Sulawesi-Halmahera itinerary

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[Papua Itinerary] [Sulawesi-Halmahera Itinerary]

Introducing SULAWESI, the bigger K shaped island, is one of four main big Indonesian islands. It harbors around 449 recorded bird species (Clements 5th edition, 2005) and contributes 103 endemics to Indonesian's bird total. Some of the endemics can be seen both at Tangkoko Nature Reserve (on the northern peninsula of North Sulawesi Province), Bogani Nani Wartabone Reserve and Lore Lindu National Pak, on central Sulawesi.

Sulawesi endemics:
Sulawesi Hawk-eagle, Sulawesi Goshwak, Sulawesi Black Pigeon, Maleo, Sulawesi Ground-dove, Large & Small Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi Nightjar, Sulawesi Scops Owl, Sulawesi Drwaf Kingfisher, Sulawesi Woodcock, Sulawesi Triller, Sulawesi Hawk-cuckoo, Sulawesi & Minahasa Masket Owl, Sulawesi Scops-owl, Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Cicabird, Sulawesi Babler, Sulawesi Leaf-warbler, Sulawesi Thrush, Sulawesi Blue-Flycatcher, Sulawesi White-eye, Sulawesi Myzomela, Lesser & Greater Sulawesi Honeyeater, Sulawesi Drongo & Sulawesi Crested Myna.

Other goodies:

Sunda Teal, Darter, Straited Heron, Cinnamon Bittern, Jerdon’s Baza, Brahmeny Kite, Osprey, Barred Honey-buzzard, Spot-tailed Goshawks, White-bellied, Lesser Fish & Rufous-bellied Eagle, Small Sparrowhawk, Buff-banded & Barred Rails, Isabelline Waterhen, Rudy, Lilac-cheeked, Scaly, Green-backed, Great-billed, Collard, Beach, Sacred & Common Kingfisher, Black Spotted, Slender-billed and Brown Cuckoo-Doves, White-bellied, Grey-headed & Green Imperial Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Black-naped, Maroon-chinned & Red-eared Fruit Dove, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Ornate & Yellow-green Lorikeet, Yellow-breasted & Golden Mantled Racquet-tail, Black-billed Koel, Blue-breasted Pitta, Ivory-backed Woodswallow, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Great Eared Nightjar, Purple Needletail, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Ashy Woodpecker, Pied & Caerulean Cuckoo-Shrike, Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, Pygmy Cuckoo-Shrike, Piping Crow, Pied Chat, Mountain Tailorbird, Snowy-browed, Island Verditer, Rufous-throated, Little Pied, Citrine & Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Rusty-bellied Fantail, Maroon-backed, Sulphur-bellied & Yellow-vented Whistler, Yellow Wagtail, Short-tailed & Fiery-browed Starling, Scarlet & Dark-eared Honeyeater, Crimson Sunbird, Grey-sided & Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Mountain White-eye, Streak-headed Dark-eye, Mountain Serin, White-necked Myna

About HALMAHERA-MOLUCCAS

The small shaped K island of Halmahera lies on the north side of Wallacea region. It is the northest part of the Moluccan Islands or the so called Spice Islands in the past. Halmahera is the home of the two Birds of Paradise species (Wallace's Standardwing & Paradise Crow) that separated away from New Guinea and North Australia.
Halmahera hosts 227 recorded species with 4 endemics to the island itself. An over all 38 are endemics to Moluccan Islands. Many of them are shared with other smaller neighboring islands

Halmahera endemics: Invisible Rail & Sombre Kingfisher (Vulnerable), Halmahera Oriole & Halmahera Cuckoo-shrike.

Moluccan endemics: Wallace's Standardwing & Paradise Crow, Ivory-breasted Pitta, Moluccan Scops Owl, Moluccan Boobook, Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar, Moluccan Goshawk, Moluccan Scrubfowl, Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk, Grey-headed, Blue-capped, & Scarlet-breasted Fruit Dove, White-eyed Imperial-Pigeon, Violet-necked Lory, Chattering Lory, Moluccan King-Parrot, Moluccan Hanging-Parrot, Moluccan Cuckoo, Goliath Coucal, Moluccan Swiftlet, Blue-and-white Kingfisher, Purple Roller, Moluccan Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Bulbul, Rufous-bellied Triller, White-naped Monarch, Drab Whistler, Flame-breasted Flowerpecker, Cream-throated White-eye, White-streaked Friarbird, Long-billed Crow, Moluccan Starling, Black-faced Munia.

Other records of non endemics:

Bulwer’s Petrel, Lesser & Great Frigatebird, Pacific Reef Egret, BlackBittern, Striated Heron, Osprey, Pacific Baza, Barred Honey Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Variable Goshawk, Spotted Kestrel, Black Eagle, Gurney’s Eagle, Dusky Scrubfowl, Rufous-tailed Bush-hen, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Pacific Golden Plover, Aleutian Tern, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Emerald Dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Spectacled, Cinnamon-bellied & Pied Imperial Pigeon, Red-flanked Lorikeet, White Cockatoo, Eclectus, Red-cheeked & Great-billed Parrot, Lesser Coucal, Large-tailed Nightjar, Uniform & Glossy Swiftlet, Grey-rumped & Moustached Tree Swift, Common Paradise, Collared, Beach, Sacred, Variable Dwarf & Common Kingfisher, Common Dollarbird, Blyth’s Hornbill, Blue-breasted Pitta, Barn & Pacific Swallow, Common Cicadabird, Spangled Drongo, Dusky-brown Oriole, Shinning, Black-naped & Spectacled Monarch, Slaty Flycatcher, Golden Bulbul, Rufous-bellied Triller, Common Golden Whistler, White-breasted Wood Swallow, Metallic Starling, Black & Olive-backedSunbird, Lemon-bellied White-eye, Blue-faced Parrotfinch, Chestnut Munia.

Day01: Manado arrival-birding
Soon after Manado arrival at Samratulangi Airport, we’ll proceed for a straight transfer to Tangkoko Nature Reserve. 2 hours driving from Manado. Check in at local inn and in the afternoon, we will start our Tangkoko’s birding

Day02-03: Tangkoko full day birding
During these 2 full days, we will maximize our times to see both lowland & mid mountain species. We will also actively do night bird spotting and allocate some of our time to see Sulawesi’s endemic mammals.

Day04: Driving to Bogani Nani Wartabone Reserve
Today, we'll move to the far west direction of Tangkoko to Bogani Nani Wartabone Reserve. This is an 8 hours car driving, passing through Manado City again. Our destine village is Sinsingon, situated 1.000m above sea level. We will stop over around the rice paddies along the way to spot some water birds and possibly the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Sinsingon provides no local inns, so we will be camping at local ranger station. In the afternoon, we start our birding here by visiting local fishponds. Not much to expect in the afternoon birding. Lunch will be provided, and dinner at Ranger’s family.
 
Day05: Fullday Bogani Nani Wartabone Reserve
Today, after breakfast, we will maximize our luck to see most highland specialties. We will go out a whole day until dark to proceed with our night spotting. Lunch box will be provided and late dinner back at Ranger’s family.

Day06: Morning Birding & late transfer back to Manado. Lunch provided, & dinner at hotel
After early breakfast, we’ll do morning birding, before a late afternoon transfer to Manado. We will also bird along the way back after leaving the village and along the ride paddies. Lunch at the Ranger’s family. We’ll arrive very late afternoon in Manado and check in at local hotel. Dinner at hotel.
 
Day07: Fly to Manado-connect to Ternate-Halmahera
After breakfast, we will short morning birding than drive back to Manado for our flight to Ternate-Halamera. We will stop along the way to airport to spot some birds.

Day08-09: Sidangoli full day birding
During this 2 full days, we will explore Kali Batu Putih and surrounding to see Wallace's Standard Wing & Paradise Crow, Ivory-breasted Pitta, Moluccan Goshawk, Moluccan Scrubfowl, Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk, Grey-headed, Blue-capped, & Scarlet-breasted Fruit Dove, White-eyed Imperial-Pigeon, Violet-necked Lory, Chattering Lory, Moluccan King-Parrot, Moluccan Hanging-Parrot, Moluccan Cuckoo, Goliath Coucal, Moluccan Swiftlet, Blue-and-white Kingfisher, Purple Roller, Moluccan Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Bulbul, Rufous-bellied Triller, White-naped Monarch, Drab Whistler, Flame-breasted Flowerpecker, Cream-throated White-eye, White-streaked Friarbird, Long-billed Crow, Moluccan Starling, Black-faced Munia. Our effective night spotting should produce nocturnal endemics: Moluccan Scops Owl, Moluccan Boobook & Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar.

Day10: Fly to Manado-connect to Palu-Central Sulawesi-birding
After breakfast, we will proceed our morming birding to see Golden Whistler, Moluccan Starling, Golden Bulbul, Rufous-bellied Triller, Long-billed Crow, before we take boat transfer to Ternate for our flight to Manado. From Manado, we will take a connecting flight to Palu via Makassar. After checking at local hotel in Palu, if time permitted, we will use the rest of the day to do local birding.

Day11: Drive to Lore Lindu National Park-full birding
After an nearly breakfast, we will drive to Lore and bird along the way. Birds expect to see: Purple-winged Roller, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Piping Crow, Sulawesi Crested Myna, Lesser Sulawesi Honeyeater, Snowy-browed, Rufous-throated, Little Pied & Blue-fronted Flycatcher. We will stay overnight at Wuasa homestay and do night spotting from there with a car.

Day12-14: Full Lore Lindu birding
During this 3 full days, we will focus our search on the 4 endemics of Lore Lindu National Park: Diabolical (Satanic) Nightjar, Geomalia, Great Shortwing, Purple-beared Bee-eater. Other targets are: Maroon-backed Whistler, Sulawesi Ground Dove,Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Sulawesi blue & Rufous-throated Flycatcher, Greater & Lesser Sulawesi Honey eater, Sulawesi Myzomela and Yellow-bellied White-eye, Red-eared Fruit-Dove, Sombre Pigeon, Golden-mantled Racquet-tail, Maroon-backed Whistler, Pygmy Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow-and-green Lorikeet, Dark-eared Honeyeater, Rusty-bellied Fantail, Ivory-backed Woodswallow, Sulawesi Woodpecker, Piping Crow, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Cerulean Cuckoo-shrike, etc.

Day15: Fly to Makassar on to Jakarta. Trip ends
After breakfast, we willbe heading back to Palu for the flight to Makassar. From Makassar, you can fly to Jakarta or Manado to connect your international flight. Trip ends in Makasar