A male King Bird-of-Paradise pauses briefly before continung his display pursuit of a nearby female. Photo: Robert at PBase
Until recently, travel in Papua New Guinea was thought to be solely for rugged explorers. This has changed as the country’s infrastructure has developed over the past decade. There are now comfortable lodges in both the mountains and lowlands, affording superb birding opportunities as close as the lodge grounds. Scheduled and charter flights to remote areas of the country provide excellent opportunities to search for the special birds of Papua New Guinea.
The New Guinea region is one of the most significant areas of bird diversity on earth, with some 400 endemic species including such outstanding families as the birds of paradise, bowerbirds, and paradise-kingfishers. The island has the world’s largest area of intact rainforest outside the Amazon basin and still has many remote and inaccessible sites. It is an exceptionally beautiful and wild country, with spectacular landscapes adding an extra element to our enjoyment of its birds. This tour visits some of the less-known areas and provides a chance to see species and places that are not on the standard tour circuit.
This tour can be taken in conjunction with our tour Islands of Papua New Guinea: West New Britain and Manus Island.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Port Moresby.
Day 2: After breakfast we’ll begin our birding in Varirata National Park, birding in the park’s savanna and rainforest areas. We’ll search the park of Raggiana Bird-of-paradise, hoping to view males displaying at a lek. We’ll also listen for the amazing growling call of Eastern Riflebird, and may see our first manucodes, among the most primitive of the bird-of-paradise family. Elsewhere we’ll look for the enormous nest mounds of the retiring Black-billed Brush-turkey, and with luck we may even see the birds themselves. Kingfishers are an outstanding feature here, and the rare Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher will be a primary target, while the noisy Yellow-billed Kingfisher can sometimes be located in the forest canopy it haunts. Throughout the day we’ll experience the incredible diversity of Papua New Guinea’s birds as we search for gems including Forest Kingfisher, the tiny and elusive Mountain Red-headed Myzomela, the skulking Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler, the even more secretive Painted Quail-Thrush, and the notorious “poisonous bird,” the Hooded Pitohui. Night in Port Moresby.
Day 3: This morning we’ll fly to the small town of Kiunga, in the far western portion of the country on teh great Fly River. The lowland forest here holds several rare and little-known species. The spectacular Flame Bowerbird is one of our prime targets, and other rare residents include Long-billed Cuckoo, Large Fig Parrot, and Obscure Honeyeater. Another attraction is the bird-of-paradise display area, where full-plumed male Greater and Raggiana Birds-of-paradise perform their incandescent displays to attract the attention of nearby females. Here also we may find the Magnificent Riflebird with its wolf-whistle call. Night at Kiunga.
Day 4: We’ll take a boat trip along the Fly and Elevala Rivers, where we have a chance of seeing large numbers of Collared Imperial Pigeons as well as several “keystone” species including the rare and spectacular Vulturine Parrot, the noisy and impressive Palm Cockatoo, and the amazing Southern Crowned Pigeon. The area also provides good chances at Great-billed Heron, the rare endemic White-bellied Pitohui, Common and Lesser Paradise-Kingfishers, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Hooded and Blue-breasted Pittas, and Twelve-wired and King Birds-of-Paradise. Night at Kiunga.
Day 5: This morning we’ll visit the Greater and Raggiana Birds-of-Paradise display area again. We’ll also spend time overlooking the forest from a knoll where we should see both Pink-spotted and Ornate Fruit-Doves, Variable Pitohui, and Emperor Fairy-Wren. We’ll then travel by road to Tabubil, stopping en route to scan the valleys for flocks of Dusky Lories and fruit-doves. We’ll also stop by the Ok Tedi River to see the dubius race of Little Ringed Plover, a potential species split. If time permits we’ll visit Ok Menga, where we have a good chance of seeing the rare endemic Salvadori’s Teal, Torrent Lark, and Torrent Flycatcher. Night at Hotel Cloudlands.
Day 6: This morning we’ll visit Ok Ma, where we have a good chance of seeing the impressive Shovel-billed Kingfisher, which nests in the forest nearby. Here we may also encounter White-rumped Robin, Black-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, and Crinkle-collared Manucode. Afterwards there will be another chance to visit Ok Menga, and the rest of the day will be spent at Dablin Creek, where we have a good chance of seeing the enigmatic Obscure Berrypecker, Red-breasted Pygmy-Parrot, Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo, and Carola’s Parotia. Night at Hotel Cloudlands.
Days 7-9: On the morning of Day 7 we’ll fly to Mt. Hagen and then drive into the mountainous Enga Province. Here we’ll explore the grounds of Kumul Lodge, where the local landowners have a strict wildlife protection policy. As a result, many of the birds here are incredibly tame and “balcony birding” is a real treat. On the lodge grounds we should see Brehm’s Tiger-Parrot, Plum-faced and Papuan Lorikeets, White-winged Robin, Mountain Firetail, Red-collared Myzomela, Gray-streaked and Black-throated Honeyeaters, and several birds-of-paradise including Brown Sicklebill, Stephanie’s Bird-of-Paradise, Ribbon-tailed Astrapias, and, if we are really lucky, a male Crested Bird-of-Paradise. With luck we should also see several more Kumul Lodge specialties, notably Rufous Woodcock, Chestnut Forest Rail, Mountain Owlet-nightjar, and Archbold’s Nightjar.
Days 10-13: Today we’ll fly to Tari and transfer to Ambua Lodge, one of the major highlights of the trip with its incredible diversity of highland species and the fascinating Huli tribal culture. We’ll spend our time here birding from the road and exploring forest tracks including the lodge grounds and adjacent trails. The birding can be hard work at times, but the pleasures and rewards are immense and we’ll have an unforgettable stay at this beautifully located and comfortable lodge overlooking the magnificent Tari valley. We’ll also make trips down the valley for lower-altitude species or up to the extensive grasslands around the Tari Gap for the higher-altitude forms. Birds have always played a major role in the lives of the local people, and a wide variety of feathers can be seen in their colorful headdresses and costumes. For those participants who want a greater cultural experience, optional excursions can be arranged at the lodge in lieu of some of the birding.
Birds-of-paradise are the main attraction at Ambua, and we should enjoy great views of many species. In the Tari Gap area we should see Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, and here too we have a second chance at Crested Bird-of-Paradise. Lower down we’ll encounter the amazing King of Saxony Bird-of-paradise as he advertises his presence from the treetops with weird spluttering calls like radio interference. Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia can also be seen in this area, while around the lodge we may encounter Loria’s Bird-of-Paradise or the extraordinary Short-tailed Paradigalla. Below the lodge we have a good chance of encountering Black Sicklebill and the rare and spectacular Blue Bird-of-Paradise. Lawes’s Parotia and the noisy Superb Bird-of-paradise can be found lower down the valley towards Tari town.
And that’s “just” the birds-of-paradise—the supporting cast is also brilliant, with such stars as the rare and elusive New Guinea Harpy-Eagle, the little known Meyer’s Goshawk, the recently split New Guinea Logrunner, the poisonous Blue-capped Ifrita, and the delicate Orange-crowned Fairywren. There is also an abundance of parrots, including Papuan King Parrot, Papuan, Plum-faced, Goldie’s, Orange-billed and Yellow-billed Lorikeets, Painted, Brehm’s, Madarasz’s and Modest Tiger-Parrots, and the endearing, miniature Red-breasted Pygmy-Parrot.
Australasian robins are also well represented; we have good chances at White-winged, Blue-gray, Ashy, Black-throated, and Garnet Robins, as well as the shy but vocal Lesser Ground-robin. Other highlights may include Sclater’s, Regent, Black-headed, and Brown-backed Whistlers, the noisy Belford’s and Yellow-browed Melidectes, the skulking Lesser Melampitta, Long-tailed Shrike, Torrent-lark, and representatives of New Guinea’s two endemic families, Crested and Tit Berrypeckers and Spotted, Mid-mountain, and Fan-tailed Berrypeckers.
Nights at Ambua Lodge.
Day 14: After some final early morning birding around the lodge we’ll bid farewell to Ambua and fly to Port Moresby. In the afternoon we’ll visit the grounds of the Pacific Adventist University to look for Australasian Little Grebe, Pied Heron, Pacific Black Duck, Wandering and Spotted Whistling-Ducks, White-browed Crake, Buff-banded Rail, Papuan Frogmouth, Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Singing Starling, and Gray-headed Munia. Night in Port Moresby.
Day 15: This morning we’ll pay a return visit to Varirata National Park to search for anything we’ve missed. The tour concludes at our hotel after lunch .
Updated: 27 August 2008
Prices
- 2009 price not yet available
- (2008 price about $8,840)
Notes
This tour is limited to 14 participants with two leaders. Both leaders will accompany the tour irrespective of group size.
This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird.