This is the photograph of a small green parrot that I took in Rambunan village of Subdistrict Sonder when the bird was feeding on lichen on the branches of a clove tree. Its name is Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (Loriculus stigmatus) is a small parrot bird that is endemic to Sulawesi island. The word Loriculus is the diminutive or small form of genus lory whereas stigmatus is the Latin word for branded or tattooed.
The size of an adult Sulawesi Hanging Parrot is around 15 cm. The male one has got red crown. The female one does not have it. The leading edge of the wing and the rump is red. The plumage of the parrot is mostly green. It likes to sit on the canopy of the trees in the mornings and afternoons. According to wikipedia, the nest of this parrot is in the cavities of trees.There are usually three eggs and the female bird incubates them in 20 days. The chicks of Sulawesi Hanging Parrot leave their nest around 33 days after hatching.
In Minahasa peninsula, this bird can be watched in farm forest of Sonder and in Mount Mahawu as well as in Tangkoko Nature Reserve. Sulawesi Hanging Parrot looks very similar to Pygmy Hanging Parrot that has got smaller body and orange bill.
Rambunan is a small farming village in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency. Its villagers plant food crops such as corn, rice and various kinds of fruits and vegetables. They also grow aren tree, clove, rambutan, and coconut. Rambunan is famous for its palm sugar.
Birding in Rambunan Village
Its farmland is the habitat of such birds as Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Sahul Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Black-naped Oriole and etc. The roads that connect Sonder town with Rambunan village and to Sawangan and Pinaras village are not crowded with motorized vehicles. There trees on both sides of the roads. So, they can be chosen as good birding sites.
Birding in Minahasa Highland
Minahasa peninsula has got birding sites that can easily be reached from Manado city or Tomohon town. Birdwatchers usually spend around 3 to 4 days in this highland and then continue their trip to Tangkoko Nature Reserve or other parts of North Sulawesi such as Tambun Maleo Sanctuary, and Tapak Kolintang forest and Dumoga Bone National Park.
A lot of birds could be watched in Minahasa highland including Superb Fruit Dove, Red-eared Fruit Dove, Mountain White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Sulawesi Myzomela, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Black Kite, White-breasted Woodswallow, Black-faced Munia, Finch-billed Myna, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Hair-crested Drongo (white-eyed), Sulawesi Drongo, and etc.
Butterfly watching
Minahasa highland is a great destination for visitors who love butterfly watching. Tropical butterflies could be found there including The Clipper, Helena Birdwing, Blanchard's Ghost, Blanchard's Tree Nymph, Menado Yellow Tiger, Sacred Tabby, Lime Swallowtail, Sulawesi Leafwing Butterfly, Meyer's Jay, and a lot more.
The forest and farmland of Subdistrict Sonder is the habitat of beautiful tropical butterflies. So, Minahasa highland is the recommended destination for butterflywatching tour too.
As organizer of this tour, we will arrange accommodation for participants in one of the birding lodges or guesthouses in Tangkoko and one of the hotels in Tomohon town.
Minahasa highland is a region in the Province of North Sulawesi of Indonesia. To visit it, tourists need to fly from their country to Manado city. There are direct flights from Guangzhou of China, and from Singapore to Manado city. For domestic flights to major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, Balikpapan and Sorong, the flights are available everyday and are served by such airlines as Garuda, Citilink, Batik Air, Lion Air and TransNusa.
If you are interested in taking a birding and wildlife watching tour in, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180
