Birding in Raja Ampat, Tambrauw, and Sorong of Southwest Papua, Indonesia

I often guide tourists to watch birds and wild animals in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat regency; Sausapor and Klabili in Tambrauw regency; Malagufuk and Mangrove forest in Sorong regency. These are important birding sites in Papua Barat Daya Province of Indonesia that can easily be reached from Sorong city. 

I usually start the birding trip by meeting my clients at the airport of Sorong city and then organize their transfer by 4wd car to Sausapor town in Tambrauw regency. We usually spend around 2 days and 2 nights exploring the coastal area and the forest to look for such birds as Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Oriental Pratincole, Little-ringed Plover, Black-naped Tern, Gray Crow, Blyth's Hornbill, Hooded Butcherbird, Black Butcherbird, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Slender-billed Cuckoo Dove, Helmetted Friarbird, Brown Oriole, Red-cheeked Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Western-crowned Pigeon, King Bird of Paradise, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Long-tailed Honeybuzzard. There are several birding sites at the outskirts of Sausapor town that we can visit.

Some birds in Tambrauw regency

Butterfly Watching in Sansapore Pacific Park

Not only birds that we can see in the forest and coastal areas around Sausapor town. We could also watch butterflies and see various kinds of flowers such as zinnia, beach hibiscus, red hibiscus, Barringtonia asiatica, orchids and etc. Sansapore Pacific Park Beach Resort is a good base for visitors who love butterflying in the area. Some butterflies that we could watch in Sausapor town include Great Eggfly (Hipolimnas bolina), Dark Tiger (Tirumala hamata), Blue Mountain Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses) God Art's butterfly (Cyrestis acilia), Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus) and a lot more.

The next destination for birding in Tambrauw is Klabili village which is a great site for watching Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Lowland Peltop, and Rufous-bellied Kookaburra,Frilled Monarch, Papuan Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Palm Cockatoo, New Guinea Vulturine Parrot, Papuan Babbler, Golden Myna, Helmetted Friarbird, and a lot more.

In Waigeo island of Raja Ampat, our targets include Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pinon's Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Radjah Shelduck, Eclectus Parrot, Beach Kingfisher, White-eyebrow Wagtail or Willie Wagtail, Pacific Reef Heron, Crested Tern, Whimbrel, Osprey, and a lot more.

I also organize excursions to islands and beach near Kabui bay to look for birds such as Coconut Lorikeet, Sahul Sunbird, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Lesser Frigatebird, Moustached Treeswift, Metallic Starling, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Beach Kingfisher and Pacific Swallow. Birding at the beach is relaxing. 

Visitors can also enjoy snorkeling during the excursion. My preferred choice is Lesser Urai Island or the beach of Gam island that faces Kabui bay. 

Birding Tour in Raja Ampat

It is not only birds that we photograph during the tour in Raja Ampat but also butterflies and flowers. Every time I see beautiful flowers such as plumeria, hibiscus, passion flower and orchid, I will stop and aim my camera at the flowers to take pictures of them. There are a few orchids that I have seen both in the forest and flower gardens of the homestays and resorts. 

Another rainforest orchid that I used to see in Raja Ampat was Grammathophyllum scriptum. It was not in the jungle but at the flower garden of a beach resort.

In Sorong city, the usual birding sites are Mangrove forest, Love hill and Batu Lubang areas. There we can watch birds such as Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Shining Flycatcher, Sacred Kingfisher, Orange-breasted Fig Parrot, Golden Monarch, and a lot more. There are introduced species that we may see such as Spotted Dove, Scaly-breasted Munia and Yellow-vented Bulbul. Sorong city is a good site for any visitors who want to enjoy an outdoor activity before leaving for Raja Ampat or flying back to their home.

Birding and sightseeing in Sorong city

It is also the main entry point for visitors who want to spend their holiday in this Southwest Papua province enjoying swimming and snorkeling at the beach of Raja Ampat and Tambrauw as well as rainforest birdwatching and wildlife watching tour in Sorong and Waigeo. 

Flying Routes

Visitors who are interested in taking this tour need to fly to Sorong city. There are daily flights from major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar to Sorong served by domestic airlines Garuda, Lion Air, Batik Air. 

Visitors can enjoy their holiday by combining Raja Ampat and Minahasa Highland Tour as their travel destinations. 

If you are interested in taking a holiday tour in Sorong city and its surroundings (Raja Ampat, and Tambrauw) and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

MINAHASA HIGHLAND TOUR

Minahasa is a regency in North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It is a highly recommended destination for visitors who love nature. I offer tour to visitors who are interested in doing nature walk for sightseeing of villages, farmland, paddy fields and forest, birdwatching, and butterflywatching as well as interacting with local people. 

Minahasa Highland Tour

We will meet you at Sam Ratulangi International Airport of Manado city and then organize your trip by car to Tomohon town (hotel) or Sonder town (homestay) in the highland of Minahasa. For the next few days of your stay in Minahasa, we will do walking tour through villages to see how local Minahasan people live in their daily life. We will also go hiking, sightseeing and birdwatching in the forest, farmland, and paddy fields to watch birds and butterflies.

In Tounelet forest of Sonder town, we could watch: Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sahul Sunbird, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Slender-billed Crow, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, Black-naped Oriole, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia and etc.

Scaly-breasted Munia, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, female Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher

When we walk along the paddy fields and agricultural land, we could see farmers working in their farmlands, harvesting their crops and or driving away small birds that eat their rice grain. Birds in the area that we could watch include White-breasted Woodswallow, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Cinnamon Bittern, White-browed Crake, Purple Heron, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and etc.

In higher elevation forest of District Sonder, we could watch more interesting birds such as Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Drongo, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Warbling White-eye, Black-faced Munia, Crimson Sunbird and a lot more. 

White-eyed Drongo, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Mountain White-eye

There are butterflies too. They include Sulawesi Leafwing, Blandchard's Tree Nymph, Blanchard's Wood Nymph, Meyer's Jay, Lime Swallowtail, Gigon Swallowtail, The Clipper, Common Birdwing and Manado Yellow Tiger.

Blanchard's ghost, Blanchard's Wood Nymph, Bamboo Orchid, Manado Yellow Tiger butterfly

During the tour in Minahasa highland, visitors could also see hotspring, lakes, rivers, crater of volcano, and traditional villages Other interesting places to see are Tincep and Kengkang Waterfalls which are also in the territory of District Sonder. 

Tincep village in Minahasa regency of Indonesia

Traveling to Minahasa Highland 

To take Minahasa Highland Tour, visitors need to fly to Manado city. There are daily flights from major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, Balikpapan and Sorong to Manado. For international flights, there are direct flights between Manado and Singapore served by Scoot Air, as well as Guangzhou and Manado city served by China Southern Airlines.

Flight route to Manado city

Land Route from Manado city to District town of Sonder in the highland of Minahasa

Booking

If you are interested in taking your holiday tour in Minahasa, and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Also read: 

• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Manado City: Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Bird Photography Tour in Sonder town of Minahasa