Paradise Bird Watching and Wildlife Tour in Indonesia

Friday, December 20, 2024

Birding in Raja Ampat and Sorong

Visitors who travel to Sorong city can take birding and wildlife watching tours in Raja Ampat and Sorong regency. The duration of the tours is from 5 to 7 days.

While in Sorong regency, visitors can visit Kasulala forest to watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Coconut Lorikeet as well as ground hopping birds such as Hooded Pitta and Papuan Pitta.

Visitors who like to explore rainforest could do night walk to look for Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Papuan Boobook, Papuan Hawk Owl and other birds sleep on lower branches of trees.

In addition to birds, visitors could also watch butterflies, monitor lizard, cuscus and snake.

Palm Cockatoo

In Waigeo, visitors could watch such birds as Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise.

A lot of other birds could be watched in those places including Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Yellow-billed Kingfisher and Rufous-bellied Kookaburra.

Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

Tour participants who take this tour could combine birding and snorkeling. Usually, snorkeling is done at the house reef of the resort or homestay which they stay. Snorkeling tour to other sites such as Friwen wall, Urai, and Yenbuba Strait as well as Arborek could also be organized upon request.

Coral reef in Raja Ampat

Snorkeling Photo from Raja Ampat

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

If you are interested in watching birds and enjoying snorkeling in Raja Ampat as well as hiking and wildlifewatching in Sorong regency, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read:

Friday, December 13, 2024

Birding in Kasulala Forest of Sorong, and Waigeo of Raja Ampat

Sorong regency has been famous as destination for visitors want to explore tropical rainforest and watch tropical birds of Southwest Papua Province of Indonesia.

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

Eclectus Parrot

There is a forest that is located in the east of Sorong city. Its name is Kasulala forest. It is the habitat of various species of birds such as Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Northern Fantail, Sooty-thicket Fantail, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Azure Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, and etc.

Wompoo Fruit Dove

Equipment:

Visitors who want to watch birds in Kasulala forest need to bring binoculars. Flash light will also be needed for night walk in the forest.

There are other optional equipment which visitors may also bring such as spotting scope, laser pointer and camera with telephoto lens.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

Accommodation

Visitors who want to visit Kasulala forest can stay in guesthouses that are built on the hill overlooking Klasow valley. They can stay for 1 night, 2 nights, 3 nights or even longer.

Accommodation in Kasulala Forest

After exploring rainforest and watching birds in this part of Sorong regency, you could continue tour trip to Raja Ampat for another rainforest wildlife watching trip or snorkeling and scubadiving tour.

Waigeo Island of Raja Ampat

There are a lot of birding sites in Raja Ampat. Most birdwatchers go to Waigeo island. There, they could watch Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise as well as other birds such as Eclectus Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Great-billed Parrot, Beach Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Western-crowned Pigeon, Blyth's Hornbill, Radjah Shelduck, Whimbrel, Pacific Swallow, Collared Kingfisher, Moustached Treeswift, White-breasted Woodswallow, and etc.

A female Papuan Eclectus was flying over the blue sea in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

Birdwatching could also be done in various small islands around Raja Ampat to look for Spice Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Osprey, Violet-necked Lory, Channel-billed Cuckoo and etc.

Osprey

Sightseeing Tour in Sorong City for Non Birders

I often receive request for tours in Sorong city from visitors who plan to travel to Raja Ampat. Most of my tours are related to birdwatching. However, I also provide sightseeing tours for who are not keen on birding. Here is the places that we will visit.

Tourist Attractions in Sorong city

Traditional Market - There is a market in Sorong city that is the place for city dwellers to buy and sell goods such as rice, fish, meet, vegetables, and fruits. There are also other products that we could see from kitchen and gardening tools to smart phones.

Architectural Buildings:

Buddhist Temple has got unique architecture. It was built on a tower overlooking the city of Sorong. We could see the landscape of Sorong and some islands around it from the hill. The Chinese architecture looks unique compared to other buildings in Sorong city.

Sightseeing Tour in Sorong

Cathedral Church of Christ the King in Sorong city

Cathedral Church of Christ the King whose design was inspired by the Bower of Vogelkop Bowerbird

The design of the Cathedral Church of Christ the King was inspired by the bower of Vogelkop Bowerbird. Its wooden carving is also beautiful. It shows the unique artistic skill of the Papuan people that is reflected from relief of the wooden carvings.

Hill Forest - This is another natural attractions of Sorong city. Visitors could see the landscape of Sorong, watch birds, or just enjoy the green vegetation and fresh air that is released from.the surrounding trees of the hill

Doom Island is a small island located off the coast of Sorong city. It was the first place in Sorong where Dutch government established their administrative post. Now Doom island has become one of the crowdest human settlement in Sorong. We could see old Dutch buildings that are mixed with houses of local people who work as fishermen, traders, civil servant and etc.

Mangrove Forest is located near Sorong city. It is the place for visitors who love nature. There are several species of birds and butterflies that live in this natural places. Tour participants need binoculars and camera with telephoto lens in order to watch birds and butterflies in this site. Insect repellent lotion or spray will also be needed.

Booking

If you are interested in taking this sightseeing tournin Sorong city, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Short Birding Tour in Sorong City

This shrt birding tour in Sorong city is suitable for a solo traveling tourist, a couple or a small group of tourists who do not have much time. The tour starts at 06:00 and finishes at 10:00.

We will go by a chartered car to mangrove forest a little outside Sorong city. It takes around 30 minutes to reach it. We will start to explore the mangrove forest. Usually, there are not many tourists in that area at that early morning time.

Blue-fronted Fig Parrot (formerly called Orange-fronted Fig Parrot)

There are several species of tropical birds in the trees including Sahul Sunbird, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Little Kingfisher, Beach Kingfisher, Blue-fronted Fig Parrot (formerly called Orange-fronted Fig Parrot), Brown-backed Honeyeater, Brahminy Kite, Metallic Starling, Shining Flycatcher, Collared Imperial Pigeon and White-bellied Cuckooshrike.

To enhance the birdwatching experience, a pair of binoculars, spotting scope and camera with telephoto lens will be needed by the visitors.

White-bellied Cuckooshrike

The binoculars and spotting scope will enable birdwatchers to watch distant birds well. We will finish birding at 10:00. After that we will return to the hotel where this tour participants stay.

Sahul Sunbird, Shining Flycatcher, Brown-backed Honeyeater

Brown-backed Honeyeater, Sahul Sunbird and Shining Flycatcher

After the tour, visitors could continue their trip to Raja Ampat or fly to another city.

If you are interested in taking a short birding tour in Sorong city before or after your trip in Raja Ampat, and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Related articles:

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Birdwatching in the Farmland of Sonder of Minahasa Highland

My Minahasa Highland Tour yesterday was about birdwatching and butterfly watching in the high elevation farmland of Subdistrict Sonder. I went there by motorcycle which took me around 10 minutes to reach it. The forest and the farm were still covered by fog. So, I only spent around 30 minutes birding in one place.

Warbling White-eye

At that time, I saw Black-faced Munia, Warbling White-eye, Gray Wagtail, Crimson Sunbird, Hair-crested (White-eyed Drongo), Barred Rail, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Sahul Sunbird, and, again a bird that looks like, a Van Hasselt's Sunbird. Because the high elevation forest and farmland of Subdistrict Sonder was still in foggy condition, the pictures that I made were not so clear.

Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly

For instance, this Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove that was sitting on the branch of a tree at the side of the road. I thought there was only 1 bird in the tree. As a matter of fact, when I was walking closer towards the tree, I saw 3 Sulawesi Cuckoo-doves flying away.

Black-faced Munia (Lonchura molucca) in Minahasa highland

Black-faced Munia (This picture was taken under foggy condition)

More birds were hopping around the branches of the tree but they could not be photographed easily because of the fog. At around 08:00, the fog disappeared but birds had flown into deeper forest to cooler area. I slowly rode my motorcycle down the slope. I saw Yellow-billed Malkoha landed on a branch of a tree of the slope. He was there for around 3 minutes and then flew again into deeper forest.

Yellow-billed Malkoha

White-breasted Woodswallow

I still continued my birding tour that morning by motorcycle. I saw a few Collared Kingfisher sitting on higher branches. Perhaps, late November was their mating season. There were also Sulawesi Crow and White-breasted Woodswallow that were sitting at lower branch of trees. Sooty-headed Bulbul was very common. We could easily see them in farmland, forest edges and at the frontyard of the villagers.

Black Kite

Black Kite was soaring low looking for its prey. I aimed my camera at the bird and shot him several times. There was still some fog in the air. Farmland of Minahasa highland is rich of food crops. It attracts insects and rats. Birds that like to eat insect such as the kingfisher and the bird of prey that eats mouse could be found in the farmland. There were a lot of other birds that I saw during the morning tour in the farmland. I will write more about them in my next posts.

Farm tour in Minahasa highland of North Sulawesi Province

Farmland in Minahasa regency

Where is Sonder?

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It is surrounded by vegetable and fruit gardens, plantations (dry farmland), paddy fields (wet farmland) and forest. Sonder could be reached by car from Manado city for around 1 hour. Visitors need to fly to Manado city of Indonesia in order to explore the mountainous region of Minahasa with its beautiful landscape, forest, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and farmland.

How to get to Sonder town in Minahasa highland?

Every day, there are regular flights that connect Manado with some major cities of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Denpasar and Sorong. They are served by Garuda, Citilink, Super Air Jet, Lion Air, Batik Air, and TransNusa.

Car route between Sonder town and Manado city

Subdistrict Sonder in Minahasa regency of Indonesia

Accommodation

There are homestays in Sonder town. There are also hotels in the nearby Tomohon town which visitors can choose to stay.