Nimbokrang Birding Jayapura by Sultan Birding Indonesia

Birding in Nimbokrang

Nimbokrang is a transmigration settlement 2 hours drive from Jayapura into West Sentani. It is a good base for exploring the bird-rich lowland alluvial forest at the base of the Cyclops Mountains. The forest around Nimbokrang is being cleared for agriculture, huge areas remain intact and the roads and side paths provide access into the forest depths.  Nimbokrang is a home for some birds-of-paradise species like the King Bird of Paradise, the Lesser Bird of Paradise, and the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. It is easy also to find kingfishers here such as Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Hook-billed Kingfisher, and Shovel-billed Kingfisher. Other species like Shining Flycatcher, Greater and Lesser Black Coucals, Salvadori’s Fig Parrot, Pale-billed Sicklebill, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Rainbow Beater, Rainbow Lorikeet, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Red-cheeked and Eclectus Parrots, Brown and Black-capped Lories, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots and also Papuan Hornbill enrich the diversity of bird species in Nimbokrang.

 

Birds Highlight in Nimbokrang:

King Bird of Paradise

Lesser Bird of Paradise

Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra

Hook-billed Kingfisher

Shovel-billed Kingfisher

Sulfur-crested Cockatoos

Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots

Grand Allison Hotel In Sentani Near Airport of Jayapura

Room at Grand Allison Hotel Sentani for overnight stay

Grand Allison Hotel in Sentani

Grand Allison Hotel Sentani near to the Airport

 

NIMBOKRANG LODGE BY SULTAN BIRDING AND RESTAURANT SINCE 2016

Nimbokrang Lodge by Sultan Birding Indonesia

Monal with clients at the tower in Nimbokrang

Nimbokrang

At the site of King bird of Paradise in Nimbokrang

In 2016, I visited Nimbokrang to survey the location of the birds of paradise after in Raja Ampat. At first, there was no guesthouse or lodge in Nimbokrang like in Arfak. The first time I came, I was staying at a local restaurant that was willing to give me a room to stay. after observing and also seeing the situation, at that moment I thought of inviting the owner of the restaurant to build several rooms since there was still an empty land behind his restaurant. In the end we agreed to

The western toilet and shower

work together to build a guesthouse on his land. I invested all equipment in the guesthouse starting from the bed, Air condition and hot water shower.  Until now, the guesthouse that we built is used to welcome Sultan Birding guests. we are very happy to be able to help local people by giving them a way to increase their economic income. This also makes the facilities we provide to our guests in accordance with the standards we have set, Sultan Birding is providing a comfortable place to stay while birding in Nimbokrang Jayapura Papua. the meals are also very good here cook by the local from Java at the restaurant just nearby.

Twelve wired bird of paradise

Birdwatching group from Netherland

Martin, our supporting team in Nimbokrang, He build up the flatform to photograph Twelve Wired BoP

Platform to photographs BoP build by Martin in Nimbokrang

Our lodge with the restaurant

Sentani Jayapura Airport

Hotel**** in Sentani for overnight stay

Dining Room Hotel in Sentani

Group of BirdingBreak Netherlands

Yellow-billed Kingfisher by Sheau Thorn Lim

Lesser bird-of-paradise by Sheau Thorn Lim

West Papua Birding for BIRD OF PARADISE by Sultan Birding Indonesia

BIRD OF PARADISE: Paradisaeidae

Wilson's bird-of-paradise, Image by Sheau Torng Lim

Bird of Paradise (BoP) are a principally New Guinean bird family, with 37 of the 41 known species inhabiting the NG Region. The family ranges from Northern Moluccas through NG and thence south along the coast of Eastern Australia. In NG, the species inhabit forests at all elevations, but the greatest concentration of species can be found in the mid-mountain zone, 1500 – 2100 m. As currently circumscribed, the Paradisaeidae no longer includes the satin birds (now in their own family) and the genus Macgregoria (Giant Wattled Honeyeater).

 

Red bird-of-paradise, Image by Sheau Torng Lim

Although the birds of paradise exhibit a diverse array of feeding habits, bill shapes, body forms, and plumages, they nevertheless constitute a taxonomically compact group, famous for the males’ remarkable nuptial plumages and elaborate courtship displays. The bird of paradise body plan is somewhat crowlike, with a powerful bill and feet, and all species are adapted to a diet of fruit and insects. This is an important group of seed dispersers.

 

Magnificent bird-of-paradise, Image by Monal

There are 2 branches to the family, and they differ in breeding habits. The Glossy-black Manucodes (5 spp), in which the sexes look alike, are social monogamous, meaning that the male and female form a pair bond and share in nesting duties. While they may lack ornamental plumes, manucodes are nevertheless remarkable as the only songbirds in the world with an elongated trachea (windpipe), that coils (in Phonygammus) or loops (Manucodia) beneath the breast skin and, like a trumpet, serves to amplify the bird’s voice.

 

Vogelkop bird-of-paradise, Image by Monal

In the polygynous “true” birds of paradise, the colorful adult males sport ornamental plumage and advertise themselves with loud songs and calls. The cryptic females are brown or black plumaged, often with barring ventrally. Young males look exactly like females but are somewhat larger, and it takes them many years to eventually acquire the adult plumages. Once fully adult, the male faithfully attends a display court of perch, where he attracts and mates with females. Depending on species, a male display by himself away from other males or with a group of males called a “lek”. Females of polygynous species alone build the nest and rise the offspring.

 

Western Parotia, bird-of-paradise, Image by Monal

One outcome of these promiscuous mattings deserves mention: hybrids – the offspring of parents of different species. Museum collections contain a supraising diversity of bird of paradise hybrids, including those between different genera, such as Paradigalla X Astrapia or Magnificent x King BoP crosses. The hybrids may look intermediate between the two parental species, but just as often their appearance can be quite bewildering. Intergeneric hybrids are very rarely encountered in the field. The only commonly seen hybrids are between Ribbon-tailed and Stephanie’s Astrapias and between Greater, Lesser, and Raggiana BoPs.

Black-billed Sicklebill, Image by Monal

Birds of Paradise are much admired for their beauty and their entertaining displays. The birds feature prominently in local folk traditions, and their plumes are used in dress on festive and ceremonial occasions. Despite the hunting of adult males for plumes, many birds of paradise seem able to maintain populations close to rural villages. Whether near human settlement or in the most remote wilderness, the brown-plumage females and immature birds predominate by far, so learning to identify them is key. Be aware that males of many iridescent species appear partly to completely black depending on light conditions, obscuring what would otherwise be colorful plumage and possibly confusing someone trying to identify them. For best result finding and observing male birds of paradise, knowledge of the specific locationof display courts and perches is required (though not for Manucodes, which lack a fix display site). 

Masked Bowerbird, Image by Monal

Visitors should employ a local guide to show them display sites. To find displaying males on one’s own, first learn about the courtship behavior of individual species, then seek out the songs of the males in appropriate habitat – the advertising males may lead you to their display site. When not at his display site, a male can sometimes be spotted resting on an open perch in a tall tree, particularly after rain, so scanning ridge crests with a telescope is a productive technique. Another method is to wait patiently at a favored fruiting tree; over time a selection of species may visit the tree to feed. Even chance encounters are frequent, particularly of females and immature birds, which are often seen hoping slowly along a branch carefully searching for prey. Both males and females can be found in mixed flocks in the lowlands.     

Lesser bird-of-paradise by Sheau Torng Lim

 

Maibri Birding EcoLodge in Arfak Mountains, the right place to stay for the bird of paradise in West Papua of Indonesia

Maibri Birding Eco-Lodge in Arfak Mountains provides an excellent place to stay, with nice rooms with a hot water shower, delicious meals, and friendly local staff, only a few minutes to the favorite birding site including; Western Parotia, Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Black-billed Sicklebill, Masked Bowerbird, Lesser Bird of Paradise and much more.

Rendani Airport Manokwari, Papua of Indonesia

Hotel ASton Niu Manokwari

Room at Aston Niu Manokwari

Hotel Aston Niu Manokwari

Hotel Aston Niu Manokwari

Mama Kitchen Restaurant Manokwari

Our client with the local in Arfak Mountains

4WD double cabin special for Arfak Mountains

Birding West Papua, Birdwatching West Papua by Sultan Birding Indonesia

Cassowary foto by Monal

Bird Photography and Birdwatching in West Papua of Indonesia with Sultan Birding Indonesia. Delight yourself watching bird-of-paradise just a few meters away. Great chances to take pictures and learn from an experienced local guide who will lead you to the land of bird-of-paradise in Papua and West Papua of Indonesia.

We are a local birding tour operator who has been arranging West Papua birding and Birdwatching in West Papua programs for birdwatchers and bird photographers from around the world to West Papua of Indonesia to watch and photograph bird-of-paradise. Our services are ranged from medium to high category in lodging and meals depending on your needs. We provide packages including all services from your arrival until your departure from West Papua 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 West Papua Birding Trip, Birdwatching in West Papua, Birding in West Papua. We also provide 4WD transportation and a knowledgeable birding guide who will take you to the specific display Lek for you to watch or take a picture of bird-of-paradise and your other target birds. Let us know the interests of your birding journey to West Papua, and we will be glad to advise and assist you in planning the itinerary that suits you better to fulfill your expectations.

Fotos copyright by Monal

We offer you a 15 - 19 days West Papua birding trip, Our West Papua birding tour starts in the small town of Sorong, The word Sorong meant “deep and turbulent sea” in the local Soreri language. this town is well known as the gateway to Waigeo in the Raja Ampat islands. We travel by express boat to Waigeo and we will stay two nights at the nice resort near the beach. Our main target here Wilson’s bird-of-paradise and Red bird-of-paradise as well as endemic Raja Ampat pitohui, we also try our luck to see amazing Western Crowned Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Palm Cockatoo, Brown-headed Crow. After Waigeo we go back to Sorong for an overnight stay.

Magnificent Bird of Paradise, foto by Monal

Next, we take a flight to the small town of Manokwari from here we will travel by 4WD car up to the village of Mingre amongst the spectacular deep valleys of the highlands of Arfak Mountains. In Mingre Village we have our own guesthouse for you with good facilities. The highland endemic include Western Parotia, Arfak Astrapia, Long-tailed Paradigalla, Black Sicklebill, Vogelkop Superb bird of paradise, Black-billed Sicklebill, Magnificent bird of paradise, Lesser bird-of-paradise, Arfak Honey eater, Vogelkop bowerbird, Masked bowerbird, Feline Owlet Nightjar. After this, we go back to Manokwari for an overnight stay.

Western Parotia, foto by Monal

Finally, we will take a flight to Sentani Jayapura where we explore the lowland rainforest. You will stay at the lodge in Nimbokarng which has an air condition room with a hot water shower and also excellent food. This lodge is managed by Sultan Birding, we invest here for good accommodation for our lovely clients to visit Nimbokrang. Our bird of paradise here include Twelve wired bird of paradise, Kingbird of paradise, Lesser Bird of Paradise, Salvadori’s Fig Parrot, Pale-billed Sicklebill, Victoria Crowned Pigeon.