Indonesia is a great destination for visitors who like birdwatching. There are more than 17,000 islands in this country which according to Wikipedia is the habitat of 1,809 species. Among them, there are 786 endemic birds. They can be watched in tropical rainforest, wetland, rivers, lakes, coastal areas of the archipelago. Here are some important birding destinations in Indonesia:
Birding in Minahasa Peninsula
Minahasa Peninsula is a region in the Province of North Sulawesi which is a highly recommended destination for visitors who are interested in watching birds of Wallace Region.
The rainforest and farmland of Minahasa is the habitat of a lot of species of birds such as: Sooty-headed Bulbul, Black-naped Oriole, Finch-billed Myna, Zebra Dove, White-breasted Woodswallow, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Ashy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Pale Blue Monarch, Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, Cinnamon Bittern, White-browed Crake, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, and etc.
Birding sites in Minahasa include Mount Mahawu, Lake Linow, Pine Forest of Lahendong, The forest, farmland and paddy field of Sonder, Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Talawaan Waterfall, Tambun Maleo Sanctuary, Tapak Kolintang Forest, and Mount Ambang.
Sulawesi
Located between Maluku and Borneo, in the transition zones from the Asia to Australia, Sulawesi island has got high number of endemic birds. Wallace line runs through Makassar strait and then down through Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok. Some birds that have become the target of observation include: Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Red-back Thrush, Sulawesi Pygmy Hornbill, Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill, Maleo, Maroon-chinned Fruit-Dove, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, White-necked Myna, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Sulawesi Goshawk, and a lot more.
Visitors usually start from Manado city in North Sulawesi for watching birds in Mount Mahawu of Tomohon, Tangkoko National Park, Mount Ambang and Dumoga Bone National Park. After that, they fly to Makassar city to enjoy birding in Karaenta and Ramang-ramang areas. They will continue their birdwatching tour to Central Sulawesi for watching birds in Lore Lindu National Park.
- Hiking Tour in Minahasa Highland
- Manado City Tours
- Birdwatching in Sonder town of Minahasa
- Holiday in the Highland of Minahasa
- Birding in Minahasa
- Traveling in North Sulawesi
Birding Tour in West Papua
The most important birdwatching destination in Indonesia is West Papua. According to field guide book Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler, the region has got nearly 780 bird species, including 366 found nowhere else.
Birds of Paradise have become important targets including Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise.
In West Papua Province of Indonesia there are a lot of birding sites. Some of them are Klabili and Klatomok village in Klasow valley, Sausapor in Tambrauw regency Waigeo island, Ayapokiar, Susnguakti forest in Arfak range The main gates to these places are Manokwari city and Sorong city.
Bali
Bali is the most famous tourist destination in Indonesia. It has got several important sites for birdwatching. Bali Barat National Park located in the western most region of the tropical island is where visitors usually go to watch birds. Their main target was Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi).
There are also a lot of interesting species such as Chestnut-headed Beeeater, Javan-banded Pitta, Lemon-bellied White-Eye, Soothy-headed Bulbul, Yellow-vented Bulbul and a lot more. In addition to birding visitors can enjoy a lot of other activities including taking cycling tour, Batik painting, or visiting a number of art galleries in ubud, swimming at Sanur beach or snorkeling in Nusa Lembongan.
Halmahera
Wallace Standard Wing is a species of Birds of Paradise that is named after the famous British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Halmahera, the largest island in the Province of North Maluku, is the destination for birds such as Wallace Standard Wing, Ivory-breasted Pitta, Superb Fruit Dove, Grey-headed Fruit Dove, Blue capped Fruit Dove, and Sultan's Cuckoo Dove. There are also Moluccan Scops Owl, Blue and White Kingfisher, and Azure Dollarbird. The rainforest of Halmahera has got beautiful parrots too. Moluccan King Parrot, Umbrella Cockatoo, Violet-necked Lory, Chattering Lory, and Red-cheeked Parrot. Halmahera share significant number of birds with the nearby Raja Ampat islands in West Papua province of Indonesia.
Java
The island of Java has got a number of birding sites that are interesting for birding visitors incuding Jakarta, Cibodas Botanical Garden and Mount Gede, Baluran N.P. and Alas Purwo National Park. Birds that can be watched include Common Iora, Bar-winged Prinia, Coppersmith Barbet, Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, Plaintive Cuckoo, Sunda Minivet, Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Pygmy Tit, Javan Tesia, Javan Fulvetta, Javan Flameback, Little-pied Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and etc.
Sumatra
Two famous birding sites in Sumatra are Mount Kerinci and Tapan Road of Kerinci Seblat National Park in Jambi. This higher elevation forests are the natural habitat of Black-browed Barbet, Scheneider's Pitta, Black and Crimson Oriole, Sumatran Treepie, Scarlet Minivet, Fire-tuffted Barbet, Blue-tailed Trogon, Whiskered Treeswift, Sunda Forktail.
For birding in Mount Kerinci, Kayu Aro town is the recommended base for visitors. It is a 6-hour ride from Padang city. For Tapan Road, the base town should be Sungai Penuh.
If you want a guide to arrange your birding tour in Indonesia and guide you during the trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.