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Geelvink Islands endemicsNo less than 12 endemic bird species, including a megapode, two gorgeous paradise-kingfishers and two parrots, plus heaps of morphologically highly distinctive yet virtually 'forgotten' endemic subspecies await us on this birding adventure covering the islands of Biak and Numfor in Papua's Geelvink Bay. So join us as we sound out speciation in these insular taxa, and later still be in the fortunate opportunity to continually add ‘new species’ to your life list from the comfort of your easy chair... Day-by-day itineraryDay 1 [Sunday] Noon arrival at Kota Biak’s Frans Kaisepo Airport on domestic flight from the Indonesian gateway of your choice. After lunch in town, we shall proceed by chartered vehicle to our Biak jungle camp in the afternoon. Here, we’ll have a relaxed evening’s birding in the environs of camp around a couple of forest clearings where we could be rewarded with sightings of Black-winged Lory, Red-fronted Lorikeet, Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Spice Imperial-Pigeon, Emperor Fairywren, Dusky Myzomela, Biak and Shining Flycatchers, Long-tailed Starling, and Biak White-eye. After dinner we’ll have a long spotlighting session which could produce the rarely seen Biak Scops Owl, as well as Papuan Frogmouth and Large-tailed Nightjar. Day 2 [Monday] We could start out early with an optional nocturnal excursion and shall have our breakfast as we enjoy an on Biak unusually loud and varied dawn chorus of Little Shrike-thrush, Hooded Butcherbird and Golden Monarch developing. First light shall see us birding around the clearings, which usually proves the best place to see the shy and secretive Biak Coucal. The rest of the morning we’ll spend along a trail running through a mixture of tall secondary growth and untouched primary forest. Delightful Biak Paradise-Kingfishers and Hooded Pittas call everywhere in these forests but to see the wary Biak Megapode, diminutive Geelvink Pygmy-parrot, and relatively scarce Biak Gerygone and Biak Monarch, we shall need to persevere. After dinner, we shall spend the hottest time of day carefully stalking known incubation mounds of the Biak Megapode from the comfort of a hide, followed by a relaxed evening’s birding around the clearings. As ever, a nocturnal foray after dinner is a possibility. Day 3 [Tuesday] After an optional spotlighting session and pre-dawn breakfast we shall bird first light around the clearings before switching to the forest interior along the trail. After lunch we’ll spend the hottest part of the day along a creek where we could find the world’s largest pigeon: the glorious Victoria Crowned-Pigeon. We’ll have a relaxed evening’s birding followed by dinner and an optional nocturnal foray. Day 4 [Wednesday] Following an optional nocturnal stroll and pre-dawn breakfast, we’ll have a welcome additional full day to concentrate on finding those most-wanted species that are likely to elude us for a while. We could monitor known incubation mounds of the Biak Megapode, bird along the creek for Victoria Crowned-Pigeon, and invariably spend much time scrutinizing mixed insectivore feeding flocks, with lunch in between. Dinner and optional nocturnal excursion. Day 5 [Thursday] After a final morning‘s birding on Biak we shall head back to Kota Biak for lunch, and then transfer to Numfor on a c. four hours' chartered speedboat ride. The last hour of light may still see us birding on Numfor in search of the endemic Numfor Paradise-Kingfisher, followed by dinner and an optional spotlighting excursion. Overnight’s stay in basic community-owned facilities on Numfor. Day 6 [Friday] Following our pre-dawn breakfast, we shall bird all day on Numfor. The main focus of our attention shall of course be the delightful Numfor Paradise-Kingfisher and the distinctive maforensis-subspecies of Island Leaf Warbler. Other interesting birds we may see here include Black-winged Lory, Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Biak Flycatcher and Long-tailed Starling. Overnight’s stay in basic community-owned facilities on Numfor. Day 7 [Saturday] After a final early morning’s birding excursion on Numfor we shall transfer to Kota Biak again. We’ll have lunch in town before reporting at Frans Kaisepo Airport for the afternoon’s domestic flight to the Indonesian gateway of your choice. Related linksRead on about the birdlife of the Geelvink Islands. Read on about our Best of Papua birding expedition visiting the Geelvink Islands. Read on about our Waigeo, Arfak, and Geelvink Islands birding expedition visiting the Geelvink Islands. Read on about our Oceanic Papua birding extension to the Geelvink Islands. Browse our terms and conditions. Browse our check-list of the birds of Papua. |
Geelvink Islands endemics |
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