Minahasa Beach and Great-billed Kingfisher

Minahasa beach

I visited the coastal area of North Minahasa in its northern region to find Great-billed Kingfisher. It was a nice experience because I could enjoy the view of the blue sea, fishermen's boats, mountain, and water birds.

Great-billed Kingfisher usually lived in mangrove forest. To reach it, I organized a trip by boat through Kalinaun river in Likupang area. I was with 4 Taiwanese tourists. They were bird watchers.
Our boat moved slowly into the river, we saw some water birds flying over the river such as Little Egret, Great-billed Heron, but they were not our target of observation. There were Slender-billed Crow, and Pied Imperial Pigeon too.
When we were deep in the mangrove forest, we saw a Great-billed Kingfisher flying fast through the river. We asked the boat driver to chase him. It looked that the bird had disappeared behind in the forest. We decided to look for another one. Several minutes later we saw another Great-billed Kingfisher.

Great-billed Kingfisher

This time I asked the boat driver to turn off the engine. I and my friend took turn in paddling the boat. We approached the bird slowly and silently. I asked the tourists to take pictures when the kingfisher was within shooting range. They were so happy because they could watch it for a few minutes. The kingfisher dived to catch fish and then returned to its roosting place again.
When the tourists had taken pictures, I pulled my camera and shot the bird several times. I used Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600 mm G2 lens. It was quite powerful to shoot distant animals.
After shooting the bird, we returned to the beach and enjoyed the beautiful evening of Minahasan coast. We returned to Tangkoko with happy face.
If you are interested in traveling to North Sulawesi to see its beautiful landscape, beach, people, culture, birds and wildlife, and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read: 

• Birdwatching Tour in Minahasa Highland
• Birds in Minahasa

Birding in the Rainforest of Tambrauw Mountains

Forest Kingfisher in Tambrauw forest

The lowland rainforest of Tambrauw mountains is the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds including those in the families of lories, parrots and cockatoos; kingfishers and kookaburras; swallows and swiftlets; and the famous birds of paradise.
Birding can be done all year round particularly along the side of Cuan river. I offer guided trekking and birding tours for those who are interested in watching these birds. I and the local villagers in Tambrauw regency believe that by offering this tour, we can introduce our customers a new experience where they can watch the birds in rainforest region that is less visited by birdwatchers.

American tourists were watching birds in Tambrauw forest

Approximately 80 percent of the forest area has been declared by the local government for conservation. The rainforest and birding tours to this rainforest will support the government's plan and at the same time, provide alternative income generation scheme for the indigenous Papuan people who live in the regency.
How to get there:

• Fly from your country to Jakarta city the capital of Indonesia.
• Continue your trip by taking a domestic flight to Sorong city. There are daily flights served by Batik Air, Garuda, Sriwijaya, Nam Air between Sorong and Jakarta.
• We will meet you in Sorong to organize the birding and rainforest tour for you.

What to bring:
All birdwatchers know what they need to bring. But I will give some suggestions for anybody who is interested in birding for the first time.

• Spotting scope
• Digital camera with birdwatching telephoto lens such as Nikon Coolpix P900 (with extra batteries)
• Clothing for warm tropical climate such as t-shirt, shorts, water shoes, flipflops. 
• Head lamp or torch
• Birding book: "Birds of New Guinea" by Beehler and his friends.

Other activities

In addition to watching birds, visitors can enjoy butterfly watching, trekking, camping, swimming in the rainforest and discover the richness of bio-diversity of West Papua's rainforest.

Tambrauw regency is located between Sorong and Manokwari. The forest can be reached by 4 WD car from Sorong city. It takes approximately 4 hours to reach our destination where we will explore the forest for at least 4 days/ 3 nights. I can also prepare a customized tour program for anybody who plans to stay longer and combine his or her trip to another place in the bird's head region of West Papua. For detailed itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Beach Kingfisher

I often go to Raja Ampat to guide visitors who want to enjoy birdwatching and snorkeling. From my previous trips, I saw various species of coastal birds. One of them was Beach Kingfisher (Todiramphus saurophagus). This bird was quite big compared to Azure Kingfisher and Yellow-billed Kingfisher. Its calls were also unique. I could easily recognize the bird even when he was calling from behind thick branches, twigs and leaves of a tree.

Beach Kingfisher

One day I was standing on a hill near Port of Waisai town. I had been there photographing Willie Wagtail, Moustached Treeswift, Moluccan Starling, and Coconut Lorikeet. Suddenly, I saw a Beach Kingfisher landed on the naked branch of a tree that was very close to the beach. I quickly aimed my camera to the bird and pressed the shutter button several times. Although I could not get close up picture of the bird, I was quite satisfied with the result. At least it could be used in this post for identification purposes. This was written by Charles Roring

Scaly-breasted Kingfisher

Scaly-breasted Kingfisher

This is the photograph of Scaly-breasted Kingfisher (Actenoides princeps) that I saw in the forest of Mount Mahawu several kilometers from Tomohon town. I organized bird trip for 4 Taiwanese tourists at that time. We were walking along the trails inside the forest when we saw the bird roosting on the branch of a tree around 1.5 meters above the ground. It was a very good sighting because the bird stayed on the branch for more than 5 minutes.

The bird is an important target among birders who want to see endemic avifauna of Sulawesi. As a tourist guide, I run birding tours to this region for visitors who want to go to Sulawesi for watching birds or seeing the natural beauty of its landscapes. In addition to watching birds, visitors could see local people who are working in the farmlands, or making traditional palm sugar or even see how local villagers make metal farming tools.
Also read: Great-billed Kingfisher

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

The first time I saw Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher was when I guided some tourists on a birding tour in Klasow valley of Sorong regency. This Kingfisher was sitting in a small tree at its lowest branch around 2 meters above the ground. I did not pay attention to it at that time. I was watching Lesser Birds of Paradise dancing in high branches of some trees in front of me. Suddenly a villager named Daniel Kalami called me and showed me the bird. I turned and aimed my camera at the bird. 

Several weeks ago, I guided 4 American tourists on a birding tour to Tambrauw regency which was located between Sorong and Manokwari. I saw the bird again. This time it was sitting in a high branch around 5 meters above the ground. Fortunately, I brought my telephoto camera the Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600 mm G2 lens. I adjusted my position so that I could see the bird through a small window among thick green leaves of the surrounding trees. Carefully, I aimed my camera and shot the bird several times. 

Yellow-faced Myna

There were a lot of other birds that we saw during the rainforest birdwatching and wildlife watching tour in Tambrauw forest including:

• Palm Cockatoo, 
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 
• Long-tailed Buzzard, 
• Brahminy Kite, 
• Pinon Imperial Pigeon, 
• Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, 
• Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, 
• Lesser Birds of Paradise 
• Large Fig Parrot, 
• Eclectus Parrot, 
• Red-cheeked Parrot
• Black-capped Lory
• Black Lory
• Grey Crow, 
• Marbled Frogmouth, 
• Hooded Pitta, 
• Azure Kingfisher, 
• Blyth's Hornbill, 
• Red-cheeked Parrot,
• White-bellied Cuckooshrike,
• Black Sunbird
• Helmetted Friarbird and etc.

Because I brought my Kinglux 20-60×60mm spotting scope, I was able to show the beautiful birds to my American clients during the tour. It was not a professional scope but it was good enough for watching birds, wild animals or flowers in distant trees. I also played a few sounds of the above birds to attract them. We stayed in the houses of the villagers.

If you are interested in taking rainforest tour that is organized from Sorong city to Tambrauw forest please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

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Kingfishers
Azure Kingfisher

Azure Kingfisher in Halmahera

Azure Kingfisher

This morning, I accompanied the Taiwanese tourists on a birding trip to the coastal area of Halmahera island. Our main target was Azure Kingfisher and Beach Kingfisher. We focused our birding activity in the harbor area of Sidangoli across from the old ruins of the former plywood making factory.
There, we saw a couple of Beach Kingfisher, Willie Wagtail, Sunbird, and Plover. After that we moved to the bank of the river that was located across from the lodge where we stayed. There was an elementary school near the place where we enjoyed birding. We were waiting for the Azure Kingfisher when suddenly we heard that there were a lot of school children coming out of the school to meet us.

Great-billed Kingfisher

Great-billed Kingfisher

This is the picture of Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) that I saw when in the mangrove forest of North Sulawesi. The bird was bigger than most other kingfishers. I was traveling with 4 Taiwanese tourists in Tangkoko region when we decided to do a trip to a river in North Minahasa to watch the bird. We went there by car. It took around 1 hour to reach the birding site. We had to continue our trip by a motorized boat through a river where mangrove trees and other coastal plants grow on its both sides.

Common Paradise Kingfisher

Common Paradise Kingfisher

Here is the photograph of Common Paradise Kingfisher that I saw in Susnguakti forest of Arfak range when I guided a Filipino lady for 3 days/ 2 nights on a hiking and birding tour in the area. Actually, we were not waiting for the Kingfisher. What we were waiting for was Lesser Birds of Paradise. We sat silently on the ground under some trees while listening to the calls of the paradise birds on the canopy of the forest. Suddenly, the Common Paradise Kingfisher landed on the branch of a tree just a few meters from me. I quickly aimed my Fujifilm HS50EXR at the bird and pressed the shutter button of my camera several times. Seconds later, the bird flew away again. Actually, I used to see the same bird several months earlier in the same place where I made good photographs of the Paradise Kingfisher. During the tour, we also saw Dwarf Cassowary, Hooded Butcherbird and the Lesser Birds of Paradise that we were waiting for.
This Common Paradise Kingfisher can also be seen in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat and even in Halmahera island. Kofiau Paradise Kingfisher looks similar to the Common Paradise Kingfisher but its tails are thicker.

Also read:

• Yellow-billed Kingfisher
• Beach Kingfisher
• Azure Kingfisher in Halmahera
• Great-billed Kingfisher

Kingfishers

There are a lot of species of Kingfishers in tropical rainforest of West Papua. I personally have seen many of them in lowland, lower montane forest and in the islands of Raja Ampat, Klasow valley of Sorong, Arfak mountains, Tambrauw mountains and Wondama regency. In lower montane forest of Arfak range, while I was waiting for the Lesser Birds of Paradise to show up in the branches of trees above myself, suddenly I saw a Common Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea) landed on a branch of a tree just a few meters away from me. He sat there for less than one minute and then flew away again. Fortunately, I was able to make some pictures of the bird. It was the second time I saw the bird in relatively the same place.

Kingfishers of Klasow Valley

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

I also saw several species of Kingfishers in lowland forest of Sorong regency. Some of them include Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra and Yellow-billed Kingfisher. Some like to live along the sides of the river whereas others like forest edges near the village. For the Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, I saw the bird several times in Klasow valley. I does not live near a river. The bird liked to sit alone one the branch of a tree with the above green leaves as heat cover. Actually, I did not see the bird. I was walking towards a tree where Lesser Birds of Paradise were dancing. A local guide stopped me and pointed his finger to the kingfisher. The bird was not far. I immediately aimed my Fujifilm HS 50EXR camera at the bird ant shot him. A few seconds later, the bird flew away. I was lucky, it was a good shot.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

For the picture of these Yellow-billed Kingfisher (Syma torotoro), I took it when I guided a Chinese lady in Klasow valley. We were trying to see King Bird of Paradise but he did not show up. Next, we moved on to the tree where Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise like to perch and dance. He did not come either. But ee heard the sounds of Yellow-billed Kingfisher at the forest edge that bordered with the clearing area of the village. We approached the birds. They were not afraid of us. Perhaps, the birds were so much attracted to each other. It was a mating season for the kingfishers, I think.

In Raja Ampat, I had the chance to see Hook-billed Kingfisher while walking in the forest in southern region of Waigeo. I also saw Beach Kingfisher on several occasions. Recently, I visited Waisai town of Raja Ampat for two days. While I was doing a short birding walk at a cape near the harbor of the town, I saw a Beach Kingfisher calling from a branch of a tree near the sea. He was quite big compared to other kingfishers.

I will go to Sorong regency tomorrow again. I hope that I will be able to see and make photographs of the ones that I have not seen before.

Beach Kingfisher

I was in Waisai town of Raja Ampat a few days ago for meeting with other local guides. During that trip I had a short birding walk in a small cape near the harbor. It was morning time and the activity of birds were quite high. Birds that I saw at that time were Willie Wagtail, Coconut Lorikeet, Moustached Treeswift, Singing Starling and Beach Kingfisher.

I brought with me a pair of 10×42 mm Visionking roof prism binoculars, and my old bridge camera Fujifilm HS50EXR. Because I was watching birds from the second floor of a building, I could easily find birds that were perching on the surrounding trees. I could also see some singing starlings that were sitting on top of navigation lamp post that stood on the shallow water of the cape. After watching birds for approximately 30 minutes, I walked down the building and had a short walk to the side and backyard of the building. There was a gazebo on the shallow water right below the cape. It was connected to the cape by wooden bridge. I walked to the gazebo. I could hear the sound of various species of birds in that small forest but could not see them easily due to the enormous number of leaves, branches and twigs of the trees in the steep slopes of the cape. So, I walked back to the top of the cape.

Beach Kingfisher in Waigeo island

Soon I was able to take pictures of rainbow lorikeet. I gave up hope of seeing Beach Kingfisher that was calling from inside the bush of the trees. One hour later I could hear the sound of the Beach Kingfisher (Todiramphus saurophagus). The bird had flown on to dead branches of a tree above the sea. He called his female counterpart for a few minutes from that naked branches. As soon as I saw him, I quickly turned on my camera and aimed it at the bird. I was able to take some good pictures of the bird. He was approximately 40 meters away from me. I used maximum zoom of my camera. Less than 3 minutes later, he flew away.

Beach Kingfisher (Todiramphus saurophagus)

About Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat islands are very beautiful destination for visitors who like marine tourism such as swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. The islands are also perfect places for birding. I have guided visitors to Raja Ampat both for birding, snorkeling and sightseeing.

There are hundreds of islands in this regency that are surrounded by pristine coral reef and covered by pristine rainforest. Every year thousands of visitors go there to enjoy swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and kayaking. But there are also significant percentage of visitors who go there for watching birds particularly the Wilson's Bird of Paradise and Red Bird of Paradise. This was wriiten by Charles Roring

Also read:

• Birding and butterfly watching in Sonder's Forest and Farmland
• Azure Kingfisher
• Azure Kingfisher in Halmahera
• Yellow-billed Kingfisher
• Great-billed Kingfisher

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

This is the photograph of Yellow-Billed Kingfisher (Syma torotoro) that lives in the forest of New Guinea especially in the lowland and lower montane forest. I often guide tourists on riverwalk birding expedition in Manokwari regency for visitors who want to watch such birds as Blyth's hornbill, Dollarbird, Willie Wagtail, Little Egret, Yellow Faced Myna, Large Tailed Nightjar, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and even the Black-capped Pygmy Parrot.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

The duration of the tour is 3 to 4 days. Because there is no guest house in the forest, we will provide dome tents, sleeping bags, cooking and eating utensils as well as spotting scope and binoculars for visitors.
Booking
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.

• King Bird of Paradise
• Lesser Birds of Paradise
• Wildlife Tour in Tangkoko and Minahasa Highland