Papua New Guinea Port Moresby area & the Central … · PNG is that theres still a lot of untouched...

1

Papua New Guinea Port Moresby area & the Central Highlands

March 2016

Blue-capped Ifrit, Kumul Lodge, probable female, 16 March 2016.

Participants: Arjan Dwarshuis, Vincent van der Spek (report & pics) & Max van Waasdijk

2

Introduction

Basically there are two seasons in PNG: the short wet season and the long wet season… In other

words, no matter when you go to PNG, sooner or later it‘s gonna rain – also in the dry season

(June/July – October/November). Birders and tour groups focus their activities in the dry season, but

the wet season turned out to be equally rewarding. The weather fortunately behaved – we were a bit

lucky there. A huge advantage of travelling in the low season is that lodges and guides are all

available and that you have all the birding places to yourself. I planned the better part of the trip and

in this report I share as much logistical information as possible. Furthermore this report contains site

descriptions, GPS co-ordinates, a daily log and an annotated bird list.

We look back at a fantastic trip with great birds (summarized below) in a fantastic landscape. Species

like Crested Satinbird and Blue and King of Saxony Bird of Paradise are amongst the best birds I’ve

ever seen! We recorded virtually all birds of paradise that can reasonably be expected along this

stretch and we saw representatives of all seven (!) endemic bird families currently recognised by the

IOC: Berrypeckers & Longbills, Painted Berrypeckers, Mottled Whistler, Ploughbill, Melampitta’s,

Satinbirds and Ifrita. More research is certainly needed and based on morphology alone I wouldn’t be

surprised if the number of endemic families will grow further in the future. The great thing about

PNG is that there’s still a lot of untouched habitat. Make sure you have a window seat on internal

flights! As a consequence, relatively few birds a threatened. The birding in PNG is often said to be

difficult, but that’s not the impression we had. Birds were less shy than I expected and they often

responded to playback. In the end we saw most species well.

In 2016 Arjan Dwarshuis tried to beat Noah Strycker’s incredible global year list record (6042 species

in 2015). The question wasn’t if I would join Arjan somewhere along the line, but rather when and

where. Birding in PNG had been on my mind for a long time, but there was always one reason not to

go: it’s very expensive. Arjan’s record attempt seemed like a good excuse to finally go. Since this was

a fairly brief and self-organized visit, the costs remained manageable.

Max and Arjan followed a slightly different itinerary: while they went to the lowlands, I went to the

Central Highlands a couple of days ahead of them. In order to break the record, Arjan had to bird in

high speed. I knew that I’d miss mouth-watering species like Southern Crowned Pigeon and Flame

Bowerbird, but I preferred to spend more time in a smaller area. Luckily I made that decision, as my

flight from Hong Kong to Port Moresby was cancelled and I arrived in PNG 25 hours later than

planned. Had I joined them, I would have missed my flight to Kiunga! Due to the delay I missed a full

day in the excellent Varirata National Park, but fortunately I planned two days there.

This report does not cover the lowland sites visited by Arjan and Max, but for the sake of

completeness I did add the birds they saw on their first day in Varirata.

If you have any questions or remarks, if you need bird calls, or if you prefer to have this report in a

Word format, you can email me at: [email protected]

Vincent van der Spek

April 2016

3

Summary

Crested Satinbird, male, Kumul Lodge, 15March 2016.

Highlights

Many! 143 New Guinea endemics, including representatives of all endemic bird families currently

recognised by the IOC, and five semi-endemics (shared with the Bismarck archipelago). We saw 15

birds of paradise: Glossy-mantled and Crinkle-collared Manucode, Brown (plenty; no males though)

and Black Sicklebill (male and female), King of Saxony Bird of Paradise (two males), Lawes’s Parotia

(male and female), Superb (common; several males), Magnificent (female-type + 2 heard only) and

King Bird of Paradise (unfortunately heard only), Princess Stephanies (2 males and 1 female) and

Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (one adult male, several females and young males), Growling Riflebird (several

males), Lesser (immature male), Raggiana (plenty, including displaying males) and Blue Bird of

Paradise (4-5; one male).

Other good endemics: Black-billed Brush-turkey (2 seen, more heard), a great selection of endemic

fruit-doves and pigeons (including a nesting Coroneted Fruit-Dove, a heard only Pheasant Pigeon and

the scarce Rufescent Imperial Pigeon), New Guinea Woodcock (fantastic views), Mountain, Barred

and Feline Owlet-nightjar (latter heard only), Brown-headed Paradise and Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher, a

good number of parrots and parakeets, 4 bowerbirds including MacGregor’s (10+, incl. a male) and

Archbold’s (female), Chestnut-backed (brilliant views) and Blue Jewel-babbler, Painted Quail-thrush

(1 seen + 1 heard), Wattled Ploughbill (2 + more heard), Mottled Whistler (4), Crested Berrypecker (2

pairs), Tit Berrypecker (pair), Lesser Melampitta (1 seen + 1 heard), Blue-capped Ifrit (5-6), Crested

Satinbird (male and female), many whistlers, fantails and monarchs etc. Non-endemic highlights

included Papuan Frogmouth (pair with chick), Common Paradise-Kingfisher (several) and Red-bellied

Pitta.

4

Missed species

Highlands: Mountain Kingfisher, Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo, Orange-crowned Fairy-wren,

Spotted Jewel-babbler, Torrent Lark, Garnet Robin, Short-tailed Paradigalla and Loria’s Satinbird

(untickable views). Lowlands: very difficult birds like Dwarf Cassowary, Forest Bittern, White-crowned

Cuckoo and Dwarf Whistler (Goldenface). We also dipped on chiggers and leeches.

Brown Sicklebill is easy to observe at Kumul’s bird table, where at least three female-type birds were

seen. We only had four sightings elsewhere. Kumul Lodge, March 2016.

Logistics

General

PNG is one of the more challenging countries to sort out the logistics. It took time, but it all worked

out fine in the end.

Health and safety

Based on GDP per capita in 2015, only 32 countries in the world are poorer than PNG, which is

something to keep in mind.

If you visit the lowlands (incl. the Port Moresby area), don’t forget to take your malaria pills. The

malaria risk is relatively high below 2000m.

To cut the story short about safety: don’t be naïve and don’t be paranoid. Make sure you check the

current situation at the website of your ministry of foreign affairs before you leave. It could be wise

to avoid election times (there are national elections in 2017).

5

My view/ experience: even though most people speak English, PNG is one of the few countries were

backpack style birding might not be advisable. First there is the complicated matter of land rights:

outside national parks all land – from farmland to primary forest – is owned by someone and like

anywhere else trespassing is not appreciated. We had a dispute in the Tonga valley, which was solved

by our guide Wilson. Due to another dispute, the famous Pigetes trail near Kumul (King bird of

Saxony, Princess Stephanies Astrapia) was off limits during our stay. Kumul was working on a

solution, but in order to avoid disappointments it’s best to check the situation before you leave.

The fact that there are more than 600 languages tells it all: all people in PNG belong to a clan, a

distinct community. In combination with disputes about land rights this occasionally leads to

violence, especially in the highlands. The highlands appeared to be somewhat lawless to us. Outside

Mount Hagen most men – even children – casually walked around with a machete, for no obvious

reason. I got used to it pretty quickly. The number of people that chew the stimulating Arica (‘betel’)

nut is higher than in any other country I’ve been to. Users are easy to recognize: their mouths and

teeth are coloured red. Users never gave me the impression of being uptight or anything. There are

no beggars, but people did occasionally ask for things – and not the smallest. Can I have your phone?

Can I have your camera? (Out of the blue; I of course did not flash my valuables in public). I always

replied with a smile and explained that I needed those items myself: if I gave away my phone, how

was I supposed to call anyone? And that was it: no one persisted. In general people are open and

talkative. With the exception of the dispute in the Tonga valley, it never felt grim anywhere. We

received countless smiles, and I now have RSI from all the waving and hand shaking. I was regularly

called ‘brother’, especially after a little chat or after I gave away some cigarettes. Looking back I was

only scared once: when lightning struck right next to me at Rondon Ridge!

Visa

On arrival in Port Moresby; free of charge. Quick and efficient. Apparently this situation has changed

in the past, so check the current procedure before you leave.

Money

The currency is the kina. Rate at the time of writing (April 2016):

1 kina = € 0,29117 or € 1 = 3,43378 kina

1 kina = 0,325001$ or 1$ =3,07691 kina

There’s an ATM at the airport. Maximum withdrawal: 1200 kina a day. US dollars were accepted by

guides and lodges. The lodges also accepted credit cards.

Arrangements

We booked all accommodation in advance and used the services of local bird guides on all sites.

Wifi/ internet connection is rare: we only had (a slow) connection in our hotel in Port Moresby. There

was a login-service at Jackson International Airport, but nobody knew the password. Guides and

hotels/ lodges eventually replied to emails, but it usually took days, sometimes even weeks. So start

planning in time!

Despite repeated email contact, we witnessed a few challenges: none of the promised airport

pickups from the hotels/ lodges showed up (in time). It’s therefore wise to carry all phone numbers

with you. Guides always showed up and, with one exception, always on time.

6

Mind that internal flights are often cancelled, so don’t plan too tight with connecting flights. Air

Niugini is said to be more reliable than PNG Air. My PNG Air flight from Port Moresby to Mount

Hagen was indeed cancelled and they rescheduled me to a flight four hours later. After I complained,

they put me on a 20-seater an hour and a half later. On the way back Arjan and Max booked an

earlier flight than I did, but the Rondon staff (great work!) managed to reschedule them to my flight.

Curiously, the flight they should have been on never showed up!

New Guinea Woodcock, perched in a tree, Kumul, 15 March 2016.

Hotels and lodges

The Wellness Lodge (Port Moresby) Website: http://www.thewellnesslodge.com Email: [email protected] Phone: +675 323 8606 Price: 349 Kina a night for a room for three. Shared bathrooms. Internet reservation works. Prompt reply to emails. Free airport pickups can be arranged. Perhaps the most affordable safe hotel in town. Still overpriced – but all rooms in Port Moresby are. Friendly and helpful staff, tasteful and healthy food, rooms ok. Though slow, it was the only place with (free) wifi we found in PNG. The room was actually not really suitable for three, with a single bed and a twin bed that was too small to share with a friend. Arjan crashed on the floor on his outdoor mattress. Mind the wellness part in the name: alcohol, smoking and – sorry guys – chewing betel nuts is not allowed.

http://www.thewellnesslodge.com/

mailto:[email protected]

7

Rondon Ridge (Mount Hagen area) Website: http://www.pngtours.com/lodge6.html Email: [email protected] Phone: +675 542 1438 / 719 89397 Price: 200 USD (discount price) a night for a very spacious bungalow, all meals and a bird guide. Bank account payment in advance. Airport pickup included (1 hr), though no one was there to pick me up. There was some miscommunication about my delayed flight, but after a call it was quickly arranged. This is a high-end lodge where celebrities like Mick Jagger and Sean Lennon have stayed (their pictures are on the wall). According to the Lonely Planet rooms are normally around a very steep 800 $ a night. Trans Niugini Tours – the company that also owns the Ambua Lodge – responds to email quickly. Rondon’s manager Jean is fantastic, the food is great. For 61 $ they brought me to Kumul (2.5 hrs). They purify their own water, so you can drink from the tap and fill up bottles. Laundry service. Coffee facilities (real coffee!) in the rooms. I negotiated a good price. In exchange I would write about Rondon in this report and Arjan would mention the lodge in his Biggest Year blog on dutchbirding.nl. The discount was probably also possible since this was the low season. There were only a few other guests. I suggested that they should make good value arrangements with birders in the low season more often.

Kumul Lodge (Mount Hagen area; Enga province) Website: http://www.kumul-lodge.com Email: [email protected] Phone: +675 5421615 Price: normally 908 kina a night for a triple bungalow and three meals. Kumul sponsored Arjan’s Biggest Year by not charging the room (350 kina a night). Airport pickup included, but there was no one there to pick up Max and Arjan. They didn’t have the lodge’s phone number, so they arranged transport themselves. Very friendly staff. The triple bungalow has a single and a (large) twin bed, so only use this option if you don’t mind sharing a bed with a friend. The credit card machine didn’t work while we were there. I paid cash, Arjan and Max wired the money afterwards. Replies to email sometimes take a long time. At the time no beer was available (but there is in the high season). We were the first guests in over a month. For the prices of their birding trips: check their website.

Guides

The guides in the Port Moresby area are exceedingly expensive. Due to miscommunication in our

team, both Arjan and I approached guides: Arjan contacted Leonard, I emailed Daniel. In the end we

decided to hire them both on different days. A good call, as they each have their own approach: it’s

certainly something I would recommend.

http://www.pngtours.com/lodge6.html


http://www.kumul-lodge.com/


8

Daniel Wakra (Port Moresby area) Email: [email protected] Phone: +675 768 80 978 Prices: vary with the number of people involved. 450$ for a day in Varirata/ PAU, 300$ for a morning in Brown River (for three). Mind that nothing is included: no water, no lunch or anything, so buy supplies in advance! Daniel is a former hunter turned birder turned bird guide. Though originally from the Central Highlands, he’s been guiding birders in the Port Moresby area for ages. Daniel is very knowledgeable: he has stakeouts, he knows the bird calls, he has a talent for whistling birds in and he’s good at finding birds in the forest. If he is in doubt about something, he won’t hesitate to tell you so, which makes him reliable. Basically he’s the best bird guide I met during my stay. Daniel is a happy, healthy (no alcohol, no betel nuts) character and his English is outstanding. He has his own car and therefore he’s slightly less expensive than Leonard (see below). The only comment I have (except the prices) is that he arrived half an hour late on a trip to Varirata (he didn’t pick up Max and Arjan from the airport until 6.00 PM, while they landed at 4.55). For the trip to Brown River he suggested a 5.30 pickup. This turned out to be half an hour too late. In Varirata he mainly birded from the main road: he only walked very short parts of the trails to stake out specific species. He takes naps during the heat of the day ‘as nothing happens between 11.00 and 14.00’. So despite he’s very knowledgeable and very pleasant, he could have been more on to things. Daniel arranges birding trips all over PNG. If I ever go back to PNG, I’ll certainly go with Daniel again.

Leonard Vaieke (Port Moresby area) Email: [email protected] Phone: +675 704 46 293 Prices: 560 $ a day, no matter how many people. Mind that nothing is included: no water, no lunch or anything, so buy supplies in advance! Leonard, a smart guy in his late twenties, is the new kid on the block. He only has a laser pointer, no bins. He was good at finding birds and quite good with bird sounds, though he made a few errors (see keep looking and listening yourself). Leonard is the type of guy that has talent for birding, so I expect him to become better and better, especially if he manages to find new bins (his old pair got steamed up on the inside). As he has no bins, he often points out small birds which you have to identify yourself when they’re not at close range (‘small bird!’). It was great to see that he was cheering when I taped in the Black-faced Monarch Max found. He’d never seen one so well before. Apparently he really enjoys what he does! He has no car, so he hires one with a driver. Clients are few and far between in the low-season: his last client was Noah Strycker in November and his next clients were booked in June: it sheds a little light on the high prices. Leonard works hard. He was bang on time and he doesn’t take naps. We mainly walked trails in Varirata and saw top notch birds like Black-billed Brush-turkey, Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler and Painted Quail-thrush: birds you only see if you walk trails. On our request we went to PAU during the heat of the day: a very efficient way to make the most out of a day, as all birds are easy to find there around noon – the very quiet hours in Varirata. Other differences: Leonard showed us displaying Raggiana and an active Fawn-breasted Bowerbird bower, which Daniel didn’t.



9

Joseph Tano (Rondon) Full time Trans Niugini guide, so see Trans Niugini website for contact details. Joseph also guides at their other lodges (e.g. Ambua), but he lives at Rondon. His services were included in the lodge’s rates. He’s a quiet, reliable and knowledgeable guide who was always on time. As Rondon is his back garden, he knows where to find specific birds. Mention your targets, as only after I specifically asked for it, we started looking for species like Feline Owlet-nightjar, Black Sicklebill, Spotted Jewel-babbler and Wattled Ploughbill. He knows where to look for them! I like the way Joseph guides: he points out movement before he has identified a bird, so basically you really are birding together. Birding with Joseph was a pleasant experience and he showed us some top notch birds.

Wilson (Kumul) Though he has a house in his village, Wilson also lives at the lodge. Contact details: see the Kumul website. Wilson is a friendly, if somewhat inscrutable man. He handled a land rights problem in Tonga well. He occasionally joined us on the trails around the lodge, which he did not charge on our bills. He knows the local birds, knows many (but not all) bird calls and he has stake-outs for good birds like Crested Satinbird, Wattled Ploughbill and Garnet Robin. Away from the lodge he was a bit better with the larger species than with the smaller ones, but at the lodge he knew his way around with the skulkers: on our first afternoon he immediately pointed out a calling Lesser Melampitta which resulted in our only sighting. His help was very much needed and appreciated and it was pleasant to have him around. Trips to other areas are separately paid for (see website).

* Tip: Jeff Crocombe is an Australian BirdPal who works at Pacific Adventist University. He

occasionally shows people the birds at the university grounds (Papuan Frogmouth; everything else is

easy to find yourself) and he also takes people to Varirata. He responded to my email after I already

made arrangements with Daniel and Leonard, but he mentioned he could have taken us out (for his

email: become a BirdPal member!).

Food & drinks

Western style, with a lot of veggies and fruit. Food is quite expensive, but it was good to excellent

(Rondon!). No stomach problems whatsoever.

Weather

A part of my first afternoon in Rondon was washed away. Otherwise I only witnessed heavy rains

during the night. During the day there usually was some light rain in the Central Highlands. In the

lowlands it was dry all day. On the second day in Varirata it was very windy (Bft 6), which slowed

down the activity and made birding somewhat difficult.

Daylight

Sunrise was around 6.15, sunset around 18.30. Daylight birding possible between 6.00 and 19.00.

10

Literature The second, completely revised edition of the field guide is very good:

Pratt, T K & B M Beehler (2014). Birds of New Guinea. Second edition. Princeton University Press.

As always, www.cloudbirders.com proved to be invaluable. Phil Gregory’s reports (Sicklebill Safaris)

are very useful for the taxonomic remarks in the trip lists. Furthermore they were my only source for

the birds at Rondon Ridge – a place no one else seems to visit.

Since most people visit PNG with a tour group, the number of useful reports is quite low. It was even

harder to find useful reports for the low season. Reports used: Colin Reid (April 2012) and Petri

Hottola (January 2009). The latter is the only available report of a fully independent (unguided) trip.

Note that based on geography alone, some of the bird ID’s must be in error.

Over 200 bird calls were downloaded from www.xeno-canto.org (they can be shared on request).

Checklists

Checklist birds Rondon Ridge: http://www.pngtours.com/rondonridgebird.html

Checklist birds Kumul Lodge: http://kumul-

lodge.com/images/stories/birds%20of%20kumul%20lodge.pdf

Checklist birds Varirata: http://www.pinecreekpictures.com.au/VarirataChecklist.xls

Checklist birds PAU: http://www.birdsofmelanesia.net/pau8.pdf

Displaying Raggiana Birds of Paradise, two adult males and a female, Varirata, 18 Macrh 2016

(Vincent van der Spek)

http://www.cloudbirders.com/

http://www.xeno-canto.org/

http://www.pngtours.com/rondonridgebird.html

http://kumul-lodge.com/images/stories/birds%20of%20kumul%20lodge.pdf

http://kumul-lodge.com/images/stories/birds%20of%20kumul%20lodge.pdf

http://www.pinecreekpictures.com.au/VarirataChecklist.xls

http://www.birdsofmelanesia.net/pau8.pdf

11

Luggage & equipment

As I had to change international flights twice to get to PNG, and my time between flights was quite

tight, I travelled with hand luggage only. Refreshing! It makes air travel so much easier! Fortunately

small amounts of liquids are allowed again, so I could take small bottles of sunscreen and Deet.

Mind that in PNG the allowed maximum weight for luggage on internal flights is 16kg instead of the

usual 20kg. There’s a maximum of 7kg for hand luggage, but mine (12kg) was never weighed.

Arjan carried a scope (indispensable), but I didn’t bring mine this time. It saved me the space I

needed for my Nikon camera + 300 mm lens. I recorded some bird sounds with an Olympus TS-12.

I made a slight error with my footwear. Since this was the rainy season, I followed the advice of

several others: I took the soles out of my walking boots and put them in my wellingtons. Since I was

travelling with hand luggage only, the only alternative footwear I had space for were flip flops. Not

only did I look like an overaged hipster wearing rubber boots in public, it was also unnecessary.

Walking boots would have been fine at all sites. In the lowlands (way too hot for wellies!) I only used

them in the forest. I used my flip flops on the main roads.

In the highlands it can be chilly, so shirts with long sleeves were necessary. I used an outdoor

raincoat for light rain and a poncho for heavy rain (I only needed it once). A rain cover for my back

pack kept my camera, sound recorder and other stuff dry.

Itinerary

10 March Flight Amsterdam – Hong Kong. Late night flight to Port Moresby cancelled. Rescheduled to Manila, Philippines the next day. Max and Arjan enjoyed a fine day at Varirata and at the Pacific Adventist University.

11 March Birded Hong Kong airport and surroundings in the morning (2 lifers) and the mangrove reserve Las Pinas-Paranaque, Manila in the afternoon (2 lifers and good general birding). Late night flight to Port Moresby.

12 March Early morning arrival. Flight to Mount Hagen cancelled. Finally at Mount Hagen around 10.00. Rondon at lunch time. Afternoon birding.

13 March Full day Rondon Ridge. Birded both the ridge and the lower parts.

14 March Morning in Rondon (lower parts), transfer to Kumul after lunch, with birding en route. Birded Kumul in the afternoon. Arjan and Max arrived late afternoon.

15 March Kama in the morning, Kumul afternoon.

16 March Tonga in the morning, Kumul late morning and early afternoon. As Pigetes was off limits, transfer back to Rondon in the afternoon. Rondon late afternoon.

17 March Rondon Ridge till early afternoon, late afternoon flight to Port Moresby.

18 March Varirata and PAU.

19 March Brown River in the morning, Max and I flew back home in the afternoon. Arjan moved on to AUS.

20 March Back in Amsterdam early in the morning.

12

Map 1. Spots visited in the Port Moresby area (GoogleMaps)

1= Pacific Adventist University (PAU) // 2= Varirata // 3= Brown River

Map 2. Spots visited in the Mount Hagen area (GoogleMaps)

1= Rondon Ridge // 2= Kumul Lodge // 3= Tonga valley // 4= Kama valley

13

Directions, maps and gps co-ordinates

Rondon Ridge

Access: the roads in Mount Hagen are good, the side road up to the mountain is unpaved and

therefore it takes more time to drive up (1 hour) than GoogleMaps (map 3) suggests.

GPS Lodge: -5.900, 144.264

GPS Ridge (Black Sicklebill, King of Saxony, Stephanies Astrapia): -5.907, 144.275

Cell phone connection: yes.

Map 3. Directions from Mount Hagen airport to Rondon (GoogleMaps).

Birders hardly ever go to Rondon Ridge, but it’s actually a very good place. It’s a reliable site for

several species that are not easy to find elsewhere in the Central Highlands. The ridge is about 300m

lower than Kumul, so it holds different birds. There’s a good trail system (see trail map at the end of

this report).

I was looking for a site near Mount Hagen to spend time before I hooked up with the others, a place

that held birds that can’t be found at Kumul. I found Rondon in Phil Gregory’s Sicklebill Safaris

reports. Later the site also popped up on Noah Strycker’s blog. He praised their bird guide Joseph

Tano, so this really sounded like a great place to start my adventure in the Central Highlands. When

the lodge gave me a substantial discount, my decision was quickly made.

14

The lodge is situated at the end of a dirt road. The rooms overlook the Mount Hagen valley. The

accommodation is at the forest edge: the nearest trail is a two minute walk from the lounge/ bar/

dining room. Jean manages the place and she does an excellent job. The service is great (e.g.

breakfast was sent after us after our very early starts), the food is fantastic. I did not expect pancakes

with strawberries, chocolate sauce and ice cream for desert in PNG! The rooms are very spacious, the

bathroom is high standard. Hot water, laundry service, drinking from the tap possible (they filter

their own water) and there are tea and coffee facilities (real coffee, not instant!) in the rooms. And

there’s South Pacific in the bar to celebrate a good day!

Open patch in the forest, Rondon Ridge, 17 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

In all I spent one full day, two mornings and an afternoon at Rondon. During the last two full

mornings I only added three new birds to my list, so I could have stayed shorter, but I didn’t mind:

the birding was nice and it’s a great place to stay.

Specialties: Rufescent Imperial Pigeon (ridge; scarce; look for them in the middle storey),

MacGregor’s Bowerbird (common at the lower parts; usually high up in the trees), Orange-crowned

Fairywren (not seen, but according to Phil Gregory’s reports Rondon is a good place for it), Yellowish-

streaked (aka Olive-streaked) Honeyeater (regular at the lower parts; canopy), Sclater’s Whistler

(common; mostly mid-elevation), Mottled Whistler (Berryhunter; small numbers; lower middle

storey), Black Pitohui (scarce; lower middle storey), Wattled Ploughbill (bamboo), Streaked

Berrypecker (scarce), Mountain Gerygone (aka Grey Thornbill; lower parts; regular; canopy and

middle storey), Loria’s Satinbird (untickable views for me in the sub-canopy of a fruiting tree), six

BoPs incl. Black Sicklebill (two territories according to Joseph Tano), King of Saxony (ridge; treetops),

Princess Stephanies Astrapia (ridge, but also a female behind the lodge) and Blue (lower parts; sub-

canopy), Papuan Parrotfinch (scarce; lower elevation; bot canopy and lower storey). There’s the odd

change to see species like Pale-billed Sicklebill and Long-tailed Paradigalla but these species are

rarely seen by Joseph.

15

Tip: I haven’t talked this through with Trans Niugini, but if staying here doesn’t suit your budget the

following might work: they receive guests for lunch, so visiting the site without sleeping there is

possible. Afternoon birding (after a lunch) is certainly possible. But maybe it’s even possible to

arrange a very early morning pickup in Mount Hagen, hire Joseph, bird the area for the day and have

diner afterwards.

Kumul Lodge – Kama – Tonga – Pigetes

Access: the road from Mount Hagen to Kumul is very good.

GPS Kumul Lodge: -5.793, 143.974

Cell phone connection: occasionally.

The famous Kumul Lodge (2861 m ASL) lived up its reputation: what a great place to stay and what a

great place for birding! The lodge – basic but good – is situated in a beautiful cloud forest. It’s all

peace and quiet around there. The food is good, there’s a hot shower and the staff is friendly and

helpful. The trail system is good and there’s of course the famous 5m long, moss-covered bird table

that attracts several good birds. Great photo opportunities. The area around the lodge is very

suitable for independent (unguided) birding. If you prefer a guide on the trails, Wilson (or Max, the

other guide) is available for a very reasonable price (75 kina a day according to their website).

Map 4. Directions from Mount Hagen airport to Kumul Lodge (GoogleMaps).

Specialties along the trails: Chestnut (heard only at Max’s Orchid Garden) and Forbes Forest-rail

(missed), Plum-faced Lorikeet, Mountain Owlet-nightjar (not uncommon), New Guinea Woodcock

(try the start of the northernmost trail, near the abandoned shelter), Archbold’s Bowerbird (scarce),

Fan-tailed Berrypecker, Wattled Ploughbill (bamboo), Regent Whistler (common), Blue-capped Ifrit

16

(also in the trees behind the table), Crested Satinbird (sometimes seen from the lodge; females seen

on the table in the past), Lesser Melampitta, Island Thrush, Papuan Scrubwren, Lesser Ground-robin

(missed here: not vocal), Garnet Robin (around the parking lot/ entrance road; missed by us),

Spotted Jewel-babbler (missed; not vocal).

Kumul’s bird table, Kumul, 16 March 2016. Papaya and pineapple attract a nice range of fruiteaters

that can be seen at close range (Vincent van der Spek)

The bird table: during our stay we saw Brehms Tiger-Parrot, Belford’s Melidectes, Common Smokey

Honeyeater, Stephanies Astrapia, Brown Sicklebill and Mountain Firetail. The lawn attracted White-

winged Robin and Rufous-naped Whistler (Bellbird). Arjan mentioned that during his visit in 2009

more individuals and more species visited to the table. He also saw Forbes Forest-rail, Archbold’s

Bowerbird (that we luckily found along a trail) and Island Thrush, as well as a male Brown Sicklebill.

Some visitors also see Painted Tiger-Parrot, Bronze Ground-dove, Crested Satinbird and mammals.

Perhaps feeding over a longer period of time attracts more species (we were the first guests in

weeks). It was a great experience nonetheless. Crested Berrypecker dropped by in the bushes next to

the table every day, Tit Berrypecker (pair) was seen once.

Several trips need to be made in order to see some good birds. Pigetes (pronounce: Pin-ge-tys), the

site for King of Saxony Bird of Paradise and Princess Stephanies Astrapia, is close by (15 minutes), but

during our stay it was off limits. As we’d seen most targets at the other sites, this ‘forced’ us to

shorten our stay at Kumul. After all, Arjan was on a record breaking mission! I therefore

unexpectedly ended up in Rondon for the second time that week.

Kama and Lai River (Lesser Bird of Paradise):

Access: no matter what GoogleMaps says, it’s about an hour and a half to get there from Kumul. I

wouldn’t recommend going to Kama alone: Kumul has the connections to enter the property. The

main road is pretty decent, but the side road to the area is unsurfaced and bad. Nearby Lai should be

possible to visit without a guide.

17

GPS Kama: -5.623, 143.928

GPS Lai: -5.641, 143.918

Cell phone connection: surprisingly, yes

Kama is a traditional site for displaying Lesser Birds of Paradise. Don’t expect pristine habitat, but the

views over the valley are great. The tree is in a cultivated area with crops near a forested hill. We saw

no displaying birds, but we did see an immature male. There are Magnificent Birds of Paradise on the

forested hill, but the area can’t be accessed. We however managed to tape one out from the main

road. Bonus birds: Brown Quail, Marbled Honeyeater, Ornate Melidectes.

Waiting for Lesser Bird of Paradise, Kama, 14 March 2016. From left to right: Wilson, Max and Arjan

(Vincent van der Spek)

Lai is a big, fast floating river. It has plenty of Torrent Flyrobins. White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo was a

nice bonus. Not much else was around.

Tonga (Blue Bird of Paradise):

Access: it takes at least half an hour to get there from Kumul. I wouldn’t recommend going to Tonga

without a guide: Kumul has the connections to enter the property (Wilson lives in the village). We

nonetheless had an argument with one of the locals, which was duly solved by Wilson. The road is

good.

GPS: -5.699, 143.926

Cell phone connection: no

18

Not the best phone scoping shot, but a male Blue Bird of Paradise is one of the finest birds on the

planet! Tonga, 16 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

Don’t expect pristine habitat here either. The trail goes through cultivated land. Search for Blue Bird

of Paradise on the forested hill. We saw one or two females and a splendid adult male. Magnificent

(heard) and Superb Bird of Paradise (common) also occur here. Lawes’s Parotia is occasionally seen.

We were lucky to find both a male and a female. Another species to look for is White-bibbed

(Mountain) Fruit-Dove.

Varirata National Park

Access: easy to reach from Port Moresby (1 hour; map 5). The surfaced road to Sogeri is excellent.

The road into the park is also good.

GPS entrance sign: -9.434, 147.373

Cell phone connection: occasionally

This NP (1000 hectares), conveniently close to Port Moresby, is actually one of the best places to go

birding in Papua New Guinea. There’s a good trail system. There’s savannah forest along the

entrance road and the park itself has tropical hill forest (up to 800m). Roadside birding is very

rewarding, but for the skulkers you need to walk the trails. If you bird the savannah, the hill forest

and PAU on a single day, expect to see 100+ species. The savannah has loads of birds, but the

number of endemics is relatively low compared to the hill forest. You need at least two days here,

preferably even three. Birding without a guide and a 2WD should be possible; apparently it’s a safe

area. If the entrance gate is closed, walk up. On the left you’ll find a dead end side road to the

ranger’s house. Some construction workers aside, we saw no one else in the park.

19

Inside the park there’s a large picnic area (you can’t miss it) where you have an excellent view on the

forest edge. At the end of the surfaced road through the park there’s a lookout. Not only scenic, but

also a good area to search for larger birds like raptors and parrots.

Map 5. Directions from the Wellness Lodge to PAU and Varirata (GoogleMaps).

Specialties: many! E.g. Black-billed Brush-turkey (easy to hear, hard to see), Gurney’s Eagle (lookout),

Barred Owlet-nightjar (check tree holes; we found no less than four), Brown-headed (scarce),

Yellow-billed and Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher (both common), Rufous-bellied Kookaburra and Forest

Kingfisher (both savannah), a great selection of endemic doves and pigeons, Dwarf Coucal and

White-crowned Koel (both scarce; latter missed by us), Red-bellied Pitta, Chestnut-backed Jewel-

babbler, Painted Quail-thrush, Raggiana (common), Growling Riflebird (easily located by its calls),

Crinkle-collared and Glossy-mantled Manucode, Pale-billed Scrub-wren, Rusty Mouse-warbler,

White-bellied Whistler (savannah; scarce), Dwarf Whistler (aka Goldenface; scarce; missed), a good

number of monarchs and cuckooshrikes, Grand Mannikin (grassy patches along the road between

Varirata and PAU; hard to find; missed) etc.(Very) rarely seen birds include: Dwarf Cassowary, Forest

Bittern, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and Doria’s Hawk. Birders do occasionally run into these

great birds! Even New Guinea Harpy is (remotely) possible.

GPS co-ordinates

GPS entrance road (savannah) with loads of birds, including Dwarf Fruit-dove: -9.435, 147.376

GPS entrance road (savannah) with Dwarf Koel: -9.434, 147.391

GPS Boundary Track (trail next to entrance sign; long trail that goes all the way up to Gare’s Lookout):

-9.434, 147.373 (e.g. Painted Quail-thrush)

GPS Barred Owlet-nightjar at picnic area: -9.435, 147.363

20

GPS Koiari Treehouse Trail (starts at picnic area): -9.437, 147.365

(Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher at start of the rail; further along the trail next to the stream

Forest Bittern is sometimes seen; good birds seen by us included two Barred Owlet-nightjars and

Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler).

GPS Lookout (the view point at the end of the road): -9.435, 147.348

(very scenic; Gurney’s Eagle and Palm Cockatoo)

GPS: Varirata Lookout trail (1,8 km): from the lookout to the picnic area, with Pheasant Pigeon here: -

9.437, 147.355. Most productive trail during our visit.

We did not try the Circuit Track and Gare’s Lookout Track.

PS Make sure you bring insect repellent. Even with 50% Deet mosquitos were feasting on us.

View from the lookout, Varirata, 18 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

Pacific Adventist University (PAU)

Access: easy from Port Moresby (30-40 minutes). The surfaced road to Sogeri is excellent.

GPS PAU roadside pool: -9.395, 147.274. The entrance gate is right across the road.

Cell phone connection: yes

If you ever birded in (northern) Australia, you won’t see many new birds here. Orange-fronted Fruit-

dove and Yellow-faced Myna were the only endemics we saw. Nonetheless it’s a great place if you

have a few hours to spend, and it offers a nice chance to increase the trip list. The fenced area is a

neat and tidy place with several lily-covered ponds that attract water birds that you won’t see

anywhere else. There are great photo opportunities. The polite students were obviously used to

birders. According to the checklist there are no less than six pairs of Papuan Frogmouths. What a

monsters! This is the only bird that could be tricky to find without a guide, all other birds are easy.

Look for them in the large trees and check the gps co-ordinates of the pair and chick we saw. It

21

should be fairly easy to arrange a visit yourself: just ask for a reliable taxi at your hotel and tell the

guards at the gate what you are up to. If you combine PAU and Varirata, convince the guide to go

there during the heat of the day, even though this requires driving back and forth to Varirata (25

minutes). All birds were easily found during the heat of the day, the passerines included. Don’t forget

to check the roadside pool on the opposite side of the university grounds. This was the only place

where we saw Plumed Whistling Ducks.

GPS frogmouth: -9.407, 147.272

Mind that PAU is closed on Saturdays (Sabbath), and perhaps also on Friday afternoon.

Specialties: water birds, Papuan Frogmouth, Orange-fronted Fruit-dove, Torresian Imperial Pigeon,

Fawn-breasted Bowerbird.

Papuan Frogmouth, adult with chick, PAU, 18 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

Brown River

Access: over an hour from the Wellness Lodge. First part of the road good, second part full of

potholes. The place itself is not easy to find: the secondary forest does not look really distinct.

GPS: -9.175, 147.193

Cell phone connection: yes

This secondary forest offers the chance to see lowland species near Port Moresby. Despite all

monumental trees are apparently logged, most birds are still present. Even Twelve-wired Bird of

Paradise has been seen in the past. If you have no guide, stick to roadside birding. This offers good

birding, but you won’t be able to see the skulking species. With Daniel as a guide we were able to

22

enter the forest (there are no trails) and inside the forest, we saw some top notch birds. Even Max

and Arjan – who’d been to the Kiunga/ Tabibul area – saw a couple of new species. One morning

should be enough to see most good birds. It can be combined with a mangrove site Daniel has.

Specialties: Black-billed Brush-turkey, Cinnamon Ground-dove, Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot (missed by

us), Common Paradise and Yellow-billed Kingfisher (both common), Greater Black Coucal, Lowland

Peltops (scarce), Blue Jewel-babbler, Emperor Fairywren, Black and Sooty Thicket Fantail (latter

missed by us), King Bird of Paradise.

Map 6. Directions from the Wellness Lodge to Brown River (GoogleMaps).

23

Daily accounts

10 March

Flight Amsterdam – Hong Kong. Evening flight to Port Moresby cancelled. Slept at the airport hotel in

Hong Kong.

11 March

I was gutted about my cancelled flight the night before when I woke up. I should have been on my

way to Varirata! I however quickly decided to make the most out of it. I birded the surroundings of

Hong Kong’s airport, mainly at an abandoned golf course and some small areas with trees. Among

the 24 species I found I saw two lifers: White-shouldered Starling (common) and a nice Grey-backed

Thrush. Birds I hadn’t seen for a while included Blyth’s Pipit, Chinese and Dusky Thrush, Light-vented

Bulbul and Crested Myna. A changed flight schedule unexpectedly took me to Manila. On

GoogleMaps I found a nice area close to the airport: Las Pinas-Paranaque, a small mangrove reserve.

I directed a taxi to the site (no one ever heard of it) and I birded the area between 13.30 and 16.30. I

found 34 species, including two lifers, both endemics: Philippine Pied Fantail (several), and best of all,

9 Philippine Ducks (vulnerable). Loads of herons and waders were present, as well as plenty of

common birds I knew from previous trips to Asia. Birds I saw this day are (of course) not mentioned

in the trip list. Late evening flight to Port Moresby.

12 March

Blue Bird of Paradise, female, Rondon, 13March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek).

24

Arrived in Port Moresby at 5.00 AM. 6.45 flight to Mount Hagen cancelled. The start of this trip was

getting really rough! PNG Airlines rescheduled me to a 12.40 flight, but since I was already delayed

for a day I urged them to put me on the 8.40 flight. The helpful lady at the desk managed to do it and

at 8.40 I was off to Mount Hagen in a 20-seater! Due to my changed flights, there was no one from

Rondon Ridge to pick me up. A helpful security guard phoned Trans Niugini Tours (I had no

connection) and they picked me up half an hour later. Before lunch I was ready for birding at

Rondon! The first endemics were seen around the lodge: White-shouldered Fairywrens and

Mountain Myzomela’s in the garden, Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove and Yellow-browed Melidectes in the

surrounding trees. In the afternoon I birded the lower part of the forest with my guide Joseph Tano. I

saw my first selection of endemic birds, including my first BoP: a female Superb (that proved to be a

common species this trip). Other good birds included my first MacGregor’s Bowerbird (the only male

I saw this trip) and canopy dwelling Yellow(ish)-streaked Honeyeaters – both difficult birds in the

Central Highlands, but not uncommon here. Goldie’s Lorikeet was a trip exclusive. Joseph did well

finding a Streaked Berrypecker, though the views I got were not ideal, as I got a little distracted.

Almost literally out of the blue (dry, slight overcast) lightning suddenly struck less than 10mtrs away

from us! Scary stuff. Soon we were in a tropical rainstorm. We were back at the lodge at 15.00. From

17.00 – 18.30 I went out again, alone this time. At night Joseph and I discussed next day’s plans.

When he confirmed that Black Sicklebill was in the area, the plan was quickly made!

13 March

This turned out to be a fantastic day! After coffee and cookies Joseph and I started to climb up at

5.30. At 6.30 we were on the ridge. On the way up we picked up good birds like Black-throated

Honeyeater, Large Scrub-wren and Mountain Mouse-warbler. The second we set our foot on the

ridge trail we heard our main target: Black Sicklebill! What an amazing sound. I was able to make

some nice recordings. It didn’t take long before we saw a splendid male. What a huge bird! Lyrebirds

are often said to be the largest passerines on the planet, but I think Black Sicklebill is even larger. The

bird was shy and only perched out in the open briefly three times. In flight it was very impressive. But

there was more to be seen. No less than three other birds of paradise were present a stone’s throw

away: a Brown Sicklebill produced its machine gun calls (unfortunately I missed the opportunity to

capture both sicklebills in one recording, as I just switched off my recorder), two Princess Stephanies

Astrapia males showed their amazing tails and last but not least the most spectacular BoP of ‘m all:

King of Saxony Bird of Paradise. A male with growing plumes was seen well, another one was heard.

As if this wasn’t enough, a female Black Sicklebill entered the scene. Two inconspicuous Rufescent

Imperial Pigeons – quietly foraging in the middle storey – were the only ones of the trip. After a

hearty breakfast that was sent after us by the lodge (how cool is that?), Joseph suggested to go to

the lower parts of the mountain to search for Blue Bird of Paradise. Good thinking, as we found two

cracking females. One of my most wanted birds of the trip was already in the bag on my first day in

the highlands! Together with the common Superb (one male seen well), the BoP tally for today was

no less than six species. MacGregor’s Bowerbird proved to be common. Joseph showed me both an

old and an active bower. Impressive architecture. Isn’t it amazing that birds can make such things?

Activity was high today, with good flocks passing through the canopy and the middle storey.

Unfortunately the female Loria’s Satinbird Joseph called out flew away very shortly after I was on it.

My views were so brief, that I couldn’t even tell it apart from a female-type MacGregor’s Bowerbird

(that roughly has the same size and structure). Untickable views of a really good bird, bummer! A

surprise Papuan King Parrot was a good one. Other good birds today included Fan-tailed (3) and Mid-

25

Mountain Berrypeckers (1), the only Slaty-headed Longbill of the trip, a male and female Mottled

Whistler (Berryhunter), a pair of Black Pitohuis (middle storey; lower part of the mountain), several

Sclater’s Whistlers (like the bowerbird not easy at most other birding sites), a heard only Wattled

Ploughbill, several Black Monarchs and a nice family flock of the rare Papuan Parrotfinch. I thought

separating them from Blue-faced would be very hard – impossible perhaps – but these birds were

massive for a parrotfinch, with very large beaks and bully necks. They moved through the canopy

first, but this or another flock was also seen at eye level. Blue-faced – also present – gave a

surprisingly different impression.

14 March

(Eastern) Crested Berrypecker, Kumul, 14 March 2016. This species belongs to one PNG’s endemic bird families:

the Painted Berrypeckes (Vincent van der Spek).

One last morning at Rondon. On my request we focussed on Wattled Ploughbill, Orange-crowned

Fairywren and difficult skulking species like Chestnut Forest-Rail and Spotted Jewel-babbler. It was

however unusually quiet in the forest and I only added two new species to the list: Mountain

Meliphaga and Fan-tailed Cuckoo, both right behind the lodge. After an early lunch I was brought to

Kumul. Joseph kindly suggested to join me for the ride. The driver was used to catering birders, so

frequent stops in the cultivated area between the lodges were no problem. Below Rondon I saw

several Black-headed Whistlers (the only ones of the trip) and a male Red-capped Flowerpecker.

Hooded Mannikins were common and Brown Falcon was a nice addition to the list. But no matter

how hard we tried, Yellow-breasted Bowerbird – a shy bowerbird of the quiet corners of cultivated

areas – remained elusive. It wasn’t until we drove up to Kumul when – of all people – the driver

found one! Other good birds on the way up to Kumul included a perched Collared Goshawk and a

couple of Great Woodswallows. At 13.30 I was ready to rock at Kumul. Arjan and Max should have

been there already, but there was no sign of my friends. As there hadn’t been any guests for over a

26

month, there was no fruit at the table, but the staff immediately took care of it. Amazing how quickly

the more common species appeared: first Belford’s Melidectes and Common Smokey Honeyeater,

and after an hour the first Ribbon-tailed Astrapia dropped by for a papaya and pineapple lunch

(during our stay we saw two young males and two female-type birds at the table). Confiding White-

winged Robins showed well on the lawn and a Black-throated Robin dropped by in the trees behind

the table. I was getting slightly worried about Max and Arjan: where were they? The staff ensured

the pickup was arranged in a way that didn’t take away my worries: ‘if you asked for a pickup, then

it’s ok’. I birded along the entrance road (Island Thrush). Around 15.30 a car finally entered the

property. It was great to see the now bearded boys – they hadn’t shaved since Jan 1 (Max looked like

a hipster – he’s got a great beard – but Arjan actually looked a bit like a jihadi). To cut a long story

short: there was no one to pick them up and they lost the lodge’s phone number. Assisted by a lady

at the airport, they arranged an expensive ride themselves with two impressive looking alpha males

with an SUV with barred windows. During the ride they long wondered if they would end up on a side

road stripped naked, rather than safely at the lodge. A confiding male Fan-tailed Berrypecker was

their first good bird at the lodge. In the meantime Brown Sicklebills (3-4 female type birds attended

the table during our stay), as well as the first Brehms Tiger-Parrots (1 male and 2 females) found their

way to the table. We found a pair of Crested Berrypeckers (that turned up daily), and seconds later

an even better species entered the scene: a pair of Tit Berrypeckers. Good views, although the little

gems already disappeared after two minutes. We never got to see another one! Both species belong

to the same endemic family: the Painted Berrypeckers. A Great Cuckoo-Dove flew over the lodge,

much to Wilson’s excitement: I think this is quite high for the species. At 16.00 we walked the trail

behind the parking lot. Wilson immediately pointed out a calling Lesser Melampitta. After a playback

battle Arjan found the bird in the dense foliage. Great views and Max even fired a few reasonable

shots. We heard a Crested Satinbird along the trail, but it remained out of sight. After diner we went

night birding. At dusk no sign of New Guinea Woodcock. When it got dark we heard at least two

Mountain Owlet-nightjars and we heard and briefly saw a perched Papuan Boobook. When we went

back to the lodge we flushed an owlet-nightjar from one of the roofs (!). It briefly perched in a tree

twice, and we got several brief flight views. The bird was so close that we even heard its wingbeats.

15 March

After a hearty 4.00 breakfast we drove to Kama (1,5 hrs), the site for Lesser Bird of Paradise. We got

a warm welcome from the landowners. Apparently display trees are traditional sites. The tree is in a

cultivated area (crops), near a forested hill. The birds fly down from the hill to their favourite tree.

Only a young male flew over our heads and perched out in the open (brief, but good scope views for

all). Another bird was heard further up the hill. No action today, but we were relieved that the

species was in the bag.

Ornate Melidectes was common, Red-capped Flowerpeckers showed well and Coconut Lorikeets

were everywhere. Mountain Meliphaga was common. A calling and ‘semi-displaying’ male Superb

Bird of Paradise showed very well on top of a tree, nicely flashing its blueish breast shields. It even

delighted Wilson. We walked down the road, followed by a herd of children. They flushed three

Brown Quails for. Several Papuan Grassbirds were calling in the background. A perched Marbled

Honeyeater on top of a tree was a good bird.

27

Crested Satinbird, male, Kumul Lodge, 15March 2016. What goes in must come out: if you eat berries, you

gotta get rid of the seeds. (Vincent van der Spek).

We had no access to the land, so we could not walk up to the calling Magnificent Bird of Paradise

Wilson pointed out. I tried the tape instead. Immediate response. After a while a big blob flew out of

the forest and landed on a bare branch in a nearby tree. To my surprise it was a female-type bird.

Since it responded to playback: a young male? Next we drove up to the Lai River (after a stop for the

grassbird – now seen – and a heard only Yellow-breasted Bowerbird). Torrent Flyrobins were

common and White-eared Bronze Cuckoo was a nice addition to the list.

We decided to head back to the lodge early, so we were back before noon. After lunch we walked

the trails and also kept an eye on the table once in a while, but nothing new turned up there. But

many trip highlights were waiting for us along the trails. First up was Wattled Ploughbill (look for

them in bamboo patches). We had lousy views of a female first, but two hours later we had splendid

views of a male (great work by Arjan). What a unique bird, with these pink wattles dangling from the

base of its lower mandible. It really looks like nothing else, so I can see why it’s no longer considered

to be an odd whistler, but is now placed in its own, unique family. The lovely Regent Whistler proved

to be quite common, but we got distracted by the next mega. After Wilson pointed out the call, I

went off trail and pulled out a female Crested Satinbird. Minutes later Arjan found a male that

allowed a close encounter right next to the trail. Another major target was under the belt. What an

amazing creature! But another highlight was yet to come. At the end of the day Arjan and I walked

one of the trails twice, which produced a flock of the neat Plum-faced Parakeets and a fantastic adult

male Ribbon-tailed Astrapia with a full grown tail. I decided to join Max at the bird table. Since we

also planned a night birding session, a little rest wouldn’t be a bad idea. But Arjan walked the trail for

the third time. Full of adrenaline he came back: he found a New Guinea Woodcock at the start of

northernmost trail, right next to the abandoned brick shelter! The three of us rushed to the site and

28

soon after we got brief views of the bird walking away from us on the forest floor. Hoping for better

views we quietly waited for quite some time. At dusk the bird suddenly flew up and landed in a tree,

where we had fantastic views. At night we went out again. Now the woodcock was off the agenda,

we hoped for prolonged views of Mountain Owlet-nightjar. Three birds were heard, but we only got

a very brief flight view – a flash really. No boobooks calling tonight.

Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, female. The Kumul Lodge is one of the few places where this range-restricted species

can easily be found. 15 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

16 March

We spent the early morning in the Tonga valley to search for Blue Bird of Paradise. The trail – a

forested slope on one site, agriculture on the other – leads up to Wilson’s village. A fruiting tree at

eye level attracted Blue BoP the days before our arrival. After an hour we’d only seen White-bibbed

(Mountain) Fruit-dove and Superb BoP, so we started to scan the slope, where we soon heard one

calling. Wilson climbed up the trail a bit, Arjan and I stayed lower down and Max stayed between us.

After a while I found two big blackish birds in a dead tree. Manucodes? When I got them in the

scope, I couldn’t believe it: a male and a female Lawes’s Parotia, a bird we did not expect to see at

all! Max came down just in time, just before another big bird chased off the parotia’s. A female Blue!

The female parotia and the female Blue soon came down to the fruiting tree. After a dispute with

one of the locals (apparently Max put his foot somewhere he shouldn’t have; problem solved with 10

kina and an angry Wilson who nearly hit the guy), Wilson took us further up the trail in order to find a

male Blue. Island Leaf Warbler and Black Fantail were new birds for Arjan and Max. Soon after Wilson

found the calling male Blue. Fantastic scope views. A calling Magnificent Bird of Paradise was way too

far off trail to give it a go. After a quick and fruitless search for Torrent Lark, we headed back to

Kumul. There were several targets left around the lodge, including Archbold’s Bowerbird. No birds

visited the table during our stay, but we struck gold when we found a female in a fruiting tree near

29

the parking lot. Our attempts to find Spotted Jewel-babbler and Garnet Robin remained in vain, but

Arjan and I did find a nice Black-breasted Boatbill. As Pigetes was off limits, there were not many

targets left around Kumul. Since there were several new birds for Arjan’s Biggest Year to be found in

Rondon, we changed our original schedule. Our pickup was right on time and before I knew it, I was

back at Rondon. In the valley below Rondon we looked for Black-headed Whistler, but in a small

forested patch we ‘only’ found Mid-Mountain Berrypecker and Double-eyed Fig-parrot.

17 March

Singing King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, Rondon Ridge, March 2016. The other bird’s head plumes

were noticeably shorter (Vincent van der Spek)

An early morning start with Joseph again. It was still pitch dark. A Papuan Boobook called near the

lodge, but did not respond to tape. On the way up Joseph pointed out several Feline Owlet-nightjar

territories. At the fourth and last territory, we finally got a response, though the tape seemed to

chase away the bird rather than to lure it in. This morning developed in much the same way as on my

first full day in Rondon, only slightly less good. Black Sicklebill was only heard – much to Arjan’s and

Max’s disappointment – and we saw no Rufescent Imperial Pigeons this time. I did see the other

male King of Saxony – with full grown head plumes – this time. It performed what HBW calls the

simple display: singing, mouth gaping and movement of the occipital plumes. Princess Stephanies

Astrapia showed much better than last time. Blue BoP (female) is always a treat and Regent Whistler

and Black-throated Robin were nice (none last time at Rondon, though I did see them at Kumul).

Wattled Ploughbill was heard and Lesser Ground Robin was finally added to the trip list. For Arjan

the schedule change was great, with new birds like MacGregor’s Bowerbird, Yellowish-streaked

Honeyeater, Mountain Gerygone, Sclater’s and Mottled Whistler and Papuan and Blue-faced

Parrotfinch, but I only saw one new bird today. We had different flights back to Port Moresby, but

30

the lodge managed to put us all on my flight. At the airport some nice birds were seen: flocks of

Pacific Golden Plovers (not the hoped for Little Whimbrel), Hooded Mannikins, a Brown Falcon, and

wait, a male Papuan Harrier! Arrived – delayed – at PM at 19.00. Airport personal told us that our

pickup already left. Apparently the guy didn’t wait for delayed flights! After a call to the hotel all was

well. I called Leonard with the hotel’s phone to discuss the details for tomorrow. Great meal at the

hotel, though they ran out of all drinks, even water. I arranged water and a packed breakfast and

lunch for the next day. Though expensive (145 kina), it was well taken care of by the staff. Sweaty

night as the air-con seemed to be broken.

18 March

Leonard was bang on time (5.00) and soon we drove off to Varirata in a brand new SUV with air-con,

high-tech navigation etc. and driver that he hired. Since there’s so much tension between clans we

avoided the subject that we used both his and Daniel’s services, which proved difficult without telling

lies. On the approach road we flushed a male Large-tailed Nightjar (these things seem to occur

everywhere I go). Arjan and Max had a very successful 100+day the week before, with some top

notch birds like Gurney’s Eagle, Palm Cockatoo, Dwarf Koel and Stout-billed Cuckooshrike, but today

the circumstances were more difficult, with a strong southerly (5-6Bft) blowing through the forest. In

the end Max and Arjan recorded 25 species on their first day that we missed today (and after a late

airport pick up they did not arrive before 7.30), whereas today we recorded 12 species that they

missed during the first visit. Several species they only heard the first time were now seen. My point

is: you need several days to do this area justice. If you have the time, plan at least three days here:

one to do the main roads and PAU, one to walk trails and one to focus on very difficult birds.

Barred Owlet-nightjar, Varirata, 18 Macrh 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

31

Anyway, after a visit to the picnic area (Glossy-mantled Manucode) and a spectacular Raggiana lek

with four dancing males, we focussed on the trails. The Varirata Lookout Trail, from the Lookout

down to the picnic area (1.8 km), was good with calling Painted Quail-thrush (close but no cigar),

Red-bellied Pitta, Yellow-billed Kingfishers and a calling Pheasant Pigeon (unfortunately there was a

stream between us – it responded to playback but never got out in the open). The Barred Owlet-

nightjar was not at home at its regular stakeout, but we would see no less than four over the course

of the day. We got our bins on Black Butcherbird and Grey Crow and some nice flocks with Rusty

Mouse-warblers, Pale-billed Scrub-wrens, lovely Chestnut-bellied Fantails, beautiful Frilled, Spot-

winged and Black-faced Monarchs, Rusty and Hooded Pitohuis etc. Two Black-billed Brush-turkeys

ran away from us on the trail (near the mound; you can’t miss it) and several pigeons and doves

showed well, with Coroneted Fruit-dove (nesting), Great Cuckoo-Dove and Purple-tailed and Zoe’s

Imperial Pigeon all at eyelevel. At the Koiari Treehouse Trail next to the picnic area we successfully

taped out a Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher at its well-known stakeout. During the heat of the day

we went to PAU where we clocked most relevant species within an hour and a half, including a pair

of Papuan Frogmouths with a chick. In the afternoon we walked the Koiari Treehouse Trail. Along

the river, Forest Bittern is occasionally seen. No luck today, but we taped out a beautiful Chestnut-

backed Jewel-babbler, one of the finest birds of the trip. We walked the Boundary Track (near the

Varirata sign) between 15.00 and 16.00, which materialized in a sighting of a Painted Quail-thrush.

The last hours were spent in the savannah along the entrance road. Loads of birds were present, with

two perched Yellowish-streaks Lories, a tree full of fruit-doves with Pink-spotted, Orang-bellied and

best of all a tiny female Dwarf, Hooded Butcherbirds, Black Cicadabirds and many species PNG shares

with northern Australia, like Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, the little stunner White-throated Honeyeater,

Leaden and Lemon-bellied Flycatchers and plenty of White-bellied Cuckooshrikes. We then checked

the roadside pool next to PAU again and unlike earlier today, 18 Plumed Whistling-Ducks as well as a

Little Ringed Plover were now present. No sign of last week’s Royal Spoonbill. A last stop for Grand

Mannikin was unfruitful, but I did catch up with Rufous-banded Honeyeater. The final stop was at a

supermarket with very reasonable prices, so we could stock up for tomorrow. We smuggled in a beer

to celebrate the day at the hotel. Phoned Daniel to discuss the details for tomorrow. I found the

definite proof that we’re no rocket scientists: the air-con worked perfectly fine, we’d just been too

clumsy to switch it on properly last night.

19 March

Daniel suggested a 5.30 start. The drive to Brown River took longer than expected (about an hour;

the road is bad), so in hindsight a 5 o’clock start would have been better. On the way I caught up with

two species I missed at PAU: Torresian Imperial Pigeon and Orange-fronted Fruit-dove. Brown River

is secondary lowland forest: the site doesn’t look like much, but the birding is good. A huge flying fox

crossed the road near the river and the first good birds of the day – typical lowland rainforest species

– were found: Grey-headed Goshawk, Lowland Peltops (3; 1 singing) and Papuan Spine-tailed Swift.

Daniel saw a female-type King Bird of Paradise, but the second I raised my bins it disappeared into

the bush. We played a playback game, but even though a bird called back, it did not pop into view.

Daniel apparently has good connections here, as a local farmer kept an eye on his car while we

entered his bush. Daniel bought veggies and we gave the man a ride to his village in return. Inside the

bush the birding was good. It was soon obvious that Daniel knew his bird calls. Black Thicket Fantail

(more heard) eventually showed (they are shy), as did a Black-sided Robin. We played hide and seek

with Common Paradise-Kingfisher and had multiple sightings of two or three birds. Many more were

32

heard. Both Papuan Scrub-robin and Blue Jewel-babbler refused to come out and play, though they

were heard well. The attempt to see the latter involved hitting a nest with aggressive ants: the little

buggers were all over us. Great Black Coucal was also only heard, but we enjoyed fine views of

Wompoo Fruit-dove, Rufous-backed Fantail (nice tails!) and the lovely Emperor Fairywren (pair).

Flocks held species like Frilled, Black-faced and Golden Monarch, Rusty Pitohui and Northern Fantail.

The morning was over way too soon. On the way back we stopped for White-throated Gerygone and

we enjoyed nice views of Eclectus Parrot and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. And that was it. After a stop

at a cheap lunch place Daniel knew, we were at the airport. Arjan pressed on to Brisbane, Max and I

flew back home. I saw the last birds – Pacific Goldens Plovers – from my window seat and before I

knew it, I was off to Hong Kong. Where are these 25 hour delays when you really need them?

Common Paradise Kingfisher, adult, Brown River, 19 March 2016 (Vincent van der Spek)

Epilogue

It was all too brief but very, very much worth the while! I always thoroughly enjoy my birding trips,

but this one ranks amongst the best ones I ever made. PNG offers some of the finest birding on the

planet: the amount of mouth watering species is ridicoulisly high. It was of course a bummer that I

was delayed for 25 hours, especially since it was already such a short trip. Due to the delay I missed a

day in Varirata, but fortunatley we planned two days there. In hindsight Varirata is so good, that it

actually deserves at least three days to do it (more) justice. In the Central Highlands we spent enough

time at Rondon and Kumul. On my last day I only saw one lifer there, so I apparently ‘cleaned up’

most targets that can reasonably be expected. Trips to PNG never come cheap, but a short trip like

this kept the costs at hand. This short trip gave me a fine sample of what New Guinea has to offer! I

really want to see more of the island’s avifauna, so if all goes well, I’ll certainly plan a trip to the

Indonesian part in the future.

33

Bird list

E= endemic to New Guinea

(E) = endemic to New Guinea and Bismarck archipelago CR= Critically Endangered EN= endangered VU= Vulnerable NT= Near Threatened

Rec = recorded p = photographed v= videoed s= sound recorded fer= feral

The list is based on the IOC, but I’ve added additional notes on different taxonomical views from other sources.

Nr Species Status Rec Notes

1 Black-billed (aka

Yellow-legged) Brush-

turkey

E Two birds running on the trail between the look out and the picnic area, near the mound, Varirata; more heard near the pick nick area and Brown River.

2 Brown Quail Three birds flushed along the road side at Kama.

3 Radjah (aka Raja)

Shelduck

P Three birds at PAU, at the easternmost pond.

4 Pacific Black Duck P Common at PAU.

5 Wandering Whistling

Duck

Common at PAU.

6 Plumed Whistling Duck

18 in the roadside pond, PAU at dusk (not present during the day).

7 Australasian Grebe One in the largest pond, PAU.

34

8 Little Black Cormorant Common at PAU and several groups seen in flight

around Port Moresby.

9 Little Pied Cormorant P Only two seen at PAU.

10 Glossy Ibis P One at PAU.

11 Australian White Ibis P Common at PAU; all birds seen at the northernmost pond.

12 Straw-necked Ibis Seen at PAU by Arjan and Max during their first visit.

13 Royal Spoonbill One seen at the roadside pond next to PAU by Arjan and Max during their first visit.

14 Rufous (aka Nankeen) Night-heron

Seen at PAU by Arjan and Max during their first visit.

15 Little Egret Several at PAU.

16 Intermediate Egret Several at PAU.

17 Eastern Cattle Egret Big flock at the roadside pond, PAU.

18 Great (White) Egret Several at PAU and a few near Brown River.

19 Pied Heron P This stunner was common at PAU.

20 Black-winged Kite P Two in the valley below Rondon.

21 Brahminy Kite P Regular at Rondon and around Port Moresby.

22 Whistling Kite Common in the Port Moresby area, especially Brown River.

23 Black Kite P Very common in the highlands, less so around Port

Moresby.

24 Pacific Baza One seen from the Varirata lookout by Arjan and Max.

25 Papuan Harrier (or either Swamp or Eastern Marsh when lumped)

E Splendid pale morph male at Mount Hagen airport, seen while waiting for our flight. This is a recent split. Previously it was lumped with either Swamp or Eastern Marsh.

26 Gurney’s Eagle Two birds seen at close range from the lookout in Varirata by Arjan and Max. Unfortunately it was way too windy for soaring raptors when I visited the place.

27 Grey-headed Goshawk E One at Brown River and another one by Max and Arjan

at Varirata.

28 Collared Sparrowhawk P An adult below Kumul, along the road and another one at Varirata.

29 Variable Goshawk At least one in the Brown River area, where several

other Accipiters were only seen briefly.

30 Brown Falcon One in the valley below Rondon and one or two at Mount Hagen airport.

31 Australasian Swamphen

P Common at PAU and one at Brown River.

32 Dusky Moorhen P Common at PAU.

33 Pale-vented (aka Rufous-tailed) Bush-hen HO

One heard near Brown River.

34 Chestnut Forest Rail HO

E One bird responded to playback at Max’ orchid garden, Kumul, but it was too distant to tape in.

35 Comb-crested Jacana Common at PAU.

36 Masked Lapwing Very common at PAU.

37 Little Ringed Plover One at the roadside pool next to PAU. It was in summer plumage. Was this a bird of the local (but not

always recognized) papuanis ssp, that has no obvious winter plumage?

38 Pacific Golden Plover Flocks at the airports at both Mount Hagen and Port Moresby.

39 Common Sandpiper Two at PAU.

40 New Guinea E P Great find by Arjan right at the start of the

35

Woodcock northernmost trail behind the cabins at Kumul, right

behind the small building there. Seen on the ground

and perched in a tree. Formerly considered a ssp. of Rufous Woodcock, together with what is now Javan Woodcock.

41 Bar-shouldered Dove Only one at PAU.

42 Peaceful Dove Regular at PAU and along the road to Brown River.

43 Black-billed (aka Bar-tailed) Cuckoo-Dove

(E) P Common at Rondon.

44 Brown (aka Slender-billed) Cuckoo-Dove

Common at Kama, Varirata and Brown River.

45 Great Cuckoo-Dove A fly-by at Kumul even raised Wilson’s pulse. Great views of a perched bird along the Varirata Lookout Trail, Varirata.

46 Cinnamon Ground-Dove HO

E Heard at Brown River, where a cinnamon bundle of feathers raced by after I played the tape. Untickable

views!

47 (Bronze Ground-

Dove) ‘HO’

E Joseph flushed one at the ridge trail at Rondon, but I

only heard the wingbeats! It doesn’t even count as a heard only, but added for the sake of completeness.

48 Pacific Emerald Dove Bad views at Varirata and Brown River. A recent split

from Emerald Dove.

49 Stephen’s (Emerald) Dove

E A few fly-by’s at Varirata.

50 Pheasant Pigeon

(Grey-naped Pheasant-Pigeon when split)

E S Heard well at a hill slope along the Varirata Lookout

Trail, Varirata. It responded to playback, it even moved, but frustratingly it stayed out of sight. Unfortunately we could not get any closer, as there was a stream between us and the bird. HBW splits all four existing taxa. This bird is what they call Grey-naped Pheasant-Pigeon.

51 Wompoo Fruit-Dove P Singles seen at both Varirata and Brown River. At Varirata two more were heard. Can you believe I only realised this bird’s name is an onomatopoeia after I heard it calling?

52 Beautiful Fruit-Dove E Seen in Varirata by Arjan and Max.

53 Pink-spotted Fruit-Dove

E Several sightings at Varirata and Brown River. This fruit-dove is easy to find.

54 Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove

E Seen at PAU by Max and Arjan, two birds seen by all of us along the road to Brown River.

55 Coroneted Fruit-Dove E P A nesting bird along the Varirata Lookout Trail,

Varirata. The nest was built on top of a small palm tree in the middle storey. The nest contained a single white egg. Another one was seen by Max and Arjan during their first visit to Varirata.

56 Dwarf Fruit-dove E A single female allowed fantastic scope views along

the approach road to Varirata, in a tree full of fruit-doves. What a tiny thing!

57 Orange-bellied Fruit-dove

E Several seen in Varirata and Brown River. This fruit-dove is easy to find.

58 White-bibbed Fruit-

dove (Mountain Fruit-

dove when split)

(E) About five sightings at Rondon. Two males allowed

great views. Also two at Tonga. Pratt & Beehler (2014)

split this beauty as Mountain Fruit-dove.

59 Torresian Imperial Pigeon

Two along the road to Brown River. Max and Arjan saw a couple at PAU during their first visit.

60 Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon

E P One seen at eye-level at Varirata. Several more heard there and at Brown River.

61 Rufescent Imperial Pigeon

E Two seen very well in the middle storey along the ridge trail, Rondon.

62 Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon E P One at eye level at Varirata, where several others

were seen in the canopy.

36

63 Papuan Mountain

Pigeon

E Several sightings at the ridge at Rondon, incl. a flock

of 13.

64 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Two along the entrance road, Varirata and another two along the road to Brown River.

65 Palm Cockatoo One from the lookout at Varirata recorded by Max and

Arjan during their first visit.

66 Plum-faced Lorikeet E A small flock was seen in a fruiting tree twice along the trails at Kumul. Stunning birds!

67 Goldies Lorikeet E A flock of 5 or 6 at Rondon, half way up on the mountain.

68 Yellow-billed Lorikeet E Very common at Rondon, but outnumbered by next species at Kumul.

69 Orange-billed Lorikeet E A few along the ridge at Rondon, common at Kumul. On average this species occurs at a higher altitude

than Yellow-billed, which outnumbered this species at Rondon Ridge.

70 Papuan Lorikeet (Stella’s Lorikeet when split)

E P True stunners! Small numbers of both colour morphs seen at Rondon and Kumul. Pratt & Beehler (2014) and HBW split this taxon as Stella’s Lorikeet.

71 Coconut Lorikeet (Rainbow Lorikeet when lumped)

Common at lower altitude. Seen at Varirata, Brown River and Kama. Split from Rainbow Lorikeet.

72 Black-capped Lory E These wonderful birds are common at Varirata.

73 Yellow(ish)-streaked

Lory

E Two perched birds in the savannah area along the

approach road to Varirata.

74 Dusky Lory E Several seen by Max and Arjan during their first visit to Varirata, but none found when I was there.

75 Red-cheeked Parrot Regular at Varirata.

76 Brehm’s Tiger-Parrot E P, V Several at Kumul, where a few birds came to the bird

table. One heard at Rondon.

77 Double-eyed Fig-Parrot

Two seen well in the valley below Rondon. At Rondon several tiny parrots flew past.

78 Eclectus Parrot Several heard at Varirata, where a male perched out in

the open along the entrance road. Both a male and a female seen along the road to Brown River, where

several others were heard.

79 Papuan King-Parrot E P A calling male flew by at Rondon. Max photographed a male in Varirata.

80 Pheasant Coucal One at the airport, Port Moresby and several along the road to Brown River.

81 Ivory-billed (aka Greater Black) Coucal HO

E Two birds heard only at Brown River.

82 Dwarf Koel E P One heard at Brown River and one photographed by Max and Arjan during their first visit to Varirata.

83 Fan-tailed Cuckoo One behind the lodge, Rondon.

84 Rusty-breasted

Cuckoo (Brush Cuckoo when lumped)

P Common in cultivated areas.

85 Oriental Cuckoo Perched bird seen well at Brown River.

86 White-eared Bronze

Cuckoo

E Seen very well at Lai river, near Kama. Easy to whistle

in.

87 Papuan Frogmouth Brilliant views of a male, female and chick at PAU. Apparently there are six pairs at PAU.

88 Large-tailed Nightjar A male on the road as we approached Varirata in the dark.

89 Papuan Boobook E Heard close to the lodge at Rondon (no response) and at Kumul, where I got a brief view of a perched bird.

90 Feline Owlet-nightjar HO

E While walking uphill in the dark at Rondon, Joseph stopped at four territories he knew. Only the fourth bird responded, though it did not come closer and

37

stopped calling shortly after.

91 Mountain Owlet-nightjar

E 3 or 4 territories found around the Kumul Lodge. A bird at the lodge that perched briefly on one of the roofs and in a tree was seen in flight several times. It was so close that we were able to hear its wingbeats.

92 Barred Owlet-nightjar E P No less than four birds in Varirata, incl. one on a

branch. Apparently it was disturbed by something. It disappeared before we could fire a shot.

93 Glossy Swiftlet Regularly seen in the highlands.

94 Mountain Swiftlet E Large flocks at dusk in Rondon and several at Kumul.

95 Uniform Swiftlet Small numbers in the lowlands.

96 Papuan Spinetailed

Swift

E Two at Brown River.

97 White-throated Needletail

Two at Brown River.

98 Oriental Dollarbird One along the approach road to Varirata and two along

the road to Brown River.

99 Rainbow Bee-eater Seen at PAU by Arjan and Max during their first visit.

100 Common Paradise-Kingfisher

P Two or three birds seen well, many more heard at Brown River. They were easy to tape in.

101 Brown-headed

Paradise-Kingfisher

E P Seen very well along the Koiari Treehouse Trail,

Varirata. Try the tape if you can’t find it without.

102 Yellow-billed Kingfisher

Common at Varirata and Brown River.

103 Papuan Dwarf

Kingfisher (or Variable Kingfisher when lumped)

E Regularly heard in Varirata, where I only saw a flash.

Max and Arjan saw the species well during their first visit.

104 Azure Kingfisher Seen by Arjan and Max during their first visit to Varirata along the small river next to the approach road.

105 Rufous-bellied Kookaburra

E One at the savannah along the entrance road to Varirata and one at Brown River. More seen by Arjan and Max during their first visit to Varirata.

106 Blue-winged

Kookaburra

P Surprisingly only two seen: one near Varirata and one

at Brown River. More seen by Arjan and Max during their first visit to Varirata.

107 Forest Kingfisher Four along the entrance road to Varirata.

108 Sacred Kingfisher One along the entrance road to Varirata.

109 Red-bellied Pitta One along the Varirata Lookout Trail, Varirata.

110 MacGregor’s Bowerbird

E P This widespread bowerbird is not easy to find in PNG, but Rondon is a very good site for it. One male and 10+ sightings of females. Joseph showed me both an active and an abandoned bower.

111 Archbold’s Bowerbird E, NT P This very rare bowerbird was not seen at Kumul’s bird table during our stay, but we managed to find this rare

species in a fruiting tree near the parking lot.

112 Fawn-breasted Bowerbird

P Several seen at PAU, where Leonard showed us a beautiful active bower. Also three seen along the road to Brown River.

113 Yellow-breasted Bowerbird

E Boy, it took some time to find this one! Searches in the valley below Rondon only produced a calling bird, as did a search near Kama. But one bird – found by the driver! – was seen well on the way up to Kumul. This shy bowerbird occurs in the quiet corners of cultivated areas.

114 White-shouldered Fairywren

E P Easy to find around the lodge and in the valley below Rondon and around the Lesser BoP lek in Kama.

115 Emperor Fairywren E Lovely birds. A pair was seen well at Brown River,

38

where another one was heard.

116 Mountain (aka Elfin) Myzomela

E P A few around the lodge, Rondon and a male at Kama.

117 Red-collared Myzomela

E P Common at Rondon.

118 Papuan Black Myzomela

E Seen by Arjan and Max during their first visit to Varirata.

119 Rufous-backed Honeyeater

E Seen twice at the ridge at Rondon.

120 Grey-streaked

Honeyeater

E Small numbers at Rondon and Kumul.

121 Yellowish-streaked (aka Olive-streaked) Honeyeater

E This is a difficult bird to find, but Rondon seems to be a good place with at least five sightings. Unlike the previous species, they forage in the canopy.

122 Plain Honeyeater E Seen in Varirata by Arjan and Max during their first visit.

123 Marbled Honeyeater E Good scope views of this species at Kama, which I think is not easy to find in PNG.

124 Streak-headed

Honeyeater

E Seen by Max and Arjan along the approach road to

Varirata.

125 New Guinea Friarbird (or Helmeted when lumped).

E Common and conspicuous in the Port Moresby area. Split from Helmeted Friarbird.

126 Tawny-breasted Honeyeater

Small numbers at Varirata and Brown River.

127 Rufous-banded Honeyeater

Small numbers along the roads to Varirata and Brown River. Max and Arjan also saw this species at PAU.

128 White-throated

Honeyeater

This little gem was seen in the savannah along the

approach road to Varirata on both visits.

129 Black-throated Honeyeater HO

E Heard at dusk at two places just below the Black Sicklebill site at Rondon, on both visits. And on both occasions they were nowhere to be found later that morning when I had time to search for them.

130 Common Smoky Honeyeater

E P, V Common at Rondon and Kumul. Great views at the bird table. Through blood circulation these birds have

the ability to change the colour of their orbital skin from yellow to red within a short period of time. You can actually see it happening!

131 Ornate Melidectes E Smart honeyeater of cultivated areas. One seen behind the lodge at Rondon, common at Kama.

132 Belford’s Melidectes E P, V One of the most conspicuous birds at Kumul. They eat fruit at the table, but also allow good views along the trails. They are noisy. Very noisy.

133 Yellow-browed Melidectes

E The default melidectes at Rondon. As conspicuous as the previous species, though a bit more shy maybe?

Belford’s x Yellow-browed Melidectes

P Birds that appeared to by hybrids were seen at Kumul, Tonga and at the ridge trail, Rondon.

134 Mimic Meliphaga E One at Varirata.

135 Elegant Meliphaga (Graceful Meliphaga when lumped)

Common at Varirata. Many meliphaga’s in the lowlands remained unidentified. Split from Graceful.

136 Mountain Meliphaga E Common at Kama, two at Rondon.

137 Rusty Mouse-Warbler E Two flocks in Varirata.

138 Mountain Mouse-warbler

E Seen well a couple of times at Rondon and Kumul.

139 Large Scrubwren E Two small flocks at Kumul and two small flocks at the higher parts of Rondon.

140 Buff-faced Scrubwren E Common at Rondon (lower parts).

141 Papuan Scrubwren E P Common at Kumul.

142 Pale-billed Scrubwren E A flock of this distinctive scrubwren was seen well at

39

Varirata.

143 Grey Thornbill (aka Mountain Gerygone)

E P Small flocks in the (sub) canopy at the lower parts of Rondon. The area around the water tank was good.

144 Brown-breasted Gerygone

E This is Golden-bellied 3.0! Their songs goes on and on and on! Common in cultivated areas in the mountains.

145 Yellow-bellied Gerygone

E A few in bird flocks in Varirata, where more were heard.

146 White-throated Gerygone HO

Two heard in cultivated areas along the road to Brown River.

147 Crested Satinbird E, EF P A male and a female were seen extremely well along

one of the trails at Kumul. One bird heard calling right next to the lodge, where Wilson also saw one (that disappeared before we got there). One of the best birds of this trip!

148 (Loria’s Satinbird) E, EF Female found by Joseph in the sub-canopy at Rondon,

but unfortunately it flew away very shortly after I got my bins on it. I did see the shape and size, but e.g. not the greenish colour. Untickable views of a very

good bird. Added for the sake of completeness.

149 Black Berrypecker E, EF Common in Varirata.

150 Mid-mountain

Berrypecker

E, EF One male at Rondon (lower parts) and another male in

the valley below Rondon.

151 Fan-tailed Berrypecker

E, EF P Three or four seen at Rondon, a pair around the lodge at Kumul and another pair along one of the trails there.

152 Streaked Berrypecker E, EF This is a very good bird, but unfortunately I only got brief views as lighting struck right next to us when I was looking at it. Near the water tank, Rondon.

153 Slaty-headed Longbill E, EF One seen well at Rondon.

154 Tit Berrypecker E, EF Fantastic views of a pair in one of the trees behind the bird table at Kumul.

155 Crested Berrypecker (or Eastern Crested when split)

E, EF P A pair regularly turned up in a tree with berries near the bird table, Kumul. This or another pair was also seen around the parking lot. Pratt & Beehler (2014) split the existing taxa in two separate species, which

would make our birds Eastern Crested Berrypeckers.

156 Blue Jewel-babbler HO

E Heard well at Brown River, but taping seemed to chase it away rather than to lure it in.

157 Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler

E S Wonderful views along the Koiari Treehouse Trail, Varirata where one was taped in during the heat of the day. Another one heard only along the Varirata

Lookout Trail.

160 Painted Quail-thrush E S One played hide and seek along the Varirata Lookout Trail, one seen along the Boundary Track, Varirata

161 Black-breasted

Boatbill

E Seen well along one of the trails at Kumul and at the

ridge trail at Rondon. Funny little thing.

162 White-breasted Woodswallow

Regular in the lowlands.

163 Great Woodswallow E Only two seen, both along the road from Mount Hagen to Kumul.

164 Lowland Peltops E P Three at Brown River were somewhat unexpected. I think they’re not easy here. One of the birds was

singing, unfortunately too soft to make a proper recording. Great views nonetheless.

165 Hooded Butcherbird E A pair along the approach road to Varirata and another pair along the road at Brown River.

166 Black-backed Butcherbird

Several at PAU and along the road to Brown River.

167 Black Butcherbird Two seen and several in Varirata.

168 White-bellied Cuckooshrike

Regular in the savannah areas around Port Moresby.

40

169 Black-faced

Cuckooshrike

One at PAU.

170 Stout-billed Cuckooshrike

E Seen at Varirata by Max and Arjan during their first visit.

171 Black Cicadabird (aka

New Guinea Cuckooshrike)

E Regular in Varirata.

172 Varied Triller Seen at Varirata by Max and Arjan during their first visit.

173 Mottled Whistler

(aka Mottled Berryhunter)

E, EF At least two males and two females (none together) at

Rondon. Not an easy bird I believe, so Rondon seems to be a good place to find one.

174 Wattled Ploughbill E, EF P One of the best birds of the trip. What an odd creature! Heard at Rondon (at the ridge and at the trail east of the water tank). Poor views of a female and splendid views of a male at Kumul. Look for them

in patches with bamboo. They responded to limited use of playback.

175 Rufous-naped

Whistler (aka Rufous-naped Bellbird)

E P Two at Rondon (together) and four sightings at Kumul,

including a confiding bird on the lawn in front of the bird table (once, briefly).

176 Black Pitohui E A pair seen well in the middle storey at the lower parts of Rondon.

177 Brown-backed Whistler

E Four or five singles in flocks at Rondon.

178 Grey Whistler Regular in flocks at Varirata and Brown River.

179 Sclater’s Whistler E Small numbers at Rondon only.

180 Regent Whistler E Two of these smart whistlers along the ridge at Rondon and small numbers at Kumul. Occurs at higher altitude than the previous species.

181 Black-headed Whistler E Several in the valley below Rondon and one between Mount Hagen and Kumul. This seemed to be a bird of cultivated areas.

182 Rusty Pitohui E Small numbers at Varirata and Brown River.

183 Little Shrikethrush Regular at Rondon and one in Varirata. Great

songster.

184 Grey Shrikethrush One at PAU and one at Brown River.

185 Long-tailed Shrike Small numbers in cultivated areas in the mountains.

186 Hooded Pitohui E Surprisingly little seen: only seen and heard once in Varirata, one in a forest patch in the valley below Rondon and one at Tonga.

187 Brown Oriole E Small numbers in the Port Moreseby area.

188 Australian Figbird One at PAU seen by Max and Arjan during their first visit to the university.

189 Northern Fantail P Two seen and one heard at Brown River.

190 Chestnut-bellied Fantail

E The smartest fantail of the trip was a regular in bird flocks in Varirata.

191 Friendly Fantail E P Common at Rondon and Kumul.

192 Willie Wagtail P Common throughout in cultivated and urban areas.

193 Black Thicket-Fantail E Unusually shy for a fantail. Several heard and one

seen at Brown River.

194 Rufous-backed Fantail E One whistled in by Daniel at Brown River. Nice tail!

195 Dimorphic Fantail E Small numbers at Rondon.

196 Black Fantail E Small numbers at Rondon and one male at Tonga.

197 Black Monarch

(aka Fan-tailed Monarch)

E Small numbers at Rondon. Not very easy to see, but

two birds seen very well.

41

198 Spot-winged Monarch E Several birds in bird flocks in Varirata, one at Brown

River.

199 Black-faced Monarch P Singles seen well at both Varirata and Brown River.

200 Golden Monarch (E) A pair at Brown River.

201 Frilled Monarch E P Common at both Varirata and Brown River.

202 Leaden Flycatcher A pair showed well along the entrance road to

Varirata.

203 Torresian Crow Small numbers around Port Moresby.

204 Grey Crow E Three at Varirata. Also seen by Max and Arjan during their first visit.

205 Lesser Melampitta E, EF S, P One seen well and another one heard at the very start

of the trail next to the parking lot. They respond to playback, but nonetheless take some effort to find.

206 Blue-capped Ifrit E, EF P Three or four in the trees behind the bird table, Kumul and two singles at the higher parts of Rondon.

207 Glossy-mantled Manucode

E One seen well in the picnic area, Varirata.

208 Crinckle-collared Manucode

E Seen in Varirata by Max and Arjan during their first visit.

209 Ribbon-tailed Astrapia E, NT P, V A splendid adult male along a trail at Kumul.

Furthermore at least two females and two immature males attended the table at Kumul.

210 Princess Stephanies Astrapia

E P Two adult males at the ridge, Rondon, where a female was seen much lower down, near the water tank.

211 Lawes’s Parotia E P My best find of the trip: a very unexpected bird indeed! A male and a female perched in a dead tree at Tonga. They were chased away by a female Blue BoP (creating the rather odd situation that I cursed one of the best birds on the planet!). Later on the female foraged at eye level in a fruiting tree.

212 King of Saxony Bird of Paradise

E P Two territorial males were displaying (the so called simple display) at the ridge, Rondon. One of them had fairly short plumes.

213 Superb Bird of

Paradise

E P Common at the lower parts of Rondon, with 15+

sightings of females and one of a male. Best sighting

however was a singing male flashing its breast shields at Kama. Also seen at Tonga (incl. a male) and heard in the valley below Rondon.

214 Growling Riflebird (or Magnificent when lumped)

E Three males seen in Varirata. Their characteristic calls were heard more often. Split from Magnificent.

215 Black Sicklebill E, VU S Fantastic calls! Several brief, but good views of a male at the ridge, Rondon. Male seen at close range, but they are shy. The female was less shy.

216 Brown Sicklebill E P, V Only females seen. Regular at the bird table at Kumul

(at least four), a few seen along the trails. Max saw one foraging on the ground along one of the trails. A female was seen at the lower parts of Rondon (lower than I’d expected), a machine gun male was heard but not seen at the ridge.

217 Magnificent Bird of

Paradise

E A female-type at Kama showed well after the use of

playback: it flew out of the forest and perched out in the open in a nearby tree. Was it a young male, given the aggressive response? Another one heard here and at Tonga, both too distant to give it a go.

218 King Bird of Paradise

HO

E Daniel pointed out a female that flew away

immediately (I only saw a flash). A calling bird responded to tape, but it remained hidden in the foliage. A heard only BoP, that really is a lousy record, isn’t it?

219 Raggiana Bird of E P, V Common in Varirata. One of the highlights of the trip

42

Paradise were four displaying males. Another two adult males

were seen elsewhere in the park, all other sightings

were females and immature males. One sighting at Brown River.

220 Lesser Bird of Paradise

E An immature male flew over our heads at Kama. It perched out in the open at the display site for a minute. Another bird was heard uphill.

221 Blue Bird of Paradise E, VU P, V, S

At least two females seen well at the lower parts of Rondon, one or two females seen well at Tonga (incl. one at eye level in a fruiting tree), where a splendid male allowed fantastic scope views. What a stunner!

222 Black-sided Robin E Great views of a single bird at Brown River.

223 Black-throated Robin E Two at Kumul and two at Rondon.

224 White-winged Robin E Common and confiding at Kumul, both near the bird table and along the trails.

225 Slaty Robin E Three sightings at Kumul only.

226 Torrent Flyrobin (aka Torrent Flycatcher)

(E) Common along the Lai river.

227 Canary Flyrobin (aka Papuan Flycatcher)

E Three sightings at Rondon.

228 Lemmon-bellied

Flyrobin (aka Lemmon-bellied Flycatcher)

Several along the approach road to Varirata and the

road to Brown River.

229 White-faced Robin HO Heard only on two occasions at Varirata.

230 Papuan Scrub-robin

(Northern Scrub-robin when lumped)

E S One distant bird heard along the main road, Varirata,

where Max saw a bird along the Varirata Lookout trail.

Another one heard at Brown River.

231 Lesser Ground-robin HO

E Two heard at Rondon; surprisingly none heard at Kumul.

232 Tree Martin Seen at PAU by Arjan and Max.

233 Pacific Swallow Common.

234 Island Leaf Warbler One at Tonga, common at Rondon.

235 Papuan Grassbird (Tawny Grassbird when lumped)

E Several heard and one seen around Kama. They respond to playback. Split from Tawny.

236 Golden-headed Cisticola

Regularly seen in grasslands around Port Moresby.

237 Black-fronted White-eye

E Only two seen at Varirata.

238 Papuan (aka New Guinea) White-eye

E P Difficult birds around Rondon! Phil Gregory and Thane Pratt agreed they were not straight forward (glad to

know it wasn’t me!), but they identified my birds as Papuan.

239 Spangled Drongo Several heard and seen at Varirata.

240 Metallic Starling Three birds at PAU.

241 Singing Starling Small flocks in cultivated areas.

242 Yellow-faced Myna E This smart myna was regularly seen at all three birding sites in the Port Moreseby area.

243 Pied Bushchat Common in cultivated areas around Mount Hagen.

244 Island Thrush One at Rondon and two or three at Kumul. No birds at the table.

245 Red-capped Flowerpecker (aka Papuan Flowerpecker)

E A male in the valley below Rondon and a pair at Kama.

246 Olive-backed Sunbird A male at Brown River was the only one of the trip.

247 Mountain Firetail E Small numbers (< 10 sightings) at Kumul.

43

248 Blue-faced Parrotfinch Several seen at Rondon.

249 Papuan Parrotfinch E This rare species was seen at Rondon three times: two family groups (probably the same birds) and one single adult were found. I expected the species to be too hard to identify, but the birds really had massive bills and thick necks. Blue-faced was also present at Rondon, so indirect comparison was possible. Joseph was decisive about the ID. As depicted in Pratt &

Beehler (2014), the juveniles indeed had a small blue cheek patch, though I don’t know what the value of this feature is.

250 Hooded Mannikin (E) Common in cultivated areas in the Central Highlands.

251 Grey-headed Mannikin E Only seen around the airport, Port Moresby!

Out of competition

Magpie Goose esc A bird at the roadside pool next to PAU: apparently it escaped from a nearby aviary (pers comm Phil Gregory)

House Sparrow F A few in Mount Hagen.

Tree Sparrow F Regular around Port Moresby.

Acknowlegdements Daniel, Leonard, Joseph and Wilson were invaluable companions in the field. Phil Gregory helped us

out in various ways: he put us on the trail that led to Leonard and he, together with Thane Pratt,

helped us with the ID of the difficult white-eyes at Rondon. The biggest thank you goes out to Trans

Niugini Tours (Rondon Ridge) and the Kumul Lodge: their staff did not only take care of us very well,

but with substantial discounts – also for Max and me – they also sponsored Arjan’s Biggest Year. By

doing so, they made this trip possible in the first place. Last but not least Frazey Ford kept me

company on my head phones. I even listened to my least favourite song: Bird of Paradise.

Vincent van der Spek

April 2016

[email protected]

Disclaimer: all errors, gibberish, bad jokes, insults of your intelligence and signs of bad taste are all on

my account: don’t blame Max and Arjan for it.

44

Appendix: Rondon Ridge trail map

45

Date post:	12-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	vothuan
View:	216 times
Download:	1 times

Papua New Guinea Port Moresby area & the Central … · PNG is that theres still a lot of untouched...

Documents