03 – 14 AUGUST 2022
By Andrew Walker
Overview
This Indonesian bird tour visited the West Papua province and started in Manokwari on the 3rd of August 2022 and finished in Sorong on the 14th of August 2022. Our birding was focused on the Arfak Mountains and the island of Waigeo, both areas are world renowned for their spectacular birds-of-paradise and endemic birds, and our attention was firmly set on finding as many of these jewels as possible. Weather conditions throughout the tour (unseasonal rain, the result of La Niña) made going tough and a bit muddy at times, but we still had a good haul of quality birds.
We recorded 235 species on the tour (seven of these heard only), trip lists follow the report. The list of highlights was very long and included 14 birds-of-paradise seen, these were: Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, Red Bird-of-paradise, King Bird-of-paradise, Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise, Western Parotia, Crescent-caped Lophorina, Black Sicklebill, Black-billed Sicklebill, Magnificent Riflebird, Long-tailed Paradigalla, Arfak Astrapia, Crinkle-collared Manucode, and Glossy-mantled Manucode.
Other exciting highlights included Feline Owlet-nightjar, Mountain Owlet-nightjar, Dusky Megapode, Western Crowned Pigeon, Pheasant Pigeon, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Ornate Fruit Dove, Great Cuckoo-Dove, Blyth’s Hornbill, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Masked Bowerbird, Spotted Jewel-babbler, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Papuan Lorikeet, Pygmy Lorikeet, Moluccan King Parrot, Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, Modest Tiger Parrot, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Beach Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Papuan Pitta, Rufous-naped Bellbird, Mottled Berryhunter (monotypic family), Arfak Catbird, Raja Ampat Pitohui, Vogelkop Melidectes, Papuan Sittella, Moustached Treeswift, Golden Myna, and Brown-headed Crow.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 3rd August 2022. Arrival in Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia
An arrival day in Manokwari, West Papua. By late afternoon the whole group had arrived. We enjoyed our welcome dinner together, full of excitement at what was waiting for us.
Day 2, 4th August 2022. Birding Manokwari and travel to the Arfak Mountains
We started the tour off with some birding near Manokwari, but had to deal with some pretty poor weather. Rain and fog made the going rather tough, which was frustrating. We did catch a couple of short breaks in the weather, and this resulted in a few good birds, such as (Western) Ornate Fruit Dove, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Pinon’s Imperial Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Blyth’s Hornbill, Boyer’s Cuckooshrike, Black-browed Triller, New Guinea Friarbird, Black Sunbird, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, and Northern Variable Pitohui (these were mainly calling from dense thickets but with a couple of brief views for some).
After a bit of a break in the late morning with some really heavy rain, we headed up into the Arfak Mountains. Further rain showers were the order of the afternoon, but we did fit in a short birding session near to our overnight destination, with Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, Crinkle-collared Manucode, and Feline Owlet-nightjar being the pick of the sightings (and not a bad selection to boot!). After our birding we settled into our mountainside accommodation for the next few nights.
Day 3, 5th August 2022. Birding the Arfak Mountains
Our first full day of birding in the Arfak Mountains started out with beautiful blue skies and we were very grateful for that after the previous day (even more so after the afternoon birding session today too!). Our first stakeout was that of Western Parotia, and after a short wait a male bird dropped in and checked out his display area, demonstrating his amazing “antenna”! After a quick inspection of his arena, he jumped into the trees where he sat preening for a while, a gorgeous bird. Satisfied with our views, we continued to a different stakeout where we waited for a while before first a female, then a male Crescent-caped Lophorina (formerly called Superb Bird-of-paradise and also known as Vogelkop Lophorina) came in to view, another spectacular bird that showed nicely. Here too we had further views of feeding female and young male Western Parotias.
After enjoying the birds-of-paradise we commenced our walk out of the forest, noting Sclater’s Whislter, Vogelkop Whistler, Capped White-eye, Arfak Honeyeater, Friendly Fantail, Black Fantail, Slaty Robin, Rusty Mouse-warbler, Large Scrubwren, and Vogelkop Scrubwren. As we reached the road the clouds descended and stayed like that (with some rain) for most of the rest of the day.
In the afternoon we split the group into those who wanted further/better views of Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (which showed very well during a dry spell judging by the photos) and the rest of the group who took a walk through the cloud seeing the architectural genius of the incredible Vogelkop Bowerbird, along with sightings of Mountain Owlet-nightjar, Papuan Lorikeet, and Moluccan King Parrot. Unfortunately, Spotted Jewel-babbler, like several other species, remained heard only as visibility was pretty terrible. One of the final highlights of the afternoon was watching a pair of the impossibly small, Red-breasted Pygmy Parrots at their nest.
Day 4, 6th August 2022. Birding the Arfak Mountains
Some of the group commenced the big hike up into the higher zone of the Arfak Mountains. We took the morning to get to our very basic overnight campsite, birding along the way, with some of the top targets seen including Long-tailed Paradigalla (a somewhat mysterious bird-of-paradise), a pair of Mottled Berryhunters (a monotypic family), Modest Tiger Parrot, Plum-faced Lorikeet, Yellow-billed Lorikeet, Fairy Lorikeet, Papuan Lorikeet, White-bibbed (Mountain) Fruit Dove, Crimson-collared Myzomela (in abundance), Mountain Myzomela, and a cute roosting Mountain Owlet-nightjar, many of these at or around a couple of action-packed heavily flowering and fruiting trees.
In the afternoon, high up on the mountain above “Camp David”, the group spent some time looking for, then finding, a stunning and vocal male Black Sicklebill – what a seriously impressive sight (and sound!). We also found multiple pretty Tit Berrypeckers, along with Fan-tailed Berrypecker, Regent Whistler, Vogelkop Whistler, Smoky Robin, Ashy Robin, Dimorphic Fantail, Papuan Sittella, Rufous-sided Honeyeater, Marbled Honeyeater, and Rufous-naped Bellbird. The hike was definitely worth the effort, with a lot of quality birds in a gorgeous setting.
Those staying at the middle elevations enjoyed plenty of good birds too, with their highlights including Masked Bowerbird, Red Myzomela, Crescent-caped Lophorina, Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, Pesquet’s Parrot, Moluccan King Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Blue-collared Parrot, Black-capped Lory, Drongo Fantail, Arfak Catbird, Wallace’s Fairywren, and nesting Mountain Peltops. They also heard two new birds-of-paradise too, Magnificent Riflebird and Lesser Bird-of-paradise, but these were too far away for them to attempt to see at this time.
Day 5, 7th August 2022. Birding the Arfak Mountains
The group birding in the middle elevations headed into a blind (hide) and got to spend some time in the morning watching a displaying male Western Parotia – an amazing sight judging by their videos of this. In the afternoon, they visited a different blind and saw a female Black Scythebill.
Those of us camping in the high elevation zone headed out early into the beautiful mossy forest, where we searched for, then found a feeding male Arfak Astrapia. This large bird-of-paradise gave some good views and was the last of our major bird-of-paradise targets for this overnight trip. Other good birds seen on the mountain and on the trek down, included (Western) Ornate Fruit Dove, White-bibbed (Mountain) Fruit Dove, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Modest Tiger Parrot, Pygmy Lorikeet, Papuan Lorikeet, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Cinnamon-browed Melidectes, Vogelkop Melidectes, Long-tailed Paradigalla, and Crescent-caped Lophorina.
Day 6, 8th August 2022. Birding the Arfak Mountains and travel to Manokwari
During our final morning in the Arfak Mountains, we visited a couple of blinds to enjoy, for one last time, a selection of birds-of-paradise and other goodies.
Some of the group headed down to the Western Parotia blind and, after seeing a couple of Spotted Jewel-babblers and Green-backed Robin, enjoyed watching the extraordinary display from the parotia (see trip report front cover photo). The parotia was amazingly flushed from his dancing by a Pheasant Pigeon that walked straight through the display area! A visit to the Vogelkop Bowerbird bower was also rewarding, with further good looks at this architectural marvel. Around the accommodation, Black-billed Sicklebill and Crescent-caped Lophorina were also noted, as was a low-flying Long-tailed Honey Buzzard that set pulses racing.
Reluctantly, we said goodbye to our village team after a truly enjoyable stay. They really went out of their way to help us, as usual, by building trails and blinds (hides), cooking good food, helping carry gear, guide us through the forest, help us on the tougher trails, and generally look after us throughout our stay.
Driving down the mountain back to Manokwari a couple of stops yielded Masked Bowerbird, Red Myzomela, White-shouldered Fairywren, Mountain Peltops, and several other birds. Both Magnificent Riflebird and Lesser Bird-of-paradise were heard, but the cloud dropped in, and rain shortly thereafter followed, so we were not able to see them.
Day 7, 9th August 2022. Manokwari to Sorong, birding the mangroves near Sorong
In the morning we took the short flight from Manokwari to Sorong and had some free time to rest during the hot part of the day. In the afternoon we visited some nearby mangroves where we found some gorgeous birds, including Emperor Fairywren, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Oriental Dollarbird, Variable Goshawk, Rainbow Bee-eater, and Orange-breasted Fig Parrot. Unfortunately, Blue-black Kingfisher remained a “heard only” bird. Several other less colorful birds were also seen, but also appreciated, such as White-bellied Cuckooshrike, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Large-billed Gerygone, and our first Willie Wagtails of the trip. In the damp areas we found Intermediate Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, Cinnamon Bittern, and Barred Rail.
Day 8, 10th August 2022. Birding near Malagufuk (Klassow Valley) and travel to Waigeo
A really enjoyable morning was spent birding in the Malagufuk area and was definitely worth the early start from Sorong. As dawn approached, we had Papuan Hawk-Owl near our picnic breakfast site and then followed up with a range of parrots as they woke up, and these included Moluccan King Parrot, Black Lory, Black-capped Lory, Orange-crowned Hanging Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Large Fig Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and the spectacular (and huge) Palm Cockatoo. We headed inside the forest and over the course of a few hours found several amazing birds, including King Bird-of-paradise, Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot, Golden Myna, Wompoo Fruit Dove, (Eastern) Superb Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Dwarf Fruit Dove, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Black-sided Robin, (Papuan) Spangled Drongo, Dwarf Koel, Brown Oriole, Yellow-bellied Longbill, and Grey-headed Goshawk. We spent quite a bit of time watching a fruiting tree which was really rewarding, with many of the above species (and lots more) visiting it.
After a great morning we very reluctantly left the site to get back to Sorong in time to catch the boat to Waigeo, part of the Raja Ampat Islands. The short drive to our dive resort on Waigeo took longer than usual because we stopped for some good birds, these included yet another bird-of-paradise (our fourth species for the day), Glossy-mantled Manucode, along with Moustached Treeswift (very popular), Eclectus Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Brown-headed Crow, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Pacific Golden Plover, and Grey-tailed Tattler. The end of the day saw us watching a pair of Papuan Frogmouths outside our dive resort villas!
Day 9, 11th August 2022. Birding on Waigeo Island
Our first target for the morning was a bird often touted as one of the best-looking birds in the world. We got into position in a blind (hide) in the forest and waited…. After about half an hour a stunning male Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise flew in and started tidying up his lek site. The visit was brief but memorable. We continued to wait to see what would happen, and over the next hour a female came in and the male returned several times, allowing excellent close views (see photo in trip report introduction). There was also plenty of activity from other birds during the morning, including Western Crowned Pigeon seen by some of the group, along with Glossy-mantled Manucode, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Dusky Megapode, Blyth’s Hornbill, Raja Ampat Pitohui, Spot-winged Monarch, Frilled Monarch, Long-tailed Honey Buzzard, Brown-headed Crow, and Hooded Butcherbird.
After our enjoyable morning birding session, we took a speedboat to a nearby smaller island, where we had lunch, a swim in a beautiful reef (one with the highest diversity on the planet), and some excellent birds. Here, Glossy-mantled Manucode and Common Paradise Kingfisher gave excellent views, our best yet. We also saw Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Violet-necked Lory, Shining Flycatcher, and Moluccan Starling. The boat ride to and from the island gave us views of Greater Crested Tern, Common Tern, Bridled Tern, Lesser Frigatebird, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Eastern Osprey, Pacific Reef Heron, and Great-billed Heron.
We spent some time in the late afternoon with some relaxed birding at our dive resort, noting Beach Kingfisher, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Palm Cockatoo, Great-billed Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pinon’s Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, New Guinea Friarbird, Brown Oriole, and Lesser Frigatebird, as well as a glorious rainbow and sunset.
Day 10, 12th August 2022. Birding on Waigeo Island
The main target of the day was our fourteenth and final possible bird-of-paradise for the trip. We set off from our accommodation in the dark and hiked up a nearby hill and got into position and waited for the stunning Red Bird-of-paradise to come and visit their lek. We didn’t have to wait long, and they didn’t disappoint, as we enjoyed watching several birds attending the lek, including an adult male with long plumes.
While waiting for, and while watching the Red Bird-of-paradise, we also saw Great Cuckoo-Dove, Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove, Raja Ampat Pitohui, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, (Papuan) Spangled Drongo, and the humongous Blyth’s Hornbill. As we walked off the hill we noted Yellow-faced Myna, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra (giving an impressive duet), Shining Flycatcher, and Glossy-mantled Manucode.
For the rest of the morning we birded in some nearby forest, seeing Waigeo Cuscus, Papuan Pitta, Spot-winged Monarch, Northern Fantail, Dusky Megapode, Stephan’s Emerald Dove, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Ruby-throated Myzomela, (Papuan) Spangled Drongo, Yellow-bellied Longbill, and Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise. Lunch relaxing around the resort resulted in further great looks at Palm Cockatoo, Papuan Frogmouth, and Brown Oriole.
During the afternoon we went birding along the roads and coast near our accommodation, getting repeat views of some of the gorgeous birds we’d already seen, but were happy to look at again, such as Eclectus Parrot, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Moustached Treeswift, Rainbow Bee-eater, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and Oriental Dollarbird. We also stopped at a small mudflat, finding Little Black Cormorant, Eurasian Whimbrel, Common Greenshank, Grey-tailed Tattler, Sacred Kingfisher, and Greater Crested Tern.
Day 11, 13th August 2022. Birding on Waigeo Island and travel to Sorong
Our final birding session of the tour saw us heading back out into the forest of west Waigeo. There had been a lot of rain in the night and it was overcast when we awoke. Driving through the forest it was clear that it was much quieter than previous mornings. We walked the road for a long stretch and heard several species (lots of Common Paradise Kingfishers, Black-sided Robins, Blyth’s Hornbills, Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon, Pinon’s Imperial Pigeon, Glossy-mantled Manucode, etc.), but seeing anything was proving tricky, the best (possibly only) bird we saw for quite a long time was a Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher that sat in the open for all to see, so that was something good.
A bit later, while photographing a huge Giant Orb Spider, a Western Crowned Pigeon flew off the trail nearby. We spent some time looking for the bird, to no avail. However, the delay caused by this coincided with the sun finally coming out and almost immediately thereafter a flock of birds formed and were all around us! Within the flock we noted Raja Ampat Pitohui, Rusty Pitohui, Waigeo Shrikethrush, Golden Monarch, Spot-winged Monarch, Northern Fantail, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Green-backed Gerygone, Fairy Gerygone, Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Yellow-bellied Longbill, Pygmy Longbill, Pale-billed Scrubwren, Grey Whistler, Ruby-throated Myzomela, and Red Bird-of-paradise. It was a hectic but enjoyable end to our final proper birding session on the island, and for the tour.
After lunch we took a quick ride to the harbor where we got on the fast ferry back to Sorong, arriving late in the afternoon. We had a final group evening meal together and discussed the possibilities for “bird of the trip”, which threw up lots of different choices for a huge variety of reasons! Coming out on top was probably Red Bird-of-paradise, just, with Western Parotia, Black Sicklebill, and Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise all coming close. We saw a great deal of high-quality birds that weren’t part of the birds-of-paradise family, and some of the top picks of “other birds” included Moustached Treeswift, Feline Owlet-nightjar, Blyth’s Hornbill, Rainbow Bee-eater, Common Paradise Kingfisher, and Spotted Jewel-babbler.
Day 12, 14th August 2022. Tour concludes with departure from Sorong
A non-birding day with everyone departing throughout the day.
A huge thank you must go out to our excellent local team of guides, porters, cooks, drivers, etc., for helping make the tour run so smoothly, particularly given the unseasonal poor weather we encountered at times. We’re already excited to return! Another huge thank you to everyone on the tour for making this such an enjoyable trip!
Bird List – Following IOC (12.1)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: VU = Vulnerable.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Megapodes (Megapodiidae) | |
| Red-billed Brushturkey (H) | Talegalla cuvieri |
| Dusky Megapode | Megapodius freycinet |
| Frogmouths (Podargidae) | |
| Marbled Frogmouth | Podargus ocellatus |
| Papuan Frogmouth | Podargus papuensis |
| Owlet-nightjars (Aegothelidae) | |
| Feline Owlet-nightjar | Aegotheles insignis |
| Mountain Owlet-nightjar | Aegotheles albertisi |
| Treeswifts (Hemiprocnidae) | |
| Moustached Treeswift | Hemiprocne mystacea |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| Glossy Swiftlet | Collocalia esculenta |
| Mountain Swiftlet | Aerodramus hirundinaceus |
| Uniform Swiftlet | Aerodramus vanikorensis |
| Papuan Spine-tailed Swift | Mearnsia novaeguineae |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Black-billed Coucal | Centropus bernsteini |
| Dwarf Koel | Microdynamis parva |
| Pacific Koel | Eudynamys orientalis |
| Channel-billed Cuckoo | Scythrops novaehollandiae |
| Shining Bronze Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx lucidus |
| Little Bronze Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx minutillus |
| White-crowned Cuckoo (H) | Cacomantis leucolophus |
| Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo | Cacomantis castaneiventris |
| Brush Cuckoo | Cacomantis variolosus |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove | Macropygia doreya |
| Bar-tailed Cuckoo-Dove | Macropygia nigrirostris |
| Great Cuckoo-Dove | Reinwardtoena reinwardti |
| Stephan’s Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps stephani |
| Bronze Ground Dove (H) | Pampusana beccarii |
| Pheasant Pigeon | Otidiphaps nobilis |
| Western Crowned Pigeon – VU | Goura cristata |
| Wompoo Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus magnificus |
| Pink-spotted Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus perlatus |
| Ornate Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus ornatus |
| Orange-fronted Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus aurantiifrons |
| Superb Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus superbus |
| White-bibbed Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus rivoli |
| Claret-breasted Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus viridis |
| Orange-bellied Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus iozonus |
| Dwarf Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus nainus |
| Spice Imperial Pigeon | Ducula myristicivora |
| Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon | Ducula rufigaster |
| Pinon’s Imperial Pigeon | Ducula pinon |
| Collared Imperial Pigeon | Ducula mullerii |
| Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon | Ducula zoeae |
| Pied Imperial Pigeon | Ducula bicolor |
| Papuan Mountain Pigeon | Gymnophaps albertisii |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| Barred Rail | Hypotaenidia torquata |
| Pale-vented Bush-hen | Amaurornis moluccana |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes |
| Greenshank | Tringa nebularia |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii |
| Bridled Tern | Onychoprion anaethetus |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) | |
| Lesser Frigatebird | Fregata ariel |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Little Black Cormorant | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Cinnamon Bittern | Ixobrychus cinnamomeus |
| Striated Heron | Butorides striata |
| Eastern Cattle Egret | Bubulcus coromandus |
| Great-billed Heron | Ardea sumatrana |
| Intermediate Egret | Ardea intermedia |
| Pacific Reef Heron | Egretta sacra |
| Ospreys (Pandionidae) | |
| Eastern Osprey | Pandion cristatus |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Pacific Baza | Aviceda subcristata |
| Long-tailed Honey Buzzard | Henicopernis longicauda |
| Pygmy Eagle | Hieraaetus weiskei |
| Variable Goshawk | Accipiter hiogaster |
| Black-mantled Goshawk | Accipiter melanochlamys |
| Grey-headed Goshawk | Accipiter poliocephalus |
| Brahminy Kite | Haliastur indus |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Papuan Hawk-Owl | Uroglaux dimorpha |
| Hornbills (Bucerotidae) | |
| Blyth’s Hornbill | Rhyticeros plicatus |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Oriental Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| Hook-billed Kingfisher | Melidora macrorrhina |
| Common Paradise Kingfisher | Tanysiptera galatea |
| Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher | Tanysiptera nympha |
| Rufous-bellied Kookaburra | Dacelo gaudichaud |
| Blue-black Kingfisher (H) | Todiramphus nigrocyaneus |
| Beach Kingfisher | Todiramphus saurophagus |
| Sacred Kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus |
| Yellow-billed Kingfisher | Syma torotoro |
| Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher | Ceyx solitarius |
| Azure Kingfisher | Ceyx azureus |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Rainbow Bee-eater | Merops ornatus |
| Cockatoos (Cacatuidae) | |
| Palm Cockatoo | Probosciger aterrimus |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Pesquet’s Parrot – VU | Psittrichas fulgidus |
| Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot | Micropsitta keiensis |
| Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot | Micropsitta bruijnii |
| Moluccan King Parrot | Alisterus amboinensis |
| Eclectus Parrot | Eclectus roratus |
| Red-cheeked Parrot | Geoffroyus geoffroyi |
| Blue-collared Parrot | Geoffroyus simplex |
| Great-billed Parrot | Tanygnathus megalorynchos |
| Modest Tiger Parrot | Psittacella modesta |
| Plum-faced Lorikeet | Oreopsittacus arfaki |
| Pygmy Lorikeet | Charminetta wilhelminae |
| Red-flanked Lorikeet | Hypocharmosyna placentis |
| Fairy Lorikeet | Charmosynopsis pulchella |
| Papuan Lorikeet | Charmosyna papou |
| Yellow-billed Lorikeet | Neopsittacus musschenbroekii |
| Black-capped Lory | Lorius lory |
| Black Lory | Chalcopsitta atra |
| Violet-necked Lory | Eos squamata |
| Coconut Lorikeet | Trichoglossus haematodus |
| Large Fig Parrot | Psittaculirostris desmarestii |
| Orange-breasted Fig Parrot | Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii |
| Orange-fronted Hanging Parrot | Loriculus aurantiifrons |
| Pittas (Pittidae) | |
| Papuan Pitta | Erythropitta macklotii |
| Hooded Pitta (H) | Pitta sordida |
| Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) | |
| Arfak Catbird | Ailuroedus arfakianus |
| Vogelkop Bowerbird | Amblyornis inornata |
| Masked Bowerbird | Sericulus aureus |
| Australasian Treecreepers (Climacteridae) | |
| Papuan Treecreeper | Cormobates placens |
| Australasian Wrens (Maluridae) | |
| Wallace’s Fairywren | Sipodotus wallacii |
| Emperor Fairywren | Malurus cyanocephalus |
| White-shouldered Fairywren | Malurus alboscapulatus |
| Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) | |
| Green-backed Honeyeater | Glycichaera fallax |
| Rufous-sided Honeyeater | Ptiloprora erythropleura |
| Brown-backed Honeyeater | Ramsayornis modestus |
| Long-billed Honeyeater | Melilestes megarhynchus |
| Tawny Straightbill | Timeliopsis griseigula |
| Arfak Honeyeater | Melipotes gymnops |
| Plain Honeyeater | Pycnopygius ixoides |
| Marbled Honeyeater | Pycnopygius cinereus |
| Ruby-throated Myzomela | Myzomela eques |
| Dusky Myzomela | Myzomela obscura |
| Red Myzomela | Myzomela cruentata |
| Mountain Myzomela | Myzomela adolphinae |
| Red-collared Myzomela | Myzomela rosenbergii |
| New Guinea Friarbird | Philemon novaeguineae |
| Tawny-breasted Honeyeater | Xanthotis flaviventer |
| Olive Honeyeater | Lichmera argentauris |
| Puff-backed Honeyeater | Meliphaga aruensis |
| Mountain Honeyeater | Microptilotis orientalis |
| Scrub Honeyeater | Microptilotis albonotatus |
| Mimic Honeyeater | Microptilotis analogus |
| Varied Honeyeater | Gavicalis versicolor |
| Cinnamon-browed Melidectes | Melidectes ochromelas |
| Vogelkop Melidectes | Melidectes leucostephes |
| Ornate Melidectes | Melidectes torquatus |
| Australasian Warblers (Acanthizidae) | |
| Rusty Mouse-warbler | Origma murina |
| Mountain Mouse-warbler | Origma robusta |
| Pale-billed Scrubwren | Aethomyias spilodera |
| Vogelkop Scrubwren | Aethomyias rufescens |
| Grey-green Scrubwren | Aethomyias arfakianus |
| Large Scrubwren | Sericornis nouhuysi |
| Perplexing Scrubwren | Sericornis virgatus |
| Brown-breasted Gerygone | Gerygone ruficollis |
| Large-billed Gerygone | Gerygone magnirostris |
| Yellow-bellied Gerygone | Gerygone chrysogaster |
| Green-backed Gerygone | Gerygone chloronota |
| Fairy Gerygone | Gerygone palpebrosa |
| Logrunners (Orthonychidae) | |
| Papuan Logrunner (H) | Orthonyx novaeguineae |
| Berrypeckers, Longbills (Melanocharitidae) | |
| Black Berrypecker | Melanocharis nigra |
| Fan-tailed Berrypecker | Melanocharis versteri |
| Spectacled Longbill | Oedistoma iliolophus |
| Pygmy Longbill | Oedistoma pygmaeum |
| Yellow-bellied Longbill | Toxorhamphus novaeguineae |
| Painted Berrypeckers (Paramythiidae) | |
| Tit Berrypecker | Oreocharis arfaki |
| Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes (Cinclosomatidae) | |
| Spotted Jewel-babbler | Ptilorrhoa leucosticta |
| Boatbills (Machaerirhynchidae) | |
| Yellow-breasted Boatbill | Machaerirhynchus flaviventer |
| Black-breasted Boatbill | Machaerirhynchus nigripectus |
| Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies (Artamidae) | |
| White-breasted Woodswallow | Artamus leucorynchus |
| Mountain Peltops | Peltops montanus |
| Black Butcherbird | Melloria quoyi |
| Hooded Butcherbird | Cracticus cassicus |
| Mottled Berryhunter (Rhagologidae) | |
| Mottled Berryhunter | Rhagologus leucostigma |
| Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae) | |
| Boyer’s Cuckooshrike | Coracina boyeri |
| White-bellied Cuckooshrike | Coracina papuensis |
| Black-bellied Cuckooshrike | Edolisoma montanum |
| Black-browed Triller | Lalage atrovirens |
| Sittellas (Neosittidae) | |
| Papuan Sittella | Daphoenositta papuensis |
| Australo-Papuan Bellbirds (Oreoicidae) | |
| Rufous-naped Bellbird | Aleadryas rufinucha |
| Whistlers & Allies (Pachycephalidae) | |
| Vogelkop Whistler | Pachycephala meyeri |
| Grey Whistler | Pachycephala simplex |
| Sclater’s Whistler | Pachycephala soror |
| Regent Whistler | Pachycephala schlegelii |
| Rusty Pitohui | Pseudorectes ferrugineus |
| Waigeo Shrikethrush | Colluricincla affinis |
| Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra (Oriolidae) | |
| Northern Variable Pitohui | Pitohui kirhocephalus |
| Raja Ampat Pitohui | Pitohui cerviniventris |
| Brown Oriole | Oriolus szalayi |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Spangled Drongo | Dicrurus bracteatus |
| Fantails (Rhipiduridae) | |
| Willie Wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys |
| Northern Fantail | Rhipidura rufiventris |
| Black Fantail | Rhipidura atra |
| Friendly Fantail | Rhipidura albolimbata |
| Dimorphic Fantail | Rhipidura brachyrhyncha |
| Drongo Fantail | Chaetorhynchus papuensis |
| Monarchs (Monarchidae) | |
| Black Monarch | Symposiachrus axillaris |
| Spot-winged Monarch | Symposiachrus guttula |
| Golden Monarch | Carterornis chrysomela |
| Frilled Monarch | Arses telescopthalmus |
| Shining Flycatcher | Myiagra alecto |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Brown-headed Crow | Corvus fuscicapillus |
| Grey Crow | Corvus tristis |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru |
| Birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae) | |
| Glossy-mantled Manucode | Manucodia ater |
| Crinkle-collared Manucode | Manucodia chalybatus |
| Long-tailed Paradigalla | Paradigalla carunculata |
| Arfak Astrapia | Astrapia nigra |
| Western Parotia | Parotia sefilata |
| Crescent-caped Lophorina | Lophorina niedda |
| Magnificent Riflebird | Ptiloris magnificus |
| Black Sicklebill | Epimachus fastosus |
| Black-billed Sicklebill | Drepanornis albertisi |
| Magnificent Bird-of-paradise | Diphyllodes magnificus |
| Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise | Diphyllodes respublica |
| King Bird-of-paradise | Cicinnurus regius |
| Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise | Seleucidis melanoleucus |
| Lesser Bird-of-paradise (H) | Paradisaea minor |
| Red Bird-of-paradise | Paradisaea rubra |
| Australasian Robins (Petroicidae) | |
| Smoky Robin | Peneothello cryptoleuca |
| Slaty Robin | Peneothello cyanus |
| Black-sided Robin | Poecilodryas hypoleuca |
| Black-throated Robin | Plesiodryas albonotata |
| Ashy Robin | Heteromyias albispecularis |
| Green-backed Robin | Pachycephalopsis hattamensis |
| Lesser Ground Robin | Amalocichla incerta |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Pacific Swallow | Hirundo tahitica |
| Leaf Warblers & Allies (Phylloscopidae) | |
| Island Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus poliocephalus |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Black-fronted White-eye | Zosterops chrysolaemus |
| Capped White-eye | Zosterops fuscicapilla |
| Starlings, Rhabdornis (Sturnidae) | |
| Metallic Starling | Aplonis metallica |
| Singing Starling | Aplonis cantoroides |
| Moluccan Starling | Aplonis mysolensis |
| Yellow-faced Myna | Mino dumontii |
| Golden Myna | Mino anais |
| Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) | |
| Olive-crowned Flowerpecker | Dicaeum pectorale |
| Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) | |
| Black Sunbird | Leptocoma aspasia |
| Olive-backed Sunbird | Cinnyris jugularis |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Streak-headed Mannikin | Mayrimunia tristissima |
| Total seen | 228 |
| Total heard only | 7 |
| Total recorded | 235 |
Mammal List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae) | |
| Spectacled Flying Fox | Pteropus conspicillatus chrysauchen |
| Cuscuses and Brushtail Possums (Phalangeridae) | |
| Waigeo Cuscus | Spilocuscus papuensis |
| Bandicoots (Peramelidae) | |
| Common Echymipera | Echymipera kalubu |
| Old World Mice and Rats (Muridae) | |
| Brown Rat | Rattus norvegicus |
| Vogelkop Mountain Rat | Rattus arfakiensis |
| Total | 5 |
Reptile List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Colubrid Snakes (Colubridae) | |
| Coconut Tree Snake | Dendelaphis calligaster |
| Pythons (Pythonidae) | |
| D’Albertis’ Python | Leiopython albertisii |
| Geckos (Gekkonidae) | |
| Common House Gecko | Hemidactylus frenatus |
| Common Four-clawed Gecko | Gehyra mutilata |
| Lined Gecko | Gekko vittatus |
| Monitors (Varanidae) | |
| Mangrove Monitor | Varanus indicus |
| Peach-throated Monitor | Varanus jobiensis |
| Skinks (Scincidae) | |
| Pacific Bluetail Skink | Emoia caeruleocauda |
| Azure-tailed Skink | Emoia impar |
| Littoral Whiptail Skink | Emoia atrocostata |
| Indonesian Brown Rainbow Skink | Carlia fusca |
| Total | 11 |
Notable Other Taxa List
Note that those who went snorkeling saw a fantastic array of fish and reef life, the many species seen are not included within this list (with the exception of Blacktip Reef Shark, seen from land). Several invertebrates were seen but not identified to species level and so are also not included in this list.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Requiem Sharks (Carcharhinidae) | |
| Blacktip Reef Shark | Carcharhinus melanopterus |
| Cuttlefishes (Sepiidae) | |
| Broadclub Cuttlefish | Sepia latimanus |
| Seastars (Ophidiasteridae) | |
| Blue Linckia | Linckia laevigata |
| Orbweavers (Araneidae) | |
| Giant Golden Orbweaver | Nephila pilipes |
| Ground Beetles (Carabidae) | |
| Tiger Beetle sp. | Therates labiatus |
| Tiger Beetle sp. | Tricondyla aptera |
| Swallowtails and Parnassians (Papilionidae) | |
| Orchard Swallowtail | Papilio aegeus |
| Sea Green Swallowtail | Papilio lorquinianus |
| Ulysses Butterfly | Papilio ulysses |
| Tithonus Birdwing | Ornithoptera tithonus |
| Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) | |
| Brown Pansy | Junonia hedeonia |
| Bordered Rustic | Cupha prosope |
| Taenaris sp. | Taenaris urania |
| Large Crow Butterfly | Euploea phaenareta |
| Turquoise Emperor | Apaturina erminea |
| Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs (Pieridae) | |
| Three-spotted Grass Yellow | Eurema blanda |
| Great Orange Tip | Hebomoia glaucippe |
| Gossamer-winged Butterflies (Lycaenidae) | |
| Blue sp. | Caleta mindarus |
| Skippers (Hesperiidae) | |
| Wide-brand Grass Dart | Suniana sunias |
| Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths (Erebidae) | |
| Lichen Moth sp. | Oeonistis bicolora |
| Lacera Moth sp. | Lacera asinuosa |
| Lymantria Moth sp. | Lymantria novaguineensis |
| Crambid Snout Moths (Crambidae) | |
| Snout Moth sp. | Hyalobathra illectalis |
| Geometer Moths (Geometridae) | |
| Amblychia sp. | Amblychia angeronaria |
| Total | 24 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
