1 Day Birding Tour in Sorong Regency Lowland Forest and Coastal Area

A few days ago (March 13th, 2026), I guided a couple (Marcus and Jo) from Australia on a birding tour in the lowland and coastal forest of Sorong regency. We started early in the morning at 05:30. I met them at Aston hotel and then by car we went to a forest area outside Sorong city. It took around 40 minutes to reach the entrance site of the forest. At that time, we could hear the calls of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus). 

1 Day Birding Tour in the forest of Sorong Regency

The bird was sitting on the vertical pole of a tree waiting for his female mating partner to come. I set up my 2 tripods, one with a pair of binoculars mounted on it and the other with a spottiny scope, and aimed them at the paradise bird. We waited for the female bird to come. The male Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise did some rehearsal  by hopping down and up the pole. He hopped down to the top of lower pole and sit on it for awhile. 

Marcus and Jo used their camera to take pictures of the paradise bird. They also made some video using their cell phone through the spotting scope. 

After waiting for around one and a half hour, unfortunately the female paradise bird did not come, the male one flew away leaving the dancing lek. 

We left the watching site and continued our activity by doing general birding. We saw a lot of species of interesting birds including Papuan Eclectus, Spangled Drongo, Yellow-faced Myna, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Orange-bellied Fruit-dove, Willie Wagtail, Helmeted Friarbird, Black Butcherbird, Sahul Sunbird, Palm Cockatoo, Black-capped Lory, Shining Flycatcher, Blyth's Hornbill and Gray-headed Goshawk. 

A female Papuan Eclectus

If you are interested in taking this 1 day birding tour at the outskirts of Sorong city and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by gmail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong city
• Birds in the Suburb of Sorong city

• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder

Water Lily from A Swamp in Merauke

In addition to guiding tourists, my daily avtivity now is drawing and painting. I have just completed an old sketch of Water Lily of Merauke in watercolour. This is a small painting on paper size A5 (14.5 cm×21 cm) Winsor & Newton Wire-O sketch book. I saw this water lily flower in a swamp at the outskirts of Merauke. I visited the town years ago. There was only one flower at that time. Usually in a swamp, there are various kinds of water plants and including tens of waterlily flowers. However, I only saw one flower. So, the only one water lily flower that was still standing in the dark water of the swamp, when I arrived, deserved my attention. The swamp was at the roadside. I even asked the driver to stop his car so that I could walk closer to it. 

Water Lily from Merauke 

The watercolour painting is now inside a simple frame that I hang on the wall of the front room of my house.

I still have other watercolour paintings that I will discuss in my later posts. 

4 Days/3 Nights Birding in Sorong Regency

Today is 3 March 2026. I have just started a birding tour with 2 participants from Germany. We are now in Malagufuk of Klasow valley. We left Sorong city at 08:30 by a 4wd car and did birding along the 3,3 kilometers boardwalk that led us to the village. We saw Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and Eastern Hooded Pitta. It was a good start.  When we were having lunch, a female Blyth's hornbill landed on a wooden beam of our dining hall.  

Large Fig Parrot

At 15:15, we went birding again to the southern forest of the village. We saw Black-capped Lory, Black Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Golden Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Papuan Eclectus, Red-cheeked Parrot, Helmeted Friarbird, and Lowland Peltop. 

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

At dusk, we were waiting for Papuan Nightjar. Unfortunately, he did not show up. There were flying fox flying over the village. Unfortunately, the Papuan nightjar did not fly that evening. So, we returned to the guesthouse.

Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot

In the morning of 4 March 2026, we went to the lek of Lesser Bird of Paradise. We left Malagufuk village at 05:00. It took around 30 minutes of walking to reach the place. We still had to wait for around 30 minutes for the sunlight to appear in the sky. After waiting for quite long and walking around the forest area for two hours to chase the birds, finally, we could watch the courtship dance of the Lesser Bird of Paradise. There were 4 male and 3 female Lesser Birds of Paradise. 

Lesser Bird of Paradise

We also went to the site of King Bird of Paradise. I could also take picture of the bird using my Vivo V40 Lite that is mounted on my SVbony SV410 spotting scope. 

King Bird of Paradise

In the afternoon, we saw a lot of birds around the edge of the village. There were Glossy-mantled Manucode, Blyth's Hornbill, Black Lory, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Gray-streaked Flycatcher, Golden Cuckooshrike, Sahul Sunbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Sultan's Cuckoo-dove, Glossy Swiftlet. 

Sultan's Cuckoo-dove

We did night walk. We saw Yellow-bellied Gerygone, a Brown Tree Mouse. We tried to attract Papuan Boobook by playing its recorded calls. Unfortunately, when this nocturnal bird came, he landed a tall tree whose branches were blocked by other branches from a nearby tree. So, we could not see the bird.

In the morning of 5 March was a great birding experience for us. We saw Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Papuan Pitta, Northern Cassowary, Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Black-sided Robin. 

Hook-billed Kingfisher

On the way back to the village after watching the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, we saw Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon, Hook-billed Kingfisher. We also watched birds that were active in a tall merbau tree. There were Lowland Peltops, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Yellow-faced Myna, Coconut Lorikeet and Large Fig Parrot. There was a Palm Cockatoo that landed briefly on the tip of a dry branch. I was able to take some picture of the bird. 

Palm Cockatoo

On 6 March 2026, we went to the hides of Papuan Pitta and Eastern Hooded Pitta. We were able to see them after attracting them with calls and worms. We also saw Little Shrikethrush, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Sahul Brush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher and Long-tailed Honeybuzzard. After lunch, we returned to Sorong city. It has been a great birdinf trip for our German guests. 

Azure Kingfisher

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Sorong regency of Indonesia and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp at +6281332245180. You could also press this contact link.

Also read:

• 1 Day Birding Tour at the Outskirts of Sorong tegency
• Explore Sorong city and Its Surroundings

• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Tangkoko National Park
• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder
• Birdwatching Tour in the Farmland and Forest of Minahasa Highland
• Birding Tour Across Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu and Sonder's Forest

Watching Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise Near Aimas Town

Aimas town  is the capital of Sorong regency. It is around 30 minutes drive from Sorong city. There is a forest area near the town that has been the natural habitat of Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. I guided a visitor from France today (28 Feb. 2026) on a morning birdwatching tour from Sorong city. 

We watched Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise for around 1 hour. After that we continued our activity by doing general birding. There were several species of interesting tropical birds that we saw including Spangled Drongo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pacific Baza, Papuan Eclectus, Willie Wagtail, Blyth's Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Shining Flycatcher, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Yellow-faced Myna, Singing Starling, and etc. 

Yellow-faced Myna

At 09:00, we continued our trip to Mangrove forest where we saw Brown-backed Honeyeater, Sahul Sunbird, and Emperor Fairywren. 

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching and sightseeing tour to areas around Sorong city and want me to organize your trip and guide you, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to +6281332245180 or through this contact link. 

Also read: 

• Birding Paradise: Exploring North Sulawesi from Manado to Minahasa Highland
• Tangkoko National Park
• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder
• Birdwatching Tour in the Farmland and Forest of Minahasa Highland

1 Day Birding Tour At the Outskirts of Sorong City

Morning Birding

I often receive requests from visitors who want to do sightseeing and birdwatching trip from Sorong city. There are several interesting sites to explore. The recommended one is the rainforest area at the outskirts of Aimas Town. We need to start early in the morning at around 05:00. I will meet tour participants at the hotel in Sorong city and then organize their transfer by car to birding site. It takes around 45 minutes to reach it. We will watch the first target which is the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. Usually we spend between 30 minutes to 1 hour to watch the paradise bird. After that we will continue our activity by doing general birding. We will look for any species of birds that sit on the branches of trees or fly in the air. They include Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Hooded Butcherbird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Red-cheeked Parrot,  Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Willie Wagtail and etc. Usually, at 10:00 a.m. the air temperature is hotter and the activity of bird is little. We will return to Sorong city to take a rest.

Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise

Afternoon Birding

We usually start at 14:00. Our destination is the mangrove forest. We will look for such birds as Orange-fronted Fruit-dove, Brown-backed Honeyeater, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Spotted Dove, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Common Sandpiper, Striated Heron, Pacific Golden Plover, Emperor Fairywren,  and etc. At 18:00, the light starts to decrease. We will return to Sorong city before dark.

Beautiful Fruit-dove

As a tourist guide, I provide a spotting scope or a pair of binoculars that is mounted on a tripod. This will allow tour participants to watch birds that sit in distant branches of trees. 

Birdwatching in Sorong

Participants need to bring insect repellent lotion or spray, rain poncho. They could also bring binoculars or camera if they have.

More tours to other interesting places

In addition to birdwatching, I also offer sightseeing tour to Doom island, the north coast of Sorong and traditional markets.

If you are interested in taking this birding tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to +6281332245180 or through this contact link. 

Also read:

• Sorong City Sightseeing and Birdwatching Tour
• What to do in Sorong city
• Birds in the Suburb of Sorong city
• Sightseeing and Meditative Trip to Buddhist Temple
• Sorong city Sightseeing and Birding Attractions for Tourists

• Birding and wildlife tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa highland
• Birdwatching Tour in the Farmland and Forest of Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi

Sketch of Azure Kingfisher

Here is a sketch of Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus)that I made on a small pocket sketch-book using Faber-Castell watercolour pencil.

This Azure kingfisher usually can be found along the sides of creeks in lowland tropical rainforest of West Papua region. 

A Sketch of Azure Kingfisher

Birding in Tambrauw and Sorong (5 Days/ 4 Nights)

I have just completed a tour in Klabili village of Tambrauw regency and in the birding sites at the outskirts of Sorong city and Aimas town. I guided a couple from the Netherlands. We spent 3 days/ 2 nights in Klabili and 2 days/ 2 nights in Sorong to watch birds. During our stay in Klabili, we explored the rainforest of the village where we saw various species of rainforest birds including Papuan Pitta, Eastern Hooded Pitta, Blyth's Hornbill, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Wompoo Fruit-dove, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-faced Myna, King Bird of Paradise, Sahul Sunbird, Black-capped Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Frilled Monarch, Streaked-headed Honeyeater, Brahminy Kite, Long-tailed Honey-buzzard, and New Guinea Vulturine Parrot (Pesquet Parrot -ebird)etc. 

Eastern-hooded Pitta

We also did some night walks in Klabili where we saw Papuan Frogmouth and Flying fox.

At the outskirts of Aimas town in Sorong regency, we saw Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Hooded Butcherbird, Black Butcherbird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Brown Oriole, Helmeted Friarbird, and Metallic Starling. We also explored coastal area in the north coast of Sorong. There, we saw Common Sandpiper, Pacific Reef Heron, Brahminy Kite, Torresian Crow, Beach Kingfisher. We also saw, perhaps, a Blue Rock Thrush, on top of a rocky islet. Well, it is not a common bird in this region. 

Birdwatching in the north coast of Sorong regency

We also visited Love Hill of Sorong where we saw Yellow-faced Myna, and Black Butcherbird. In mangrove area at the outskirts of Aimas town, we saw White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Orange-fronted Imperial Pigeon, Common Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover and Little Heron. There were Scaly-breasted Munia and Spotted Dove which, probably, were escaped caged birds. 

Rainforest at the suburb of Sorong city; Brahminy Kite, Beach Kingfisher

To watch birds, I use 2 pairs of 10×50 binoculars. I carried one and the other pair was mounted on the tripod. This allows everyone to watch birds that were sitting on distant branches of trees. 

Wompoo Fruit-dove

Also read: 

• Sorong city Birding Tour
• Morning Birding Tour in Sorong city

Birding Tour in North Sulawesi: Tangkoko, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu & Sonder Forest

Some Birds in Sonder of Minahasa Highland

North Sulawesi is one of the best places in Indonesia for birdwatching. In a short distance, you can visit rainforest, lakes, farmland, and mountain forest. A birding tour that includes:

• Tangkoko Nature Reserve
• Lake Tondano
• Mount Mahawu
• Sonder Forest

This trip gives you the chance to see many special birds that only live in Sulawesi.

Birds in North Sulawesi

Tangkoko Nature Reserve

Tangkoko is a famous rainforest area in North Sulawesi. It is one of the best places to see Sulawesi’s unique birds. The forest is close to the coast and has many different habitats.

Some birds you may see here include:

* Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher

* Green-backed Kingfisher

* Sulawesi Hornbill

* Lilac Kingfisher

* Sulawesi Pitta

Gursky's Spectral Tarsier

The best time to watch birds in Tangkoko is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when birds are most active. In addition to birds tour participants could also see mammals, reptiles and insects. Attractive mammals include Celebes-crested Macaque, Spectral Tarsier, and Sulawesi Bear Cuscus. 

Rusty-backed Thrush

Lake Tondano

Lake Tondano offers a different birding experience. It is a large lake surrounded by villages, rice fields, and open land. This area is good for seeing waterbirds and birds that live in open spaces.

You may see:

* Wandering Whistling Duck

* Purple Heron

* White-browed Crake

* Yellow Bittern

* Collared Kingfisher

The lake area is also a good place to see birds flying over the water and feeding in the fields.

Collared Kingfisher

Mount Mahawu

Mount Mahawu is a small volcano with cool mountain forest. There is a walking path around the crater, making it easy to explore. The higher elevation means you can see different birds than in the lowland forest.

Some possible birds include:

• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Scops Owl
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Mountain White-eye
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-Dove

On clear days, you can also enjoy beautiful views of the crater and surrounding landscape.

Crater of Mount Mahawu

Lake Linow

This is a volcanic lake that is always visited by tourists. We could see a lot of species of birds both along its shore and in the water. There are Sunda Teal, Javan Pond Heron, Whiskered Tern, Little Egret, Woodsandpiper, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Waterhen and etc.

Sonder Forest

Sonder Forest is a quieter and less crowded birding spot. It has mountain forest with tall trees and thick vegetation. This makes it a good place to find shy birds.

You may find:

• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Sulawesi Drongo
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• Black-naped Fruit-dove
• Black-crowned White-eye
• Crimson Sunbird
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Mountain Tailorbird
• Black Sunbird

Because fewer people visit Sonder, it is peaceful and great for slow birdwatching and photography.

Yellow-sided Flowerpecker

Why Visit All These Places?

Each location offers a different type of habitat:

* Rainforest

* Lake and rice-field wetlands

* Farmland

* Mountain forest

* Water-falls

By visiting all four places, you increase your chances of seeing many different bird species, especially those found only in Sulawesi.

Barred Rail

Best Time to Go

You can go birdwatching in North Sulawesi at any time of year. However, the dry season usually makes forest trails easier to walk. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to see birds.

A Great Birding Experience

A birding tour to Tangkoko, Lake Tondano, Mount Mahawu, and Sonder Forest is a wonderful way to explore nature in North Sulawesi. With beautiful scenery and many special birds, this trip is perfect for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Flight routes to Manado city

How to get there?

You need to fly to Manado city. It is the capital of North Sulawesi province in Indonesia. We could meet you at the airport and then organize your tour to birding sites mentioned in this blog post.

Accommodations

There are homestays, guesthouses and hotels that you could stay in during your birding/ wildlife watching tour in this part of North Sulawesi province. We could organize it for you.

If you are interested in taking day birding tour to the above places and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by pressing this contact link.

Birds and Paddy Fields in Sonder

Also read:

• Birding Across Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Mount Mahawu, Sonder Forest and Manado city
• Birding and Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland