Birds from Lower Montane forest of Manokwari

I often guide tourists on a 3 to 4 days of hiking and birding tours in lower montane forest of Manokwari. We stayed in a basecamp located near a small stream which we use to cook food and boil water.

King Bird of Paradise

Rainforest Birds

Bringing binoculars, spotting scope, and digital camera with telephoto lenses, we can watch such birds as: Lesser Birds of Paradise; Magnificent Riflebird; King Bird of Paradise; Grey Crow; Common Paradise Kingfisher; Yellow-billed Kingfisher; Azure Kingfisher; Frilled Monarch; Spot-winged Monarch; Pinon Imperial Pigeon; Brown-cuckoo Dove; Pink-spotted Fruit Dove; Beautiful Fruit Dove; Superb Fruit Dove; Great-cuckoo Dove; Hooded Butcherbird; Northern Variable Pitohui; Eclectus Parrot; Black-capped Lory; Rainbow Lorikeet; Fairy Lorikeet; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot; Olive-crowned Flowerpecker; Yellow-bellied Gerygone; Spangled Drongo; Black Sunbird; Mimic Meliphaga; Brown Oriole; Hooded Pitta; Red-bellied Pitta; Papuan Frogmouth; and a lot more

Hooded Butcherbird (Cracticus cassicus)

Lesser Birds of Paradise

In addition to birds, there are also other things which tourists can see while exploring the forest. Some of them include glowing mushrooms, Papuan forest dragon, cuscus possum, lizards, snakes, bandicoot, butterflies, unique tropical plants, and etc.

Hiking and Wildlife Watching in Manokwari forest

The name of the forest is Susnguakti. It has been visited by tourists who come from Japan, Korea, the Philipines, Thailand, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, France, Spain, and a lot more. This adventurous rainforest tour is suitable for those who are physically fit.

Birdwatching Device
To serve my customers, I usually bring a Kinglux 20-60×60 mm spotting, a pair of 10×42mm Visionking Binoculars, laser pointer, and field guide book Birds of New Guinea by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler. Sometimes I bring my D-SLR camera - Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600mm telephoto lens that I use to take pictures of birds and other wild animals in tall trees.
Today, manufacturers of cameras have developed photographic devices that can shoot birds and other subjects that are far away. Some of them include Nikon P900, Nikon P1000, Canon SX70HS, and etc. These cameras have got smaller sensors but can produce high quality pictures that are adequate for identification. The photos of birds that they make are suitable for internet uses.

Accommodation

There is no guesthouse or hotel in Susnguakto forest of Manokwari. There is only a basic basecamp for visitors to stay at night. We provide dome tents with mattrasses and pillows for tourists so that they can stay there. There is no toilet in the forest. We use small stream near the basecamp to wash. The water from the stream flows into the ground again.

Our basecamp for tourists in Susnguakti forest of Manokwari

Typical Dome tent, mattrasses, pillows that we provide for tourists in Susnguakti forest

To book your trip in Susnguakti forest, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Birds in Raja Ampat
• Birding in Kabui of Raja Ampat
• Watching Birds in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat
• Morning Bird Walk in Raja Ampat
• Birding Trip in Raja Ampat and Tambrauw

New Year Birding in Susnguakti Forest

From 2 to 4 January 2020, I guided Sue, an American tourist who likes hiking, in Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. She took a long flight from the United States to Seoul of South Korea, to Jakarta of Indonesia and then to Manokwari city of West Papua province. When she arrived at the airport, I arranged her transfer to the forest. I met her later in the afternoon and then started our exploration of the tropical rainforest to watch paradise birds. The first bird that she saw was Hooded Butcherbird. I used a scope, Kinglux 20-60×60 and a tripod to spot and watch the bird. This bird has got very beautiful songs.

Basecamp for Tourist in Arfak range

The next morning, we went to a blind near our basecamp to watch the Magnificent Riflebird. We went there early. We reached the blind before he landed on the branch where he usually sits to attract his female partner. When the sunlight reached the canopy of the forest, the male Magnificent Riflebird came, he started to call his female counterpart. He straightened and cleaned or dried his wings. We watch the bird using the scope again. After that we continued our adventure in the forest by hiking to the lek of Lesser Birds of Paradise located around 5 minutes from the Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus).

King Bird of Paradise

We saw the Lesser Birds of Paradise but not long enough. The birds moved to other dancing site. It was around 08.30. We returned to our basecamp to have some tea. At the basecamp, I asked my friend and a villager to accompany Sue to higher elevation area where they could watch King Bird of Paradise. 

Dome tent, mattrass, pillow, and blanket that we provide for tourists in Susnguakti forest

I asked two villagers to return to the lek of Lesser Birds of Paradise. We went there to build a screen made of leaves so that we could conceal our bodies while we watch the paradise birds through small holes that we made in the screen. 

Lesser Birds of Paradise

At lunch time, we returned to the basecamp. My friends returned with good news that they were able to watch several King Birds of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius). They also saw Brown Cuckoo Dove, and Common Paradise Kingfisher  (Tanysiptera galatea) as well as other tropical birds. 

Sue Draheim was taking pictures of the Lesser Birds of Paradise

Sue took a rest inside her dome tent after lunch. I and some villagers continued our routine works, clearing and sweeping the footpath. We used brooms made of the bones of palm leaves. We made several clearing areas near some big trees as our new birding sites.

Night walk was arranged. Sue was able to see cuscus possum. In the previous night, she saw glowing mushroom and a Papuan Frogmouth.

Cuscus Possum

The next morning, we went to the lek of Lesser Birds of Paradise again. This time Sue was able to watch and take good photos of the beautiful birds. We still did some tours in the forest where we saw Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, and Olive Flycatcher.
Suddenly the weather changed. It started to rain while we were watching the fruit dove. We had to walk back to our basecamp. Lunch was served earlier. When the rain had stopped, we packed our things again and left the forest for the main road and then returned to the city by a public transport vehicle that we chartered.

Also read:

Watching Lesser Birds of Paradise

Hiking and Wildlife Watching

Watching Paradise Birds and Wild Animals

Bird Art

In my spare time I sometimes make drawings of birds that I saw in the forest while I was guiding tourists. Usually, I make sketches of birds using pencil on paper.
  After that, I add some colours using Derwent Watercolour pencils. When they are finished, I still redraw the artwork digitally using Autodesk Sketchbook. My device is Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S-pen. Some of the birds that I draw can be seen in the following collage picture.

Bird Art by Charles Rorong

There are Northern Cassowary, Black-capped Lory, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pale Blue Monarch, Lesser Frigate Birds, Red Bird of Paradise. 

The artworks that look good are then uploaded into redbubble and zazzle so that they can be bought by readers. Now the bird art is available as prints on various products such as t-shirts, mugs, bed cover, clock, tote bags, iPhone cases, water bottlles and etc. Please, have a look at them at these links: Redbubble Birds, Zazzle Birds. I hope that you are interested in buying some of them. 

Magnificent Riflebird from Tropical Rainforest

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) lives in lowland and lower montane forest of West Papua. The chest and the breast shield are iridescent blue. There are several places which tourists can go to watch the bird of paradise, i.e. Gauksuak village, Malagufuk of Sorong regency, Weyos beach and Fef town Tambrauw Regency, and Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. This bird is an important target in a list of birds that visitors want to see while exploring the tropical rainforest of West Papua.

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)

Male Magnificent Riflebird performs courtship dance that looks like cheerleader dance to attract his female counterpart.

A Male Magnificent Riflebird was waiting for his female counterpart

Birds of Paradise eat fruits and spread their seeds to all corners of the forest. They play important role in growing the forest. The followings are some animals which visitors can watch in lowland tropical rainforest.

Lesser Birds of Paradise	King Bird of Paradise	Common Paradise Kingfisher
Cuscus Possum	Forest Dragon	Bandicoot

Anyone who is interested in tropical birding in West Papua especially in Sorong regency, Tambrauw Mountains and Raja Ampat can contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read;

• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Manado City: Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour

Some Photographs of Birds from Warduwer Beach

I went to Warduwer beach again yesterday (1 December 2019). I went there by a motorcycle. A friend of mine who works at a furniture workshop rode the motorbike. I sat at the beak seat holding my camera trying to find any birds along the way to the beach. I wanted to check the progress of the construction of Raja Ampat Flower Resort. Along the road between Waisai town and Warduwer beach, I saw Brahminy Kite, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, White-breasted Woodswallow, Pacific Swallow, and Pinon Imperial Pigeon. 

Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus)

While I was there, I did some birding. It was not difficult to find birds at the beach. I saw a big Palm Cockcatoo on a tree not far from me. I aimed my camera at the bird and shot it. There was also a Beach Kingfisher that was calling from a tree near the basecamp of the construction workers. He flew to a branch of a tree closer to me. It was a fleeting moment. He was on the branch for less than one minute and then flew again. 

Beach Kingfisher

I also saw a group of Lesser Frigatebirds high in the sky. Some Pied Imperial Pigeons were busy having breakfast. I made some photographs of them too. It was a nice morning. Some Crested Tern were sitting on the wooden posts at the shallow water of the beach. I carefully approached them and took some pictures. They were not afraid when I was shooting them with my camera.

In the afternoon, I did some birdwatching near Waisai harbor. There were mangrove trees near the harbor and birds such as Willie Wagtail, Olive-backed Sunbird can be seen in the trees. I saw a big group of Singing Starling.

Singing Starling

The Singing Starling was the last bird that I shot that day. 

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching trip to Waigeo island of Raja Ampat and want me to be your guide, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:
Birds in Raja Ampat
Coastal Birds in Raja Ampat
Birding in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat
Birding Trips to Raja Ampat and Tambrauw Mountains