North Sulawesi Birdwatching trip with Venture Birding Tours from Amerika
North Sulawesi Birdwatching Trip
Our birding car for North Sulawesi birdwatching trip including Tangkoko birding trip, Gunung Mahawu birding trip, Gunung Ambang birding trip, Dumoga bone birding trip, Maleo birding trip
Our birding car for North Sulawesi birdwatching trip including Tangkoko birding trip, Gunung Mahawu birding trip, Gunung Ambang birding trip, Dumoga bone birding trip, Maleo birding trip
Noah looks forward to the plethora of endemic species of birds Sulawesi has to offer, guided by Monal from Sultan Birding in Sulawesi of Indonesia
Day 325: An Endemic Birdfest
Noah looks forward to the plethora of endemic species of birds
Sulawesi has to offer.
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| Noah Striker and Monal in Lore Lindu Park |
On the short hop to Makassar today, I crossed a significant geographical boundary
called the Wallace Line, which runs between Borneo and Sulawesi. This line
is named after a British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, who explored these
islands in the mid-1800s and noticed that the fauna west of this line are
mostly Asian while those on the east side are more Australian. This is because
Borneo and everything westward was connected to mainland Asia relatively
recently, while deeper water here has been a barrier for the past 50 million
years. This means that the birds on Sulawesi are very different than those on
Borneo, even though the two islands aren’t very far apart. The island of
Sulawesi alone has about 100 endemic species of birds!
Monal and
I visited a patch of forest where we hoped to find a Black-ringed White-eye, a
bird which lives only in this part of Sulawesi. When we found the bird a short
while later, we turned around and headed straight back to the airport. The two
of us caught an afternoon flight up to Palu, in north-central Sulawesi, and
wound into the mountains this evening. Looking forward to an endemic birdfest
tomorrow.
Day 326: Noah Finds 36 New Birds
A fantastic day in the Lore Lindu National
Park.
November 22, 2015: Lore Lindu, Sulawesi — Wow,
where to start? Practically every bird I saw today was a lifer! Monal and I,
along with the company of two locals called Herson and Papa Ain, spent the
whole day in the highlands of Lore Lindu National Park, racking up endemic
birds.
Lore Lindu is a huge park and UNESCO world biosphere reserve
protecting more than 2,000 square kilometers in central Sulawesi. It hosts some
awesome birds, notably the Hylocitrea, Ivory-backed Woodswallow, and
Maroon-backed Whistler, all of which we found this morning. The forest here is
lush and cool, and we lucked out with good weather. All in all, a fantastic day
in the field.
I just missed one bird I’d hoped for, and it wasn’t in today’s
cards. Lore Lindu is home to a bird whose official name is the Diabolical
Nightjar (sometimes called the Satanic Nightjar)—one of the best bird names on
the planet! Unfortunately, the mountain track where it can be found is
currently closed because of an Indonesian military operation against some
suspected terrorists hiding in this forest. Not even the locals can go up there
right now, so the Diabolical Nightjar is, for the moment, inaccessible. They
say the forest should be safely cleared out by January. Next time…
Meanwhile, 36 new birds makes the best day I’ve had in quite a
while. It’s good to be across Wallace’s Line and into some new territory!
Day 327: Over A Dozen Birds With the Same Name
From the Sulawesi Serpent-Eagle to the Sulawesi Thrush.
November
23, 2015: Palu, Sulawesi — Today was a clean-up
day. After yesterday’s gluttonous run of birds at Lore Lindu, we didn’t have
much left to look for this morning, and Monal, Papa Ain, Herson and I scraped
for a few more birds before heading back down to Palu.
In a day
and a half at Lore Lindu, I saw: Sulawesi Serpent-Eagle, Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle,
Sulawesi Goshawk, Sulawesi Woodpecker, Sulawesi Hanging-Parrot, Sulawesi
Myzomela, Sulawesi Cicadabird, Sulawesi Drongo, Sulawesi Leaf Warbler, Sulawesi
White-eye, Sulawesi Babbler, Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher, Sulawesi
Blue-Flycatcher, and Sulawesi Thrush. That’s 14 birds with the same
name— sure to be some kind of record! At least it makes them easy to
remember.
We ended
the day in some rice paddies outside of Palu, where a large, swirling flock of
munias were feeding on grass seeds. Most were Pale-headed Munias, with good
numbers of Chestnut Munias and Scaly-breasted Munias mixed in. As the afternoon
closed out, Monal picked out two Black-faced Munias in the flock. From Knobbed
Hornbills this morning to munias this evening… all in a day’s work
Day 328: The Maleo
In search of Sulawesi’s most-wanted bird.
This part
of Asia has a big bird list, but many of those birds are spread out on various
small islands, which makes it more difficult to be efficient. If I stay in one
spot for two days in a row, there aren’t many new birds to find on the second
day (at Lore Lindu, for instance, I saw 36 new birds on the first day and just
seven on the second day). These diminishing returns must constantly be
weighed against the time lost to traveling onward. It’s a delicate balance!
Monal
wanted to reach a special spot before dusk today, so we pressed through
Manado’s traffic with no stops. At 4 p.m. we pulled up at a couple of huts
by a river in the forest. This, Monal said, was the nesting site of a very strange
bird called the Maleo.
The Maleo
is endemic to Sulawesi. It looks kind of like a chicken, though it’s not
closely related to chickens; it’s in a family called “megapodes.” The Maleo
nests in loose colonies where, like turtles, these birds bury their eggs in the
ground and cover them with dirt. An adult Maleo isn’t much bigger than a
chicken, but each egg is five times larger than a typical chicken egg. When the
Maleo’s eggs hatch underground, the chicks must dig their way out (sometimes
more than a meter to the surface!) and fend for themselves.
Maleos are
endangered and red-listed. A few years ago, a program was started to hatch eggs
in incubators before releasing the chicks back into the wild, which protects
them from predators. You can still see Maleos at a couple of sites where blinds
have been constructed for discreet viewing.
The place
we visited this afternoon had a wooden tower next to the nesting ground, and a
ranger accompanied us while we waited for the Maleos to make an appearance.
Below us was a patch of bare dirt near the river bank with half a dozen
recently dug-out spots where the birds bury their eggs. One Maleo can lay 12
eggs in a year, and there are about eight pairs using this site. We waited for
an hour before one called loudly from across the river, and we heard a whirr of
wings as it landed somewhere in a tree on the slope nearby.
It seemed
like the bird would strut into the open at any minute, but we waited another
hour without getting a visual. At intervals we could hear the Maleo moving
around in the foliage, but it was too dense to see where it perched. As the
light faded into dusk, so did my hopes of seeing Sulawesi’s most-wanted bird,
and with darkness upon us we reluctantly climbed down from the viewing tower.
“We have a
difficult choice now,” said Monal when we reached the ground. “We can come back
here in the morning to try again, or we can go somewhere else for several other
birds. The two places are in opposite directions, so we can’t do both.”
As I
digested this decision, the ranger was quietly looking around. Suddenly, before
I could answer Monal’s question, he grabbed my arm and pointed upward. There,
in the tree right above us, was the Maleo on its roost—we could just barely see
it through a gap in the foliage! In the last five minutes before it was too
dark to see, I snapped a couple of grainy photos. Oh, what a wonderful feeling
it is to see a bird you thought you’d missed, especially when that bird happens
to be a Maleo!
Day 329: Rafting for Birds
Noah catches up on sleep and finds a Speckled Boobook.
November 25, 2015: Tangkoko, Sulawesi — For
the first time in a long time, I had nearly eight full hours of sleep last
night, and woke up at five feeling refreshed. I swear, there just aren’t enough
hours in the day. Whoever repeats this trip a few million years from now will
have a big advantage, because the Earth’s rotation will have slowed enough to
add an extra hour.
Seriously, did you know that when the dinosaurs lived, a day was
only 23 hours long? That would really have handicapped a big year! Of course,
the dinosaurs were birds, and today’s birds are dinosaurs (slightly more
evolved), but counting dinosaurs might have been more hazardous. A logical
conclusion lies here somewhere, which is that I need more sleep.
Monal and I kicked around a place called Toraut this morning
accompanied by a local ranger named Hendrik. Touraut is a nice patch of lowland
forest on the north tip of Sulawesi (the part that looks like a four-legged
starfish’s raised fist) with some equally nice birds. To get into the forest,
Hendrik poled us across a shallow river on a bamboo raft—a new method of
transportation for my year list. I saw a Speckled Boobook, a pair of
Maroon-chinned Fruit-Doves, and a Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher which didn’t mind
being stared at. By the time Hendrik poled us back out of the forest before
lunch, I was sweaty enough to consider just wading across the river. Yesterday
I slipped into a rice paddy and wet my shoes up to the knee, and didn’t mind a
bit.
We spent the afternoon retracing yesterday’s route through
Manado’s traffic jams and out the other side, arriving at Tangkoko after dark.
Sulawesi’s roads are twisty and narrow, sometimes barely wide enough to admit
two vehicles traveling in opposite directions, so getting from one place to
another is a deliberate process. I amused myself by watching my iPhone’s GPS
readout, tracking our speed; we rarely exceeded 40 miles per hour on the open
highway and averaged a walking pace in towns. This allowed plenty of
opportunity to soak in the smells of fried fish, the sights of fresh produce
stands, the sounds of prayers being sung at mosques, and the feel of the ocean
breeze as we slid along the coast. More birds await in the morning.
Day 330: Earthquake!
A little volcanic shakin' going on.
November 26, 2015: Tangkoko, Sulawesi — I
woke at 3 this morning to the sound of something falling on the ground and with
the distinct, unsteady feeling that my bed was vibrating. The shaking stopped
in a few seconds and, after wondering sleepily what had just happened, I
returned to my dreams.
An hour and a half later, I asked Monal at breakfast if he’d
felt anything during the night. “Yes, I woke up too,” he said. “That was an
earthquake. We get them all the time. There are 11 active volcanoes in this
area!”
It might have been a tiny one, but I was excited. My first-ever
real, live earthquake! I’ve managed to avoid even the slightest tremor during
my entire 29 years on this planet thus far (we don’t get them much in Oregon),
so I was stoked to get shaken up this morning.
Then I remembered something else. “Hey, happy Thanksgiving!” I
said to Monal.
He looked blank. “Huh?”. At 5 o’clock this morning, I found
myself explaining the traditions of Thanksgiving, with Halloween thrown in for
good measure, to an Indonesian audience. Both holidays began to sound pretty
weird the more I described them (Black Friday… Jack-o-Lanterns…). Which brings
up an interesting point: Is is still Thanksgiving if you’re in a place that
doesn’t celebrate it, and if it’s not actually Thanksgiving yet (because of the
time difference) in the U.S.? In the past few years, I’ve spent three
Thanksgivings in Antarctica, one in the Galapagos, and one in Amazonian
Ecuador, so this one had a lot to live up to. I needn’t have worried. It was
yet another fantastic day in the field.
The highlight came this afternoon when Monal and I boarded an
outrigger canoe, a new form of transportation for me, which was piloted by two
men from the local fishing village. We launched straight off the beach, crossed
a bay in the sunshine, and meandered up a twisty channel into a mangrove forest
at high tide. This was the realm of the Great-billed Kingfisher, a skulky
Sulawesi endemic, and Monal was on high alert for this special bird.
He spotted it soon enough, perched on a mangrove branch
overhanging the water. We admired the kingfisher, turned around, and floated
back out to sea, where Lesser Frigatebirds wheeled overhead and Pacific
Reef-Egrets dotted the rocks under the watchful eye of a White-bellied
Sea-Eagle.
I have many things to be thankful for, from a supportive family
to the wonderful community of birders around the world who have helped at every
step of this year’s adventure. My dinner today included whole fried fish, rice,
and veggies. I’ll save the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie for next
year—meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Day 331: The Tiniest Primate
Noah comes face to face with a tarsier monkey, the littlest
primate on Earth.
November 27, 2015: Minahasa, Sulawesi — A
local guide named Anes spent five hours this morning with Monal and me,
tramping around in big circles inside the Tangkoko Batuangas Forest. It was dry
enough that leaves crunched underfoot; part of the forest had burned last
month in a large wildfire. Even so, the humidity was unrelenting. I dripped
sweat standing still.
We were hoping to bump into a type of owl called the
Ochre-bellied Boobook, which is often found inside this forest, and we had some
brief excitement when an owl materialized at midday. Unfortunately we saw it
too well, and the owl turned out to be a lookalike Speckled Boobook, which
Monal and I had already seen a couple of days ago.
We did see several Green-backed Kingfishers, a Sulawesi
Dwarf-Kingfisher, and a couple of Lilac-cheeked Kingfishers, none of them near
water. The tramping continued until today’s heat kicked in, and we let the
Ochre-bellied go before lunch.
This part of north Sulawesi has a
classic tropical coastline and Indonesian fishing culture. It’s fun to explore
an island that, before this year, I’d barely even heard of except in birding
terms. Sulawesi, in general, isn’t a big tourist destination (several times
this week, locals have come up to ask if they could take a photo with me), but
it’s an interesting place. I saw two fun primates in the Tangkoko forest along
with today’s birds: A tarsier (the world’s smallest primate) and the black
macaque, which has no tail. Both very strange looking.
Birding Without Border
Day 332: Leaving Sulawesi
Noah begins a four-day journey into the heart of Papua New
Guinea.
November 28, 2015: Makassar, Sulawesi — After
a week in Sulawesi, it’s time to fly. New places await. I’ve hit the ceiling on
birds here, and time is getting short…
Monal and I had a great seven days on this island, and I hope I
can return someday to see those few endemics I missed this time. You can see
photos of many of these birds on Monal’s website and
get inspired to visit Sulawesi, too!
At dawn today we staked out a lake outside Manado, where I
picked up two new “hens,” Black-backed Swamphen and Dusky Moorhen, before
heading for the airport. This afternoon I took a short flight down to Makassar,
where I’ll connect with onward legs tomorrow morning. Today begins four
straight days in the air—a journey that will take me, step by step, into the
heart of Papua New Guinea.
Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi - Indonesia, Birdwatching Tangkoko, Birding Tangkoko, Birds of Tangkoko, Sulawesi Tangkoko Birdwatching by Sultan Birding
Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi - Indonesia
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| Mangrove boat trip for Great-billed Kingfisher |
More than 150 of Sulawesi’s 379
bird species have been recorded in Tangkoko,
including 47 Sulawesi endemic. You
should catch up with most of the park’s specialties in a 4 or 5-day visit. In addition
to endemic kingfishers and hornbills, Tangkoko boasts six endemic parrots, Green
and Sulawesi Hanging-parrots, Red-spotted and Golden-mantled racquettail, Blue-backed parrot, and an ornate lorikeet. The
cautious birder may also observe colorfully hooded and Blue-winged pitas and
Chestnut-backed thrushes in the open forest understorey. Although Tangkoko was
once famous for Kingfisher, their numbers have plummeted and better viewing is
found elsewhere. Other highlights include friendly groups of Sulawesi macaques,
shadowed by mixed flocks of Yellow-Billed Malkhoha, hair creasted drongos, and
spot-tailed goshawks, watching tarsiers (one of the world's smallest
primates)emerge from daytime roots in a fig tree is a highlight at the end of
any day.
Hornbill Highlights, Forest birds are notoriously
Red-knobbed Hornbill males have buff-colored heads and sport the prominent, red casque from which they acquire their common name. Females have a glossy black head and neck and a smaller, yellow casque. striking red chevrons decorate the base of the bill in both sexes. According to locals, a new chevron is acquired each year, which is why hornbills are called Burung Tahun, the year Bird. Red-knobbed hornbills normally move about in mated pairs, but flocks as large as 100 birds may be observed at fruiting fig trees. Sitting below one of these gatherings is like being in the waiting room of an international airport, the boisterous activity of feeding and squabbling over choice fruits is punctuated by swooshing departures and arrivals.
If you visit between May and October you will be able to watch one of the
60 known Red-knobbed Hornbill nets. Every 2-3 hours, the male, his
electric-blue throat pouch stretched to capacity, delivers food to his
incarcerated female. Unlike other hornbills, the red-knobbed Hornbill of
Tangkoko does not use mud to make the nest door, the females have adapted to
sandy, volcanic soils and a lack of mud by using a natural cement composed of
digested figs and their own droppings. Sulawesi has other hornbills, the tarictic
hornbill is more of a challenge
to find. This neat black and the yellow bird is the smallest of the Asian
hornbills. Unlike its larger cousin, the tarictic has ab inconspicuous casque, a
less strident call, and is much more thinly distributed. It does, however, have a
more interesting family life,mid-canopy dwellers. Tarictic Hornbills live in
groups that defend territories. During the April-July breeding season, the
tarictic male relies on the help of his older sons to provide food for his mate
and new offspring.
A birdswatching in Sulawesi with Sultan Birding Tours is a truly satisfying experience. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert: the variety and uniqueness of Sulawesi birds you can observe on this Island is amazing. With unique species, there is plenty to look for. Many species are endemic either to Sulawesi or Halmahera. There are many reasons why this region is preferred by birders: it’s a small country with varied habitats and astounding biodiversity, with a strong infrastructure that supports visitors, so bird watchers can stay in a forest lodge take a bird watching hikes with an experienced and knowledgeable local guide, Think about it: there are more species in Sulawesi including Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Minahasa Highlands, Dumoga Bone National Park, Lore Lindu National Park, Sangihe Islands. We can assist you by arranging a birdwatching package, where you’ll be able to stay surrounded by nature in the local lodges, go on hikes or tours to national parks or reserves with knowledgeable local guides, and get the chance to see and hear multiple species of birds and other animals. We arrange all details so you can concentrate on enjoying your holidays. Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi - Indonesia, Birdwatching Tangkoko, Birding Tangkoko, Birds of Tangkoko, Sulawesi Tangkoko Birdwatching by Sultan Birding
Lore Lindu Birdwatching, Lore Lindu Birding, Birdwatching Sulawesi, Birding Sulawesi, Indonesia Birdwatching by Sultan Birding
Lore Lindu National Park known as Endemics Gallery
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| Satanic Nightjar Photo by Monal |
The largest of Sulawesi’s national parks, lore Lindu covers some 230,000
ha.It has an impressive altitudinal range from 300 m to a dizzy 2,610 m above
sea level, and includes lowland, lower montane, and upper montane(elfin)
forests.There is probably nowhere better to see Sulawesi’s unique avifauna:with
80% of the island’s endemic species, this park has a well-deserved reputation
for producing the goods, particularly the montane specialties. You will need
at least one week would be better.
Unsurpassed Roadside Birding, The best birding is to be found along the park’s only road, which climbs up to 1,620 m before descending to the napu valley. walk 4 km to the main road, then turn right, passing the park office check-point at Tongoa after 100 m.You can easily walk along this road up to about 900 m above sea level, If you are fit,you could walk the 14 km from the village to the shelter shed at Km
Post 57, a convenient camping spot and launching pad for upper montane
gems to be found along the track to Anaso.This will take you through lowland
jungle, palm forest, and riverine forest with the massive endemic Eucalypus deglupta,to lower montane
forest,dominated by oaks and chestnuts,starting at around 1,500 m.
Working this road for several days in succession will keep rewarding you, as the forest is full of birds, noisy Caerulean cuckoo shrikes forage in the sub-canopy as Sulawesi Cicadabirds feed quietly higher up. Smaller birds include the Black-fronted White-eye, black Sunbird, Black-naped Monarch, and the Citrine,Island and(oddly)Mangrove Blue Flycatchers.At ground level there are remarkably few birds, Sulawesi Babblers are the exception, but Maleo has also been seen along this stretch of road. After crossing the uncharacteristically well-built bridge over the river just below Dongi-Dongi mining camp, watch out for Ivory backed Wood-swallows (a nice change from the common or garden White-breasted variety).
Birding the Lower Areas, It is
comforting to know that, barring an unforeseen volcanic eruption or the
like, you simply cannot miss some of the most spectacular endemic birds that
Sulawesi has to offer.Of course you will tremble uncontrollably when you first
clap eyes on the awesome Red-knobbed Hornbill, but the effect soon wears off
after you have seen your 29th flock’Far better, then, to catch sight
of the rather comical-looking little tarictic Hornbill, which travels in small
groups, often well below the canopy. Situated at an altitude of 680 m, Lore Lindu offers an opportunity to see much of the Sulawesi lowland avifauna, although is
perhaps not low enough for seven of the
endemic kingfishers. Behind the guest-houses at Wuasa, keep yours ears and eyes
open for the rarely seen snoring and Bare-eyed rails, both reported in this
vicinity.White-breasted waterhen, Barred rail and isabelline bush-hen are more
likely, however, and in the late afternoon the distinctive chatter of the latter
is often heard from the grassy alang-alang clearings.
Mynas and Malkohas, Mynas are a special feature of Lore Lindu and you will see them ad nauseam. Noisy flocks of Finch-billed
Mynas and pairs of fantastically long-tailed White-necked Mynas call harshly on
every bend. The short-crested Myna,with its awkward, mushroom-shaped head, is
less conspicuous. endemic myna: the Fiery browed. this is just the beginning. Flocks
of piebald Piping Crows give their wheeep
calls as they move through the forest canopy. Group of fabulous
Yellow-billed Malkohas, sometimes accompanied by a pair Of Bay Couccals, travel
through the middle and lower forest levels, often following a band of Tonkin
Macaques. many other stunned is to be found on the forest edge: Purple-winged
Rollers, hanging out on exposed tree limbs, and the large, Pink-bellied, endemic
Ashy Wood pecker, creeping up tree trunks.
A bird watching in Sulawesi with Sultan Birding Tours is a truly satisfying experience. It
doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert: the variety and uniqueness of the birds of Sulawesi you can observe on this Island is amazing. With unique species, there
is plenty to look for. Many species are endemic either to Sulawesi or Halmahera.
There are many reasons why this region is preferred by birders: it’s a small
country with varied habitats and an astounding biodiversity, with a strong
infrastructure that supports visitors,
so bird watchers can stay in a forest
lodge take bird watching hikes with an experienced and knowledgeable local
guide, Think about it: there are more species in Sulawesi including Tangkoko
Nature Reserve, Minahasa Highlands, Dumoga Bone National Park, Lore Lindu
National Park, Sangihe Islands. We can assist you by arranging a
birdwatching packages, where you’ll be able to stay surrounded by nature in
the local lodges, go on hikes or tours to national parks or reserves with
knowledgeable local guides, and get the chance to see and hear multiple species
of birds and other animals. We arrange all details so you can concentrate on
enjoying your holidays.
Lore Lindu Birdwatching, Lore Lindu Birding, Birdwatching Sulawesi, Birding Sulawesi, Indonesia Birdwatching by Sultan Birding
Sulawesi Birdwatching, Sulawesi Birding, Lore Lindu Birdwatching, Lore lindu Birding, Tangkoko Birdwatching, Tangkoko Birding by Sultan Birding
BIRD WATCHING IN SULAWESI
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| Cinnabar Boobook by Monal at Lore Lindu |
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| Geomalia by Monal from Anaso Lore Lindu |
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| Sulawesi by Babbler by Monal |
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| Sulawesi Jungle Blue Flycatcher by Monal |
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| Sulawesi Serpent eagle by Monal SULAWESI BIRDING ITINERARY 15 DAYS 14 NIGHTS 2023 Day 1: Manado – Tangkoko Park Days 2 – 4: Tangkoko Nature Reserve Birding Day 5: Gunung Mahawu Day 6: Tomohon – Kotamobagu Days 7: Dumoga Nani Wartabone National Park Day 8: Gunung Ambang Day 9: Dumoga Nani Wartabone National Park Day 10: Gorontalo to Palu via Makassar Days 11, 12, 13: Lore Lindu National Park Day 14: Palu – Makassar – Ramang Ramang Day 15: Ramang ramang forest – Makassar – Next
destination PLEASE NOTE: |
Birding Tangkoko, Tangkoko Birdwatching, tangkoko birding by Sultan Birding Indonesia
Tangkoko hill cottage established in 2012, this is a very comfortable accommodation near the Tangkoko Nature Reserve, and Clients from Sultan Birding always stay at Tangkoko hill cottage during our birding trip in Tangkoko Park.
Tangkoko Birdwatching with our guests from USA, Birding Tangkoko, Birdwatching Tangkoko and Gunung Mahawu Birdwatching, Sulawesi Birding by Sultan Birding
Tangkoko and Gunung Mahawu Tomohon Birdwatching
Day 1: Manado Arrival
After your arrival in Manado airport Sulawesi, you will be transferred by car to Tangkoko takes 90 minutes to reach the guesthouse where we will stay for 3 nights. Dinner includes.
Days 2 – 3: Tangkoko Nature Reserve
This reserve on the eastern tip of the Minahassa Peninsula is one of Sulawesi’s flagship parks, the excellent lowland jungle and mangrove forest providing superb birding site, The reserve is especially famous for kingfishers, having no less than eight resident species, of which four are endemic but remember that Tangkoko also has much more to offer than its kingfisher though and with the assistance of the skilled our local team, we will be search for Lilac cheeked kingfisher, Green-backed kingfisher, Sulawesi-dwarf kingfisher, Great-billed kingfisher, Red-bellied Pitta, Rudy kingfisher, Common kingfisher, Blue-eared kingfisher, collared kingfisher, Red-Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi dwarf Hornbill, Ochre-bellied boobook, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Bay Coucal, Lesser coucal, Sulawesi-Hawk eagle, Sulawesi serpent eagle, Black eagle, Black kite, Sulawesi cicada bird, Rusty-breasted cuckko, Sulawesi
triller, Purple-winged roller, Ashy woodpecker, Sulawesi woodpecker, Sulawesi hanging parrot, Ornate lorikeet, Golden-mantled Racquetail, Blue-backed parrot, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Black-naped Fruit dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Black Pigeon, Stephan’s Dove, Brown-cuckoo dove, PhilipineScrubfowl, Barred rail, Isabeline Bush hen. During our boat trip to the mangrove we may find other species; White-rumped Cuckoo-shrike, Common kingfisher, Great-billed kingfisher, Pink-necked green Pigeon, Osprey, Great Frigatebirds, Lesser frigatebirds, Pacific reef egret, common dollar bird, Striated heron, Little tern, Sacred and Collared Kingfisher, White-bellied Sea eagle, Brahminy kite and Purple heron. After spending much of the day birding but we have time also to see interesting mammals such as Black-macacanigra, Tarsier spectrum and bear cuscus in Tangkoko Park. Includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Tangkoko to Tomohon
Morning birding around AMS hill and at 10 am heading to Tomohon for two nights stay. Lunch en-route and afternoon birding on GunungMahawu in Tomohon. Not include Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Gunung Mahawu is a forested Volcano (1490 meters above sea level),
Inside the crater is a steaming, emerald-green lake ringed with yellow sulphur deposits. From the summit, you can see neighbouring Mount Lokon with its ever-present plume of smoke. On a clear day you can also see both the Sulawesi Sea on the west and to the Maluku sea to the east, GunungMahawu is located near the village of Rurukan where Sir Alfred Wallace lived for a while. Now GunungMahawu is one of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas ( IBAs ) in Asia by BirdLife International. In this birding place, we have some interesting Sulawesi endemic species, It is one of the easiest and most reliable sites in Sulawesi for the Scaly-breasted kingfisher- Actenoidesprinceps but please note this star bird of Sulawesi is very skittish and always hide so to spot them still need luck. Bird species at GunungMahawu and Tomohon; Scaly-breasted kingfisher, Lilac-cheeked kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher,
Blue-eared Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Sulawesi scops owl, Speckled boobook, Ochre-bellied boobook, Sulawesi babbler, Chestnut-backed Bush-Warbler, Sulawesi Blue-Flycatcher (split from Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher), the rare Rufous-throated Flycatcher, Pale-blue Monarch (split from Black-naped Monarch), Isabelline-bush hen, Barred rail, White-browed Crake, Sulawesi Myzomela, Island Flycatcher, Citrine Flycatcher, Grey-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Black-fronted White-eye, Mountain white-eye, Streak-headed Dark-eye, Mountain Tailorbird, Purple-winged Roller, Yellow-vented Whistler, Crimson Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Olive-back sunbird, Sooty-headed bulbul, Hair crested drongo, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Ashy Woodpecker, Sulawesi pygmy Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted munia, Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, Brown-cuckoo dove, superb-fruit dove, Sulawesi black-Pigeon, Sulawesi-hanging parrot, Black Eagle, Black Kite, Osprey, Spotted Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon. During our stay here also we have a great chance of finding Purple swamphen, White-browed crake, White-breasted waterhen, Common Moorhen, Javan pond heron on the Lake Tondano. Not include Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Morning birding on Gunung Mahawu and then at 10 AM, we will transfer you to Manado airport for your next destination. Include Breakfast.
Important NOTE:
This trip can be extended to Halmahera for Ivory-breasted Pitta, Wallace’s standard winged bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Sombre Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, and Blue & White Kingfisher. Tangkoko Birdwatching with our guests from USA, Birding Tangkoko, Birdwatching Tangkoko and Gunung Mahawu Birdwatching, Sulawesi Birding by Sultan Birding
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