Papua Wildlife
Klasow Valley have a special long list of mega Papua endemics
Northern Cassowary, King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Lesser Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, the superb Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Blue Black Kingfisher, Common Paradise kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Thick-billed Ground Pigeon, Wallace Nightjar, Streak-headed Honeyeaters, Meyer’s Friarbird, Metallic Starling, Singing Starlings, Black Butcherbird, Lesser Bird-of-Paradise, Jobi Manucode, Brown Oriole, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Grey Crow, Marbled, Papuan Frogmouths, New Guinea Bronzewing, Papuan Nightjar, Papuan Hawk-Owl, Stephan's Emerald Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Coroneted Fruit Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Pinon's Imeprial Pigeon, Zoe's Imperial Pigeon, Marble Frogmouth, Papuan Frogmouth, Vulturine Parrot, Salvadori's Fig-Parrot, Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Rainbow Lorikeet, Western Black-capped and Brown Lories, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, White-eared Catbird, Lowland Peltops, Blue Jewel-Babbler, Yellow-faced Myna, Brown-headed Crow, Crimson Finch, Hooded Mannikin, Streak-headed Mannikin and even Brown-collared Brush-Turkey, Rufous Night-Heron, Long-tailed Buzzard, Grey-headed Goshawk, Papuan Nightjar, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Coroneted Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Beautiful Fruit-Doves, Stephan’s Ground-Dove, Pinon and Zoe Imperial-Pigeons, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Oriental Hobby, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Gould’s Bronze-Cuckoos, Lesser Black and Greater Black Coucals, White-crowned Koel, Dwarf Koel, Blyth’s Hornbill, Moustached Tree-swift, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Papuan Spine-tailed Swift, Rufous-collared Monarch, Spot-winged Monarchs, Boyer’s, Black and Grey-headed Cuckoo-Shrikes, Golden Cuckoo-Shrike, Rufous Babbler, Large-billed Gerygones, Sooty Fantail, White-bellied Thicket-Fantails, Northern Fantail, Shining Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Black-sided Robin, Little Shrike-Thrush, Variable and Rusty Pitohuis, Emperor Fairy-wren, and Rusty Mouse-Warbler.
BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY IN SOUTHWEST PAPUA
Bird Photography in Southwest Papua is exciting but difficult and demanding, although the rewards can be fantastic and some charismatic groups are simply “world-class”, Bird of Paradise, parrots, pigeons, and kingfishers being obvious examples. Birds here are usually shy, light conditions and weather are often challenging, the terrain difficult, transport problematic, and not to mention logistic problems including frequent unexpected airline-schedule changes. Security problems are ever-present but generally not major, provided that you follow the usual protocols:
Make sure that you have local people to facilitate access to land, and agree with them in advance how much you are paying and to whom. Most disputes arise over land access, which is very different from your country.
Do not wear valuable jewelry or carry expensive items in urban areas, and be particularly cautious in any large town. Security in rural areas is usually much less of an issue, and so long as you have local people along you will be unlucky to encounter major problems. Most people are friendly and intrigued by bird photographers and what they are up to, but do explain carefully what you are doing.
Be patient. Losing your temper and demanding things will give the opposite results to what is desired; the phenomenon of payback is alive and well in Southwest Papua and covers minor things, as well as serious tribal disputes.
Travel in Southwest Papua is quite challenging but has improved immeasurably of late, although the infrastructure may be far less developed and it is advisable to have a good level of fitness to tackle steep trails and wet muddy conditions or hot humid lowlands. Security matters are generally better also.
TRIP CONSIDERATIONS
PACE: Moderate to Intense. This tour will require long days in the fields and early starts on most days. On some portions of the trip, especially those spent in the hot lowlands of Klabili birding site in Klasow Valley.
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: On this trip, the birding sites are on dirt roads and easy logging tracks and trails.
CLIMATE: New Guinea lies in the equatorial zone and is surrounded by warm tropical seas, with a humid tropical climate and many mountain ranges causing great variation in rainfall. This ranges from moderate to very high, with some montane regions having more than 10,000 mm of rainfall per annum. Temperatures along the coast are hot, above 30oC, but at very high altitudes it can drop below freezing at night, though snowfall is apparent only above 3800 m, and mainly in West Papua, where some relict glaciers remain. Clouds and fog are frequent, especially in the morning and late afternoon, though mornings typically are clear and sunny. Rain tends to come in the afternoon, often being quite heavy but sometimes not lasting for too long, although highland areas can experience quite long wet periods. Clouds cover the mountains and promote the growth of epiphytes and mosses, with very high humidity in the lowland and hill forests.
ACCOMMODATIONS: In Klasow Valley, Raja Ampat Birding’s clients will stay in Klabili Village, where there is only electricity for a couple of hours each night, the guesthouses are quite simple, and some of them only have shared bathroom facilities.
INFO TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Visas on arrival in Indonesia can be obtained for tourists from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and EU countries for stays of under 30 days. There is a fee for this, payable in cash (in US Dollars). Travel requirements are subject to change; we recommend double-checking entry requirements six weeks before the tour or asking our office staff for help.
The sample bird photo packages 3 days and 2 nights in Southwest Papua
Klabili Eco Village in Klasow Valley, Southwest Papua
Description
Day 1: Arrival Sorong – Klasow Valley
The tours begin with your arrival at Sorong Airport, we will pick you up and then drive to one of the hotels nearby to have breakfast first. After breakfast, we will drive about 2 hours to the village of Klasow Valley. Check in and have lunch at Guesthouse. Afternoon photo trip for Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Blue Black Kingfisher, Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, and King Bird of Paradise. Night at Klabili Guesthouse.
Day 2: Klasow Valley – Twelve wired Bird of Paradise
After early morning breakfast, then the morning trip, we will walk for 30 minutes to reach the spot of the twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. For the afternoon trip, we will try to photograph the Lesser Bird of Paradise. Or might also try to photograph Papuan Pitta from the hide. Night at Guesthouse.
Day 3: Klasow Valley – Sorong Airport
After breakfast, we still have time to photograph some bird, at 11 am, we will drive two hours to reach Sorong Airport for our next destination.