E = endemic to New Guinea & satellite islands.
I = introduced

Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah

Saw a couple on Salawati Island.

Salvadori's Teal ^E Salvadorina waigiuensis

Restricted to the mountains of New Guinea, small numbers of this rare duck were seen on Lake Habema.

Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa

A few birds on Lake Habema in the Baliem Valley.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Two or three on Lake Sentani.

Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

While travelling between Sorong and Batanta, also in Sorong Habour.

Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel

Fairly common around Sorong.

Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra

Only seen once on Biak.

Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana

One of the few birds seen from the longboat on the shores of Salawati Island.

Great Egret Ardea alba

Fairly common around dams in the Nimbokrang area.

Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis

One bird seen flying over Lake Sentani.

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Not uncommon around Sorong and Batanta Island.

Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata

Seen at Nimbokrang and Biak Island where it was fairly common.

Long-tailed Honey-Buzzard ^E
Henicopernis longicauda

The tail appears remarkably long in flight, seen at the Deweruba Telekom Station

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus

Seen at almost every site we visited, probably the most common bird of prey in Irian Jaya.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster

Seen twice near Sorong.

Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus

A number of birds seen over fields in Wamena, once at Lake Habema.

Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae

Fairly common at Biak Island, observed perched on powerlines a number of times.

Grey-headed Goshawk ^E Accipiter poliocephalus

This attractive Accipiter was seen once at the park near Sorong and once at Nimbokrang near the old sawmill where we camped.

Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus

One bird on Biak.

New Guinea Eagle ^E Harpyopsis novaeguineae

This species is supposed to be difficult to see due to it’s habit of flying below the canopy. However, we observed it a number of times soaring at high altitudes, sometimes in what appeared to be a display flight. Seen flying on Batanta Island and Nimbokrang, one seen perched on Biak Island.

Gurney's Eagle ^E Aquila gurneyi

One bird seen at Nimbokrang, one on Biak.

Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides

Not uncommon in recently logged areas at Nimbokrang.

Brown Falcon Falco berigora

Two seen in the Baliem Valley.

Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides

One at Lake Habema.

Bush-hen Amaurornis olivaceus

One only seen crossing the road at Nimbokrang, heard often in the swampy areas on the sides of the road.

Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

10-15 birds seen on Lake Sentani.

Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa

Common on Lake Sentani.

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Also common on Lake Sentani, a few birds on Lake Habema.

Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala

One flushed form the grassland around Lake Habema.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

One at the Sorong Airport, two or three on Salawati Island and unusually one at Lake Habema.

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

A group of three or four seen at Sorong Airport.

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Fairly common and widespread, seen around Sorong, Batanta, Nibokrang and Biak.

Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes

Two seen on Biak.

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

One bird seen in the Sorong township.

Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea

A few seen on Lake Sentani near Jayapura.

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

Seen in small numbers at Sorong and Biak.

Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii

One seen on the rocks of the beach near our hotel at Sorong.

Crested Tern Sterna bergii

Common at Sorong and Biak.

Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus

A couple at Batanta.

Rock Dove^I Columba livia

Ubiquitous around the towns of Sorong and Biak.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia amboinensis

Common at all the low altitude sites we visited.

Great Cuckoo-Dove ^E Reinwardtoena reinwardtsi

Only observed on Biak where it is not common, seen once performing a display flight consisting of roller coaster-like flight patterns.

Coronated Fruit-Dove ^E Ptilinopus coronulatus

One only seen at Nimbokrang.

Beautiful Fruit-Dove ^E Ptilinopus pulchellus

Supposedly common throughout New Guinea but only seen at Nibokrang.

Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus solomonensis

Found on the Solomon’s, Bismark and Cenderawasih Bay islands, a few of these gorgeous birds seen on Biak where it is not uncommon.

Claret-breasted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus viridis

Common on Biak where it was seen every day we were there.

Orange-bellied Fruit Dove ^E Ptilinopus iozonus

Seen in lowland rainforest at Sorong and Nimbokrang, where it is common.

Dwarf Fruit-Dove^E Ptilinopus naina

Even though it is widespread this bird is rarely seen. We found out why when, on the trek back from Lake Habema one of our guides pointed a single bird out to us. It’s camouflage was almost perfect and much to our guide’s disbelief not one of us could find it without difficulty. Because the Irian Jayans still hunt for their own food their ability to spot birds is incredible.

Spice Imperial-Pigeon ^E Ducula myristicivora

Fairly common on Batanta and Biak.

Pinyon Imperial-Pigeon ^E Ducula pinon

Common in lowland rainforest but not seen on Biak.

Zoe Imperial-Pigeon ^E Ducula zoeae

Only seen once at Nimbokrang.

Papuan Mountain Pigeon Gymnophaps albertisii

Seen at Lake Habema and near the Cyclops Mountains.

Western Crowned-Pigeon ^E Goura cristata

This was one of the best birds of the trip. Two birds were seen sitting low in a tree on the island of Salawati. We were able to watch them for 20 minutes or so at close range.

Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus

Common on Batanta, also seen at Sorong and Nimbokrang.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita

Common in all lowland rainforest.

Brown Lory ^E Chalcopsitta duivenbodei

Restricted to north-west New Guinea, only seen at Nimbokrang by us where it was not common.

Black-winged Lory ^E (Biak Red Lory) Eos cyanogenia

A Biak and Numfor endemic, it is common on the island.

Dusky Lory ^E Pseudeos fuscata

Groups seen at Nimbokrang.

Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus

Common and widespread, seen at all lowland sites.

Black-capped Lory ^E Lorius lory

Seen on Batanta and at Nimbokrang.

Red-fronted Lorikeet ^E Charmosyna rubronotata

One bird seen flying on Biak Island.

Red-flanked Lorikeet Charmosyna placentis

A number seen flying on Biak.

Papuan Lorikeet ^E Charmosyna papou

Two phases of this species occur - a red and a black phase. We observed both, the black phase was seen at Lake Habema and on the trek down, the red phase was seen once in the lower altitudes of the Baliem Valley.

Plum-faced Lorikeet ^E Oreopsittacus arfaki

This exquisite, tiny lorikeet occurs at altitudes above 1800 m. It was observed only once on the trek down the Baliem Valley near the first camp.

Yellow-billed Lorikeet ^E
Neopsittacus musschenbroekii

A fairly common high altitude species, seen a number of times on the trek down the Baliem Valley.

Orange-billed Lorikeet ^E Neopsittacus pullicauda

Not uncommon near Lake Habema, seen in moderately large flocks.

Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus

Common at all lowland sites.

Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi

Also common at lowland sites.

Geelvink Pygmy-Parrot ^E Micropsitta geelvinkiana

This fabulous bird is endemic to Teluk Cenderawsih (Geelvink Bay). We observed it foraging on a tree trunk eating lichen and bark. I enjoyed seeing this amazing bird so much that I nominated it my bird of the trip.

Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot ^E Micropsitta pusio

Only observed once in lowland rainforest at Nimbokrang.

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma

Seen a few times at Nimbokrang.

Salvadori's Fig-Parrot ^E Psittaculirostris salvadorii

One seen in a fruiting tree at Nimbokrang. Restricted to north-west New Guinea.

Painted Tiger-Parrot ^E Psittacella picta

Another incredible looking parrot restricted to high altitudes. One observed in low shrubs in moss forest below our camp site at Lake Habema.

Pesquet's Parrot ^E Psittrichas fulgidus

This strange-looking parrot was seen once after much searching in an area about 5 km. north of our sawmill camp at Nimbokrang.

Moluccan King-Parrot Alisterus amboinensis

Three seen on Batanta Island.

Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus

One seen on Biak.

Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus

One seen below Ibele in the Baliem Valley.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis

Seen at Lake Habema and in the Baliem Valley three or four times.

Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae

One seen flying over palms on Biak.

Greater Black Coucal ^E Centropus menbeki

One crossing the road at Nimbokrang.

Biak Coucal ^E Centropus chalybeus

Described as common and noisy in the field guide, we found it quite difficult to observe. Only one was seen well in thick secondary growth after a wild goose (coucal?) chase through the undergrowth. Endemic to Biak.

Rufous Owl Ninox rufa

One bird flushed from a perch on Salawati Island.

Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuensis

One seen on Batanta where commonly heard, one at Nimbokrang.

Papuan Nightjar ^E Eurostopodus papuensis

Poor looks after an incredibly long hike through thick, shoulder high grass to a known spot at Nimbokrang.

Archbold's Nightjar ^E (Mountain Nightjar)
Eurostopodus archboldi

One seen at dusk at Lake Habema.

Feline Owlet-nightjar^E Aegotheles insignis

This bird defies description. We only found it by getting the assistance of some Dani hunters who led us on a merry chase before one of our Lani guides spotted one sitting amongst some undergrowth! We were able to observe it for about half an hour.

Moustached Treeswift Hemiprocne mystacea

Common in the lowland areas we visited.

Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta

Very common, observed at all sites visited.

Mountain Swiftlet ^E Collocalia hirundinacea

Restricted to high altitudes where common. Very similar to C. vanikorensis but has browner underparts.

Uniform Swiftlet Collocalia vanikorensis

Common at all lowland sites.

Papuan Needletail ^E Mearnsia novaeguineae

Fairly common at Nimbokrang.

Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea

One seen at Nimbokrang.

Variable Kingfisher Ceyx lepidus

Excellent looks at one bird in a small creek half-way up Gunung Batanta.

Common Paradise-Kingfisher ^E Tanysiptera galatea

One seen at the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise display area on Batanta.

Biak Paradise-Kingfisher^E Tanysiptera riedelii

Two seen in secondary growth on Biak.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra ^E Dacelo gaudichaud

Seen on Batanta, at Sorong and Nimbokrang. Quite commonly seen and heard on Batanta in particular.

Blue-black Kingfisher ^E Todiramphus nigrocyaneus

One of the best kingfishers, one seen at Nimbokrang. A very secretive bird that inhabits thick lowland swamp forest.

Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus

Not uncommon at a number of sites, also observed at Wamena.

Hook-billed Kingfisher ^E Melidora macrorrhina

One seen at dawn from the road in Nimbokrang.

Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus

Fairly common and widespread, seen Batanta, Sorong, Lake Habema and Biak.

Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis

Common in lowland areas.

Blyth's Hornbill Aceros plicatus

Common on Batanta and Salawati and at Nimbokrang. We were able to observe them easily and at close range.

Papuan Treecreeper ^E Cormobates placens

One seen in high altitude forest down from Lake Habema.

White-shouldered Fairywren ^E Malurus alboscapulatus

Common in all grasslands; seen in Wamena, in the cultivated areas of the Baliem Valley and at Nimbokrang.

Emperor Fairywren ^E Malurus cyanocephalus

A very attractive Malurus, seen in small numbers at the Deweruba Telekom Station near Lake Sentani, at Nimbokrang and on Biak.

Buff-faced Scrubwren ^E Sericornis perspicillatus

Common in rainforest in the Baliem Valley.

Papuan Scrubwren ^E Sericornis papuensis

Common at Lake Habema and surrounds, found at higher altitudes than Buff-faced Scrub-wren.

Yellow-bellied Gerygone ^E Gerygone chrysogaster

Fairly common on Batanta and Salawati.

Brown-breasted Gerygone ^E Gerygone ruficollis

A montane bird, seen at Lake Habema and surrounds.

Fairy Gerygone Gerygone palpebrosa

Not uncommon, seen on Salawati and at nimbokrang.

Papuan Thornbill ^E Acanthiza murina

A high altitude bird found above 2 000 m, common around Lake Habema and below.

Short-bearded Melidectes ^E Melidectes nouhuysi

This honeyeater is endemic to the Snow Mountains, it is common and conspicuous around Lake Habema.

Belford's Melidectes ^E Melidectes belfordi

Occurs with Short-bearded but to lower altitudes, we found it to be common around Lake Habema and further down the valley.

Ornate Melidectes ^E Melidectes torquatus

Occurs at lower altitudes again to the previous two Melidectes, moderately common in the Baliem Valley between Dyela and Tanamera.

Smoky Honeyeater ^E Melipotes fumigatus

Not a conspicuous bird but observed most days at Lake Habema and the Baliem Valley above Ibele; interestingly the large, yellow eye wattle changes to bright red depending on mood.

New Guinea Friarbird Philemon novaeguineae

Quite common on Salawati and Batanta also seen at Deweruba Telekom Station.

Spotted Honeyeater ^E Xanthotis polygramma

One seen on Salawati Island.

Orange-cheeked Honeyeater ^E Oreornis chrysogenys

Endemic to the Snow Mountains above 3 250 m., we observed it twice at Lake Habema. The ‘orange’ cheek is actually golden-yellow.

Puff-backed Honeyeater ^E Meliphaga aruensis

One bird seen on Batanta.

Mimic Honeyeater ^E Meliphaga analoga

One seen on Salawati.

Black-throated Honeyeater ^E
Lichenostomus subfrenatus

Found above 2 000 m., common around Lake Habema.

Varied Honeyeater ^E Lichenostomus versicolor

One bird seen in a palm tree at Sorong Airport.

Black-backed Honeyeater ^E Ptiloprora perstriata

Found above 1 700 m. in west New Guinea, common in moss forest below Lake Habema before Yaubagema.

Long-billed Honeyeater ^E Melilestes megarhynchus

Common in lowland areas, although can be difficult to see. Observed on Batanta and Salawati and at Nimbokrang.

Green-backed Honeyeater Glycichaera fallax

One seen on Salawati in a mixed flock.

Plain Honeyeater ^E Pycnopygius ixoides

Very nondescript, one seen at Nimbokrang.

Marbled Honeyeater ^E Pycnopygius cinereus

Found between 1 000 and 2 000 m., one seen in the Baliem Valley. Appeared more ‘marbled’ than illustration in field guide.

Streak-headed Honeyeater ^E
Pycnopygius stictocephalus

A lowland bird, fairly common at Nimbokrang. Beehler et al. claims this bird is a visual mimic of Helemted Friarbird and Brown Oriole, the vocalisations are also similar.

Brown-backed Honeyeater Ramsayornis modestus

One on Salawati.

Red-throated Myzomela Myzomela eques

An inconspicuous bird, one seen on Salawati.

Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura

Common on Biak where it has a red stripe on the throat.

Red-collared Myzomela ^E Myzomela rosenbergii

Very common around Lake Habema, less common in the Baliem Valley.

Torrent Robin ^E (Torrent Flycatcher)
Monachella muelleriana

This excellent bird was observed once on rocks in a fast flowing river hawking insects at the foothills of the Cyclops Mountains.

Canary Flyrobin ^E Microeca papuana

Fairly common in the Baliem Valley.

Alpine Robin ^E Petroica bivittata

Three or four seen, usually singly, at Lake Habema. Found above 2 700 m.

Black-sided Robin ^E Poecilodryas hypoleuca

One seen on Salawati Island.

Black-throated Robin ^E Poecilodryas albonotata

One seen near Ibele in the Baliem Valley.

White-winged Robin ^E Peneothello sigillatus

Two or three seen in rainforest below Lake Habema near Yaubagema.

Blue-grey Robin ^E Peneothello cyaneus

A shy bird, only one seen briefly while searching for Feline Owlet-nightjar near Dyela.

White-eyed Robin ^E Pachycephalopsis poliosoma

Another shy robin that was seen only once near Tanamera in the Baliem Valley.

New Guinea Babbler ^E Pomatostomus isidorei

Seemed rather shy, a group of three or four seen once in dense lowland forest at Nimbokrang.

Blue-capped Ifrit ^E Ifrita kowaldi

One seen near Yaubagema, in moss forest feeding on a limb, on the trek down the Baliem Valley.

Rusty Whistler ^E Pachycephala hyperythra

One seen near Ibele in the Baliem Valley.

Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis

One male, one female near Tanamera.

Lorentz's Whistler ^E Pachycephala lorentzi

A high altitude bird found above 2 700 m. Not too uncommon around Lake Habema.

Regent Whistler ^E Pachycephala schlegelii

A stunning whistler, quite common and seen most days in the Baliem Valley below 2 700 m.

Brown Whistler Pachycephala griseiceps

One seen on Salawati.

Little Shrike-thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha

Quite common on the west Papuan islands of Batanta and Salawati.

Rusty Pitohui ^E Pitohui ferrugineus

I was very much looking forward to seeing my first poisonous bird but found it rather a letdown! One seen at Nimbokrang.

Black-breasted Boatbill ^E Machaerirhynchus nigripectus

Two seen at Dyela, one at Ibele.

Black Monarch ^E Monarcha axillaris

This fellow led us on a merry chase as we tried to pin it down in order to make sure it wasn’t a Black Fantail. Their ranges overlap and good looks are required to be sure of ID and he just refused to cooperate.

Golden Monarch ^E Monarcha chrysomela

Common on Biak, one seen on Salawati and at Nimbokrang.

Frilled Monarch Arses telescophthalmus

Not uncommon on Salawati and Batanta.

Rufous-collared Monarch ^E Arses insularis

One seen at Nimbokrang in dense swamp forest.

Biak Flycatcher ^E Myiagra atra

Found on Biak and Numfor, seen three or four times on Biak in degraded forest.

Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto

Common in lowland areas, one observed nesting on Salawati.

Black Thicket-Fantail ^E Rhipidura maculipectus

One seen on Batanta.

Friendly Fantail ^E Rhipidura albolimbata

Found above 1 750 m., common at Lake Habema and in the Baliem Valley.

Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris

Common in lowland areas, we found the bird on Biak to be darker.

Dimorphic Fantail ^E Rhipidura brachyrhyncha

One seen near Ibele in the Baliem Valley.

Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

Common in lowland areas.

Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus

Common on Batanta and Biak, also at Nimbokrang.

Boyer's Cuckoo-shrike ^E Coracina boyeri

One seen at Nimbokrang in the sawmill clearing.

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina papuensis

One seen on Batanta, three at Nimbokrang.

Hooded Cuckoo-shrike ^E Coracina longicauda

Groups seen at Lake Habema and near Dyela.

Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris

Not uncommon on Biak.

Papuan Cuckoo-shrike ^E Coracina incerta

Recently separated from C. morio, seen once near Sorong.

Grey-headed Cuckoo-shrike ^E Coracina schisticeps

Ususally seen foraging in small groups, we saw this species at Nimbokrang and on Biak.

New Guinea Cuckoo-shrike ^E Coracina melas

One seen at Nimbokrang.

Golden Cuckoo-shrike ^E Campochaera sloetii

One seen in the clearing at Nimbokrang, one of the best looking cuckoo-shrikes.

Black-browed Triller ^E Lalage atrovirens

Common at Nimbokrang and on Biak Island.

White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus

Seen once on Batanta Island.

Great Woodswallow ^E Artamus maximus

Found above 800 m, we saw this species on the drive to Lake Habema and near Ibele in the Baliem Valley.

Lowland Peltops ^E Peltops blainvillii

A rather spectacular bird, we observed it every day on the same dead tree from the sawmill at Nimbokrang.

Hooded Butcherbird ^E Cracticus cassicus

Fairly common, seen at most lowland sites.

Loria's Bird-of-paradise ^E Cnemophilus loriae

Seen only once crossing the path above Ibele.

MacGregors Bird-of-paradise ^E Macgregoria pulchra

A spectacular bird, especially so when seen in the strange landscape around Lake Habema. The vegetation in the area is open with tree ferns and conifers spread out over a low shrub cover. We observed this species in small groups feeding in the conifer.

Short-tailed Paradigalla ^E Paradigalla brevicauda

One bird seen through the scope on the trek down the Baliem Valley above Ibele, but not great views.

Pale-billed Sicklebill ^E Epimachus bruijnii

We found this bird very hard to track down and only saw it once, after much running around (we could hear it but due to the dense vegetation could not see it) two were observed quite well in swamp forest at Nimbokrang.

Superb Bird-of-paradise ^E Lophorina superba

Stunning! Quite common at about 1 500 m. above Tanamera in somewhat degraded forest just before entering agricultural land. Males and females were seen.

Glossy-mantled Manucode ^E Manucodia atra

Seen once on Batanta and a number of times at Nimbokrang, often seen perched conspicuously in tall trees.

Jobi Manucode ^E Manucodia jobiensis

Two seen at Nimbokrang, very similar to previous species but noticeably smaller with a shorter tail.

Wilson's Bird-of-paradise ^E Cicinnurus respublica

One of the most incredible birds I’ve seen! Found on Waigeo and Batanta but, curiously not on Salawati which is only separated from Batanta by a narrow channel. A local man who acted as our guide knew a terrestrial court, consisting of a cleared area (circa 2m²) with a metre high stripped sapling and a few green leaves. This is constructed by the male who then performs a courtship display using the court. We staked out this site and the male did come in but so incredibly fast that good views could not be obtained. Not satisfied with this we continued further up the hill to check out some more courts with no luck. So another day we tried even further up this time successfully; the moral of the story being that this can be quite a difficult bird!

King Bird-of-paradise ^E Cicinnurus regius

This bird is just like a gem on wings. Seen once in a mixed flock on Salawati and once at Nimbokrang.

Splendid Astrapia ^E Astrapia splendidissima

Yet another stunning bird-of-paradise. The males & females of this bird were observed three or four times near and below Lake Habema

Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise ^E
Seleucidis melanoleuca

Another bird that defies superlatives! We eventually had excellent looks of a male displaying at Nimbokrang. A local Indonesian guide by the name of Jamil was able to show us a regular display post which is just a very tall dead tree. We had poor looks on the first attempt, probably because we were slighty late at about 5am. The next morning we tried at 4am at a different site and were well rewarded with the breathtaking sight of the male’s courtship dance which we were able to observe for c.30mins.

Red Bird-of-paradise ^E Paradisaea rubra

Like Wilson’s BoP, this species is found on Batanta but not on Salawati, for such a seemingly conspicuous bird it is surprisingly difficult to observe. We were able to observe males and females at a lek (communal display tree) on the lower slopes of Gunung Batanta.

Lesser Bird-of-paradise ^E Paradisaea minor

Rather similar to the previous species, we were fortunate to have much fabulous looks of 15 to 20 males at a huge lekking tree. The tree was relatively open allowing us unobstructed views for up to an hour. Spectacular!

Brown-headed Crow ^E Corvus fuscicapillus

Two seen near Lake Sentani.

Grey Crow ^E Corvus tristis

Fairly common on Batanta and Salawati, also seen at Nimbokrang.

Torresian Crow Corvus orru

Common on Batanta, Salawati and Biak.

White-eared Catbird ^E Ailuroedus buccoides

Rather difficult to observe but a great bird! One seen in very thick swamp forest at Nimbokrang.

Alpine Pipit ^E Anthus gutturalis

A very large and attractive pipit, not common in the grassland around Lake Habema. We observed it twice.

Black-breasted Munia ^E Lonchura teerinki

Endemic to the Snow Mountains, fairly common around Wamena and Ibele.

Snow Mountain Munia ^E Lonchura montana

Another Snow Mountain endemic, we found it to be commoner at higher altitudes around Lake Habema.

Fan-tailed Berrypecker ^E Melanocharis versteri

This bird is found above 1750m, we saw it only once at Yaubagema.

Yellow-bellied Longbill ^E Toxorhamphus novaeguineae

One seen on Salawati, one near Sorong.

Pygmy Longbill ^E Oedistoma pygmaeum

At 7cm this is the smallest bird in New Guinea. We saw it only once in a mixed flock on Salawati, with King BoP, Golden Monarch, Green-backed Honeyeater, &c.

Tit Berrypecker ^E Oreocharis arfaki

Another very attractive species, one male seen above Dyela(2000m) in thick rainforest.

Crested Berrypecker ^E Paramythia montium

One of the most pleasant surprises of the trip, this is a really stunning species which the field guide does not do justice! Fortunately for us we found it to be quite common around Lake Habema in groups of two to four.

Black Sunbird Nectarinia aspasia

Apparently found throughout New Guinea, we only saw this species in Nimbokrang and Biak where it was common.

Yellow-bellied Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis

Very common at all lowland sites.

Olive-crowned Flowerpecker ^E Dicaeum pectorale

This and the following species were recently split, previously the complex was known as Papuan Flowerpecker. This species is restricted to the West Papuan islands and the Vogelkop Peninsular. One male was seen near Sorong.

Red-capped Flowerpecker ^E Dicaeum geelvinkianum

This is found over the remainder of New Guinea. We found it to be common at every site below 2000m.

Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica

Abundant throughout except Batanta and Salawati.

Island Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus poliocephala

One at Dyela, one at Tanamera.

Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis

A small group seen in grassland in Wamena.

Biak White-eye ^E Zosterops mysorensis

Common on Biak where it is endemic, easily identified by the fact that it lacks an eye ring.

Capped White-eye ^E Zosterops fuscicapillus

A small flock seen once near Tanamera in remnant forest.

Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus

Seen on most days at Lake Habema but very hard to get a good look as it’s so flighty.

Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata

Common in grasslands on the Snow Mountains.

Singing Starling Aplonis cantoroides

Seen in once on Batanta, once near Sorong.

Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica

Common at Nimbokrang and at Biak airport.

Long-tailed Starling ^E Aplonis magna

Endemic to Biak and Numfor, we found it to be abundant.

Golden Myna ^E Mino anais

This fabulous bird was only seen once in the recreation park near Sorong perched high in a tall tree.

Yellow-faced Myna Mino dumontii

Not uncommon at Nimbokrang.