Sulawesi is an island located in Indonesia, it is a naturalist wonder. Here the biogeography zone of the species rich Oriental continent fauna and flora in the west will collide with the relative improvised oceanic island flora and fauna of Wallacea to the east.
Sulawesi is the largest and the most geologically complex of all the islands of Wallacea because of the repeated collision between these two biogeographical zones. A unique laboratory in biological life has emerged to give you the most amazing experiment in mammals and avifaunas the world have ever witness.
There approximately 224 birds found on Mainland Sulawesi, of which 41 species are endemics and a further 56 species are confined to Sulawesi and/or its satellite islands. We fly into Manado which is the capital of North Sulawesi via Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is an easy 3 hour flight and we arrived at about 8pm local time. After an interesting 2 hour journey by road we will arrive at Tengkoko National Park, were we bed soon at our lodge in exciting anticipation of the coming 3 days of birding at this park. In the next seven days endemics will come fast and furious!.
Day 1 & 2: Tengkoko National Park
Habitat type: Lowland rainforest, secondary forest, coastal forest and mangrove forest
Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);Yellow Breasted Racquet-tailed Parrot (SE);Hairy-crested Drongo; Sooty-headed Bulbul ;Silver Tip imperial Pigeon (SE); Yellow Billed Malkoha (E); Sulawesi Black Pigeon (SE); Finch Billed Myna (SE);Buff Banded Rail ; Channel Billed Cuckoo ;Golden Mantle Racquet Tailed Parrot (E); Rainbow Bee-eater; Green Backed Kingfisher (SE); Black Sunbird ; Lilac Cheeked Kingfisher (SE); Sulawesi Babbler (SE); Ruddy Kingfisher ; Red Backed Thrush (SE); Blue Breasted Pitta ; Brown Cuckoo Dove ; Emerald Dove ; Black Napped Oriole ; White Napped Myna (SE); Red Knob Hornbill (SE); Ashy Woodpecker (SE); Pale Blue Monarch ; Yellow Sided Flower-pecker (SE);White Rumped Cuckoo-shrike (SE); Pied Imperial Pigeon; Scared Kingfisher ; Sulawesi Masked Owl (SE);White Breasted Wood-swallow; Black Billed Kingfisher (SW); Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon ; White Bellied Sea Eagle; Olive Backed Sunbird ; Grey Sided Flower (SE); Black Fronted White Eye; Sulawesi Cicada Bird (SE).
Other wildlife: Tarsier; Sulawesi Black Macaque (SE); Flying Lizards (spp); Squirrels (spp).
Day 3: Tengkoko to Tambun (a breeding site of the unique Maleo)
Habitat type: 4 hours drive along open country, rice paddies and lowland rainforest
Spotted Marsh Harrier; Javan Pond Heron; Red Tuttle Dove; Bay Coucal (SE); Black Billed Koel (SE); Sulawesi Pied Triller (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Maleo (SE); Uniform swiftlet; Great Eared Nightjar.
Note: We spend the next two nights at Doludua with Tante Min Homestay.
Day 4: Dumogo-Bone National Park (am) & Molibagu Road (pm)
Habitat type: Lowland Rainforest and rainforest hill/winding country roads
Purple Needle Tailed Swift; Chestnut Munia; Isabella Bush-hen (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Peregrine Falcon; Ochre Bellied owl (SE); Black Naped Fruit Dove; Spotted Kestrel; Bared Rail; Ochre Bellied Boo Book (SE); Lesser Whistling Duck; Crimson Sunbird; Large Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE); Yellow Sided Flowerpecker (SE);Yellow Bellied Malkoha (SE); Common Kingfisher; Sunda Teal; Collared Kingfisher; Red Knobbed Hornbill (SE); Bhraminy Kite; Cattle Egret; Red Backed Thrush (SE); Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE); Hairy Crested Drongo; Green Imperial Pigeon; Black Naped Green Pigeon; Black Naped Oriole; Purple Heron; White Necked Myna (SE)
Day 5: Molibagu Road (am) to Termohon (pm)
Habitat type: 4 hr drive to Termohon a montane forest via Molibagu Road a winding Lowland Rainforest road.
Sulawesi Short Crested Myna (SE); White bellied Imperial Pigeon (SE); Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill (SE); Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE); Hairy Crested Drongo; Sulawesi Goshawk (SE); Grey Rumped Treeswift; Red Knobbed Hornbill (SE); Blue Eared Kingfisher; Sulawesi Cicadabird (SE); Ivory Backed Woodswallow (SE);Small Sulawesi hanging Parrot (SE).
Day 6 and 7 (am): Termohon
Habitat type: Montane Forest (G. Mawaho), Rice fields and reed lands at lake side
Rufus Bellied Eagle; Brown Cuckoo Dove; Mountain White Eye; Dark Fronted White Eye; Scarlet Honey-eater (SE); Crimson Crowned Flowerpecker (SE); Sulawesi Spotted Goshawk (SE); Sulawesi Serpent Eagle (SE); Bay Coucal (SE); Yellow Bellied Malkoha (SE); Superb Fruit Dove (WE); Citrine Flycatcher; Streaky Headed White Eye (SE); Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE); Island Verditer; Sulawesi Dwarf Woodpecker (SE); Mountain Tailorbird; White Browed Crake; Cinnamon Bittern; Scaly Breasted Munia; Cinnamon Munia; Little Egret; Wandering Whistling Duck; Ziting Cisticola; Lesser Coucal; Glamorous Reed Warbler; Javan Pond Heron; Black Kite; Bhraminy Kite; Blue Breasted Quail.
Day 7: Manado
A one hour drive to Manado followed by a 1 hour foot massage and then we board the flight home to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Special thanks goes to Kent Nickell for his photographs and descriptions.
Chin Hock and Andrew thanks for the opportunity to join you.
Reported by : Irshad Mobarak
Total Count: 102 species including 42 Sulawesi Endemics
1. Ashy Woodpecker (SE);
2. Black Fronted White Eye;
3. Brahminy Kite;
4. Black Naped Fruit Dove;
5. Black Naped Oriole;
6. Bared Rail;
7. Black Naped Green Pigeon;
8. Blue Eared Kingfisher;
9. Brown Cuckoo Dove;
10. Bay Coucal (SE);
11. Black Kite;
12. Blue Breasted Quail.
13. Black Billed Kingfisher (SE);
14. Black Billed Koel (SE);
15. Brown Cuckoo Dove ;
16. Bay Coucal (SE);
17. Black Sunbird ;
18. Buff Banded Rail ;
19. Blue Breasted Pitta ;
20. Black Napped Oriole ;
21. Chestnut Munia;
22. Crimson Sunbird;
23. Common Kingfisher;
24. Collared Kingfisher;
25. Cattle Egret;
26. Crimson Crowned Flowerpecker (SE);
27. Channel Billed Cuckoo ;
28. Citrine Flycatcher;
29. Cinnamon Bittern;
30. Cinnamon Munia;
31. Dark Fronted White Eye;
32. Emerald Dove ;
33. Finch Billed Myna (SE);
34. Golden Mantle Racquet Tailed Parrot (SE);
35. Green Backed Kingfisher (SE);
36. Great Eared Nightjar.
37. Green Imperial Pigeon;
38. Grey Sided Flowerpecker (SE);
39. Grey Rumped Treeswift;
40. Grey Cheeked Green Pigeon ;
41. Glamorous Reed Warbler;
42. Hairy-crested Drongo;
43. Isabella Bush-hen (SE);
44. Ivory Backed Woodswallow (SE);
45. Island Verditer;
46. Javan Pond Heron;
47. Lilac Cheeked Kingfisher (SE);
48. Lesser Whistling Duck;
49. Large Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE);
50. Little Egret; Lesser Coucal;
51. Maleo (SE);
52. Mountain White Eye;
53. Mountain Tailorbird;
54. Olive Backed Sunbird ;
55. Ochre Bellied Boo Book (SE);
56. Pale Blue Monarch;
57. Purple Needle Tailed Swift;
58. Peregrine Falcon;
59. Purple Heron;
60. Pied Imperial Pigeon;
61. Rainbow Bee-eater;
62. Red Tuttle Dove;
63. Rufus Bellied Eagle;
64. Red Knob Hornbill (SE);
65. Ruddy Kingfisher ;
66. Red Backed Thrush (SE);
67. Scared Kingfisher ;
68. Spotted Kestrel;
69. Sunda Teal;
70. Spotted Marsh Harrier;
71. Sulawesi Pied Triller (SE);
72. Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);
73. Sulawesi Short Crested Myna (SE);
74. Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill (SE);
75. Sulawesi Goshawk (SE);
76. Small Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (SE);
77. Scarlet Honey-eater (SE);
78. Sulawesi Spotted Goshawk (SE);
79. Sulawesi Serpent Eagle (SE);
80. Superb Fruit Dove (WE);
81. Streaky Headed White Eye (SE);
82. Sulawesi Dwarf Woodpecker (SE);
83. Scaly Breasted Munia;
84. Sulawesi Cicadabird (SE).
85. Sulawesi Masked Owl (SE);
86. Sulawesi Babbler (SE);
87. Sulawesi Black Pigeon (SE);
88. Silver Tip imperial Pigeon (SE);
89. Sooty-headed Bulbul ;
90. Sulawesi Hawk Eagle (SE);
91. Uniform swiftlet;
92. White Necked Myna (SE);
93. White bellied Imperial Pigeon (SE);
94. White Breasted Wood-swallow;
95. White Browed Crake;
96. White Bellied Sea Eagle;
97. Wandering Whistling Duck;
98. White Rumped Cuckoo-shrike (SE);
99. Yellow Breasted Racquet-tailed Parrot (SE);
100. Yellow Sided Flower-pecker (SE);
101. Yellow Billed Malkoha (SE);
102. Ziting Cisticola;