BIRDING IN SULAWESI
Sulawesi is arguably the most complex island in the world, located on the eastern side of Wallace’s Line, in the heart of Wallacea. Much of Sulawesi is mountainous, with the highest peak being Gunung Rantemario at 3,440 m. Sulawesi is an amalgamation of landmasses that converged to form one island only ~10 – 5 million years ago. Sulawesi continues to accrete additional land from the east; the Banggai Islands, and the Sula Islands and Northern Moluccas.
Sulawesi is the largest Wallacean landmass. As such, it harbors some of the most ancient endemics of Wallacea. The great majority of Wallacean endemics are relatively young and derived from either Asian or Australo-Papuan stock. But Sulawesi is home to a number of unique Wallacean species and/or radiations with uncertain or obscure affinities to either side and even though their closest relatives are increasingly being revealed through DNA, it is becoming clear that the last common ancestor connecting them to other birds lived many million years ago. Some of these ancient Sulawesi forms include Hylocitrea, Malia, and Heinrichia amongst others.
Why are so many Sulawesi birds endemic? The question is answered in part by the age and isolation of the island. The Sulawesi region includes a number of satellite islands of varying character. Some of them are part of the modern Sulawesi Shelf and are frequently connected with the Sulawesi mainland except during brief interglacial maximum such us now. These landmasses include the sizeable islands of Buton and Muna at the south-eastern tip of Sulawesi and are of lesser biogeographic interest because of their lack of endemism. Another group of satellites, the Togian Islands, are sandwiched between the northern and eastern Sulawesi peninsulas. They have surprising elements of endemic bird species given their biogeographic connection to the eastern peninsula through a narrow but distinct Pleistocene land bridge.
Bulwer’s Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Black-throated Little Grebe, Red-throated Little Grebe, White-tailed tropicbird, Great Frigatebird, Lesser Frigatebird, Christmas Frigatebird, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Oriental Darter, Australian pelican, Grey heron, Great-billed heron, Purple heron, Great heron, Pied heron, Intermediate egret, White-faced heron, little egret, Chinese egret, Reef egret, Cattle egret, Javan pond heron, Striated heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Rufous night heron, Japanese night heron, Malayan night heron, Yellow bittern, Schrenck bittern, Cinamon bittern, Black bittern, Milky stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Glossy ibis, Australia ibis, Black-headed ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Sulawesi serpent eagle, Sulawesi Goshawk, Spot tailed Goshawk, Small Sparrow hawk, Vinous breasted sparrow hawk, Sulawesi Hawk-eagle, Spotted Harrier, Osprey, Oriental honey-buzzard, Barred Honey-buzzard, Black-winged kite, Black kite, Brahminy kite, White-bellied sea eagle, Lesser fish eagle, Grey-headed fish eagle, Rufous-winged Buzzard, Grey-faced buzzard, Black eagle, Rufous-bellied eagle, Chinese goshawk, Japanese sparrow hawk, Brown goshawk, Jerdon’s baza, Pacific baza, Bat Hawk, Oriental Hobby, Peregrine falcon, Spotted kestrel, Spotted Whistling-duck, Wandering Whistling-duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Cotton pygmy Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Sunda Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Garganey, Australian Pochard, Tufted Duck, Maleo, Sula scrubfowl, Philippine scrubfowl, Orange-footed scrub fowl, Red-jungle fowl, Blue-breasted quail, Red-backed Buton-quail, Barred Buton quail, Isabelline Bush Hen, Blue-faced rail, Snoring rail, Buff-banded rail, Barred rail, Common bush hen, White-breasted waterhen, Water cock, Dusky moorhen, Common moorhen, Purple swamphen, Slaty-breasted rail, Slaty legged Crake, Baillon’s crake, Rudy breasted crake, Band-bellied crake, White-browed crake, Comb-crested Jacana, Grey-headed Lapwing, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Malaysian Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Greater Sand-plover, Oriental Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruff, Great Knot, Red Knot, Sanderling, Rufous-necked Stint, Long-toed Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Black-winged stilt, Little Curlew, Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Asian Dowitcher, Pintail Snipe, Swinhoe’s Snipe, Sulawesi Woodcock, Beach Thick-knee, Australian Pratincole, Oriental Pratincole, Pomarine Jaeger, Arctic Jaeger, Common Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Black-naped Tern, Bridled Tern, Little tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Brown Noddy, Black Noddy, Sulawesi black pigeon, Sulawesi ground dove, Red-eared Fruit-dove, Maroon chinned Fruit-dove, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Grey-headed Imperial pigeon, Silver tipped Imperial pigeon, Sombre pigeon, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Green Imperial Pigeon, Grey Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Superb fruit dove, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Pink-necked Green-pigeon, Emerald dove, Stephan’s dove, Blue-tailed Imperial pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-dove, Barred dove, Zebra dove, Spotted dove, Metalic pigeon, Rock pigeon, Nicobar pigeon, Red and blue lorry, Ornate Lorikeet, Yellow and green Lorikeet, Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail, Golden-mantled Racquet-tail, Large Sulawesi Hanging-parrot, Sangihe Hanging-parrot, Small Sulawesi hanging-parrot, Blue-backed parrot, Blue-naped parrot, Great-billed Parrot, Sulawesi Hawk-cuckoo, Black-billed Koel, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Bay Coucal, Lesser coucal, Drongo Cuckoo, Large Hawk-cuckoo, Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, Hodgson’s Hawk-cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Brush cuckoo, Gould’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Sulawesi Masked Owl, Minahasa Masked Owl, Taliabu Masked Owl, Sulawesi Scops Owl, Ochre-bellied Boobook, Speckled Boobook, Cinnabar Boobook, Heinrich’s Nightjar, Sulawesi Nightjar, Great-eared Nightjar, Savana Nightjar, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Uniform Swiftlet, Moluccan Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet, White-throated Needletail, Purple Needletail, Fort-tailed Swift, Little Swift, Asian Palm Swift, Grey Rumped tree-swift, Green-backed kingfisher, Scaly-breasted kingfisher, Lilac cheeked Kingfisher, Great-billed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Talaud Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Rainbow Bee-eater, Purple-winged roller, Common dollar bird, Red-knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi dwarf hornbill, Ashy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Pitta, Hooded pitta, Elegant pitta, Blue-winged pitta, Sula pitta, Talaud Pitta, Siao Pitta, Sangihe Pitta, Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, White-rumped cuckoo-shrike, Pied cuckoo shrike, Caeculean-cuckoo shrike, Slaty Cuckoo-shrike, Pygmy Cuckoo-shrike, Black-faced cuckoo-shrike, Common Cicadabird, Sula cicada bird, Sulawesi cicada bird, Sulawesi triller, White-shouldered triller, Ashy minivet, Sooty-headed bulbul, Golden bulbul, Sulawesi drongo, Hairs crested drongo, Black-naped oriole, Slender-billed crow, Bangai crow, Piping Crow, Sulawesi babbler, Malia, Great Shortwing, Pied bush chat, Sangihe Shike Thrush, Geomalia, Blue necked Thrush, Red-backed Thrush, Sulawesi Thrush, Island Thrush, Eye-Browed Thrush, Fly-eater, Rufous-sided gerygone, Chesnut backed bush warbler, Middendorff’s Warbler, Gray’s Warbler, Clamorous reed-warbler, Oriental reed-warbler, Tawny Grassbird, Zitting Cisticola, Golden-headed cisticola, Mountain tailorbird, Arctic leaf warbler, Sulawesi leaf warbler, Everett white-eye, Mountain white-eye, Lemon-bellied White-eye, Pale-bellied White-eye, Lemon-throated White-eye, Black-fronted White-eye, Streak-headed Dark-eye, Henna-tailed Rhinomyias, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Flycatcher, Lompobattang Flycatcher, little pied flycatcher, Island Flycatcher, Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Matina Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Citrine Flycatcher, Sulawesi Flycatcher, Cerulean Paradise Flycatcher, Philippine Paradise Flycatcher, Black-naped Monarch, Island Monarch, White-tipped Monarch, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Rusty-bellied Fantail, Rufous Fantail, Hylocitrea/Yellow-flanked Whistler, Maroon-backed Whistler, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Common golden Whistler, Drab Whistler, White-breasted wood Swallow, Ivory-backed wood Swallow, Tiger Shrike, Brwon Shrike, White-necked Myna, Bare-eyed Myna, Fiery-browed Myna, Grosbeak Myna, Moluccan Starling, Short-tailed Starling, Asian Glossy Starling, Metallic starling, Chestnut-cheeked Starling, White-vented Myna, Short-crested Myna, Helmeted Myna, Dark-eared Myza, White-eared Myza, Sulawesi Myzomela, Dark-eared Myza, White-eared Myza, Brown-throated sunbird, Black Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Elegant sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-CrowneFlowerpecker, Grey-sided Flowerpecker, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-faced Munia, Java Sparrow, Bluefaced parrot finch, Tawny-breasted parrot finch, Tree sparrow, Pale-headed Munia, Sunda serin.
SULTAN BIRDING TOURS COMPANY
We are a local birding tour operator who has been organized custom birding tours for individuals and private small groups of birdwatchers and bird photographers from around the world to Sulawesi of Indonesia. Our services are ranged from medium to high category in accommodation and meals depending on your needs. We provide Sulawesi birding packages including all services from your arrival until your departure from Sulawesi of Indonesia. We help you to set the ideal itinerary considering your main requirements as well as the birds you want to watch during your birding trip and bird-watching tours in Sulawesi. We also provide all land transportation and a knowledgeable birding guide who will take you to the specific birding site for you to watch or take a picture of your target birds. Let us know the interests of your birding journey to Sulawesi, and we will be glad to advise and assist you in planning the itinerary that suits you better to fulfill your expectations. For the Sulawesi birding tour, we can start from Makassar in South Sulawesi and end up in Manado in the north of Sulawesi. The trip also can start from Manado and end up in Makassar South of Sulawesi and in Palu of Central Sulawesi.
SULTAN BIRDING TOURS COMPANY
We are a local birding tour operator who has been organized custom birding tours for individuals and private small groups of birdwatchers and bird photographers from around the world to Sulawesi of Indonesia. Our services are ranged from medium to high category in accommodation and meals depending on your needs. We provide Sulawesi birding packages including all services from your arrival until your departure from Sulawesi of Indonesia. We help you to set the ideal itinerary considering your main requirements as well as the birds you want to watch during your birding trip and bird-watching tours in Sulawesi. We also provide all land transportation and a knowledgeable birding guide who will take you to the specific birding site for you to watch or take a picture of your target birds. Let us know the interests of your birding journey to Sulawesi, and we will be glad to advise and assist you in planning the itinerary that suits you better to fulfill your expectations. For the Sulawesi birding tour, we can start from Makassar in South Sulawesi and end up in Manado in the north of Sulawesi. The trip also can start from Manado and end up in Makassar South of Sulawesi and in Palu of Central Sulawesi.
Interested to do the trip? Please do not hesitate to contact us! It will be our happiness to help you arrange your birding trip to Sulawesi.
