Sulawesi Pitta (Erythropitta celebensis, Sulawesi Endemic)

This delightful male Pitta showed exceedingly well for us in the Tangkoko Nature Reserve in NE Sulawesi. This is one of 16 splits from Red-bellied Pitta.

Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx fallax)

The Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx fallax) is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae that is endemic to Sulawesi island, Indonesia. The species has numerous common names such as Celebes forest kingfisher, blue-crowned kingfisher, Celebes dwarf-kingfisher, and Celebes pygmy-kingfisher.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Minahasa masked owl (Tyto inexspectata)

The Minahassa masked owl (Tyto inexspectata), also known as the Minahassa barn owl, Sulawesi owl or Sulawesi golden owl, is an endemic barn owl living on Sulawesi, Indonesia. The name is derived from the Minahassa Peninsula, where it was first described as a breeding bird; however, it is also known to live in north-central Sulawesi.

The Minahassa masked owl has short wings with wingspan of 240–250 mm well suited to its habitat in deep forests. It appears to prefer undisturbed or lightly disturbed rainforest at an altitude of 100-1,600 m. As the primary lowland forests on the Minahasa peninsula has been destroyed, the survival of the species depends on the more inaccessible montane forests. 

trip report

Hans Peeters2 September 2017 at 11:49

We spent a week with Ono and highly recommend him. He knows his birds and where to find them, he is honest, flexible, works hard to make sure his clients are happy, and he is a good travel companion with lots of interesting information to share. We arranged our trip online and knew from his prompt replies and enthusiasm for wildlife that he would be a good guide. He exceeded our expectations. And Tangkoko is a special place not to be missed. Thanks Ono! Hans and Pam Peeters, California USA

Tangkoko and Tomohon Birding package - Tangkoko and Tomohon Birding Tour (5 Days/4 Nights)

by Tangkoko Wildlif

Itinerary:

Day 1: Pick you up at Manado Airport, directly to Tangkoko. Check in at the local Homestay. Prepare your birding stuff and then we will start to explore the jungle. In this day, Sulawesi Scops-Owl is one of the highlight bird targets to photograph.

  

 Day 2: Breakfast at 5:30. After breakfast, we will catch the highlight species such as: Green-backed Kingfisher, Lilac-cheek Kingfisher, Sulawesi-dwarf Kingfisher, Red-knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi-dwarf Hornbill, Ashy Woodpecker, Yellow-billed malkoha, Purple-winged Roller, Sulawesi Pitta, ochre-bellied Boobook, Sulawesi Babbler, Red-backed Thrush, and much more.

Day 3: Start the tour around 5am, we will drive around 20 minutes to Temboan hills spend 2-3 hours there to spotted some birds such as: Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail, Ornate Lorikeet, Golden-mantled Racquet-tail, Sulawesi cicadabird, Great-billed hanging parrot, Pygmy hanging Parrot, Sulawesi-dwarf Hornbill, and much more.

Come back to the Homestay for breakfast. And then we will continue the tour to spotted some birds where you not seen it on the day 2.Come back for lunch, after lunch around 2pm, we will go to the mangrove area by boat to spotted one of the kingfisher, Great (black)-billed Kingfisher and some birds such as: White-rumped Cuckoo-shrike, Pink-necked green Pigeon, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed tattler, etc

  

Day 4: Breakfast around 7am. After breakfast, we will drive to Tomohon (Gunung mahawu) to spotted the Target bird such as: Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi-blue Flycatcher, Island Flycatcher, Sulawesi myzomela, Yellow-vented Whistler, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Grey-sided Flowerpecker, and much more. Check-in at the Resort.

    

Day 5: Start early around 5am, go directly to Gunung Mahawu, come back to the Resort, have breakfast, transfer out to the Airport.

"For details please send your inquiries to this email. Then we can tailor a program to suit your needs."

For more info, please contact:

Email: onovanli@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +62 82187880447

Tangkoko Birding Package Tour - Tangkoko Birding Tour (4 Days/3 Nights)

Itinerary:

Day 1: Pick you up at Manado Airport, directly to Tangkoko. Check in at the local Homestay. Prepare your birding stuff and then we will start to explore the jungle. In this day, Sulawesi Scops-Owl is one of the highlight bird targets to photograph.

    

Day 2: Breakfast at 5:30. After breakfast, we will catch the highlight species such as: Green-backed Kingfisher, Lilac-cheek Kingfisher, Sulawesi-dwarf Kingfisher, Red-knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi-dwarf Hornbill, Ashy Woodpecker, Yellow-billed malkoha, Purple-winged Roller, Sulawesi Pitta, ochre-bellied Boobook, Sulawesi Babbler, Red-backed Thrush, and much more.

Day 3: Start the tour around 5am, we will drive around 20 minutes to Temboan hills spend 2-3 hours there to spotted some birds such as: Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail, Ornate Lorikeet, Golden-mantled Racquet-tail, Sulawesi cicadabird, Great-billed hanging parrot, Pygmy hanging Parrot, Sulawesi-dwarf Hornbill, and much more.

Come back to the Homestay for breakfast. And then we will continue the tour to spotted some birds where you not seen it on the day 2.Come back for lunch, after lunch around 2pm, we will go to the mangrove area by boat to spotted one of the kingfisher, Great (black)-billed Kingfisher and some birds such as: White-rumped Cuckoo-shrike, Pink-necked green Pigeon, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed tattler, etc

Day 4: Start the tour around 5am to go to Temboan Hills, spend 2-3 hours there. Come back to the Homestay, have breakfast, transfer out to the Airport.

"For details please send your inquiries to this email. Then we can tailor a program to suit your needs."

For more info, please contact:

Email: onovanli@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +62 82187880447

Guide Birdwatching Trips Sulawesi

Sulawesi Biodiversity facts

• ·       Sulawesi is one the most important Endemic Bird Areas (EBA) in Sulawesi : of the 328 birds species, 89 (27%) are unique.
• ·  Of the 127 mammals species, 79 (27%) are endemic, and endemism riset to 98% if non-flaying mammals are excluded.
• ·      29 of the 104 reptiles species (28%) are endemic to Sulawesi.

Sulawesi Birding Tour  15 Days / 14 Nights

Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival in Manado – Tangkoko Nature Reserve 

You arrival in Manado, meeting service, transfer to Tangkoko Nature reserve, birding along the way (if possible)

Overnight

Day 02: Tangkoko Nature Reserve 

We’ll spend the early morning birding in the Tangkoko Nature Reserve looking for montane species, such as Asuch as Red-backed Thrush, Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Knobbed Hornbill, Red-bellied Pitta, Spot-tailed Goshawk, Sulawesi Goshawk, Purple-winged Roller, Sulawesi Babbler, Blue-backed Parrot, Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail, Isabelline Bush-hen, Sulawesi Nightjar, Tabon Scrubfowl, Large Hanging Parrot and Pygmy Hanging Parrot. Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Ochre-bellied Boobook, Pied Cuckoo-shrike, Sulawesi Triller, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Cicadabird, Sulawesi Hawk-eagle, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle and Sulawesi Short Crested Myna. After lunch we will be making use of an outrigger boat across mangrove forest to see Black-billed Kingfisher, White-rumped Cuckoo-shrike and shore birds. In the evening you’ll be introduced for nocturnal primate or Tarsier called Tarsius spectrum that can be found in the North Sulawesi only. As we travel into the park we’ll bird the forest en route, and as darkness falls we’ll walk into the forest in search of the amazing Spectral Tarsier; we have an excellent chance of finding (and photographing) these diminutive primates at dusk as they exit from their shelter in the huge fig trees that are a feature of this area.

Overnight

Day 03: Tangkoko Nature Reserve 

We’ll have this whole day to explore the coastal and montane forest of this wonderful park, which supports a good range of the region’s endemic birds. We should see many spectacular Wallacean species, such as Black-naped Fruit-Dove, the unusual Azure-rumped Parrot, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, and Ashy Woodpecker. The park boasts a healthy population of the amazing Knobbed Hornbill as well as a unique monkey, Sulawesi Crested Macaque. Weather permitting, during the heat of the middle of one day we’ll take a boat out to an area of mangroves in search of Black-billed Kingfisher and White-rumped Cuckoo-shrike.

Overnight

Day 04: Tangkoko – Kotamobagu 

After breakfast, Sulawesi birding trip continues. We drive to Kotamobagu. Birding along the way, stopping to admire a beautiful pair of huge Sulawesi Masked Owls in their traditional cave roost.

Overnight

Day 05: Kotamobagu – Gunung Ambang 

After breakfast we continue our journey by driving to Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (formerly known Dumoga Bone). In the afternoon we go birding around Gunung Ambang where there is a good site for observing a new endemic species called Cinnabar Boobook or Cinnabar Hawk-owl.

Overnight

Day 06 and 07: Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park 

Two full days to explore the Sulawesi birding in the Dumoga Bone, where you will be accompanied by a knowledgeable bird-watching guide.

Driving early to Tambun gives us the chance to see Maleo and its nesting ground, birding continues along Molibagu roadside. After lunch we move on to Toraut forest to find-out Speckled Boobook and get a good view or Raptors, Hornbills and Racquet-tails.

Overnight

Day 08: Doloduo – Tomohon

Still birding in the park, the journey continues. We drive 4-6 hours to Tomohon. In the Afternoon we move on to Mahawu forest to find-out Scaly-breasted Kingfisher. Diabolical Nightjar should be seen within this forest.

Overnight

Day 09: Tomohon – Makassar – Palu 

After breakfast we’ll fly to Palu, via Makassar, from where we’ll drive to Lore Lindu National Park. This is essentially a travel day but we’ll have a chance to do some birding in paddy fields along the way.

Overnight

Day 10: Palu – Lore Lindu National Park 

The whole day is meant to explore the Sulawesi birding in the Lore Lindu National Park where you will be accompanied by bird-watching guide who has sharp eyes and a good has talent for birding.

Overnight

Day 11 and 12: Lore Lindu National Park

After breakfast we’ll return by car to Palu, stopping to bird again in the forests of Lore Lindu and then in Oloboju to look for Savanna Nightjar on their nesting grounds, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Diabolical Nightjar, Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon, Rufous-throated Flycatcher, Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Maroon-backed Whistler, Malia, Olive-flanked Whistler, Sulphur-bellied Whistler, Streak-headed Dark-eye, Malia, Sulawesi Thrush, Small Sparrow-hawk, Red-eared Fruit-dove, Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler, Sulawesi Lesser Honey-eater, Rusty-bellied Fantail, Greater Honey-eater, Mountain Serin and Cinnabar Boobook. A number of open-country birds and waterbirds can be seen in the magnificent and ancient paddy fields stretching between the park and Palu. We’ll stop to check through the flocks of Chestnut Munias for the localized Black-faced Munia, and we may well see Lesser Coucal and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Overnight

Day 13: Lore Lindu – Palu 

Still birding in the park to find-out species that are yet to be seen. The trip continues by driving down to Palu. We bird on rice fields at Oloboju to discover Pale-headed Munia, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, White-shouldered Triller and Savanna Nightjar. If time permits us, we continue birding on salt ponds to see shore birds.

Overnight

Day 14: Palu – Manado (via Makassar)

After breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your depature to Makassar and will be connected with your flight to Manado. When you arrive in Manado, you check in at Aston Hotel.

Overnight

Day 15: Manado – Out

On time, transfer to Manado Airport for your flight.

"For details please send your inquiries to this email. Then we can tailor a program to suit your needs."

For more info, please contact:

Email: onovanli@gmail.com

WhatsApp: +62 82187880447