West Papua October 2025 Part 5 – Lowland rainforest of the Sorong area

 

Western Crowned Pigeon

Following a successful few days on Waigeo Island, we settled in for a 4-night stay in the cosy Aston Hotel in Sorong for the last stage of our 22-day West Papua tour. Malagufuk Village, a bit over an hour's drive from Sorong, is the go-to hotspot for the region's specialties. Birding here centres around a 3.5km boardwalk, slippery when wet, that winds its way through lush lowland rainforest and swamp forest. Birding along the road can also be productive.

Megalufuk boardwalk

Large Fig-Parrot flew over both mornings at Malagufuk, and Double-eyed Fig Parrot was feeding roadside. A pair of Black Lories, a top regional target, put in an appearance. A much-wanted Red-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher was tracked down not far into our first boardwalk stroll.

Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher

So too was a Blue-back Kingfisher. Both species can usually (but not always) be seen reliably along the boardwalk.

Blue-black Kingfisher

Shining Flycatcher was sitting on a nest at the carpark.

Shining Flycatcher on nest

We had planned one evening for villagers to search for Long-beaked Echidna and waited around for the village for most of the afternoon, but heavy rain did not let up. The next night also was ruled out due to weather so unfortunately we had to give it a miss. We did see Lowland Ring-tailed Possum and Brown Forest Wallaby.

Arriving at Megalufuk Village

Our second morning saw us at a similar boardwalk near Klabili Village. The local guide here was the best of the trip. We kicked off with a pair of Forest Bitterns attending a nest with at least one young. This is a difficult New Guinea endemic to nail so seeing these cryptic birds was a trip highlight.

Forest Bittern (above & below)

Then we enjoyed close-up view of Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot and more Black Lories.

Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot

Hook-billed Kingfisher and Red-billed Brushturkey were calling in numbers. Then we heard the low booming call of a Western Crowned Pigeon, a major target. The guide led us through a challenging maze of mud and scrub before abruptly running towards a group of 5 pigeons feeding on the ground. The idea is to flush them so they land in trees instead of scurrying off into the undergrowth. A pair perched in just the right spot and those of us who saw them there waited for an anxious 10 minutes before the rest of the group caught up. Everybody saw this stunning bird - particularly rewarding for those who hadn't seen a crowned pigeon before.

Western Crowned Pigeon

All eyes on a big pigeon

We looked on the final morning at Malagufuk for our two remaining chief targets. The guide searched hard for Northern Cassowary – a bird had been a frequent visitor to a fruiting tree near the village recently – but we found only the fresh footprints of an adult. Likewise a hoped for Pheasant Pigeon failed to materialise but we at least heard them at close quarters. Eastern Hooded Pitta was quite common. Other birds to show included plenty of Rusty Babblers, Rusty Pitohui, Hooded Monarch and Magnificent Riflebird.

Local guide on the lookout for Pheasant Pigeon

Yellow-billed Kingfisher was common at both rainforest sites visited, showing well occasionally but mostly heard.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

A straw poll of the group for the tour on its last night in Sorong elected these as the top 10 birds: 1 – Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise; 2 - Black Sicklebill; 3 – Forest Bittern; 4 – Feline Owlet-nightjar; 5 – Masked Bowerbird; 6- White-striped Forest Rail; 7- Grey-banded Mannikin; 8 – Geelvink Pygmy Parrot; 9 – Lesser Bird-of-Paradise (the last three tied); 10 – Red-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher.

Last night of the tour

West Papua October 2025 Part 4 – Waigeo Island

 

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise

We flew from Manikwari to Sorong following our Arfak Mountains visit, then caught the ferry for the 2.5-hour journey to the island of Waigeo at the far western end of West Papua. Large numbers of Red-necked Phalarope were at sea. We were transferred to the pleasant Korpak Villa Resort for a 3-night stay. 

Korpak Villa Resort

The next day began with another nocturnal hike through forest to be at a special spot at dawn - a hide overlooking the lek of a Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise.

Wilson's Bird-of Paradise

As the sun rose the forest resounded with the loud, distinctive call of the male Wilson's. Then a male bird landed on a bare branch near the ground in the lek. It hopped about, overturning and moving leaves, and even in the half light the vividness of its extraordinary colours was evident. That striking combination or iridescent green, blue, yellow, black and red - with violet circular tail feathers – was something to behold as the sunlight improved. At one stage the bird fluffed out its shield of breast feathers to display to a visiting female. It left and returned several times, paying close attention to tidying the lek; a large leaf that floated down between visits was swiftly removed. It was no surprise that this species – found only on Waigeo and the nearby island of Batanta, was voted by the group as the top bird of the trip.

Wilson's Bird-of-Paradise (displaying above)

Returning back down the track we saw the regional endemic Raja Ampat Pitohui, which was encountered on other occasions over the next two days.

Raja Ampat Pithoui

A Palm Cockatoo was spotted along the road.

Palm Cockatoo

In the afternoon we visited another hide, this one two storeys high, where the Red Bird-of-Paradise put on a show for us. We watched as 6-8 birds flew about, with males displaying and chasing each other as females checked out what was on offer. Two top birds-of-paradise in a day was nothing to complain about.

Red Bird-of-Paradise (female above, male below)

The next two mornings we walked the trails of Warkesi Forest Park. Here we found the endemic Waigeo Shrikethrush to be quite common. A lookout gave us good views of Black-capped Lory, Orange-fronted (Papuan) Hanging Parrot and Black-shouldered Cuckooshrike, with brief views of White-eared Catbird for some.

Black-capped Lory

Brown-headed Crow and Dusky Megapode were located along the track and a few had fly-by views of New Guinea Bronzewing. A Papuan Boobook was finally seen before dawn on our last morning; we had heard several earlier during the tour.

Papuan Boobook

Returning one evening we spotlighted a female Northern Common Cuscus with a well-developed youngster in tow roadside.

Northern Common Cuscus

We took a boat out one afternoon and visited the attractive Mioskon Island. Some of us enjoyed a spot of snorkelling and all of us enjoyed good views of Spice Imperial Pigeon, another regional specialty.

Spice Imperial Pigeon

Pied Imperial Pigeon and Beach Kingfisher were common, while Violent-necked Lory was added to the list.

Pied Imperial Pigeon

We motored on for a thoroughly enchanting ride through hundreds of limestone, rainforest-topped islands in Kabui Bay. 

Kabui Bay

Waigeo Coast

We returned to Sorong by ferry the next day, when Matsudaira's Storm-Petrel and Bulwer's Petrel for some were notable sightings.

Bulwer's Petrel (pic by Richard Fuller)

West Papua October 2025 Part 3: Fabulous birds of the Arfak Mountains

 

Black Sicklebill

The Arfak Mountains of West Papua offer of feast of avian gems including some of the planet's most beautiful birds. A 6-day visit after our Nimbokrang sojourn began with a 2-hour drive from the coastal city of Manokwari in a convoy of three 4-wheel drive trucks to the village of Maybri at 1450m, where we arrived in the early evening. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the basic but friendly homestay at Maybri.

Maybri Guesthouse

Great views from the guesthouse over the surrounding forest.

We were up very early on our first morning to be at the village of Syoubri at 1550m to begin our hike up the mountain at 3am. It was a long, slow and muddy ascent in the rain. We passed Sicklebill Camp, where birding groups sometimes overnight, and arrived just before sunrise at our destination – a hide at 2020m overlooking the display area of the glorious Black Sicklebill. We heard males calling around us for a while before one perched atop a display tree at eye-level a short distance away.

Black Sicklebill male

The bird put on a fine display of fluffing its iridescent plumage and jumping about as the occasional female dropped by, one allowing herself to be mated. It was a jaw-dropping experience to see this – a bird I had missed on multiple trips to Papua New Guinea.

Black Sicklebill male & female

We headed back through the misty, mossy forest looking for birds we could expect to find only in the higher reaches of the mountains. We were rewarded with reasonable views of Ashy Robin and Papuan Treecreeper but Papuan Logrunner failed to show. At Sicklebill Camp we had our first Vogelkop Scrubwren and two more high altitude specialties – Rufous-sided Honeyeater and Cinnamon-browed Melidectes. Friendly Fantail was about and... friendly.

Friendly Fantail

We visited a hide further down at 1770m where fruit was left out to attract birds. Here we found the first of many Western Parotias we were to see. The leks used by males doing their dramatic wing display could sadly not be accessed by our group due to growing and unfortunate rivalry between villages for the ecotourism dollars offered by visiting birders.

Western Parotias

Then along came a key target. A Long-tailed Paradigalla put on a decent show as it fed on the red fruit. Outside the hide we were happy to see the difficult-to-find, tiny Papuan Lorikeet in a feeding tree.

Long-tailed Paradigalla

Another female Black Sicklebill put in an appearance. Heading further down the track we saw Vogelkop Melidenctes, Arfak Honeyeater, Black Pitohui and Papuan Lorikeet before getting back to Syoubri.

Black Sicklebill female

We returned to Maybri - our base for the next few days, having largely cleaned up the high altitude forest target species. (Arfak Astrapia was once viewable above Sicklebill Camp but birds were allegedly shot by rival villagers.) One of the joys of our Maybri accommodation is that the homestay is surrounded by the humble abodes of traditional villagers. Our many interactions with these friendly people were enjoyed by them and us in equal measure. Dogs sitting in the pews at a church service? Sure. Various village images below.

Another highlight of Maybri was the first class food, prepared by local women under the guidance of the capable Gina Baware.

Cooking up a storm

Our time around Maybri was focused on several different hides, most with fruit out similar to the one higher up. The first hide we visited had more parotias and our first Vogelkop Superb Lophorinas, with several males showing nicely.

Vogelkop Superb Lophorina

A female and a male immature Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise turned up; others later were to see a male in full plumage. Green-backed Robin was glimpsed a few times from hides.

Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise female

Female Lesser Bird of-Paradise was a regular at this and other hides although no males appeared.

Lesser Bird-of-Paradise female

Another hide was visited by a Black-billed Sicklebird, a hill forest-lower montain forest specialty that can be easily missed.

Black-billed Sicklebill

Western Parotia & Black-billed Sicklebill

Villagers were dispatched to track down 4 species of owlet-nightjar at their day roosts, and we were fortunate to see all 4 over 2 days. First was a Vogelkop Owlet-nightjar in its tree hole – this recently split species is probably the most difficult to see.

Vogelkop Owlet-nightjar

Next was a Mountain Owlet-nightjar spotted on its daytime perch in the lower forest canopy by a sharp-eyed guide.

Mountain Owlet-nightjar

Number Three was the much-wanted Feline Owlet-nightjar. We'd heard one during our night hike up the mountain. Now we were watching one at eye level at its daytime perch.

Feline Owlet-nightjar

Finally a Wallace's Owlet-nightjar was watched peering from its roosting hole.

Wallace's Owlet-nightjar

We visited the elaborate bower of the Vogelkop Bowerbird. The bird initially was shy but more co-operative on later visits. It dutifully put a few colourful objects that we had moved around back in their rightful places.

Vogelkop Bowerbird bower

Vogelkop Bowerbird

The villagers made a makeshift hide out of banana leaves so we could watch another much-wanted Maybri special. White-striped Forest Rail skulked around for a while calling before a male eventually showed nicely.

White-striped Forest Rail

Birds were plentiful around the village. Arfak Catbird was heard often and seen occasionally. Hooded Pitohui fed below the kitchen.

Hooded Pitohui

Olive-crowned Flowerpecker was not expected to be so common at this altitude.

Olive-crowned Flowerpecker female

A fruiting tree outside the church attracted Mountain Fruit Dove and Superb Fruit Dove.

Mountain Fruit Dove

It was also favoured by the fabulous Masked Bowerbird, another contendor for Bird of the Planet. Several females had flown in before a male finally visited a few times, giving everyone a good look.

Masked Bowerbird female

Masked Bowerbird male above & below

On our last day in the Arfaks we drove up a rough and sometimes hair-raising road to 2040m in the Lake Anggi area. Here the montane forest was mossy and more sparse, interspersed with areas of subalpine heath and wet grassland - very different from what we had experienced further down.

Heading up the mountain

This was the hotspot for Grey-banded Mannikin, a delightful endemic confined to a tiny range in these high mountains.

Grey-banded Mannikin

We saw 60+ in the area, along with the alpine race of Papuan Grassbird. We left the Arfaks to return to Manokwari for an overnight stay at the comfortably Swiss Bell Hotel.

We just saw a Feline Owlet-nightjar!