Birding in Tambrauw forest with 4 Scandinavian Girls

I have just completed a birding tour in the forest of Tambrauw regency with 4 Scandinavian girls. They were from Denmark, Norway. 

Scandinavian Girls Were Birding in Tambrauw

We explored the forest to find Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), and Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera nympha) as well as other tropical birds including Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Rufous-bellied Kookaburra (Dacelo gaudichaud) Yellow-billed Kingfisher (Syma torotoro), Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon), Black-capped Lory (Lorius lory).

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

We also did night walk in the forest to look for nocturnal animals. We saw Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) and fruit bat whose scientific name I could not identify. 

Papuan Frogmouth

Wompoo Fruit Dove

The birding activities were going on well because I was accompanied by local villagers Daniel, Yoram, Meki and Yosias. The walking path was muddy, we had to wear rubber boots when we wanted to go to the lek of the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. At 06:00 of 2 March 2023, the rain fell. We were quite nervous after a long walk in the jungle. When the rain stopped, the bird did not come. We continued to sit and wait. After around 45 minutes, I decided to play the call of the paradise bird for a few minutes and then I stopped. Fortunately he replied the call,  flew to and landed on his pole. Finally we were able to watch Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. Its feather during the rainy (non-breeding) season was not as colorful as the breeding. He stood on a "pole" of a tree quite far from us. I aimed my old Fujifilm HS50EXR at the bird and made some shots. The pictures were not so good. However, we were all happy because we could watch the paradise birds. 

A group picture with the Scandinavian birdwatchers

After hiking in the hills of Tambrauw regency, we walked back to our homestay, had lunch and then returned to Sorong city by a chartered 4WD car. This is written by Charles Roring

Tambrauw Mountains - a Recommended Destination for Rainforest Tour

Experience the Tropical Jungle
The mountain range of Tambrauw can be reached by 4WD car from Sorong city. Its tropical rainforest is the natural habitat of a lot of species of animals including Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Blyth's hornbill and Goliath Cockatoo. I promote it as a new destination this year for visitors who are interested in exploring the rich bio-diversity of Papua's jungle.

Camping Gear
Usually tourists who come in groups between 4 and 6 people spend between 4 and 5 days in Tambrauw regency. If you are interested in traveling to West Papua and want to take jungle tour, please, make sure that you bring all the necessary gear including dome tent, rolling mattrass or sleeping bag, raincoat, flash light, binoculars for watching wild animals and digital camera with telephoto lens and extra batteries.

Water Shoes
Most of the walks into deeper area of the jungle will be done along the banks of the river. Visitors will have to cross a river many times. That's why it is important to have a good pair of water shoes. You could buy the shoes at a local shoe store in your town or order them directly based on the following recommendation.

How to get there?
Fly from your country to Jakarta ( the capital of Indonesia)
Fly to Sorong city
I will meet you at the airport or at the hotel where you stay and organize your trip to Tambrauw mountains.
I suggest that the participants of the tour should be 3 or more people to share the cost of the tour.
Booking
I will be happy to arrange the tour, calculate the cost and prepare the itinerary for you. Please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or you could call me, send text/ whatsapp message to my number: +6281332245180 for more information.

Itinerary for the Rainforest Tour in Tambrauw Mountains of West Papua

Camping site at Cuan rive

I am going to conduct a rainforest trekking and camping tour in Tambrauw mountains based on the following details:

Activities: trekking, camping, riverwalk, swimming, wildlife/ birdwatching
Reservation is still open
Group Size Limit: 4 people
Price:  ...
Itinerary
Day 1 
We will meet you in Sorong city and transfer you to Tambrauw regency by 4WD car. It takes around 4 hours by car from from Sorong city to Sausapor town. We will inform local authorities and the local police about our rainforest tour activity and then continue our trip to the stop point in the forest edge of Tambrauw mountains and 30 minutes of walking along the bank of Syuan river to reach our first base camp. The rainforest which we will explore is  located in the bird's head (vogelkop) region of West Papua. Overnight stay in the jungle tents.

Soa-soa Lizard in Tambrauw Forest

Day 2
Trekking/ jungle walk, riverwalk, night walk, wildlife and birdwatching, swimming, camping
Day 3
Trekking/ jungle walk, riverwalk, wildlife and birdwatching, swimming, camping
Day 4
We still have time to enjoy the scenery of the river and rainforest. After breakfast, we will dismantle our tents and leave the forest.
A short tour around Sausapor town and its surrounding area
Transfer to Sorong city

How to get there?

• Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
• Fly from Jakarta to Sorong city. Domestic airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Express Air, and Nam Air have got regular flights to Sorong.
• I will meet you in Sorong city and organize your trip to the rainforest.

Lowland forest of Tambrauw regency 

Rainforest along the side area of Cuan river

I highly recommend this site because very few tourists have been there. So, much of the forest areas are still unexplored. Nature lovers who go trekking in this region may see various species of herbal plants, wild flowers, giant trees, birds, marsupial and nocturnal animals.
Tambrauw regency is located between Sorong and Manokwari. To go trekking in the rainforest of Tambrauw, we need to charter a 4WD car from Sorong city. It takes approximately 4 hours from Sorong city to Sausapor town (the temporary capital of Tambrauw). After registering our names in the local police station, we can continue our trip to Cuan river where we will be able to stay for a few days in the jungle.

Wildlife

From my previous trips in this forest, we saw bandicoot, eupholus beetle, Swallowtail Blue Mountain butterfly (Papilio ulysses), Blyths hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Spangled Drongo and Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor).
Binoculars and bridge camera such as Nikon Coolpix P900 will be useful for birdwatching and wildlife watching.
To enhance your birding experience, we will bring spotting scope, field guide book entitled, "Birds of New Guinea" written by Bruce Beehler and his friends.
We will also provide camping gear such as tents, cooking and eating utensils, and torch.

Please, book now
If you are interested in taking this rainforest tour in Tambrauw regency, please, contact me by e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180. I will compose an itinerary and calculate the cost of your tours that are suitable with your travel schedule.

Please, support our efforts in preserving the bio-diversity of tropical rainforest in Papua

Birdwatching in Tambrauw regency

Tambrauw regency is located between Sorong and Manokwari. Most of its land area is covered by pristine tropical rainforest which is the natural habitat of various species of birds. Last week, I visited the regency and had a birdwatching trip in its forest particularly along the bank of a river. I chose river because its sides had got a wide open space that was suitable for birdwatching. I saw various species of birds that were perching on the branches of trees, flying over my head or walking on the stony ground of the river.

Watching birds along the banks of a river is highly recommended

I highly recommend Tambrauw mountains as a destination for avid birdwatchers because their huge rainforest area.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo in the jungle of Tambrauw Mountains

The local government of Tambrauw regency declared their forest for conservation. So, they will not allow any destructive activities in the forest. Since birdwatching is considered as an environmentally friendly tourism activity, the government encourage eco-tourism as an alternative solution for the villagers who live around or in the forest to generate alternative income instead of logging, slash and burn farming practices and hunting.

Blyth's hornbill can easily be recognized by its fluttering sound when flying

Where is Tambrauw regency and how to get there?
Look at the following Map. Tambrauw can easily be reached by 4WD car from Sorong city. For land tour, it is important to go by 4WD car because the terrains to Fef are very steep. The roads are unpaved. For those who are interested in snorkeling and other marine tourism activities, they can go by passenger boats from Sorong city to Sausapor. KM. Sunlia and KM. Ave Maria go back and forth to Sausapor three times a week with ticket price is  between 100,000 and 150,000 rupiahs for economy class per passenger.

Traditional village of Abun tribe in Tambrauw mountains

Most of the mountains in Tambrauw are still covered with tropical rainforest. As of today the main challenge to reach the mountains is the cost of transportation which is very expensive. 

If you are interested in birdwatching in Tambrauw mountains, and need me to arrange your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Turtle Calling Ritual in Tambrauw Regency

Leatherback turtle landed at Jen Womom beach of Tambrauw regency in West Papua to lay eggs

Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)  is the largest turtle species in the whole sea world. This marine animal is facing extinction due to continuous hunting for its eggs by human, choking from drifting plastic bag that it considers as jelly fish and other natural predators (soa-soa lizard and wild pigs), sharks in its early age.
To raise awareness about the importance of protecting turtles, local community leaders with the support of volunteers from WWF, Dept. of Maritime and Fishery Affairs and local government authorities of Tambrauw regency will conduct The Traditional Ritual for the Calling of Leatherback Turtles  on 25 June 2015. The traditional ritual is open to everybody who is interested in watching the turtles at Jen Womom beach lay their eggs.

Batu Kapal beach near Sausapor town of Tambrauw regency

Please, study the following map for the location of Sausapor town and Jen Womom beach

Sausapor town is the capital of Tambrauw regency and Jen Womom beach is the site where leatherback turtles land to lay their eggs.

Location of Sausapor townrelative to the map of Indonesia

How to get there?

• First fly from your country to Jakarta city.
• After getting Visa On Arrival, continue your trip to Sorong city by flying with Garuda, or Sriwijaya Air, or Express Air
• When you have arrived in Sorong city, continue your trip to Sausapor town by passenger boats KM. Sunlia and KM. Ave Maria (ticket price is 100,000 to 150,000 rupiahs for economy class rupiahs or approximately 8 to 12 US dollars per person). The boat leaves Sorong city (from Pelabuhan Rakyat) for Sausapor town on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Sausapor town is located in the northern coast of the bird's head region of West Papua.
• Make sure that you arrive in Sausapor town before 25 June 2015 so that you will get free transport to Jen Womom beach during the festival. 
• Accommodation is free (just go to the office of WWF in Sausapor town and meet Ronny Tethool or Anis Sundoi and say that you get the info from Charles Roring's blog on the internet).

Batu Kapal beach near Sausapor town during sunset time

Leatherback and other turtles species land along the beach of Tambrauw regency from May to December so, you can still go there to see the turtles during those months.
Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem

Tambrauw regency has got a lot of places that are potential to be developed for tourism. Some of them are numerous world class surf spots, pristine rainforest ecosystem, wreckages left by US troops after World War II.
Birdwatching in Viem
Viem is a local term for a site located deep in the jungle of Tambrauw mountains where warm salty water comes out of the ground. Every morning and before sunset, various species of birds land on the ground to drink until they get drunk. Birds are not the only animals that can be seen in the Viem. When I visited several Viems in Aiwatar hill of District Senopi, I saw a lot of deers, kangaroo and wild cows in the vicinity. I highly recommend the site for all avid birdwatchers who want to see the wealth of New Guinea's avifauna

If you are interested in visiting Tambrauw regency, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or cell phone: 006281332245180

FYI: During World War II, US forces landed on Sansapor and its nearby coastal area and islands as part of their campaign in fighting the Japanese forces in the Pacific. Today, the town's spelling has experienced slight change from Sansapor to Sausapor.