Watching Palm Cockatoo

One of the birds that I like to watch in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat is Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus). Locally this bird is called Kakaktua Raja (meaning King Cockatoo). 

King Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) in Raja Ampat

In my last visit to Warduwer beach in southern area of Waigeo, I saw some Palm Cockatoes flying and landing on the branches of a catappa tree. The birds ate its fruits. I walked closer to the tree hiding my body among thick green shrubs that covered the beach. When the birds became clearly visible, I turned on my camera and aimed it at one of them. I made several shots to make sure that I got the best pictures. 

In addition to Palm Cockatoo, I also saw several other species including Blyth's Hornbill, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Torresian Crow, Lesser-crested Tern, Eclectus Parrot, Spangled Drongo, Striated Heron, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Beach Kingfisher.

Pied-Imperial Pigeon

Warduwer beach was a nice place for birdwatching. Its beach was covered by white sand. Soon, a resort will be constructed there. The name of the resort is Raja Ampat Flower (RAFLOW). Visitors who stay at the resort can enjoy birding, snorkeling and sightseeing in that beach.

While guiding tourists in Raja Ampat, I organized boat trip to some islands in Kabui bay and its surrounding areas. Some places that we visited were Gam island, Lesser Urai island, and Wawiyai viewpoint. There we saw Stephan's Emerald Dove, Olive-backed Sunbird, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Lesser Frigatebird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Brahminy Kite, and Singing Starling.

The coral reef at RAFLOW Beach Resort was very beautiful. There was a lot of species of fish and other marine creatures including Pink-anemonefish, Striped Surgeonfish, Moorish Idol and various species of butterfly fish.
I used Nikon W300 to take pictures of the marine life.
Raja Ampat has been famous as the epicenter of marine bio-diversity. There are more than 1,500 species of fish known to science. 

Marine Life at Raja Ampat Flower Resort

For more information about birding, snorkeling and sightseeing in Raja Ampat, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or email: peace4wp@gmail.com.