Birdwatching in Malagufuk Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

Malagufuk village is a popular birdwatching destination in Sorong Regency of Southwest Papua province of Indonesia. A lot of photographers and nature lovers visit the jungle village to watch such birds as Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Superb Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Tawny Straitbill, Black Lory, Black-capped Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Hooded Butcherbird, Brown Cuckoo-dove, Black-sided Robin, Spotted Honeyeater, Papua Frogmouth, Marbled Frogmouth, Papua Boobook, and etc. 

Palm Cockatoo in Malagufuk valley

In addition to birds, visitors could watch other animals such as cuscus, monitor lizard, wallaby, bandicoot and butterflies. 

Blyth's Hornbill

Magnificent Riflebird

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

The average duration of their stay in Malagufuk is 3 to 4 days. There are a few simple wooden houses that are owned by villagers that can accommodate visitors for several nights. Food materials have to bought from the city. Women in the village could work as cooks to serve the visiting birdwatchers and nature photographers. 

Most visitors want to see paradise birds in their natural habitat. There are several species of them which tourists can watch in Malagufuk including: King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Glossy-mantled Manucode and Trumpet Manucode. 

Terrestrial Orchid

Swimming and Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

After spending several days birding and photographing birds and other wild animals in Malagufuk, visitors could continue their trip to Raja Ampat enjoy swimming and snorkeling over pristine coral reef. There are a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat. Some of them include coastal area of Waigeo island, Lesser Urai island, Mioskon island, Friwen Wall and Yenbuba Strait.

Charles Roring was in the water obseving marine life in coral reef

Various species of reef fish could be seen while snorkeling. Some of them include butterflyfish, wrasse, parrotfish, anemonefish and moorish idol, lionfish, black tip reefshark, wobbegong and etc. There are also Christmas Tree Worm, Sea Cucumber, Giant clamshell and etc. 

Coral reef in Raja Ampat

There is a small rock islet near Friwen Wall where visitors could see Coconut Crab. This snorkeling trip in Raja Ampat can be combined with wildlife watching tour in the rainforest of Waigeo for tour participants to watch Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise. 

Reef fish among coral reef in Raja Ampat

Orchid in the forest of Waigeo island

Booking

If you are interested in taking wildlife watching tour in rainforest of Sorong regency and snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Another Birding Tour in Arfak Mountains and Klasow Valley

I have just conducted another birding tour in Arfak mountains and Klasow valley with a Dutch-Australian lady. We flew from Sorong city to Manokwari by Lion Air and then went directly to Arfak mountains by a chartered 4WD car.  We went hiking to watch Western Parotia, Black Sicklebill, Vogelkop Lophorina (female), Magnificent Bird of Paradise as well as other birds such as Blue Gray Robin, Black Fantail, Ornate Melidectes, Fantail Monarch, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Gray Green Scrubwren, Green-backed Robin, Mountain Fruit Dove, and Feline Owlet Nightjar. 

Some rainforest birds in Arfak mountains in Manokwari and Klasow Valley (Malagufuk) of Sorong regency

We visited the sites of Wattled Brush Turkey, and Vogelkop Bowerbird but it always rained in the afternoons when we were there. So, we could not see the birds.

After spending 4 days/ 3 nights in Arfak mountains of Manokwari, we flew back to Sorong city again. We had to buy food materials before continuing our trip to Klasow valley where we spent 3 days 2 nights there. We saw a lot of species of birds including Hooded Pitta, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Tawny Straightbill, Pale-billed Scrubwren, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Black Lory, Coconut Lorikeet, Black-capped Lory, Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, White-bellied Cuckooshrike, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Greater-black Coucal, Sahul Sunbird, and a lot more. 

Ornate Melidectes in Arfak mountains

For mammals, we saw dorcopsis, ground mouse, bandicoot, and fruit bats. I don't have field guide book for mammals of New Guinea. So, I could not accurately determine their species. 

We also saw a lot of species of butterflies from the Titonus birdwing in Arfak range to Meadow Argus, Hypolimnas Bolina, and Papilio Ulysses in Klasow valley. 

If you are interested in taking a bird tour in Arfak mountains, and Klasow valley of West Papua and need someone to arrange your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180. 

BIRDING IN SONDER OF MINAHASA HIGHLAND OF NORTH SULAWESI

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa highland of Indonesia. It is a great destination  for visiting birders who want to see the  avifauna of Sulawesi island. 

Yellow-billed Malkoha, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove, Sooty-headed Bulbul, White-breasted Wood swallow, Crimson Sunbird

There are several interesting birding sites in Sonder and its surrounding areas. The paddy fields are the habitat of Purple Heron, White-browed Crake, Cinnamon Bittern, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Collared Kingfisher, Isabelline Bush Hen, White-breasted   Woodswallow. 

Some birds in Sulawesi

The farmland of Sonder and the forest along the riverside is the site for watching Green Imperial Pigeon, Gray-cheeked  Green Pigeon, Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove, Zebra Dove, Sulawesi-crested Myna, White-rumped Triller, Hair-crested (White-eyed) Drongo, Finch-billed Myna, Lesser Fish Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle and etc. 

Sulawesi Blue  Flycatcher, Sulawesi Fantail, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker

As we explore the higher elevation forest of Sonder, we could see more interesting birds such as the White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Crimson Sunbird, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Drongo, Sulawesi Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Myzomela, and a lot  more.

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Manado city is the main gate for visiting Sonder forest and farmland in Minahasa Highland. There are daily flights between Manado and major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar and Sorong city. They are server by such airlines as Lion Air, Batik Air, Garuda. Direct international flight from Singapore and Manado city is server by Scoot Air. 

Sonder is a small sub-district town in Minahasa highland

Flight routes to Manado city

If you are interested in birding and nature photography  tour in Sonder forest and farmland of Minahasa highland, please, contact me  by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by e-mail to peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read: 

• Walking Tour, Birdwatching and Butterflywatching in District Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding in the Paddy Fields of Subdistrict Sonder
• Birdwatching in the Farmland of Sonder Town
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birdwatching Tour in the Farmland and Forest of Minahasa Highland
• Birds in North Sulawesi
• Birding in Tangkoko Nature Reserve
• Manado City Tour

• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching in Minahasa Highland
• Collared Kingfisher
• Birding in Minahasa of North Sulawesi
• Birding in Higher Elevation Forest of Minahasa
• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com

Watching Tropical Birds in West Papua and Minahasa Highland with A British Tourist

I am now in a fast passenger ferry that is going to Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. We spent a few days in Sausapor, Klabili and Malagufuk to watch and photograph birds. We saw Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, and Glossy-mantled Manucode. We also saw Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Superb Fruit Dove, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Rusty Mouse Warbler, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Pacific Baza, Hooded Pitta, Papuan Pitta, and etc.

In Sausapor town, we stayed in Sansapore Pacific Park Beach Resort. It was a comfortable accommodation for visitors who love birdwatching, swimming, snorkeling and wave surfing.

Red Bird of Paradise

Our next targets will be Wilson's Bird of Paradise and Red Bird of Paradise as well as other birds such as Beach Kingfisher, Hooded Butcherbird, Brown Oriole, Helmetted Friarbird, Red-cheeked Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Eclectus Parrot, Great-billed Parrot, Spice Imperial Pigeon, and a lot more.

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

Birding in Minahasa Highland

Before birding in West Papua, we spent 3 days/ 2 nights in Minahasa highland where we watched Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Crimson Sunbird, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi-crested Myna, White-rumped Triller, Green Imperial Pigeon and Sulawesi Scops Owl.

Pale Blue Monarch

Black-naped Oriole

Gray-sided Flowerpecker

We also visited rice field areas of Sonder where we watched Javan Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, White-browed Crake, Zebra Dove, Collared Kingfisher, Chestnut Munia, and Scaly-breasted Munia. We tried to watch Isabelline Bush-hen by playing his sounds, unfortunately, she was not interested to come out of her hiding place in the bush.

Crimson Sunbird in Sonder's Forest of Minahasa Highland

We completed our birding trip in Minahasa highland by visiting Kengkang waterfall in Tincep village which was the habitat of Gray-rumped Treeswift, White-rumped Triller, Sulawesi-crested Myna, White-eyed Drongo, and Green Imperial Pigeon. The strong sound of the waterfall made it difficult for us to hear the sounds of birds. So, we had to fuly rely on binoculars to look for birds that were sitting on the branches of trees. I also used my spotting scope to watch birds in distant trees. The mist from the waterfall fill the surrounding atmosphere slightly reducing the image quality of birds that we saw through the telescope.

Forest and farmland in Minahasa highland

After birding in Minahasa highland, we continued our trip to Sorong city where we did birding in Tambrauw, Klasow valley and Waigeo island of Raja Ampat.

Accommodation

During our birding trip in Minahasa highland, we stayed in Hotel Villa Emitta of Tomohon town which is approximately 1 hour by car from Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado city. 

The main gate to travel to Minahasa highland is Manado city. It can be reached by planes of Garuda, Batik Air, Lion Air and TransNusa from major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar and Sorong. 

Flight Route from major cities in Indonesia to Manado city

Booking

If you are interested in taking a birding tour in North Sulawesi and Raja Ampat, and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Also read:

• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa
• Walking Tour, Birdwatching and Butterflywatching in District Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding in High Elevation Forest of Minahasa
• Birdwatching in Minahasa Highland
• Manado City Birdwatching and Sightseeing Tour
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Birdwatching in Sulawesi
• Birdwatching and butterflywatching in Sonder
• https://wildlifeminahasa.blogspot.com