INDONESIA - SULAWESI & HALMAHERA
The province of Sulawesi in Indonesia is an oddly-shaped four-legged island lying to the east of Borneo and west of New Guinea. More importantly it is east of the famous Wallace's line, an imaginary boundary between distinct faunal regions and is the largest of the Wallacean islands with an avifauna totally distinct from the Greater Sundas to the west. Sulawesi has the largest number of endemic bird species of any Indonesian island with up to 70 currently recognised - and rising. We visit all of the best birding sites beginning at Lore Lindu with its forested mountains that are home to a wealth of birdlife, including such delights as Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Diabolical Nightjar, Geomalia & Hylocitrea. We will then make a special effort to locate the rarely seen Lopobatang Flycatcher, before heading further north to Gunung Ambang and the stunning Scaly Kingfisher. The breeding grounds of the strange-looking Maleo are next before we reach fabulous Tangkoko. Here many prizes await us, not least a fine trio of Lilac-cheeked, Green-backed and Black-billed Kingfishers. The shy Zoothera Red-backed Thrush inhabits the quieter sections of the forest floor, whilst raucous Sulawesi Dwarf & Knobbed Hornbills live high up in the canopy. This area is also noted for its richness of psittacids, with flocks of screaming parrots seen from a nearby watchpoint. Then it is over to Halmahera, largest of the Moluccas or fabled Spice Islands, which lies just a short distance to the east. It has a totally different avifauna with many more endemics and has affinities more with the Australasian region and we will spend our time amidst the wonderful setting of Foli. The overwhelming sight of a Wallace's Standardwing lek awaits us, and this is surely one of the most bizarre Birds-of-Paradise. There is also Ivory-breasted Pitta, Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar, Dusky Friarbird, White Cockatoo, Spectacled Monarch and so much more. So why not join us on this endemic rich and fun-filled ZOOTHERA tour that will leave you longing to return!
Monday 24th Oct - Sunday 13th Nov 2022
KEY SPECIES
Here are just a few of the key species we will be targetting on this tour:
- Maleo
- Tabon Scrubfowl
- Great-billed Heron
- Spotted Harrier
- Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle
- Sulawesi Goshawk
- Isabelline Bush-hen
- Red-backed Buttonquail
- Javan Plover
- Cinnabar Boobook
- Ochre-bellied Boobook
- Speckled Boobook
- Sulawesi Scops-owl
- Minahassa Masked Owl
- Diabolical Nightjar
- Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar
- Scaly Kingfisher
- Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher
- Great-billed Kingfisher
- Green-backed Kingfisher
- Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
- Ruddy Kingfisher
- Sombre Kingfisher
- Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher
- Common Paradise-Kingfisher
- White-faced Cuckoo-Dove
- Oberholser's Fruit-Dove
- Scarlet-breasted Fruit-Dove
- Red-eared Fruit-Dove
- Cinnamon-bellied Imperial-Pigeon
- Silver-tipped Imperial-Pigeon
- Ivory-backed Woodswallow
- Moustached Treeswift
- Yellow-billed Malkoha
- Goliath Coucal
- Moluccan King Parrot
- White Cockatoo
- Violet-necked Lory
- Chattering Lory
- Ornate Lorikeet
- Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail
- Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill
- Knobbed Hornbill
- Blyth's Hornbill
- Ashy Woodpecker
- Wallace's Standardwing
- Ivory-breasted Pitta
- Sulawesi Pitta
- Purple-bearded Bee-eater
- Purple-winged Roller
- Pygmy Cuckooshrike
- Lompobattang Flycatcher
- Matinan Warbling-Flycatcher
- Maroon-backed Whistler
- Great Shortwing
- Sulawesi Fantail
- Red-backed Thrush
- Sulawesi Thrush
- Geomalia
- Lompobattang Leaf-Warbler
- Sulawesi Grasshopper Warbler
- Sulawesi Heleia
- Halmahera Friarbird
- Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
- Piping Crow
- Hylocitrea
- Sulawesi Crested Myna
- Flame-browed Starling
Leaders: Royke Mananta
Ground Price: £4550.00 - Jakarta/Jakarta
Airfare: £700 - £900 (approx) - UK/UK
Single supplement: £450.00
Please note that there are no single rooms available at Taima on the night of Day 8
Deposit: £500.00
Group size: Minimum for tour to go ahead 4 and maximum 9 with 2 leaders.
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms mostly en-suite, all meals including picnic lunches where necessary, domestic flights, all entrance fees to National Parks, transport throughout in air-conditioned vehicles, boat trips, and services of leaders.
Not included: International airfare, insurance, visa fee upon arrival, departure taxes, excess luggage charges, drinks, tips and items of a personal nature.
Accommodation: Ranges from basic to good. We will stay in the best available lodge/guest house close to the birding sites we visit to cut-out the necessity of any long drives before reaching the best birding areas each day.
Tour Code: This is a relatively adventurous tour wheremanyearly starts and several late finishes when owling, can be expected. Sometimes there is time off during the middle of the day to relax. Most of our birding walks will be of a usual birding pace, apart from a couple of excursions at Lore Lindu which are very strenuous. Expect a typically tropical climate with most days being hot and humid, with the montane areas being a little cooler and some rain can be expected. Please note that several of the lodges and hotels we use have 'tropical temperature' showers and do not have hot water.
All images copyright Zoothera Birding unless otherwise stated.
Header Photos: Ivory-breasted Pitta and Lilac Kingfisher
Purple-bearded Bee-eater (right)
Top row: Yellow-billed Malkoha, Great-billed Kingfisher, Geomalia by Royke Mananta, Tabon Scrubfowl
Bottom Row: Sulawesi Babbler, Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill, Knobbed Hornbill, Lore Lindu Scenery