BIRDING IN IRIAN JAYA
January 2006
This tour is designed for people who have visited Papua New Guinea before and wish for more of the truly unique experiences that the remarkable island of New Guinea has to offer. Alternatively it should also appeal to the adventurous newcomer who wants to explore some of the most remote and less well known areas of this incredibly diverse region.
We arrive in Jayapura and next day fly to Wamena, the administrative and communications hub of the Baliem Valley. From here we begin our nine-day round trip trek with our group of porters through the forested hills until we reach Lake Habbema below Mt Trikora, Irian Jaya's second highest mountain. This area holds some of New Guinea's most sought-after species including Salvadori's Teal, Snow Mountain Quail, Lorentz's Whistler, Orange-cheeked Honeyeater, Sooty Melidectes, Short-bearded Melidectes, Archbold's Bowerbird and the weird and wonderful Macgregor's Bird of Paradise. Our long trek back to Wamena takes us through some spectacular alpine scenery and the chance of more montane species in this almost ornithologically unknown area.
On returning to Jayapura we then visit Biak Island, home to nine (arguably ten) endemics including Biak Paradise-Kingfisher, Biak Red Lory, Biak Monarch and Biak Black Flycatcher.
From Biak we fly to Manokwari, the logistics base for our next mountain adventure. From here we fly to Minyambow in the Arfak Mountains where we will again explore some rarely visited areas. During our four day stay we expect to see a wide variety of montane species including many sought-after endemics such as Wattled Brush-Turkey, Smoky Robin, Vogelkop Whistler, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Flame (Masked) Bowerbird, Long-tailed Paradigalla, Arfak Astrapia and Western Parotia.
After our mountain trek we return to Manokwari and explore the local lowland forest. In the evening we take an overnight passenger ship to Sorong in the far west of the Vogelkop. From here we travel by boat to Batanta Island where we stay for two nights. This island holds the Red Bird of Paradise which occurs in the lowland forest and the spectacular Wilson's Bird of Paradise which occurs on Mt Batanta. The slog up the steep mountain is tough but the birds are worth it! We will also visit neighbouring Salawati Island which also holds both King and magnificent Birds of Paradise. Here we will also to try and find the large but elusive Western Crowned Pigeon if we have not already seen it on Batanta.
We then return to Sorong for our final afternoon birding and finally fly back to Jayapura via Biak to connect with our international flights.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrive in Jayapura, stay at Matoa Hotel.
Day 2 Fly to Wamena, explore local area while supplies are prepared and porters
arranged for the trek to Lake Habbema; stay at Baliem Hotel.
Day 3 By road to Ibele village then an approx. 8 hour walk to Daelah village,
overnight in tents.
Day 4 Whole day walking and birding en route, overnight in tents.
Day 5 5 hour walk, camp at Lake Habbema.
Day 6 Birding Lake Habbema area.
Day 7 Walk around Lake Habbema and camp on trail to Babilolo.
Day 8 Early start for all-day walking and birding to Babilolo village, overnight in
tents.
Day 9 Early start for all-day walking and birding to Walaek village, overnight in
tents or at school house.
Day 10 3 hour walk to Sinatma village then by road to Wamena, stay at Baliem
Hotel.
Day 11 Fly to Jayapura, stay at Matoa Hotel. Afternoon birding to be arranged.
Day 12 Fly to Biak Island, afternoon local birding, stay at Hotel Arumbai.
Day 13 Birding eastern Biak, Adibai, Warafri and Tanjung Barari forest areas.
Day 14 Birding western and northern Biak.
Day 15 Fly to Manokwari, birding local area in afternoon, stay at Mutiara Hotel.
Day 16 Drive up to Minyambow in the Arfak Mountains. Stay at missionary house
or in tents.
Days 17 to 19 Explore the Mokwam, Minyambow and Siobri areas staying either at
the missionary house or camping out.
Day 20 Drive back to Manokwari, birding local area in afternoon, stay at Mutiara
Hotel.
Day 21 Birding the Warkapi area all day, overnight at Mutiara Hotel.
Day 22 Transfer to the pier to board passenger ship for sailing to Sorong, overnight
in cabins on ship.
Day 23 Sorong, birding the local area, stay at Hotel Cenderawasih.
Day 24 By boat to Batanta Island (3 hours), birding lowland forest, overnight in
tents or hut.
Day 25 Early start for tough trek up Mt Batanta, birding all day on the island.
Day 26 Early morning birding on Batanta then boat to Salawati island for rest of
day birding there, return to Batanta for overnight.
Day 27 Boat to Sorong with stopoff on Senapang Island, overnight at Hotel
Cenderawasih.
Day 28 Fly to Jayapura via Biak to connect with international flights.
Tour price London - London £5725 twin share where appropriate
Jayapura - Jayapura £ 4725
The cost includes all travel within Irian Jaya, police permit (surat jalan), accommodation, meals, excursions, leader services, local guides, porters, landowner fees and camping equipment. Individual requirements for passports, visas, travel insurance, drinks and items of a purely personal nature are not included.
Target species for the various sections of the tour include :
Baliem Valley
Salvadori's Teal Snow Mountain Quail
King Quail Painted Tiger-Parrot
Feline Owlet-nightjar Archbold's Owlet-nightjar
Alpine Pipit Lorentz's Whistler
Papuan Treecreeper Orange-cheeked Honeyeater
Sooty Melidectes Short-bearded Melidectes
Black-breasted Mannikin Western Alpine Mannikin
Archbold's Bowerbird Macgregor's Bird of Paradise
Loria's Bird of Paradise Crested Bird of Paradise
Brown Sicklebill Splendid Astrapia
Superb Bird of Paradise King of Saxony Bird of Paradise
Biak Island
Geelvink Scrubfowl Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Biak Red Lory Geelvink Pygmy-Parrot
Biak Coucal Biak Paradise Kingfisher
Biak Monarch Biak Black Flycatcher
Biak White-eye Biak Gerygone
Long-tailed Starling
Arfak Mountains and Manokwari area
Wattled Brush-Turkey Rufescent Imperial Pigeon
Moluccan King-Parrot Spotted Jewel-babbler
New Guinea Logrunner Mountain Owlet-nightjar
Vogelkop Scrubwren Black-chinned Robin
Smoky Robin Vogelkop Whistler
Western Smoky Honeyeater Vogelkop Bowerbird
Flame (Masked) Bowerbird Long-tailed Paradigalla
Magnificent Riflebird Buff-tailed Sicklebill
Black Sicklebill Arfak Astrapia
Western Parotia Magnificent Bird of Paradise
Superb Bird of Paradise Lesser Bird of Paradise
Sorong, Batanta and Salawati
Northern Cassowary Spice Imperial Pigeon
Western Crowned Pigeon Beach Kingfisher
Black Lory Wilson's Bird of Paradise
Magnificent Bird of Paradise King Bird of Paradise
Red Bird of Paradise
Recommended Reading :
Beehler, B. Pratt, T.and Zimmerman, D. Birds of New Guinea. 1986
Princeton University Press, Princeton, Nrew Jersey. ISBN 0 691 02394 8
An excellent field guide covering all the birds of mainland New Guinea; the recommended field guide for the tour.
Coates, B.J. The Birds of Papua New Guinea
Volume 1 : Non-passerines. 1985. Volume 2 ; Passerines 1990.
Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. ISBN 0 9590257 2 3 (set)
Two magnificent photographic guides to the birds of Papua New Guinea including the Bismarck Archipelago and the Admiralty Islands. Very bulky but excellent reference books before and after the tour.
Coates, B. J. Birds of New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. 2001.
A pocket-sized photographic guide, an excellent adjunct to the recommended field guide and very useful for this particular tour.
Muller K. Indonesian New Guinea Irian Jaya. 1993
Periplus Editions (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Farrer Road P. O. Box 115, Singapore 9128
ISBN 0 945971 06 0
A comprehensive guide giving excellent information on travel, history, geography and local culture with useful overviews on the flora and fauna of the region. A very useful insight to the workings of the country and it is highly recommended as pre-tour reading.
This tour is administered by Sicklebill Safaris Ltd under ATOL 4002 owned by Scuba Safaris, P O Box 8 Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7ZS, UK.