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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Birding in Klatomok Village of Klasouw Valley

Klatomok is a village in Sorong regency of West Papua Province of Indonesia. It is a recommended destination for visitors who are interested in birding and wildlife watching. 

Blyth's hornbill in rainforest of West Papua
Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus)
The forest around the village is the natural habitat of such birds as Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Black Lory, Black-capped Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Slender-billed Cuckoo Dove, Magnificent Riflebird, King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Blue and Black Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and a lot more.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Visitors who go to Klatomok village need to bring binoculars, camera with telephoto lens and, if possible, a spotting scope that is mounted on a tripod.  Local villagers can work as porters to help carry these devices when visitors explore the forest. 
Klatomok village is in Klasouw valley
Klatomok Village is located in the east of Sorong city
Traveling to Klatomok village is easy. Visitors can go by a 4WD car. It takes around 2 hours from Sorong city to Klatomok village. Visitors usually need to buy food materials such as instant noodles, bread, peanut butter, eggs, smoked fish, biscuits, and bottled mineral water, in supermarket or local market in Sorong city. 
Western-crowned Pigeon in Klasouw valley of Sorong regency
Western-crowned Pigeon in the forest of Klasow Valley
There are homestays in the village which are available for visitors to stay for a few days while exploring the surrounding rainforest. The rooms are not luxurious ones like in other famous tourist destinations around the world. There are mattresses, mosquito nets and toilets which visitors can stay for a few days up to  a few weeks in the forest. 
birdwatching destination in Sorong regency of Indonesia
A European visitor at a homestay in Klatomok village
In addition to birds, visitors may also see other animals such as forest dragon lizard, deer, soa-soa monitor lizards, and a lot more.
nocturnal animal in the jungle of West Papua, cuscus possum
Cuscus Possum in rainforest
Local villagers often conduct night tour in the forest for visitors to see animals such as wallaby, snake and cuscus possum. Visitors need to bring head lamps which will enable them to walk through the forest in the dark.  This is written by Charles Roring.
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