You are here: Home >> Birding >> Papua birding expeditions >> Best of Papua
www.PapuaExpeditions.com
				About Papua Birding Outdoors About us What's new?

Best of Papua

This bird watching expedition combines Papua's finest and most complementary hotspots in terms of species endemism and total diversity: Biak Island, Lake Habbema and the Ibele Valley in the Snow Mountains, lowland forest near Jayapura, the Siyoubrig area of the Arfak Mountains, and tantalizing Waigeo. If you only come birding in Papua once, then take this tour!

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 > Biak Island Dawn arrival at Kota Biak’s Frans Kaisepo Airport on overnight's domestic flight from Jakarta. We shall proceed immediately by chartered vehicle to our Biak jungle camp. Here, we’ll have a relaxed morning’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 lunch we could 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. 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 > Biak Island 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 diminutive Geelvink Pygmy-parrot, and relatively scarce Biak Gerygone and Biak Monarch, we shall need to persevere. After lunch we’ll spend the hottest part of the day along a creek where with some luck 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 3 > Biak Island Following an optional spotlighting session and pre-dawn breakfast, we’ll have a final day to concentrate on finding those 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. In the evening we shall transfer to Kota Biak for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 4 > Lake Sentani and Wamena After a hearty pre-dawn breakfast in our Kota Biak hotel we shall transfer to Frans Kaisepo Airport at dawn for the first morning's flight to Jayapura's Sentani Airport. We’ll have a relaxed morning’s birding in grasslands and patchy secondary forest around Lake Sentani where we hope to get to grips with two rare and localized grassland finches: Grand and Hooded Munia. Following an earlier than usual lunch in Sentani, we shall transfer to the airport again for the midday flight to Wamena, the administrative and transportation hub of the up to 20 km wide and more than 80 km long Grand Balim Valley of the Snow Mountains. The short, one-hour hop lifts us across the vast expanses of lowland floodplain forest of the ‘Meervlakte’ with its myriad of meandering rivers, along the precipitous northern scarp of the Snow Mountains, finally into the beautifully landscaped Grand Balim upland valley at a chilly 1,500 m above sea level. The rest of the afternoon we shall bird the Balim Valley itself, primarily in search of the endemic Black-breasted Munia, while other birds we may encounter in the open country here include Blue-breasted Quail, Brahminy Kite, Brown Falcon, White-shouldered Fairywren, Pied Bushchat, Golden-headed Cisticola, Capped White-eye, Tawny Grassbird, and Red-capped Flowerpecker. Dinner and a good night’s rest in Wamena.

Day 5 > Lake Habbema Following a hearty pre-dawn breakfast in our Wamena hotel we shall drive out for two hours along a new road to the magnificent Lake Habbema alpine plateau at c. 3,200 m elevation, above the timberline in the shadow of Peak Trikora. Here we shall start our exploration of the Snow Mountains in the mid-morning with a gentle walk through the alpine meadows as we slowly adjust to the altitude. Glossy and Mountain Swiftlets abound and it should not take long before we spot our first Alpine Pipit or flock of colorful Snow Mountain Munias, but to find the secretive Snow Mountain Quail we may need to persevere. After lunch we’ll have the entire afternoon to search the grasslands and scrubby hillocks in the vicinity of the lake for this sought-after species while other goodies we may come across here include Orange-billed Lorikeet, Papuan Harrier, Brown Falcon, Australian Kestrel, Orange-cheeked Honeyeater, Short-bearded Melidectes, Papuan Thornbill, Lorentz’s Whistler, and Papuan Grassbird. The last hours of light we shall spend about the lake itself which holds Salvadori’s and Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, and Eurasian Coot. The migratory Hardhead can be numerous in season and the resident Spotless Crake is common along the marshy lake shore. After dinner a nocturnal foray could produce Grass Owl and roding New Guinea Woodcock.

Day 6 > Lake Habbema After an optional spotlighting session and our pre-dawn breakfast, we shall direct our efforts to the heathy hills abutting the northern edge of the Habbema plateau. The open stands of Libocedrus-pines and associated shrubberies constitute the preferred habitat of the delightful MacGregor’s 'Bird of Paradise' and early morning is the best time to get to grips with this star bird. Observing Macgregoria here, in what ranks as some of the finest mountain scenery this side of the Himalaya, is an unforgettable experience, regardless of whether this enigmatic taxon is a bird of paradise or a member of the honeyeater family. Other noteworthy species in this habitat and the scattered pockets of closed forest here include Whiskered and Orange-billed Lorikeet, Brehm’s and Painted Tiger-Parrot, Black-throated, Orange-cheeked, Black-backed and Smoky Honeyeater, Mountain Mouse-warbler, Large Scrubwren, Papuan Thornbill, Garnet and Alpine Robin, Lorentz’s Whistler, Great Wood-swallow, Friendly Fantail, and Mountain Firetail. Following lunch we’ll have the entire afternoon to bird through grasslands and shrubbery toward a camp around the 3,225 m pass into the Ibele Valley. After dinner here a nocturnal foray could produce Archbold’s Owlet-Nightjar, Archbold’s Nightjar as well as New Guinea Woodcock.

Day 7 > Ibele Valley We could start out early again with an optional nocturnal foray, and after our usual pre-dawn breakfast we shall focus on the interface between open heathy pine forest and closed mossy cloud-forest first light. Here we stand another chance of seeing Macgregoria as well as Sooty Melidectes, Splendid Astrapia, and Crested Berrypecker. We shall then shift to the mossy forest on the other side of the pass primarily in search of the shy and retiring Archbold’s Bowerbird and the skulking Greater Ground-robin. Other sought-after species in evidence in the upper stretches of the stunning cloud-forest here include Belford’s Melidectes, Lesser Melampitta, Black-throated, White-winged and Alpine Robin, Ifrit, more Lorentz’s Whistler, and Fan-tailed Berrypecker while Torrent-lark is regular along the stream below the pass. After lunch, we shall continue our quest for these most-wanted species and in particular take time to monitor known bowers of the Archbold's Bowerbird from a hide in the dire hope of obtaining excellent views of this very shy species. Dinner and optional spotlighting session in the vicinity of the pass.

Day 8 > Ibele Valley Following an optional spotlighting session and our pre-dawn breakfast we have an entire morning to pursue some of the more elusive species mentioned above. After dinner we shall bird down to a new camp at 2,800 m elevation at the edge of a planted Pandanus-grove locally known as Yaubagema, the ‘Mosbosch Camp’ of the Third Archbold Expedition to New Guinea. Birds we shall look out for more specifically here include Brown Sicklebill, King-of-Saxony, Loria’s and Crested Bird of Paradise while other goodies present include Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo, Papuan, Whiskered and Yellow-billed Lorikeet, Brehm’s and Modest Tiger-Parrot, Black-billed and Great Cuckoo-Dove, White-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Shining Imperial-Pigeon, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Chestnut Forest-Rail, Black-mantled Goshawk, Papuan Treecreeper, Archbold’s Bowerbird, Orange-crowned Fairywren, Red-collared Myzomela, Olive-streaked and Black-backed Honeyeater, Belford’s Melidectes, Smoky Honeyeater, Papuan Scrubwren, Mountain Gerygone, Greater and Lesser Ground-robin, Canary Flyrobin, Garnet and Black-throated Robin, Ifrit, Varied and Black Sittella, Lesser Melampitta, Rufous-naped and Regent Whistler, Splendid Astrapia, Great Wood-swallow, Mountain Peltops, Hooded Cuckoo-shrike, Dimorphic Fantail, Wattled Ploughbill, Black-breasted Boatbill, Fan-tailed, Tit and Crested Berrypecker, and Mountain Firetail. An optional nocturnal stroll after dinner could produce Sooty Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, Large Owlet-Nightjar, Archbold’s Nightjar, and New Guinea Woodcock.

Day 9 > Ibele Valley After an optional nocturnal excursion and our pre-dawn breakfast we have an entire day to search for some of the more elusive species enumerated above, with a hearty lunch in between. We could also work the upper part of the stretch of forest extending toward the village of Daela along which Mountain Kingfisher, Red-breasted Pygmy-Parrot, Modest Tiger-Parrot, Long-tailed Buzzard, Olive Straightbill, Olive-streaked and Black-backed Honeyeater, Buff-faced Scrubwren, Blue-grey Robin, New Guinea Logrunner, Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Mottled Whistler, Short-tailed Paradigalla, Island Leaf-Warbler, and Streaked Berrypecker occur. Dinner and optional spotlighting session as per usual.

Day 10 > Ibele Valley Following our pre-dawn breakfast at Yaubagema we’ll have an entire final day to slowly bird up to the 3,225 m pass again where vehicles await us to transport us back to Wamena in the evening for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 11 > Northern lowlands Having touched ground at Jayapura’s Sentani Airport on the first morning’s flight from Wamena, 4WD-vehicles shall drive us to our drop-off point west of the Cyclops Mountains. After lunch here, we shall require most of the afternoon to slowly bird toward our secluded Muaib jungle camp at 25 m elevation in pristine alluvial primary forest. All along the walk, wacko Blyth’s Hornbills, majestic Palm and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and noisy Brown, Dusky and Black-capped Lories and Rainbow Lorikeets fly overhead as we familiarize ourselves with some of the common or more conspicuous forest interior birds: Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Common Paradise-Kingfisher, Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo, Slender-billed and Great Cuckoo-Dove, Stephan’s Dove, Wompoo, Superb, Coroneted, Beautiful and Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove, Purple-tailed, Pinon and Banded Imperial-Pigeon, Mimic and Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, New Guinea Friarbird, Fairy and Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Rufous Babbler, Little Shrike-thrush, Variable and Rusty Pitohui, Grey Crow, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Hooded and Black Butcherbird, Brown Oriole, Northern Fantail, Spangled Drongo, Spot-winged, Golden and Rufous-collared Monarch, Yellow-faced Myna, Red-capped Flowerpecker, Black Berrypecker, and Green-crowned, Plumed and Pygmy Longbill. After dinner at camp, a nocturnal foray in the vicinity could produce Barred Owlet-Nightjar, Marbled Frogmouth, and the little-known Papuan Nightjar.

Day 12 > Northern lowlands We could start out early with a short spotlighting session, and shall enjoy breakfast as the dawn chorus develops. We shall probably end up spending most of this morning in the vicinity of camp at known display sites of consecutively the Twelve-wired, Lesser and King Bird of Paradise, soliciting sightings of the more mobile Pale-billed Sicklebill in between. Moreover, while sitting quietly in the forest, admiring the full array of display postures of these most magnificent of feathered life forms, we also stand an excellent chance of seeing other hot stuff like Northern Cassowary, Brown-collared Talegalla, New Guinea Megapode, Cinnamon Ground-Dove, Thick-billed Ground-Pigeon, or Victoria Crowned-Pigeon casually walking by. After lunch, we shall bird all afternoon in the vicinity of camp in search of more goodies like Azure, Variable Dwarf, Blue-black and Hook-billed Kingfisher, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, Greater Black Coucal, Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot, Double-eyed and Salvadori’s Fig-Parrot, New Guinea Bronzewing, Pink-spotted and Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove, Collared Imperial-Pigeon, Long-tailed Buzzard, Hooded and Red-bellied Pitta, White-eared Catbird, Yellow-gaped, Plain and Streak-headed Honeyeater, Meyer’s Friarbird, Rusty Mouse-warbler, Large-billed Gerygone, Black-sided Robin, Blue Jewel-Babbler, Brown-headed Crow, Jobi Manucode, Lowland Peltops, Boyer’s, New Guinea and Golden Cuckoo-shrike, Sooty and White-bellied Thicket-Fantail, Rufous-backed Fantail, Hooded Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, and Golden Myna. Moreover, as we roam more widely in these dark forests it shall not take long before we feast our eyes on a party of Victoria Crowned-Pigeons, or surprise a pair of Brown-collared Talegalla feeding on the forest floor. In the evening we could return to the Lesser Bird of Paradise display tree for another observation session, or we could bird along one of the broader rivers which could produce Papuan Swiftlet among abundant Glossy and Uniform Swiftlets, as well as Papuan Spinetail and Moustached Treeswift together with at times spectacular evening flights of the various parrot species. Dinner and optional nocturnal excursion.

Day 13 > Northern lowlands After an optional nocturnal foray and our usual pre-dawn breakfast, we could visit the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise display site again early morning, switching later on to a display court of Magnificent Bird of Paradise in slightly more undulating terrain, where we shall also be looking for the Magnificent Riflebird. Other goodies that occur here, and for which we’ll continue the search after lunch, include the rare Shovel-billed Kookaburra, awesome Pesquet’s Parrot, Papuan King-Parrot, and New Guinea Eagle. We could also monitor known nest mounds of the Brown-collared Talegalla from the comfort of a hide if this at times infuriatingly wary species eluded us thus far, spend time near fruit-dropping trees to seek prolonged views of Northern Cassowary, work stretches of small forest streams for the rare Forest Bittern, or just sit quietly at the edge of sago-swamp in the dire hope of getting to grips with the much sought-after New Guinea Flightless Rail. After dinner a spotlighting session is a possibility as ever.

Day 14 > Northern lowlands We could start out early again with a short nocturnal foray prior to our pre-dawn breakfast, and after a final morning’s birding and lunch at camp we shall slowly bird back to our pick-up point where vehicles stand by to transport us to Sentani. Dinner and overnight in Sentani.

Day 15 > Arfak montane forests We shall transfer to Manokwari on the first morning’s flight from Sentani Airport and set out on the two hours’ drive by 4WD-vehicle to Siyoubrig. Here we shall start our exploration of the Arfak Mountains late morning with a gentle introduction to the commoner or more conspicuous species of the garden clearings and secondary forests: Fan-tailed Cuckoo, White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo, Whiskered and Yellow-billed Lorikeet, Slender-billed and Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, White-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Red-collared Myzomela, Rufous-sided and Western Smoky Honeyeater, Brown-breasted Gerygone, Sclater’s Whistler, Superb Bird of Paradise, Black and Friendly Fantail, Capped White-eye, and Olive-crowned Flowerpecker. After lunch we shall search the vicinity for Vogelkop Melidectes, Green-backed Robin, Spotted Catbird, Superb Bird of Paradise, Western Parotia and Long-tailed Paradigalla, while an optional nocturnal excursion after dinner could produce Sooty Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, Large and Mountain Owlet-Nightjar, Papuan Frogmouth, and Large-tailed Nightjar.

Day 16 > Arfak montane forests Depending on the previous night’s results, the weather and our morale, we could start out early with a short spotlighting session. We shall take our breakfast while enjoying the developing dawn chorus, and gather at the edge of a garden clearing around first light when many species actively forage into the open. Here and in adjacent tracts of secondary forest we could see Long-billed, Marbled, Rufous-sided and Western Smoky Honeyeater, Vogelkop Melidectes, Perplexing, Vogelkop, Grey-green and Pale-billed Scrubwren, Blue-grey and Green-backed Robin, Mountain Peltops, Black-shouldered Cicadabird, Black Monarch, Black-breasted Boatbill and Island Leaf-Warbler. We could then proceed to an area where several display courts of the Magnificent Bird of Paradise are located, in the hope to witness this beautiful species' full array of display postures at close range from a hide. After lunch we shall slowly ascend to a camp at the edge of a garden clearing in primary forest at 1,815 m elevation. As we gradually shift to higher ground and enter primary forest we shall start hearing Shining Imperial-Pigeon, Papuan Treecreeper, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Mountain Mouse-warbler, Mountain Gerygone, Canary Flyrobin, Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Rufous-naped Whistler, Black Pitohui, and Dimorphic Fantail. At our new camp we shall monitor nearby display courts of the Western Parotia from comfortable hides. The wacko ballet performance of the court-tending male of this species simply has to be witnessed to be believed, and invariably ranks as a highlight of a birding trip to the Arfaks. Having truly absorbed this, we shall spend the last hours of light birding around the garden clearing near camp where we may be rewarded with sightings of White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo, Pygmy Lorikeet, Red-breasted Pygmy-Parrot, Blue-collared Parrot, Long-tailed Buzzard, Vogelkop Melidectes, Mountain Peltops, and Long-tailed Paradigalla. After dinner we could attempt a short nocturnal exploration of the vicinity in search of Sooty Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, and Large and Mountain Owlet-Nightjar, while there’s always a good chance of roding New Guinea Woodcock here.

Day 17 > Arfak montane forests Following an optional nocturnal foray and our usual pre-dawn breakfast, we shall bird the first hour of light around the garden clearing near camp where we hope to attract Long-tailed Paradigalla if need be. We shall then spend some time again at the Parotia display courts, which besides the not-to-be-missed display performances of the parotias themselves, also provide a reasonable chance of seeing otherwise highly retiring species as Wattled Brush-turkey and Bronze Ground-Dove casually walking across the courts in search of parotia faeces containing undigested fruit items. The rest of the morning we shall bird in the primary forest in the vicinity where we may be rewarded with sightings of Vogelkop Bowerbird and Spotted Jewel-Babbler. After lunch we shall require most of the afternoon to climb further to a camp in primary forest at 2,130 m elevation. Along the way we may spot Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo, Papuan Lorikeet, Red-breasted Pygmy-Parrot, Brehm’s and Modest Tiger-Parrot, the rare Pesquet’s Parrot, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Varied Sittella, Regent Whistler, Black Pitohui, Black Sicklebill, Black-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, and Fan-tailed Berrypecker. In case of dry weather, we should still be able to watch the evening display of the adult male Black Sicklebill near camp. Dusk shall see us standing in a tree-fall gap in anticipation of roding New Guinea Woodcock. Sooty Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, and Large and Mountain Owlet-Nightjar all are possible on an optional nocturnal excursion after dinner.

Day 18 > Arfak montane forests Following an optional spotlighting session we’ll enjoy our breakfast while listening to the developing dawn chorus including Vogelkop Scrubwren, Smoky and Ashy Robin, and especially Regent Whistler, a powerful and varied songster. In season, Wattled Brush-turkey, which reaches the upper limit of its altitudinal distribution here, may deliver its striking display call from an incubation mound near camp. We shall bird all morning along a loop descending to 1,920 m elevation, primarily in search of the potentially highly elusive Arfak Astrapia and Black-billed Sicklebill, while also seeking good views of skulkers as Lesser Ground-robin, Smoky and Ashy Robins, Spotted Jewel-Babbler and Lesser Melampitta. In sunny weather, New Guinea Eagle may be heard calling persistently here and tracked down with moderate effort. Moreover, we shall pass numerous bowers of the Vogelkop Bowerbird. After lunch at camp we could try other known haunts of the Arfak Astrapia higher up the mountain in the afternoon. Other goodies we may see here include Chestnut Forest-Rail, Black-mantled Goshawk, Orange-crowned Fairywren, Olive Straightbill, Cinnamon-browed Melidectes, Black-throated Robin, Varied Sittella, Mottled Whistler, Black Pitohui, and Tit Berrypecker. Dusk shall see us back at camp for another New Guinea Woodcock watch in a tree-fall gap followed by dinner and optional nocturnal walk.

Day 19 > Arfak montane forests Following an optional nocturnal foray and pre-dawn breakfast, we shall bird all morning along the loop descending to 1,920 m where we’ll stand another chance of seeing New Guinea Eagle, Black-billed Sicklebill and Arfak Astrapia. After lunch at camp we shall bird towards a new camp at 1,900 m, located near two forest clearings in primary ridgetop forest. Along the way here, we’ll look primarily for the beautiful New Guinea Logrunner at known home-ranges. During this search we may also encounter Garnet, Black-throated, Smoky and Ashy Robin, Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Mottled Whistler, and Black Pitohui among others. Dusk shall see us gathered at the edge of one of the clearings in anticipation of Archbold’s Nightjar hawking low over the heathy vegetation. After dinner we could continue the search for this enigmatic species, which was discovered in the Arfak Mountains only as recently as 1995, more than 600 km away from its nearest known locality in the Snow Mountains.

Day 20 > Arfak montane forests and Sorong lowlands If need be, we could try Archbold’s Nightjar prior to our pre-dawn breakfast. We shall then bird around the clearings early morning, where we could be rewarded with observations of Brehm’s and Modest Tiger-Parrot, Blue-collared Parrot, Mountain Swiftlet, Black-throated Honeyeater, Cinnamon-browed and Vogelkop Melidectes, and Great Wood-swallow. We’ll then have most of the morning to slowly bird down through pristine forests to the Mokwam road at 1,600 m elevation. Here 4WD-vehicles await us to transport us back to Manokwari for refreshing and lunch, after which we’ll transfer to Rendani Airport to catch the afternoon’s flight to Sorong. The final hours of light may still see us gathered at a vantage point outside Sorong in order to get to grips with the restricted-range Black Lory. Dinner and overnight in Sorong.

Day 21 > Waigeo Island After a hearty pre-dawn breakfast in our Sorong hotel, we shall set out first light on the three hours’ speedboat ride to the mouth of the Orobiai River on Waigeo. Here, water birds as Radjah Shelduck, Little Pied Cormorant, Great-billed and Striated Heron, and Australian Ibis tend to occur year-round on tidal mudflats and in secondary mangroves, alongside a selection of migrant Palearctic waders in season. Other birds we may encounter here include Little Kingfisher, Large-billed Gerygone, and Torresian Crow. We’ll then have the rest of the morning to slowly bird along the river toward a camp in riparian lowland forest at c. 50 m elevation. Blyth’s Hornbills and colorful parrots that include Rainbow Lorikeet, Black-capped Lory, Palm and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked, Great-billed and Eclectus Parrot, fly overhead as we acquaint ourselves with the vocally or behaviorally conspicuous subset of the forest avifauna: Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Brush Cuckoo, Slender-billed and Great Cuckoo-Dove, Stephan’s Dove, Wompoo, Superb and Beautiful Fruit-Dove, Purple-tailed and Pinyon Imperial-Pigeon, Mimic and Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, New Guinea Friarbird, Variable and Rusty Pitohui, Hooded and Black Butcherbird, Brown Oriole, Northern Fantail, Spangled Drongo, and Yellow-faced Myna. Following lunch at camp we shall bird all afternoon downstream along the river where we may see Azure Kingfisher, Variable Dwarf Kingfisher, Yellow-capped Pygmy-Parrot, Great-billed Parrot, Moustached Treeswift, New Guinea Bronzewing, Pink-spotted, Claret-breasted, Orange-bellied and Dwarf Fruit-Dove, Red-necked Crake, Grey and Grey-headed Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, White-eared Catbird, Red-throated Myzomela, Spotted, Brown-backed and Green-backed Honeyeater, Brown-headed Crow, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Red Bird of Paradise, and Yellow-eyed and New Guinea Cuckoo-shrike. Incubation mounds of the Dusky Megapode are scattered everywhere throughout the flat bottom-valley lowland forests here, and it should not take long before we feast our eyes on a couple of Western Crowned-Pigeons as they break the relative silence with their clapping wing beats to alight in nearby tall forest trees. Jungle Hawk-Owl and Marbled Frogmouth are possibilities here on an optional nocturnal foray after dinner.

Day 22 > Waigeo Island Following an optional nocturnal stroll, we’ll enjoy our breakfast while listening to the developing dawn chorus, which here invariably includes Hook-billed Kingfisher, Rusty Mouse-warbler, Olive Flyrobin, Black-sided Robin, and Variable and Rusty Pitohui among others. We’ll then take most of the morning to slowly bird up to a camp at c. 450 m elevation. After lunch here, we shall monitor one of several display courts of the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise from a hide, in the dire hope of witnessing the full array of amazing display postures of this extremely sexy bird at close range. Having truly absorbed this, we shall spend the last hours of light at a display tree of Waitanta’s other endemic paradisaeid, the Red Bird of Paradise, and take ample time to observe the several fine males that normally gather here, interacting with soliciting females. Following dinner a spotlighting session could produce Sooty Owl, Rufous Owl, Jungle Hawk-Owl, and Marbled Frogmouth.

Day 23 > Waigeo Island After an optional nocturnal walk and pre-dawn breakfast, we’ll have a welcome resit or otherwise second observation session at one of the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise courts. Besides, while sitting quietly in the hide, there’s always a chance of a Cinnamon Ground-Dove or Pheasant Pigeon casually walking across the court, or we could attract skulkers as Red-bellied Pitta and Rusty Mouse-warbler. After lunch, we’ll require most of the afternoon to slowly bird through a stretch of karstic limestone up to a camp at c. 570 m elevation. Along the way we may be rewarded with sightings of Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Common Paradise-Kingfisher, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Moluccan King-Parrot, Long-tailed Buzzard, Gurney's Eagle, White-eared Catbird, Red-throated Myzomela, Long-billed and Puff-backed Honeyeater, Fairy and Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Grey Whistler, Little Shrike-thrush, Brown-headed Crow, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Lowland Peltops, Black-shouldered Cicadabird, Sooty Thicket-Fantail, Spot-winged, Golden and Frilled Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Black Berrypecker, and Green-crowned, Plumed and Pygmy Longbill. Dinner and optional spotlighting session.

Day 24 > Waigeo Island As always, a nocturnal foray prior to our pre-dawn breakfast remains a possibility. We shall then slowly hike up to our final camp at c. 780 m elevation in the summit area of Mount Danai, passing a court of Wilson’s Bird of Paradise early morning, which we could monitor from a hide for a while. After lunch on site, we shall bird all afternoon in the vicinity of camp, checking known incubation sites of Bruijn’s Brush-turkey, and spending the last hour of light near a known roosting tree of this enigmatic species. Other birds we may see here include Hook-billed Kingfisher, Pheasant Pigeon, Gurney’s Eagle, the highly distinctive steini-subspecies of the Black Myzomela, Hill-forest Honeyeater, Beccari’s and Pale-billed Scrubwren, Green-backed Gerygone, and Brown-headed Crow. After dinner, an optional nocturnal effort could produce Jungle Hawk-Owl, Wallace’s Owlet-Nightjar, and Marbled Frogmouth.

Day 25 > Waigeo Island Following an optional nocturnal stroll and pre-dawn breakfast we’ll make sure to sit in a hide in front of a tended incubation mound of Bruijn’s Brush-turkey at first light. We shall monitor the mound all morning in the hope of getting to grips with the mound-tending male. After lunch, we shall bird all afternoon in the vicinity of camp, spending time at water sources and at a known roosting tree of Bruijn’s Brush-turkey towards dusk again. There is also a fine ground court of Wilson's Bird of Paradise here that we could monitor from the comfort of a hide mid-afternoon. Dinner and optional spotlighting session.

Day 26 > Waigeo Island After an optional nocturnal walk and pre-dawn breakfast, we could monitor either the incubation mound of Bruijn’s Brush-turkey or the lek of Wilson’s Bird of Paradise, or simply bird in the vicinity of camp. After an earlier than usual lunch, we shall require the rest of the day to slowly bird down to the 450 m elevation camp again, followed by dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 27 > Waigeo Island We could start out early with a short nocturnal foray, and after our pre-dawn breakfast there shall be a final opportunity to spend time at a Wilson’s Bird of Paradise court, or to bird in the vicinity of camp. After lunch, we shall require most of the afternoon to slowly bird down to the 50 m elevation camp again. Dinner and optional spotlighting session.

Day 28 > Waigeo Island Following an optional nocturnal foray and our usual pre-dawn breakfast, we shall bird all morning along the Orobiai River towards its mouth. After lunch here we shall transfer to a tiny islet in the Dampier Strait where we shall have a relaxed evening’s birding in search of regional small island specialists like the prasinorrhous-subspecies of White-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Olive Honeyeater, Island Whistler, Rufous Fantail, Island Monarch, Moluccan Starling, and Lemon-bellied White-eye. Other noteworthy birds present here include Dusky Megapode, Beach Kingfisher, Violet-necked Lory, Spice and Bicolored Imperial-Pigeon, Great-billed and Striated Heron, Varied Honeyeater, and Metallic Starling. We shall proceed to Sorong in the evening for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 29 > Sorong lowlands We could take a hearty pre-dawn breakfast in our Sorong hotel and undertake a final birding excursion in secondary forests south of Sorong to look for Black Lory if necessary. After lunch in town we shall transfer to Sorong’s DEO Airport for the early afternoon’s flight to Jakarta.

Best of Papua

Day-by-day itinerary

Related links