunbird, Sulawesi Drongo, Black-faced Munia, Collared Kingfisher, and etc. Another site that is also interesting is Kanonang hill. 

Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Fantail, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker

This tour to higher elevation forest of Minahasa can be combined with walking tour and birdwatching in lower elevation forest and farmland to see Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Black-naped Orile, Sahul Sunbird, Black-crowned White-eye, Finch-billed Myna and a lot more. 

Farmland Tour

While watching birds and enjoy sightseeing in the highland of Minahasa. Visitors could walk through the farmland to see various kinds of agricultural produce which farmers grow such as rice, corn, tomatoes, chilli, aubergine, kangkung (also called water spinach), papaya flower, mustard green, sweet potatoes, cabbage, vanilla, coconut, clove, and etc. These agricultural produce are supplied to towns in Minahasa regency such as Tomohon, Tondano, Langowan, Sonder, Kawangkoan, Amurang, Bitung and Manado city.

Corn, vanilla, clove, rice and papaya

Palm sugar, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, chilli, brenebon bean (Dutch: bruinen bonen for kidney bean), eggs, tilapia fish, pork are exported to cities in central and eastern region of Indonesia including Gorontalo, Balikpapan, Sorong, Manokwari and Jayapura. 

Contact

If you are interested in taking sightseeing, birdwatching and farmland tours in Minahasa highland of Indonesia and want me to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Related articles:

• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Sonder
• Birding in Paddy Fields of District Sonder in Minahasa Highland
• Walking Tour, Birdwatching and Butterflywatching in District Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birdwatching in Minahasa Highland
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder
• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com

Paradise Riflebird Call

Magnificent Riflebird is a species of bird of paradise that lives in tropical rainforest of Tanah Papua (in English, it is called New Guinea). It can be found in lowland and lower montane forests. The call of the bird can be heard in almost all day. Here is a video of the paradise bird that I recorded using Canon D-SLR camera that was equipped with 600 mm telephoto lens. Although the bird can be heard calling nearly all day, it is quite difficult to find him due to its dark feather. 

The dancing site of this paradise bird can be a hanging vine or a branch of a tree that is in horizontal position. 

Magnificent Riflebird in Manokwari

Birdwatching Sites - There are a lot of places in West Papua where visitors can go to watch the Magnificent Riflebird. Some of them that I know include:

• Klatomok Village in Sorong regency. Visitors who fly to Sorong city in order to take a holiday in Raja Ampat can also take a rainforest tour to Klatomok village by a 4WD car to find this bird and a lot of other tropical bird in the forest. The forest in Klatomok is also the habitat of wallaby, wild pigs, deer, echidna, soa-soa lizard, snake, cuscus possum and etc.
• Tambrauw - This regency has got hundreds of birding sites which visitors can explore to find not only the riflebird but also a long list of birds and other wild animals that are endemic to rainforest of West Papua. 
• Susnguakti forest of Manokwari, and 
• Aisandami Village of Wondama regency. 

Silhouette of the Paradise Riflebird

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)

Other interesting tropical birds that can be watched include Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western-crowned Pigeon, Orange-bellied Fruiy Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Glossy-mantled Manucode, King Bird of Paradise, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, and a lot more. 

BIRDING IN MINAHASA

Minahasa is a region in the Province of North Sulawesi, the Republic of Indonesia. It is a good destination for birding visitors. There are a lot of birds which visitors can watch while walking along the forest edge, farmland and paddy fields of Minahasa. There are a number of sites which tourists can explore to watch birds. Some of them are listed below:

Black-naped Oriole

• Tounelet Slope. This is a very small forest in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency that can be reached by car for around 1.5.hours. Siloam hospital and Birding Minahasa (a birding tour organizer) are located in the vicinity. Birds that can be watched here include: Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Black-crowned White-eye, Sulawesi Swiftlet, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Black-naped Oriole, Eurasian Treesparrow, Brush Cuckoo, Pale Blue Monarch, White-nest Swiftlet, Sulawesi Swiftlet Pacific Swift, Uniform Swiftlet, Purple Needletail, and etc. 
• High elevation forest of Sonder is the habitat some interesting species such as  Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Myzomela, Crimson Sunbird, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Warbling White-eye, Black-faced Munia, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, and etc. 
• Farmland and Paddy Fields of Sonder is the habitat of more interesting birds such as Zebra Dove, White-eyed Drongo, Finch-billed Myna, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Cinnamon Bittern, Sunda Teal, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Malkoha, White-breasted Woodswallow, and etc.
• More birds can be watched when we visit Mount Mahawu. Red-eared Fruit Dove, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Mountain Tailorbird, Isabelline Bush-hen, Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Eyebrowed Thrush, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove, Spotted Dove, Sulawesi Leaf Warbler and etc.
• The Nature Reserve of Tangkoko is a must see destination for lowland birds such as Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Silver-tipped Fruit Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Hornbill, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher,Green-backed Kingfisher, Ashy Woodpecker, Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher, Spot-tailed Goshawk, and etc. 

Gray-sided Flowerpecker

Black-faced Munia

If you want a guide to organize your birding trip in Minahasa, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Also read:

• Birding in Minahasa
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder
• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com