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Extension : Arfak hill forest birdsWhistle the mournful, tremulous call of the gracious Pheasant Pigeon until one walks out into full view. Just gaze at a fireball-like adult male Masked Bowerbird, rearranging and decorating its modest two-walled avenue-bower at point-blank range from the comfort of a hide. Patiently stalk a pair of Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babblers skulking on the forest floor, as if most reluctant to reveal their electric colors. Simply listen to the incredibly long song of the Crested Pitohui or watch Magnificent Riflebirds display. The heavily forested ridge that we visit on this extension has so much to offer to the intrepid and careful observer. New Guinea hill forest birding at its best! Day-by-day itineraryDay 1 [Monday] Having taken a hearty pre-dawn breakfast in our Manokwari hotel, we will set out on the half hour’s drive to our drop-off point near the Maruni River, from where we will walk and bird most of the morning to reach a camp at 800 m elevation. The first hour or so, while hiking through cocoa gardens and low-stature secondary growth, may be relatively dull with only a handful of species like Scrub and Mimic Honeyeater, Hooded Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo, Shining Flycatcher, and Olive-crowned Flowerpecker. But as soon as we enter primary forest at c. 500 m elevation, birds simply abound. Mixed insectivore feeding flocks usually include Pale-billed Scrubwren, Goldenface, Grey and Sclater’s Whistler, Variable and Hooded Pitohui, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Yellow-eyed and Grey-headed Cuckoo-shrike, Chestnut-bellied and Northern Fantail, Pygmy and Spangled Drongo, Black-winged, Spot-winged and Frilled Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Black-fronted White-eye, Black Berrypecker and Green-crowned Longbill. Everywhere in these hills resound the songs and calls of Red-billed Talegalla, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, White-crowned and Dwarf Koel, Pheasant Pigeon, Green-backed Gerygone, Olive Flyrobin, Black-chinned Robin, Northern Scrub-Robin, Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler, Rusty Whistler, Little Shrike-thrush, Crested Pitohui, Trumpet Manucode, and Magnificent Riflebird. After lunch at camp, we will hike slightly down towards a camp at 680 m elevation where we will bird till dusk and stay overnight. With luck, we may hear and see the sought-after Shovel-billed Kookaburra here as well as a variety of commoner stuff like Palm Cockatoo, Moluccan King-Parrot, Stephan’s Dove, Superb and Beautiful Fruit-Dove, Red-bellied Pitta, Masked Bowerbird, Red-throated Myzomela, Puff-backed and Spotted Honeyeater, Rusty Mouse-warbler, White-faced Robin, Sooty Thicket-Fantail, Rufous-backed Fantail, and Golden Monarch. A nocturnal foray after dinner may produce Sooty Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, Wallace's Owlet-Nightjar, and Marbled Frogmouth. Day 2 [Tuesday] Following an optional spotlighting session and our pre-dawn breakfast, we will bird all morning in the relatively expansive flat area near camp, focusing on Shovel-billed Kookaburra at dawn and further seeking satisfying views of some of the more elusive and skulking species mentioned above. We will then bird uphill to take lunch at the 800 m camp. In the afternoon we shall bird through gently rising ridgetop forest up to a new camp at 975 m elevation, where we will spend the night. Flowering trees along the ridge attract colorful Fairy, Josephine’s and Papuan Lorikeets, diminutive Red, Mountain and Black Myzomelas, and sometimes Vogelkop Melidectes. Additional species that we shall look out for along the ridge include Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Blue-collared and Pesquet’s Parrot, Thick-billed Ground-Pigeon, Spotted Catbird, Hill-forest Honeyeater, Wallace’s Fairywren, White-rumped Robin, Grey Crow, Crinkle-collared Manucode, Black-billed Sicklebill, Lesser Bird of Paradise, Mountain Peltops, Stout-billed Cuckoo-shrike, Black-shouldered Cicadabird, and Black Monarch, while a nocturnal excursion after dinner may produce Sooty Owl, the mid-montane, distinctive affinis-subspecies of Barred Owlet-Nightjar, and Marbled Frogmouth. Day 3 [Wednesday] After an optional nocturnal walk and our usual pre-dawn breakfast we will bird all morning in the ridgetop forest around camp. New Guinea Eagle can often be heard here in good weather and we may be lucky enough to track down this awesome bird. Several bowers of the gorgeous Masked Bowerbird are located near camp and we could monitor these from a hide early morning in order to get those much-wanted close-up views of this otherwise habitual canopy-dweller. And while sitting quietly in the forest here we may well attract skulking Red-billed Talegalla, Red-bellied Pitta, Rusty Mouse-warbler, White-rumped Robin, Northern Scrub-Robin, and Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler. After lunch, we will bird all afternoon back to the 800 m elevation camp where we will stay the night. Dinner and optional nocturnal walk. Day 4 [Thursday] We may take a short nocturnal stroll prior to our pre-dawn breakfast. Then we will bird a final morning in the vicinity of camp and bird down to our Maruni pick-up point from where we transfer back to Manokwari. We’ll have lunch in town and report at Rendani Airport on time for the afternoon flight to the Indonesian gateway of your choice. Related linksRead on about the birdlife of the Arfak Mountains. Browse our terms and conditions. Browse our check-list of the birds of Papua. |
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