Tropical Birds in Sorong and Raja Ampat

A lot of visitors fly to Sorong city as the main gate to Raja Ampat. Most of them go to Raja Ampat to enjoy swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving or even take a trip by liveaboard boat to explore remote islands. 

However, there are some of them who are interested in combining their marine tour with land tour. The most popular tour which they can enjoy is birdwatching. They can do it in Sorong city and in Waigeo island. There are a lot of tropical birds which they could watch some of them are mentioned here.

Puff-backed Honeyeater in Waigeo of Raja Ampat

Birds in and at the outskirts of Sorong city

Mangrove Forest - A long the coastal area of Sorong city, visitors could watch such birds as Orange-fronted Fruit-dove, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Blue Fronted Fig Parrot, Brown-backed Honeyeater, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Sacred Kingfisher, Blue Black Kingfisher, Sahul Sunbird, Willie Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Striated Heron and etc.

Hill Forest - More birds could be seen when we go to a hill of Sorong city. There, we could find birds such as Yellow-faced Myna, Black Sunbird, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Pacific Baza, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Black Butcher bird, Glossy Swiftlet, Uniform Swiftlet, Red-cheeked Parrot, and a lot more. 

Sorong's Ridge Forest - This birding site is located outside of Sorong city around 1 hour trip by car. Birds that we could watch include Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Coconut Lorikeet, Mimic Honeyeater, Black-browed Triller, Helmeted Friarbird, Zoe's Imperial Pigeon, Brahminy Kite.

Nortern Coast of Sorong city - This is the site for finding Beach Kingfisher, Lesser Frigatebird, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Sahul Sunbird, Whimbrel, Pacific Reef Heron, and etc.

The duration of birding tour at the outskirts of Sorong city can be as short as half day to 1 day to as long as 2 days depending on the time which participants have. 

Birds in Waigeo and Batanta of Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is an important destination for birdwatching tourism. It is the place for watching Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Hooded Butcherbird, Yellow-faced Myna, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Papuan Eclectus, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Shining Flycatcher, Mimic Honeyeater, Moustached Treeswift, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Pacific Golden Plover, and etc. 

The average duration of birding tour in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat is as short as 3 days 2 nights to as long as 4 days/ 3 nights. It can be longer if the itinerary includes trip to remote islands such as Batanta, Merpati and Urai. 

What to bring

Most birdwatchera bring a pair of binoculars. Some of them bring D-SLR or mirrorless camera with 600 mm telephoto lens. Rain poncho will also be needed. 

The birding trip in Raja Ampat could be combined with snorkeling and sightseeing trip to see marine life, tropical islandd, and karst.

Booking

If you are interested in taking a birding tour in Sorong city and Raja Ampat, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by visiting this contact link.

Also read:

• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Reizen in Noord Sulawesi
• Birdwatching Tour in Sonder of North Sulawesi
• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland

Tropical Birds in Sorong Forest

Sorong regency is the main gate to Raja Ampat. Visitors need to fly from their country to Jakarta, Denpasar or Manado and then continue their trip by taking domestic flight to Sorong city before continuing their trip by fast ferry boats or speed boats to tropical islands in Raja Ampat. Airlines such as Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Batik Air, and Lion Air provide daily flights from the above major cities in Indonesia to Sorong. Sorong itself is located in western tip region of West Papua province and is a great destination for tourists who want to see rainforest.

Large Fig Parrot in the forest of Sorong regency

Tropical Birds of New Guinea

There are a lot of tropical birds which visitors can watch when exploring the lowland and ridge forest of Sorong regency. Some of them include Papuan Blyth's Hornbill, Helmetted Friarbird, Dollarbird, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Large Fig Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Black Lory, Black-capped Lory, Grey-headed Goshawk, Variable Goshawk, Black-sided Robin, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Western-crowned Pigeon, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo Dove, Amboyna Cuckoo Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Black-browed Triller, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Blue-black Kingfisher, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Moustached Tree Swift, Metallic Starling, Shining Flycatcher, Black Sunbird, King Bird of Paradise, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Glossy Manucode, and etc.

A Male Lesser Birds of Paradise

Where and How to watch these birds?

Well, it is easy to watch the tropical birds of New Guinea in Sorong forest. There are several good places which we can go to see them. Some of them include Sorong ridge forest located north of Sorong city, mangrove forest and Klatomok forest.  Most birdwatchers know the equipment which they need to bring. Some of them include binoculars, spotting scope (mounted on a tripod), laser pointer, bluetooth loudspeaker and records of bird sounds stored in cell phones, field guide book Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler.

Sahul Sunbird (Cynniris jugularis) in Sorong ridge forest

We are now in rainy season. It comes quite late compared to previous years. Intensive rain starts in February. So, in the next three months, i.e. March, April, and May, we will see more rainy days. After that the intensity of the rain gradually decreases. People often say, rainy season is bad for birdwatching. I don't think so. Usually after the rain, birds and other forest animals come out of their hiding places to dry their feather, fur or skin. The next day, when the sun shines brightly, we can see more birds in trees. That's the natural phenomenon that I have seen since my childhood. 

Forest Bittern in rainforest of Sorong

During rainy season, the forest floor in Sorong regency is muddy. There are also leeches. So, I suggest that tourists wear anti-leech socks and hiking or wellington boots.

Guided Birding Tour

I personally have guided a lot of tourists from 2010 on birding tours in West Papua especially from Manokwari to Sorong, Tambrauw mountains, and Raja Ampat. So, I am familiar with the tropical birds in the forest of Sorong. Usually, we will stay in a homestay that belongs to local villagers and then do birding walks in the mornings, afternoons and evenings.
Although the tour is called birding, we may also see other animals as well such as wallaby, soa-soa lizard, butterflies and beetles.

Cost of the Birding Tour

The cost of the birding tour depends on the number of days and the number of participants which visitors need to spend in Sorong forest. It the tour in Sorong is combined with the tour in Manokwari or Raja Ampat, the cost will also be different. 

So, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 to get more info on customized tours and their costs.

Also read:

Birds in the Suburb of Sorong City

Tropical Birding Tours in West Papua

Arfak mountains in Manokwari

There are several sites in the rainforest of West Papua which I recommend for tourists who are interested in taking tropical birding tours. Some of them are listed below:

• Susnguakti Forest - This lower montane area of Arfak mountains is the natural habitat of Lesser Birds of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, King Bird of Paradise, Hooded Pitta, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Hooked Bill Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Black-capped Lory, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Northern Variable Pitohui, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Superb-Fruit Dove, Great-cuckoo Dove, and etc.
• Mbenti Forest - This higher elevation forest of Arfak range is the usual site for watching Vogelkop Bowerbird, Black Sicklebill, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Western Parotia, and Long-tailed Paradigalla. There are also a lot of other birds such as Vogelkop Melidectes, Hooded Pitohui, Ornate Melidectes, Black-breasted Boatbill, Mottled Berryhunter, Fan-tailed Berryhunter, Garnett Robin, Varied Sittella, Friendly Fantail, Papuan Flycatcher, Pygmy Drongo, Cinnamon Ground Dove, and a lot more. Most of the trails are steep. Visitors who want to go to this forest have to be physically fit. However, there are places where birding is easy. These places are unpaved roads that connect Mbenti and other villages around the area. Birding along the sides of these roads will open more chances for birders to see Plum-faced Lorikeet, Mountain Mouse Warbler, Vogelkop Whistler, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Green-backed Robin, Blue Grey Robin, Mountain Fruit Dove and Papua Mountain Pigeon. 
• Ases Valley - This is  a remote but one of the best forests in Tambrauw mountains and a very nice place to watch birds that usually live in lower montane forest of West Papua. Some of them include New Guinea Vulturine Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Coconut Lorikeet, Brown Cuckoo Dove, Little-pied Cormorant, Hooded Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, Black-browed Triller, Papua Mountain Pigeon, Golden Monarch, Dollarbird, Grey Wagtail, Blyth's Hornbill, various species of paradise birds, and etc. Ases valley, located in the middle of Tambrauw mountains, is also a highly recommended site for watching wild animals such as Cuscus Possum, deer, wildboar, tree kangaroo, snake, soa-soa lizard, and even cassowary.
• Syugrar Forest - This is another rainforest of Tambrauw that is very good for birding. Grey Crow, Moluccan King Parrot, King Bird of Paradise, Lesser Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Rusty Pitohui, New Guinea Harpy Eagle, Papuan Blyth's Hornbill, Black Sunbird, Masked Bowerbird.
• Sorong regency - There are a lot of birding sites in Sorong. A lot of lowland birds can be seen here including Blue-black Kingfisher, King Bird of Paradise, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Shovel-billed Kingfisher, Lowland Peltop and a lot more.
• Sarembon Forest - This forest is located in north-east region of Waigeo island. It is a nice place to watch Papuan Black Myzomela, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Hooded Butcherbird, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Amboyna Cuckoo Dove, Shining Flycatcher. The coastal area is the place for watching Olive-backed Sunbird, Coconut Lorikeet, Beach-stone Curlew, Striated Heron, Wimbrel, Beach Kingfisher, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Bridled Tern, Lesser-crested Tern, Lesser Frigate Bird, Eastern Osprey, Radjah Shelduck and a lot more. 
• Southern Waigeo has got a lot of birding sites too including Saporkren, Warduwer beach, Kabui bay and Gam karst. There, we could see Great-billed Parrot, White-breasted Woodswallow, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, White- bellied Sea Eagle, Red-bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Eastern Reef Egret, Pacific Swallow, Stephans Emerald Dove, Moustached Treeswift, Sooty Tern, Mimic Meliphaga, Puff-back Meliphaga, and Dusky Scrubfowl.

Because I spend most of my guiding works in Raja Ampat and Sorong, I can guide tourists to these regencies. If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and Sorong for birding, 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:

Birdwatching West Papua

Watching Birds of Paradise in West Papua

Tropical Birding Tours in Susnguakti Forest

King Bird of Paradise

Finding Paradise Birds

Susnguakti is the name of Lower Montane Forest of Arfak range in Manokwari regency. It is a recommended destination for tourists who are interested in hiking, camping, and observing rainforest animals, particularly birds of paradise, and plants that live in the area. I organize a 3 to 4 day wildlife and birdwatching tour to see Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), Common Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea), Hooded Butcherbird (Cracticus cassicus), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) and other tropical birds of West Papua. There is no guesthouse in the middle of the jungle. Visitors will stay in huts that we have built for visitors. Cooking and eating utensils have been prepared in the huts.

Lesser Birds of Paradise - the King of Seduction

Male Lesser Birds of Paradise

Tropical birds are usually active in the mornings and in the afternoons. To watch Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), visitors have to wake up at 05.00 for making preparations. After drinking tea or coffee and some biscuits, they could leave their tents for the birding ground that is located approximately 5 to 10 minutes walk to the south of the forest. Birds can be watched using binoculars and telephoto camera. Male lesser birds of paradise call their female counterparts and perform courtship dance in order to win their hearts. Several male birds compete one another to mate with the female birds. These birds of paradise have got several sex partners. They have been hunted since ancient times. So, they practice poligamy to survive. After 09.00 morning time, visitors can return to the basecamp and then continue their birding activities to higher elevation area.
The next target bird is King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) which lives in higher elevation area of Susnguakti forest. If we are lucky, we can also see Magnificent Birds of Paradise and Glossy Manucode.
In addition to birds, visitors can also watch Cuscus Possum, Bandicoot, and Soa-soa Lizards in the forest. A night walk in the forest will be organized by local guides for visitors to see these animals.

Birding Optics

Most birders know what to bring when they go on a tour to watch tropical birds in remote forest region. In general, birdwatchers bring a good pair of binoculars preferably 10×42 mm Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss, Nikon or Cannon. High definition birding binoculars are made of ED lenses and Bak 4 prism glasses. I personally have got a more affordable Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars and a 20-60×60 Kinglux spotting scope.

Extended Trip
In addition to birding in Manokwari, I can organize birding tours to Tambrauw mountains or to Raja Ampat islands.
Booking
Please, send me (Charles Roring) e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Tropical Birding Tour in Rainforest of Sorong regency

King Bird of Paradise in Sorong forest

I have organised numerous hiking and birding trips to tropical forest of Sorong regency for tourists who come from Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. We went there to watch several species of birds of paradise such as Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca), Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), and a lot of other tropical birds that live in lowland forest and Ridge Forest of Sorong regency.

Birding Optics

Lowland Peltop

High quality binoculars such as Swarovski EL 8.5×42 or Canon 15×50 IS UD 4.5° Image Stabilizer are needed when visitors watch the paradise birds. In open habitat such as the cleared area of the village, visitors can use spotting scope to watch such birds as Moustached Treeswift, Blyth's hornbill, and Yellow-faced Myna that like to perch on the branches of high trees around the clearing areas near the forest.
The usual duration of the trip is 3 to 5 days with the number of participants between 4 to 6 tourists. During the birding tour, visitors could also see Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon), Golden Myna (Mino anais), Rufous-bellied Kookaburra (Dacelo gaudichaud), Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Red-breasted Kingfisher and Azure Kingfisher, and sometimes the Rainbow Bee-eater.
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Also read:
Morning Birds in Waigeo Island of Raja Ampat
Watching Birds with Singaporean tourists in Waigeo island
Tropical Birding Tour in Lowland Forest of Manokwari

Tropical Birding Tour in Sorong Forest

Large Fig parrot

Sorong regency is an important gate for tourists who want to go to Raja Ampat. But this city is also an important hub for visitors who are interested in birdwatching. There is a huge forest area relatively near Sorong city approximately 1.5 hour ride to the east. It is a lowland rainforest. Hundreds of species of birds live in the tropical rainforest including Cassowary, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Lowland Peltop, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Magnificen Riflebird, Moustached Tree Swift and a lot more.

Western Crowned Pigeon in Klasow Valley of Sorong regency

Guided Birding
I have organized birding tours to this forest for more than 3 years and I see that the number of visitors is increasing every year. Birdwatchers can enjoy birding for 3 to 4 days exploring the bio-diversity of the forest. Guided birding tours to this lowland forest of Sorong can be done for visitors who plan to watch tropical birds and other animals such as butterflies, wallaby (a kind of kangaroo but has got smaller body), deer, snake, and wild pigs.

Paradise Birds

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptilinoris magnificus)

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor) is the vocal point of birding in this valley. But there are also other species that can be watched including King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird and Twelve-wired Birds of Paradise. There are Common Paradise Kingfisher and Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher too. To watch these birds, we need to wake up early in the mornings or late in the afternoons.

Lesser Birds of Paradise

The Great Eggfly Butterfly

ButterfliesThere are a lot of species of butterflies from the small ones such as Meadow Argus butterflies to the bigger ones such as Ornitopthera priamus and Blue Mountain Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses) and New Guinea clipper. Visitors can watch them easily by having tea or coffee from the verandah of the garden house or walking around the clearing area of the jungle village.

Klasow valley in Sorong regency of West Papua

Watching Wallaby
I mention about wallaby. To watch this little kangaroo, we need to do night walk. The easiest way is to walk along the path that connects the jungle village of Klabolo stream and the main road.

What you need to bring
In general, most birdwatchers know what they need to bring. Here are some of the equipment that visitors need:

• Binoculars - usually roof prism with magnification 10 x 42 mm.
• Spotting scope with a good tripod (if you have)
• Reference book Birds of New Guinea, written by Thane K. Pratt, Bruce Beehler, and friends
• Flashlight/ head torch
• Laser Pointer

How to get there:
Fly from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)
There are regular daily flights served by such airlines as Garuda, Xpress Air, Sriwijaya Air, Nam Air between Sorong and Jakarta.
When you have arrived in Sorong city, I could meet you at the airport or at the hotel where you stay and organize your birding trip to Klasow valley.

Booking:
For customized itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by sending whatsapp message to my number: +6281332245180.

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• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com

Tropical Birding Tour in West Papua

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

As a tour guide, I have organized numerous tropical birding tours in West Papua for birdwatchers. Visitors can be a solo traveling birdwatcher or even a big group of avid birders who want to see such birds as dwarf kingfisher, large tailed nightjar, sulphur crested cockatoo or even cassowary bird, birds of paradise and etc.

Birding Destinations

• Numfor Island - It is located between Manokwari city and Biak island. Visitors can reach the island by plane or ferry boat. The vocal point of Numfor is Numfor Paradise Kingfisher.
• Manokwari lowland forest
• Manokwari lower montane forest
• Manokwari middle elevation montane forest - This is one of the most popular destinations in West Papua. Mount Soyti of Arfak range is a recommended site. Here, visitors can watch Magnificent Birds of Paradise (Cicinnurus magnificus), Western Parotia (Parotia sefilata), Vogelkop Bowerbird (Amblyornis innornatus)
• Sorong lowland forest in Klasow valley
• Raja Ampat lowland and lower montane forest in Waigeo island
• Ases valley of Tambrauw mountains (suitable for a group of tourists of at least 2 to 3 people).

I recommend that visitors go to Manokwari middle elevation montane forest, Sorong' Klasow valley and Raja Ampat's Waigeo island to cover the vocal points of birds in the region. It will be cheaper to go as a group of at least 3 people in order to share the cost.
However, if there is a solo traveling birdwatcher who is interested in watching birds with me as a guide, I will be ok with that as long as the minimum cost is covered.
Booking:
For customized itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text/ whatsapp message to: +6281332245180