West Papua October 2025 Part 2: Nimbokrang

 

Salvadori's Fig Parrot

Following our visit to Biak Island , we flew to the West Papuan capital of Jayapura and drove in convoy for 2 hours to the village of Nimbokrang. The village is the base for exploring the bird-rich tropical lowland rainforest of north-east West Papua. We had three full days and four nights here.

Papua coast near Jayapura 

A basic but pleasant homestay here was more than adequate for our needs. Injuries sustained during my fall on Biak prevented me from joining the others for morning hikes. However, I was able to join them for late afternoon sessions at a lookout near the village and do a bit of birding on my own in easier terrain - ending up with no net loss of lifer numbers.

Nimbokrang Homestay

The big attraction for the group more generally were birds-of-paradise and in particular, the spectacular displays of Lesser, King and Twelve-wired birds-of-paradise they enjoyed. I had seen these previously in Papua New Guinea (the border with which is 80km to the east) and would have loved to witness repeat performances. They also saw Pale-billed Sicklebill and Jobi Manucode.

Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise (Pic Alex Cruz)

Grand Mannikin and Black-billed Coucal were among birds I found around the township while the group were out.

Grand Mannikin

Papuan Eclectus Parrot was about in numbers and it was common in the lowlands throughout the trip.

Papuan Eclectus Parrot

Hooded Butcherbird was at home in village gardens.

Hooded Butcherbird

Puff-backed Meliphaga was common about the homestay.

Puff-backed Meliphaga

Following a late afternoon visit to the lookout, we had excellent views of a roadside Papuan Nightjar at dusk.

Papuan Nightjar

The next evening the group visited a track that was off-limits to me, scoring a Papuan Hawk Owl after sunset. Compensation of sorts for me came with Mamberamo Shrike-thrush and Northern Variable Pitohui sightings by the road while they were up the path.

Papuan Hawk Owl (Pic Richard Fuller)

The group's long walk on our last day at Nimbokrang failed to turn up a hoped for Victoria Crowned Pigeon. I was accompanied by a guide on another roadside walk, chalking up a much-wanted Dwarf Koel.

Dwarf Koel

The guide knew of a nesting hole used by a regional endemic, Salvadori's Fig Parrot, but thought it was long vacated. We dropped by anyway and a parrot was there, demonstrating considerable interest in the nesting hole.

Salvadori's Fig Parrot at nest hole

Meanwhile, a Long-tailed Buzzard soared overhead.

Long-tailed Buzzard

Black and Sahul sunbirds were plentiful in roadside village gardens and secondary growth.

Black Sunbird

Pink-spotted Fruit Dove appeared to be the commonest fruit dove.

Pink-spotted Fruit Dove

Plenty of Rufous-bellied Kookaburras were about.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra

I was surprised to find a medium-size Saltwater Crocodile by a creek. In the afternoon I joined the others at the lookout, from which we managed to see a pair of Brown Lories, another regional endemic.

Saltwater Crocodile

Aside from being a top birding site, the lookout offered fine views over the surrounding forest.

 Nimbokrang was once a reliable site for Northern Cassowary. Numbers have been seriously depleted by hunting and forest-clearing and we had to make do with two captive birds in village gardens, including our homestay. 

Northern Cassowary (captive)

We returned to Jayapura after the rest of the group scored the Salvadori's Fig Parrot during an early morning twitch. We stopped by the scenic Lake Sentani and flew across Geelvink Bay to Manokwari for the next stage of our journey.

Departing Nimbokrang

West Papua October 2025 Part 1: Biak Island

Biak Hooded Pitta

Our 22-day private tour of West Papua kicked off on Biak Island on October 7, 2025. I organised the tour in conjunction with Sulawesi birder Untu Baware. West Papua refers to the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea, embracing several provinces. The region is becoming increasingly popular with birders as it provides relatively easy access to an extraordinary range of birds – including birds of paradise and other spectacular species - in a variety of habitats. Improving infrastructure and accommodation at various sites makes what was once a difficult destination much easier to visit, although a West Papua trip remains challenging.

First night's bird call

Untu and his daughter Fergina Baware did an excellent job of putting together the logistical arrangements for this trip. Other participants from Australia and the United States were George Appleby, Joe Corcoran, Alex Cruz, Detlef Davies, Richard Fuller, Charles McGrath and Bill Moorhead. They were excellent company and we succeeded in nailing the vast majority of target species. Particular attention was paid to Vogelkop and West Papua endemics, and species difficult to see in neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

Biak coast

Biak offers the opportunity to see 21 Biak and Geelvink Bay endemic bird species. We had decided not to visit Numfor Island as some groups do because it has just 2 endemics not shared with Biak and is logistically more difficult. Our planned 3-day visit to Biak was extended to 4 days because of airline flight rescheduling, although we did not need that extra day. Untu had arranged accommodation at the pleasant Swiss Bell Hotel and our group was transported here and elsewhere throughout the trip in three comfortable vehicles.

Notwithstanding the exhausting overnight flights to get us there, we were keen to hit the road after leaving our luggage at the hotel. In an area of secondary forest not too far from the hotel we scored our first Biak-Geelvink endemic – the handsome Geelvink Fruit-Dove.

Geelvink Fruit Dove

Shortly after we saw a Biak Triller - the first of many we were to encounter - while a pair of Black-winged Lories flew overhead. The afternoon was spent resting to recover from the lengthy travels  undertaken to get here. Although Biak might be a short distance in a direct line from Australia, it is a long haul through Jakarta or Denpasar, and longer still for our American friends. 

Biak Triller

October 8 was a full-on day. A morning highlight was a calling pair of Biak Scops Owls at their daytime roost, with the male showing well. The only scops owl in New Guinea, the species can be difficult to find, usually requiring a foray after dark.

Biak Scops Owl

A Geelvink Imperial Pigeon flew overhead as a female Geelvink Cicadabird showed. A recent split from Australia's Sahul Cicadabird, the species proved to be reasonably common on Biak.

Geelvink Cicadabird

Noisy flocks of Long-tailed Starling, a species restricted to several islands in Geelvink Bay, appeared early and were with us throughout our stay on Biak.

Long-tailed Starling

We notched up Biak (Black) Flycatcher and the strange-looking Biak White-eye.

Biak Flycatcher

In the afternoon we moved on to another area with habitat that looked promising, though patches of mature unlogged forest were few and far between. We found a flowering tree with large numbers of Red-fronted Lorikeet in attendance.

Red-fronted Lorikeet

Digging up the Biak endemics

We had heard Biak Hooded Pitta calling earlier but failed to see it. After some effort we finally managed close and prolonged views of a pitta (first image) in the roadside undergrowth. The distinctive local subspecies of Golden Monarch was not uncommon.

Golden Monarch

We saw a couple of the endemic Biak subspecies of Variable Goshawk. Other species encountered - most with endemic Geelvink or Biak subspecies - included Great Cuckoo Dove, Amboyna Cuckoo Dove, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove and Emporer Fairywren.

Variable Goshawk

Day Three dawned with more specialties on offer. We spent the morning in the Amnyamdam area and the afternoon around Suneri. Geelvink Pygmy Parrot, Biak Lorikeet, Biak Gerygone and Biak Whistler (a skulker with a fine voice) were added to the list.

Biak Whistler

So were Biak Fantail, Biak Monarch and Biak Paradise Kingfisher. Biak Coucal was calling commonly but a few of us managed fleeting views of this skulker. Biak Leaf Warbler was surprisingly scarce, again heard or seen by just a couple of people.

On our final day we looked without success for the last of the 21 regional endemics – Biak Myzomela and Biak Scrubfowl. Few have scored the myzomela in recent years and we were unlucky not to encounter the scrubfowl. I flushed a large bird roadside near the coast which was a potential candidate but failed to see it adequately.

At Karnindi Beach

However we enjoyed a delightful afternoon with the locals at Karnindi Beach. Late in the day I fell on a slippery limestone path that the guide insisted on following, resulting in leg injuries that restricted my birding over the next few days. Still, the Biak visit was a good start to our tour.

Karnindi Beach residence

Endangered Black-breasted Buttonquail habitat bulldozed as timber company pledges new protection measures

 

Black-breasted Buttonquail

Endangered rainforest in the Sunshine Coast hinterland - the habitat of what may be the largest surviving population of the rare Black-breasted Buttonquail – continues to be bulldozed during logging operations. During recent visits I was concerned to see that an area of vine scrub frequented by nesting buttonquail in Imbil State Forest had been felled. Subtropical lowland rainforest is listed federally as critically endangered.

Recently cleared subtropical rainforest remnant in Imbil State Forest

The company conducting the harvesting, timber giant HQPlantations, says it has modified management practices to help protect the buttonquail and other threatened species. Vine scrub remnants in the state forest have been a reliable site for the scarce and cryptic buttonquail for at least the past 30 years. The Black-breasted Buttonquail is the only bird species endemic to south-east Queensland. Buttonquail sites in the Imbil area are frequented by other scarce and difficult-to-find birds such as Barking Owl and Black-chinned Honeyeater.

Barking Owl

Remnant areas of lowland rainforest survive among hoop pine plantations in Imbil State Forest. These remnants are protected under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act and Vegetation Management Act; they can not be cleared to expand the plantation estate. However, “native forest buffer areas” remain under the management of HQPlantations.

It was evident that vine scrub has been bulldozed during current logging operations, with rainforest trees obvious among large piles of vegetation debris. A newly cleared 200m strip of scrub, along with the edge of a mature pine plantation which was logged at the same time, was an important feeding and nesting area for Black-breasted Buttonquail.

Newly cleared native vegetation in Imbil State Forest (above and below)

I submitted a plan for the rewilding of the 21,000ha Imbil State Forest in 2019. That proposed a halt to logging hoop pine plantations, facilitating the regrowth of the subtropical rainforest that occurred naturally over the area before it was cleared. I suggested that as a trial, 200ha of state forest plantation adjoining Conondale National Park be left unlogged as rainforest regrowth is monitored. Although this constitutes a tiny fraction of the 330,000ha of state forest in Queensland under the control of HQPlantations, the company rejected the proposal.

Newly bulldozed fire trail

I reported in June last year that well-meaning land-care volunteers were removing lantana from Black-breasted Buttonquail habitat in the area. Lantana is an exotic weed that generally should be removed, but in the case of this species and some other wildlife, it provides a valuable service. The natural habitat of the buttonquail is the lowland rainforest of south-east Queensland, almost all of which has been cleared. Sites where birds survive, like those in Imbil State Forest, are often flanked or invaded by lantana thickets. Buttonquail feed and seek shelter in them; lantana provides a degree of protection from feral cat and fox predation.

Distinctive "platelet" made on the forest floor by feeding buttonquail

In response to that blog post, the volunteers agreed to stop removing lantana. They have planted a large number of trees in an area where weeds had been removed. I found that behind this newly planted stand of young trees, a 200m track has been bulldozed by HQPlantations through another important buttonquail feeding area. I also saw an assortment of empty cans and bottles, broken machinery and other rubbish.

Newly planted trees in what was buttonquail habitat

I failed to see buttonquail during several visits over the past couple of weeks, which is unusual, although some platelets were present. The population appears to be steadily declining. A constant procession of trucks carrying logs and heavy equipment traversed the road dissecting the buttonquail site during my visits.

However, the good news is that HQPlantations responded positively when I approached the company recently, with senior company officers agreeing to meet me on-site. They explained that the recently bulldozed track was intended as a fire break for forthcoming control burns. The company had been unaware of the presence of Black-breasted Buttonquail and other rare wildlife. I was assured that fire control operations would be conducted in a way that took account of the need to protect the birds' habitat. That was reassuring.

Regarding the recent removal of buttonquail breeding habitat adjoining the newly logged pine plantations, there were no clear answers. However, the suggestion was that vine scrub was removed to facilitate access to pine trees being logged, which the company is legally entitled to do.

The company said in a statement: “We use aerial photography, LiDAR (provides high definition ground surface and canopy mapping), original plantation history records and field inspections to ensure our harvesting remains within the original plantation boundary inclusive of old boundary tracks. Our management of areas of remnant native vegetation adjacent to plantations is focused on maintaining biodiversity values and protecting the adjacent plantation resource. This is primarily undertaken via pest and fire management programs. We do not harvest timber products (excepting introduced pine wildlings) from these areas.”

Company bulldozer at the site recently

Expanding more broadly, the company said: “In some instances, we develop and implement additional species specific management procedures where forest activities may pose a significant threat, - for example koala protection during harvesting operations. We collaborate with local groups to improve the protection and management of endangered and vulnerable species. For instance, we are working with the Burnett and Mary Regional group researching Mary River Cod and other threatened aquatic species within Tinana Creek. We are working with groups including the Macadamia Conservation Trust, regarding the Southern Macadamia Species Recovery Plan.”

Remnant rainforest in Imbil State Forest 

HQPlantations also noted: “As agreed under our Plantation Licence, we have several plantations and associated native forest areas which are being progressively handed back to the State Government, following harvest of the current plantation crop, to be transitioned into permanent conservation estate. As at June 2025, there were three such areas still within the Licence Area totalling approximately 1,200 ha (approximately 700 ha plantation).” These are steps in the right direction, but we remain a long way from a satisfactory reserve plan for protect what remains of critically endangered lowland rainforest.

Logging truck Imbil State Forest

Solomon Islands 2025 Part 3: Coast & seas of Santa Isabel – kingfishers & megapodes to Grey-backed Tern and Beck's Petrel

 

Beach Kingfisher

Following our visit to the hills of Santa Isabel Island in search of Solomons Frogmouth and other north Solomon Islands bird targets, we admired the fine view over fringing reefs and the Solomons Sea as we made our way back down a steep track to Buala to be transferred to Ghasiali Resort.

Fringing reefs & Solomons Sea

Solomons Cockatoo and Cardinal Lory were common about the hotel. We were to fly out to Honiara the next morning but the flight was cancelled, with Solomon Airlines citing wet weather rendering the runway on nearby Fera Island hazardous. We took a boat ride to the island anyway.

Cardinal Lory

Solomons Cockatoo

On the runway were 60+ Pacific Golden Plovers and an assortment of other shorebirds. Beach Kingfisher showed nicely along the beach and in the mangroves, as it did around our hotel.

Beach Kingfisher, on the beach

We were pleased to catch up with a trio of Island Monarchs. We heard and glimpsed a Long-tailed Cuckoo lurking in the mangroves, not long before it would have headed off to its New Zealand breeding grounds.

Island Monarch

Fera Island (below) is an aesethetically pleasing spot to visit.

The following day the flight was again cancelled, although the weather was much improved, and the runway had looked okay to us. We checked out forest patches up the road from the hotel. Island Imperial-Pigeon was reasonably common.

Island Imperial-Pigeon

Melanesian Kingfisher was also not uncommon, as elsewhere during our trip.

Melanesian Kingfisher

A Solomons Sea-Eagle flew overhead (following our earlier sightings of the species on Guadalcanal). A pair of Channel-billed Cuckoos was a surprise, as was another that we saw earlier outside Honiara; this species is supposely a rare vagrant in Solomon Islands.

Channel-billed Cuckoo

We had pleasant interactions with friendly locals, like the small boy who climbed a coconut tree to drop a coconut for us (below). A visit to the Buala clinic to treat wounds referred to in the above-mentioned post brought home how sparse the services are in these far-flung villages.

The following day, the flight was cancelled again. No excuse this time; we returned to Fera Island, confirming that the runway was perfectly okay. At least we had a couple of birds to chase. On our earlier visit, one of the locals dug up an egg from a volcanic ash mound attended by a Melanesian Megapode, but we didn't see the birds. Better luck this time as a megapode fed behind the airport terminal (if you could call it that) while another worked a mound nearby. Ebird indicates several records of the rare Solomons Nightjar from small islands offshore from Santa Isabel, and locals claimed they were on Fera. We tried for them at sunset without success.

Megapode egg (above) and larval ash mound (below)

Melanesian Megapode

The next morning we boarded a ferry, the grandly named MV Una Princess 2, for our return to Honiara, not being prepared to risk yet another flight cancellation. We were told the trip would take 6-7 hours; it took 15 hours. What we didn't know was that the primary task of the ferry was to exchange passengers and goods at a string of isolated villages along 80 kilometres of Santa Isabel coast extending south from Buala to the settlement of Tataba at the island's southern end.

Loading up the ferry at Buala

This was quite a task. Sometimes villagers sent out small boats to negotiate potentially treacherous breaks through the abundant coral reefs. Deeper water allowed the ferry's small motorboat to do the work.

Offloading supplies for the coastal villages

One of many isolated villages serviced by the ferry

A couple of bigger settlements had a wharf where the ferry could tie up, allowing passengers and villagers to socialise. Small markets sold local snacks like smoked mussels and baked yams. Then came a nice surprise in the form of two scarce seabird species that are a challenge to find anywhere.

Market lunch fare 

Tataba Village

Seabirds were initially sparse - mainly the occasional Crested Tern and Lesser Frigatebird.

Lesser Frigatebird

\As we moved further south, we saw large numbers of seabirds on the horizon attracted to schools of tuna. The most common species was Black Noddy, with several thousand in a procession of flocks; much smaller numbers of Brown Noddy were among them.

Black Noddy

We spotted at least 4 Grey-backed Terns; there may have been more but some were too distant to be certain they were not Bridled Terns. This species is high on the wishlists of seabird enthusiasts.

Grey-backed Tern

Common Tern was present in small numbers.

Common Tern

Common Tern (L) and Grey-backed Tern (R)

When finally we left the coastal waters of Santa Isabel and headed towards Guadalcanal, the number of birds picked up. We had small numbers of Black-naped Tern and Brown Booby along with decent flocks of Sooty Tern and thousands more noddies.

Sooty Tern

We spotted an interesting petrel feeding close to the water in a mixed flock of Sooty Tern and Black Noddy. We saw clearly its dark brown upperparts, head and well-defined throat with a white belly, indicating either a Tahiti Petrel or Beck's Petrel. One of us (GR) is very familiar with Tahiti Petrel. This bird was conspicuously smaller with obviously shorter and more rounded wings. The stand-out difference was flight - the bird stayed close to the water with a distinctive, zig-zagging “flappy” flight; there was no indication of the stiff-winged, soaring flight so typical of Tahiti Petrel, despite a brisk northerly wind blowing. Although we did not see the bill, another key identification feature, we are confident this was a Beck's Petrel. With the boat not stopping and the bird in view for a relatively short time, unfortunately I couldn't manage a photograph.

Tahiti Petrel (file pic)

Beck's Petrel is believed to nest on New Ireland in the Bismarcks to the north but has been recorded a couple of times in the Solomons. Little is known about its nesting behaviour or its post-nesting dispersal. We saw large numbers of seabirds in every direction in the fading light as our slow ferry continued its journey to Honiara, and regretted that we didn't have a couple more hours of decent viewing conditions on the open seas. Future seabirding forays in this area could be productive. We returned late to the King Solomon Hotel for our last night in Solomon Islands.

Black Noddy flock