Papua New Guinea Cruise Part 2 : Birding the rainforest of New Britain near Rabaul

 

Black-capped Paradise-Kingfisher

During our cruise from Brisbane to Papua New Guinea, we had an overnight port stop in Rabaul in east New Britain. This allowed an opportunity for a morning of rainforest birding on February 1. I’ve visited Rabaul previously while working as a journalist and had limited opportunity to bird forest patches far from town. Most birders visit west New Britain and little is known ornithologically of the island’s eastern half. I was able to organise a highly recommended tour with the Rabaul-based company Pauvu Tours (contact Tulipa Paivu tpaivu40@gmail.com) or find them on Facebook.

Rachael from Pauvu Tours

A fellow cruise passenger, Colin Palethorpe, joined me. We were allowed off the ship early and were picked up at 5am in a 4-wheel drive. With driver Mare and guide Rachael, we drove 65km south-east of Rabaul into the hills to a patch of rainforest near Rachael’s village, Delroy, in the Warangoi area. I knew there was little good habitat close to Rabaul, 30km in a straight line to this site near the Warangoi Powerhouse. The often bad roads (the drive took us 1.5 hours, arriving about 6.30am) was through a depressing sea of coconut, Chinese-owned oil palm and other plantations with even secondary regrowth confined to scraps in gullies.

Bismarck Crow

The site at 170 metres above sea level was a fine stand of rainforest overflowing with birds but it was small and shrinking – essentially flanking a 500m stretch of road - with extensive areas of forest around it having burned recently.

Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon

Nonetheless it gave us a good sampling of New Britain and Bismarck specialties in quick succession. Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon and Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon were quite common, perching openly in the early morning sun; there was no sign of Finsch’s Imperial-Pigeon. Superb Fruit-Doves were common. 

Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon

Superb Fruit-Dove

Several Great Flying-Fox were seen perched and flying.

Great Flying-Fox

A pair of stub-tailed Bismarck Hanging-Parrots flying up the road was a welcome sight, while Blue-eyed Cockatoos noisily joined the morning chorus. Eclectus Parrots were common, flying overheading and feeding in a fruiting tree. 

Eclectus Parrot female (above and below)

Moutached Tree-Swifts sat atop tall trees. White-mantled Kingfishers called from inside the forest but only brief flight views were had.

Moustached Tree-Swift

More co-operative was a pair of Black-capped Paradise-Kingfishers, with both birds showing nicely.

Black-capped Paradise-Kinfisher (above and below)

As we left the area we saw a couple of Melanesian (Collared) Kingfishers in more open habitat. A Bismarck Pitta teased at it called at close quarters, allowing  a decent if brief flight view. 

Melanesian Kingfisher

New Britain Friarbird was very common. A pair of Bismarck Fantails were heard and then seen furtively making their way through the undergrowth; the species is scarce at this low altitude. Others included Bismarck Crow, Black Sunbird and Ashy Myzomela. We left the area late morning and were back at the ship by 1pm, so it’s an easy trip for cruising birders to undertake during a Rabaul stopover.

New Britain Friarbird

SPECIES (*lifer): Great Flying-Fox*.

Buff-banded Rail, Brahminy Kite, Pacific Baza, Amboyna Cuckoo-shrike,

Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon, Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon*, Superb Fruit-Dove, Blue-eyed Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, *Bismarck Hanging-Parrot, Brush Cuckoo, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Uniform Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet, Moustached Tree-Swift,

*White-mantled (New Britain) Kingfisher, *Black-capped Paradise-Kingfisher, Melanesian (Collared) Kingfisher, *Bismarck Pitta, Pacific Swallow, Varied Triller, Barred Cuckoo-Shrike (subsp sublineata), Black Sunbird, New Britain Friarbird, Ashy Myzomela, Red-banded Flowerpecker (subsp lagardorum), *Bismarck Fantail, Black-tailed Monarch, Velvet Flycatcher, Spangled Drongo (subsp laemostictus), Bismarck Crow, Singing Starling, Hooded Mannikin. 33 species (6 lifers). Elist here.

Black Sunbird female