Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Tangkoko and Halmahera 13 to 20 Jul 2013

TANGKOKO AND HALMAHERA 13 TO 20 JULY 2013 

[photo gallery here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47362072@N00/sets/72157635072487597/]

Snapshot
This is a very attractive birding trip to do.  Cost was US$1,700 for the 9 nights, for our group of 3.  Guide Theo Henoch can be recommended.  Birding is very good; 97 endemics in Sulawesi, 64 in Maluku according to Coates’ Birds of Wallacea.  There are very few birds in common with west Malaysia.  Some examples of these are collared kingfisher and white bellied sea eagle.   There are interesting endemic or limited range mammals to see; the spectral tarsier, crested macaque and bear cuscus in Tangkoko.  Local food was surprisingly good throughout, with sambals and chilli very much to our taste.  Not once did we have to put up with nasi goreng.  They cook simple but well even in the little villages of Halmahera.  However accomodation, away from the towns, is very basic.

In planning the itinerary, this was no hardcore birding trip.  Tangkoko was the main interest, as it is well-protected forest and rich in birds.  Time allowed us to fit in one extension.  Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi holds the montane endemics, but it’s a long trip, routing through Makassar.   Dumoga-Bone national park, would have been a good addition, with many of the montane endemics available at Gunung Ambang, and the maleo breeding grounds.  But it’s a 7-hr ride there.  On the other hand, a 50-min plane ride away is Ternate, and a short one-hour boat trip gets us to the big island of Halmahera, North Maluku with a whole different avifauna, and of course the standardwing.  Sadly, there are no protected parks here and the forest is going fast.

Our birding outcome.  At Tangkoko we had a decent haul, missing mainly the raptors and owls.  At Halmahera, we had only 1 ½ days, losing one day to Ternate airport closure due to bad weather.  So we missed a lot of pigeons, parrots, owls, friarbirds but bagged the standardwing.  Total of 58 lifers for me, very good for only 4 full days.

Maps

Manado and Ternate











Halmahera locations

Guiding

Theo Henoch can be recommended.  Thanks to Yong Ding Li and Peter Ericsson for endorsing him.  He ran a travel agency and birders asked him for guiding.  So he started learning the calls some years ago.  Does a decent job of identifying the birds, knows the locations.  Professional about organising the trip.   

At Tangkoko, we relied on local guide Samuel from Mamaroos lodge.   Make absolutely certain you have exclusive use of Samuel's guiding service.  We thought we did but we were joined by a non-birder couple also staying at Mama Roos.  Samuel was otherwise a great guide.   Local guide at Halmahera and Ternate was Iskandar, but his english was not adequate to express himself or understand what we wanted.  We fell back on Theo and that was ok. 

Birding Notes

Sulawesi is same time zone as Sing although 4 hours flight east, so dawn 5:30am.
Halmahera is one hour ahead of Sulawesi.  Dawn here is 6:15.  Its pretty dark under the canopy and most of the birding is in the forest.  In addition, the birds do not come close like in India or Australia.  Mostly shooting at max ISO 6400, and handheld, so there were few useable shots.  List of expected birds provided by Theo is at Appendix 1.  He mentioned 105 birds. 

Locations

North Sulawesi. 
Tangkoko National Park is excellent birding, well-protected and bird-prolific.  But the birds are high in canopy. 
Manado, on our forced one-night stay at Novotel, we birded the grounds for buff-banded rail,  and the nearby padi fields, but nothing much else. 
Other sites in north Sulawesi that we did not do:
Dumoga-Bone National Park, near Kotamobagu.  Slightly better chance of sulawesi hornbill, yellowish breasted racquet tail, purple winged roller, bay coucal, owls.  Also maleo breeding grounds. 
Gunung Ambang near Dumoga-Bone, 6 hrs from Manado.  Montane up to 1,700m. But not as many of the montane birds as Lore Lindu.  Good chance for bare faced rail, cinnabar hawk owl, matinan flycatcher.
Gunung Mahawu, just outside Manado, great for scaly kingfisher. 
Danau Tondano, near Manado, good for waterbirds and migrant raptors, comb crested jacana. 
There is also the option of taking the 1-hr flight north to Pulau Sangir, and climbing Gunung Sahengbaliran for 4 endemics.  Local guide available, Wesley Pangimangen (Rainbow Losmen).  But it’s a difficult and slippery climb and I regretfully ruled it out. 

Halmahera.
Binagara.  We were here for the standardwing.  But it’s a long and difficult trek, 2 ½ hrs in. 
Other locations. The traditional Anu’s location is still showing, although forest quite denuded.  He does an overnight camping trip to catch them early.   Weda diving resort is promising.  They have bought and preserved some 175 acres of forest back of the resort where the birds lek.  Just 20 mins walk in the morning.  But it’s expensive, Euro 75/night for double.  And we did not know about it earlier.  
Ternate.  Hoped to pick up great billed parrot at Danau Tolire but dipped.  There is not much else on this small volcanic island that you can drive completely around on the coastal road in 2 hrs, but this is one of the historic spice islands that the colonials fought over and is culturally interesting. 

Practicalities

Health
Standard malaria pills required.  Chiggers are a serious pest in Tangkoko, with many trip reports warning of them.  Guide said they are ‘very bad’.  First day, I went in armed with full chigger protection; repellent cream, 75% DEET spread on legs up to knees, leech socks, and Theo’s DEET repellent spray on top of that. He resprayed us every hour.  After the first day, I omitted the cream.  No bites.  It may be the period of our visit, they were less serious.  Get the 75% DEET cream from Golden Mile Beach Road army supplies shops for $4 a tube.  25% DEET spray repellent, 3M Ultrathon from NTUC Unity pharmacy.

Currency
We paid guide Theo Henoch in US$, all other expenses in rupiah.  Change in Singapore. 

Getting There and Around
Silkair flies direct to Manado, 4 hrs, S$450. 
Manado-Ternate, 50 mins, S$160 return, Lion Air.   Garuda also flies, comparable pricing.

Accomodation
Away from major towns, accom is going to be basic losmen; squat toilet and no washbasin.  At Tangkoko,  the accom is a strip of lodgings at Batuputih village, just outside the park entrance.  Mamaroo’s, is run by a friendly family of Sangir islanders.  Basic, non-aircon, no hot water.  Advantage is that recommended guide Samuel is based here.  Food is decent, once we got them to stop the caucasian-friendly cooking and go more local and pedas.  Minahasa is christian so we get pork here.
On hindsight, with transport available, we should have go to the more comfortable Dove Villas.  It’s a few minutes drive to the park entrance. 

Binagara.  Just one losmen.  Clean enough.  But I cannot take this for more than a couple of days.   Big helpings of food, simple cooking, decent.  Halal food as Maluku is majority  muslim.

Sidangoli.  There is just one losmen here, again very basic.  Food was quite good but J and F had bedbugs in their room.  We left early for Ternate after one night. 

Ternate.  Stay at Villa Marasai; boutique hotel with 11 rooms, up the slope of the volcano a little way.  Take the big main bedroom with big balcony, sea view.  Near the university.  Sumptuous food.  There was just us staying.

Communication
Call roaming worked throughout.  Wifi available limited places.  In the Bunaken Lounge in Manado airport.  In the Villa Marasai in Ternate. 

Land transport provided in our tour package, comfortable Toyota, not SUV, but adequate to drive into Tangkoko.  In Halmahera, we actually had two vehicles with a support team of 4; main guide, local guide and two drivers.

Itinerary

Day
Date
Activity
Accom
1
Sat, 13
Depart Sing 9am, arrive Manado 1pm, transfer straight to Tangkoko, about 2 hrs
Tangkoko, Mama Roo’s
2
Sun, 14
Full day birding Tangkoko
Tangkoko
3
Mon, 15
Full day birding Tangkoko
Tangkoko
4
Tue, 16
AM: Birding Tangkoko.
After lunch, transfer to Manado
Manado, Boulevard Hotel
5
Wed, 17
Ternate flight delayed.  Put up in Manado.
Manado, Novotel
6
Thu, 18
Some morning birding nearby.  10am flight to Ternate.  Boat to Sidangoli, 1 hr, and onward to Binagara, 3 hrs
Binagara, losmen
7
Fri, 19
AM: Birding Binagara for standardwing
PM: Move to Sidangoli
Sidangoli, losmen
8
Sat, 20
AM: Birding, Kali Batu Putih, near Sidangoli
PM: Transfer to Ternate, sight-seeing and birding Ternate.
Ternate, Villa Marasai
9
Sun, 21
AM: Flight to Manado, 0925, boat transfer to Bunaken
PM: Snorkelling at Pantai Pangalisang
Bunaken, Seabreeze Resort
10
Mon, 22
AM: Snorkelling Bunaken
PM: Depart for Singapore, 2pm

Day-to-Day Birding Journal

Sat, 13 jul
Short 4 hr flight, but it was like a whole different world.  We met guide Theo Henoch.  Incidentally, he is not Minahasan but from Pulau Sangir to the north.  We got into the car for Tangkoko, did not pass through Manado, little signposting on roads, no luxury cars, just functional Toyotas and budget cars.  Hilly terrain.  Many christian churches, presbyterian.  

We crossed the breadth of the north Sulawesi peninsula surprisingly quickly from the Celebes Sea in the north to the Moluccas Sea in the south.  Stopping at a rise looking over the sea, there is Lembeh Straits, and Lembeh island to the south east.  This was Tembuan which we would come back to.  Sulawesi swiftlets, showed, white rump visible. Brown cuckoo dove,  yellow sided flowerpecker, high and against the light.

Settled in at Mama Roo’s, which is a family-run place, the family from Pulau Sangir.  The recommended local guide, Samuel is attached here.  A short walk away is the beach, black volcanic sand, outrigger canoes pulled up, floating fishing platforms out to sea.  White bellied sea eagle, was the first raptor of the trip.  Grosbeak starling, big flock, orange bill, red on rump not visible.  Light fades by 5:30.  Dinner watered down for Caucasian tastes.  Only satay was good, but Theo could not id the meat, said it was chicken.  Room barely tolerable, with no air con, no hot water, and a weak fan.  Burned my mozzie coil with the windows open for ventilation.

Tangkoko, view from high point at Tembuan
 Sun, 14 July 2013
Dawn here is 5:45.  Woke 4am, breakfasted 5am, very simple white bread and artificial tasting jam. Then walking in to park, slender billed crow,  black naped monarch.  White rumped cuckooshrike, 3 of them high in canopy, next to a hair crested drongo.  Yellow billed malkoha, upskirt view.  Collared kingfisher.  Silver tipped imperial pigeon, looking just like pied imperial pigeon at this distance.  Would need much closer look to check for silvery sheen on the wing tips.  White necked myna, incredibly long tail.  Sulawesi babbler.  Green backed kingfisher, spotted by Marcel, the assistant guide, who is understudying Samuel.  Lilac cheeked kingfisher (renamed lilac kingfisher by IOC), duller than Coates field guide illustration.  It was to be our finding that many of his colours are too bright.  White line on wing hardly clear.  Ashy woodpecker, climbing up a trunk, foraging.

Grey cheeked green pigeon, black naped fruit dove.  Cuscus bear, feeding in canopy.  Slow-moving animal, reminding me of the binturong in Fraser’s.   Female ashy woodpecker showed.  Green imperial pigeon but subspecies with yellow/orange on nape.  Philippines scrub fowl (philippine megapode, IOC),  knobbed hornhill, sulawesi pygmy hornbill (sulawesi hornbill, IOC).

We knocked off 1130, lunched back at the lodge, rested till 3pm, then drove in along the only access road, to the tarsier info sign and walked to tarsier sleeping tree. The cuddly fellows were there, about 6 of them.  Owling from 6 to 7pm, meant sitting on palm leaves, de-chiggified by Theo’s spray.  Total dark, some fireflies.  But no minahasan or sulawesi masked owl showed.   Some desired birds calling but not seen; pied cuckooshrike, black billed koel. 

Mon, 15 Jul
Woke 4am, entered Tangkoko 5am.  Great to have first sighting of purple winged roller.  Then crested macaques at a rubbish dump by the beach, large troop, maybe 30 individuals.   More views of green backed kingfisher.  Then the sulawesi dwarf kingfisher, perched in the understory.  We stalked the red bellied pitta a whole long hour, but a flash of red and blue was all I saw.  And another long hour waiting while Samuel looked for the ochre bellied boobook with no success.  Bat flew in, like a giant butterfly, folded its wings and hung upside down from a branch like a big butterfly pupa.  We came across a two-metre snake that they said was a cobra. 

Pied cuckooshrike, black billed koel, high up in canopy.  These birds called long before we had sightings.  The guides searched for openings in the forest middle storey to look up at the canopy, and we only had distant views.  Lunched late at 1230, after 7 hours in the field, footsore and sweaty, but no time for a bath before our 2pm boat.  The boat took off north, to enter a small river lined with mangroves.  Samuel had not noted the tide, and it was too low for us to enter the river, so we disembarked for the boat to clear the sandbar.  Paddling up and down, the river was barely wide enough to turn the outrigger boats, sometimes dragging on a snag.  Not very productive and no great-billed kingfisher.  Sacred kingfisher.  Big channel billed cuckoos, flying overhead twice. 

Before dinner, we walked out to the park again to catch the sulawesi scops owl, several calling, finally located one 5m off the ground.  Photographed in the beam of Samuel’s torchlight.

Tue, 16 Jul
Rainy morning and we delayed departure to 6am.  Then to Tembuan, the high spot.  We really could have used a scope.  So many birds were at limit of id. We walking down a slope, to the work shed of the palm sap collectors.  It started to rain again.  Grey cheeked green pigeon,  ornate lorikeets, really gaudy birds, sulawesi black pigeon (white faced dove, IOC) again. Pygmy hornbills, golden mantled racquet tails frustratingly moving about the tree, but in poor light and not showing their upper parts.  Also yellow breasted racquet tail.  Sam spotted a Sulawesi cicada bird flying overhead, but untickable.

With the poor weather, we opted to leave early for Manado, right after lunch, for some shopping and the only chance to see the town.

Wed, 17 Jul
Wasted day.  Out to the airport by 8am, then it turned out Ternate was closed for landings on account of bad weather.  But it was not till 3pm that they told us the flight was off till next day.   Bus brought us to the Novotel near the airport.  Good hotel, decent dinner.  In the grounds, golf course, few minutes birding, T found buff banded rail, white breasted woodswallow, then F spotted distant grey sided flowerpecker. 

Thu, 18 Jul
Pre-breakfast birding in the hotel grounds turned up yesterday’s rail again, collared kingfisher, with darker crown than our sg one, munias scaly breasted and chestnut.  Waiting for the call to the airport, T took us to a road with padi fields, but no black faced munia that we wanted, just the grey sided flowerpecker again, and white bellied woodswallow.  Hassle at the airport, but it was due to poor communication on their part, our plane left at 10am.  Beautiful approach to Ternate, the volcanoes looming, scattered houses fringing the coast, roofs glinting in sunlight.

Boat crossing to Sidangoli, then cruising up and down the mangroves just south of the town , T calling, beach kingfisher showed up after 20 mins.  Reaching Halmahera, finally in a new avifauna.  Lunch at Rumah Makan Mari Sayang at Sidangoli, nasi ayam goreng, with sup ayam and their chili relish made with belachan, sedap.  Long drive Sidangoli to Binagara, about 3 hrs, much of it coastal along the deep bay.  Birding along the road, blue and white kingfisher.  Called sombre kingfisher, paradise kingfisher at their usual spots but no response. 
Drab whistler calling, melodious, but no show.   Metallic starlings, red eyes separate from the other starling moluccan with no red eyes.  And the juv starlings with white underparts.   Swiftlets flying around have to be moluccan swiftlets, but separate them carefully.  Common cicadabird, that T initially thought was dusky oriole, and I thought one of the cuckooshrikes.  Golden bulbul looking like black naped oriole.  Note 3-way split; seram golden bulbul (Moluccas, Seram, Ambon), northern golden bulbul (Sangihe, Togian, Banggai islands), buru golden bulbul (Buru islands).  Rainbow bee eaters, two perched.  Goliath coucal, last bird of the day.

Binagara losmen, clean but too basic; squat toilet and no bathroom sink.  One iron-barred window high up was only ventilation.  They brought in a fan.  Dined after our baths.  Simple but decent food, meat that I could not id and did not touch. 
Ternate volcano with tiny Pulau Hiri foreground
Fri, 19 Jul
Walking in to the lek, dusky scrub fowl sleeping, seen in the dark early morning.  We arrived late at the lek, 7:15am, fortunately 3 birds still displaying. On the way out,  ivory breasted pitta, grey headed  fruit dove, blyth’s hornbill, brown cuckoo doves, dusky brown oriole, common golden whistler (black-chinned whistler, IOC), spectacled imperial pigeon.  Saw a pitta’s nest, with one egg inside

Walk to the lek was difficult,  2 ½ hrs, with several stream crossings, 3 of them over my rubber boots.  Muddy trails, ankle-deep mud in places.  My boots a little too tight, cramping my right toes.  And eventually my  left big toenail turned blue black.  Slipped on one upslope, climbing up from stream, right hand went into a patch of nibong, pulling out thorns by torchlight.  Miscalculation by guides , we arrived late, luckily several of them still displaying, but 15m up, and we watched for ½ hr.   We had asked for nasi goreng breakfast, and they expected us out mid-morning, and the food was waiting at the trail head.  We eventually emerged at 1230, very footsore, my water long exhausted.  The birding would have been good in the forest, but with the long return walk ahead, we did not want to stop. 

On the drive to Sidangoli, scanning the common dollarbirds, hoping for purple but we dipped.   Red cheeked parrot.  Raining as we drove, and T suggested to cut the drive birding and head straight for Sidangoli.

Sat, 20 Jul
Morning birding around Sidangoli, driving along the road.  Area called Kali Batu Putih.  Walking up tracks, logging roads.  Quite productive and it was a shame our time was so short in Halmahera.  Drab whistler, really rather drab, identified by call, eclectus parrot, pair, through the scope,  with the very colourful, red female.  Somber kingfisher, with the plaintive call, and the undertaker colours, cream throated white eye.  We saw a faint white ring around the eye unlike Coates’ drawing.  Moluccan starling, with no red eye like the metallic starlings.  They are much less numerous than the metallic.  Rufous bellied triller, black sunbird, males and females, male showing bright blue on crown.  Finally pinned down this common bird.  Gurney’s eagle, in flight overhead.  Little to separate it, much like black eagle, just little lighter patches midwing.  A flock of about 20 blyth’s  hornbills coming and going from a tall tree in distance. 

Expecting the usual afternoon showers, I had suggested moving to Ternate after lunch.  Iskandar took us on sight-seeing tour first, kraton and portugese fort.  We circumnavigated the island on the coast road.  At Danau Tolire, deep crater lake walking around the periphery, Iskandar saw the great billed parrot, but turned to call us too loudly, and it flushed across the lake.  Just a bino view of it retreating, untickable.  Other individuals called but no sighting.  No channel billed cuckoo either.  Proceeded to Villa Masarai, gem of a boutique hotel, up the hillside, near the university.  There is one hectare of plantation trees behind the hotel.  Dinner was best meal ever, two big garoupa in a hot and sour sauce. 

Sun, 21 Jul
Next morning, some birding around the lodge grounds, but nothing new showed.  Then set off to the tiny airport.  Reaching Manado, taxi to jetty, then boat to Bunaken beach landing at low tide and wading ashore.   Afternoon, 3 hours of enjoyable snorkeling, private boat with guide.  Bunaken is one of the great coral reef dive spots and not to be missed.  Reef just off the hotel, Pantai Pangalisang, which hotel diver instructor says is best spot.  Chalet was beautiful, with patio at the cliff edge, windows open to the sea, private.  Food was indifferent, watered down to ang-moh tastes.

Mon, 22 Jul
Another round of snorkeling in the morning, a good two hours, then off to Manado for F to shop for foodstuff,  and uneventful flight back.  
Last meal of bubor manado; rice pumpkin and veggie, tastes much beetter than it looks

Bird List Achieved

This is my lifer list for the trip.   There were a few more birds seen, but basically the avifauna is very different from Mindanao, Philippines to the north, or Sabah to the west or Bali to the south.
1
Philippine Megapode
Megapodius cumingii
14/7/13
Tangkoko
2
Dusky Megapode
Megapodius freycinet
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
3
Gurney's Eagle
Aquila gurneyi
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
4
Buff-banded Rail
Gallirallus philippensis
17/7/13
Manado, Novotel hotel grounds
5
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Macropygia phasianella
13/7/13
Tangkoko
6
White-faced Dove
Turacoena manadensis
16/7/13
Tangkoko
7
Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon
Treron griseicauda
14/7/13
Tangkoko
8
Grey-headed Fruit Dove
Ptilinopus hyogastrus
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
9
Black-naped Fruit Dove
Ptilinopus melanospilus
14/7/13
Tangkoko
10
White-bellied Imperial Pigeon
Ducula forsteni
16/7/13
Tangkoko
11
Spectacled Imperial Pigeon
Ducula perspicillata
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
12
Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon
Ducula luctuosa
13/7/13
Tangkoko
13
Ornate Lorikeet
Trichoglossus ornatus
16/7/13
Tangkoko
14
Red-cheeked Parrot
Geoffroyus geoffroyi
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
15
Yellow-breasted Racket-tail
Prioniturus flavicans
16/7/13
Tangkoko
16
Golden-mantled Racket-tail
Prioniturus platurus
16/7/13
Tangkoko
17
Eclectus Parrot
Eclectus roratus
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
18
Goliath Coucal
Centropus goliath
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
19
Yellow-billed Malkoha
Rhamphococcyx calyorhynchus
13/7/13
Tangkoko
20
Black-billed Koel
Eudynamys melanorhynchus
15/7/13
Tangkoko
21
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Scythrops novaehollandiae
15/7/13
Tangkoko
22
Sulawesi Scops Owl
Otus manadensis
15/7/13
Tangkoko
23
Sulawesi Swiftlet
Aerodramus sororum
13/7/13
Tangkoko
24
Purple-winged Roller
Coracias temminckii
15/7/13
Tangkoko
25
Green-backed Kingfisher
Actenoides monachus
13/7/13
Tangkoko
26
Lilac Kingfisher
Cittura cyanotis
14/7/13
Tangkoko
27
Blue-and-white Kingfisher
Todiramphus diops
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
28
Sombre Kingfisher
Todiramphus funebris
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
29
Beach Kingfisher
Todiramphus saurophagus
18/7/13
Halmahera, mangroves near Sidangoli
30
Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus
15/7/13
Tangkoko
31
Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher
Ceyx fallax
15/7/13
Tangkoko
32
Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
33
Sulawesi Hornbill
Penelopides exarhatus
14/7/13
Tangkoko
34
Knobbed Hornbill
Aceros cassidix
14/7/13
Tangkoko
35
Blyth's Hornbill
Rhyticeros plicatus
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
36
Ashy Woodpecker
Mulleripicus fulvus
13/7/13
Tangkoko
37
Ivory-breasted Pitta
Pitta maxima
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
38
Moluccan Cuckooshrike
Coracina atriceps
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
39
Pied Cuckooshrike
Coracina bicolor
15/7/13
Tangkoko
40
White-rumped Cuckooshrike
Coracina leucopygia
14/7/13
Tangkoko
41
Common Cicadabird
Coracina tenuirostris
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
42
Rufous-bellied Triller
Lalage aurea
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
43
Black-chinned Whistler
Pachycephala mentalis
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
44
Drab Whistler
Pachycephala griseonota
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
45
Dusky-brown Oriole
Oriolus phaeochromus
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
46
Slaty Monarch
Mayrornis lessoni
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
47
Standardwing
Semioptera wallacii
19/7/13
Halmahera, Binagara forest
48
Seram Golden Bulbul
Thapsinillas affinis
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
49
Sulawesi Babbler
Trichastoma celebense
13/7/13
Tangkoko
50
Cream-throated White-eye
Zosterops atriceps
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
51
Metallic Starling
Aplonis metallica
18/7/13
Halmahera, Sidangoli-Binagara road
52
Moluccan Starling
Aplonis mysolensis
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih
53
Sulawesi Myna
Basilornis celebensis
13/7/13
Tangkoko
54
White-necked Myna
Streptocitta albicollis
13/7/13
Tangkoko
55
Grosbeak Starling
Scissirostrum dubium
13/7/13
Tangkoko
56
Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
Dicaeum aureolimbatum
13/7/13
Tangkoko
57
Grey-sided Flowerpecker
Dicaeum celebicum
17/7/13
Manado, Novotel hotel grounds
58
Black Sunbird
Leptocoma sericea
20/7/13
Halmahera, Kali Batu Putih

References

·      A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea, by Coates, Bishop and Gardner, 1997
·      Burung Nusantara, http://burung-nusantara.org/birding-indonesia/
·      Con Foley report which sparked this trip,
·      Dominic Chaplin, Apr 2012,
http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2303
·      Phil Gregory, Apr 2010, the most useful report for bird location details,
·      Herve Jacob, Sep 2012,

Appendix: Expected Bird List

This is a list of expected birds provided by Theo Henoch, marked with an x in column TH.  For comparison, birds achieved by Phil Gregory (see Ref.) are listed under column PG.  There are some other endemic birds listed by Coates are marked e.  Some other endemics are not seen.  [email me for an excel spreadsheet which is easier to read.]

Sulawesi, Halmahera bird list
e, endemic; TH, Theo Henoch: PG, Phil Gregory
TH
PG
PG location
SULAWESI
Megapodiidae
maleo
e
x
Bogani
philippine scrub fowl
x
x
dusky scrubfowl
h
x
Anatidae
sunda teal
x
Ardeidae
nankeen night heron
x
Gorontalo road
Accipitridae
barred honey buzzard
x
Karenta
Sulawesi serpent eagle
e
x
G Ambang
spotted harrier
x
Manado, G Ambang
sulawesi goshawk
e
x,u
x
G Ambang
spot tailed goshawk
e
x
x
small sparrowhawk
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
vinous breasted sparrowhawk
e
sulawesi hawk eagle
e
x
x
Rallidae
buff banded rail
x
barred rail
x
x
snoring rail
e
blue faced rail
e
isabelline bush hen
e
x
Toraut
dusky moorhen
x
Danau Tondano
Scolopacidae
sulawesi woodcock
e
Columbidae
metallic pigeon
x
coast road'
great cuckoo dove
x
Lore Lindu
sulawesi black pigeon
e
x
x
stephans emerald dove
x
x
grey cheeked green pigeon
x
x
sulawesi ground dove
e
red eared fruit dove
e
x
G Ambang, Lore Lindu
maroon chinned fruit dove
e
x
Bogani
superb fruit dove
x
G Mahawu
black naped fruit dove
x
x
white bellied imperial pigeon
e
x
x
grey headed imperial pigeon
e
x
Lore Lindu
silver tipped imperial pigeon
e
x
x
sombre pigeon
e
Cacatuidae
lemon crested cockatoo
x
Psittacidae
large sulawesi hanging parrot
e
x
x
small sulawesi hanging parrot
e
x
x
G Ambang
ornate lorikeet
e
x
x
G Ambang
yellow and green lorikeet
e
x
D. Tambing, Lore Lindu
red flanked lorikeet
x
coast road'
yellow breasted racquet tail
e
x
x
golden mantled racquet tail
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
blue backed parrot
x
x
Cuculidae
bay coucal
e
x
x
G Ambang
sulawesi hawk cuckoo
e
x,u
black billed koel
e
x
x
G Ambang
yellow billed malkoha
e
x
x
Tytonidae
sulawesi masked owl
e
x
x
minahassa masked owl
e
x,u
x
Lore Lindu
Strigidae
sulawesi scops owl
e
x
x
ochre bellied boobook
e
x
x
cinnabar boobook
x
G Ambang
speckled boobook
e
x
Bogani
Caprimulgidae
heinrich's nightjar
e
x
Lore Lindu
sulawesi nightjar
e
x
x
Apodidae
sulawesi swiftlet
x
x
purple needletail
x
Wuasa, Lore Lindu
Coraciidae
purple winged roller
e
x
x
Alcedinidae
green backed kingfisher
e
x
scaly breasted kingfisher
e
x
G Ambang
lilac cheeked kingfisher
e
x
x
great billed kingfisher
e
x
x
sacred kingfisher
x
Bogani
sulawesi dwarf kingfisher
e
x
x
Meropidae
purple bearded bee eater
e
x
G Ambang
rainbow bee eater
x
Bucerotidae
sulawesi dwarf hornbill
e
x
x
knobbed hornbill
e
x
x
ashy woodpecker
e
x
x
sulawesi pygmy woodpecker
e
x
x
G Ambang
Pittidae
red bellied pitta
x
Meliphagidae
lesser sulawesi honeyeater
e
x
Lore Lindu
greater sulawesi honeyeater
e
x
Lore Lindu
sulawesi myzomela
x
G Ambang, Lore Lindu
Artamidae
ivory backed woodswallow
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
Campephagidae
caerulean cuckoo shrike
e
x
Lore Lindu
white rumped cuckoo shrike
e
x
x
sulawesi cicadabird
e
x
pygmy cuckoo shrike
e
x
Lore Lindu
pied cuckoo shrike
e
x
sulawesi triller
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
Pachycephalidae
yellow flanked whistler
e
maroon backed whistler
e
sulphur vented whistler
e
x
G Ambang
Dicruridae
sulawesi drongo
e
x
G Ambang
Rhipiduridae
rusty bellied fantail
e
x
G Ambang, Lore Lindu
Monarchidae
Corvidae
e
piping crow
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
slender billed crow
x
x
Pycnonotidae
malia
e
x
Lore Lindu
Phylloscopidae
sulawesi leaf warbler
e
Timaliidae
sulawesi babbler
e
x
black ringed white eye
e
x
Lore Lindu
black crowned white eye
x
G Ambang, Lore Lindu
streak headed dark eye
e
x
Lore Lindu
sulawesi white eye
e
x
Sturnidae
sulawesi crested myna
e
x
x
white necked myna
e
x
fiery browed myna
e
x
x
G Ambang
grosbreak myna
e
x
x
Turdidae
geomalia
e
x
Lore Lindu
great shortwing
e
x
x
Lore Lindu
red backed thrush
e
x
sulawesi mountain thrush
e
Muscicapidae
turquoise flycatcher
x
G Ambang
grey streaked flycatcher
x
rufous throated flycatcher
e
x
Lore Lindu
blue fronted flycatcher
e
x
Lore Lindu
sulawesi blue flycatcher
x
G Ambang
matinan flycatcher
e
x
G Ambang
henna tailed jungle flycatcher
e
lompobattang flycatcher
e
Dicaeidae
yellow sided flowerpecker
e
x
x
G Ambang
crimson crowned flowerpecker
e
x
Lore Lindu
grey sided flowerpecker
e
x
x
Nectariniidae
black sunbird
h
x
Estrididae
black faced munia
x
x
pale headed munia
x
Lore Lindu
HALMAHERA
Megapodiidae
Anatidae
red throated grebe
x
Danau Tolire
Ardeidae
Accipitridae
gurney's eagle
x
pacific baza
x
variable goshawk
x
moluccan goshawk
e
x
rufous necked sparrowhawk
e
x
variable goshawk
x
x
pygmy eagle
x
Rallidae
drummer rail
e
x
pale vented bush hen
x
dusky scrub fowl
x
s
Scolopacidae
Columbidae
scarlet breasted fruit dove
e
x
x
blue capped fruit dove
e
x
grey headed fruit dove
e
x
x
superb fruit dove
x
cinnamon bellied imperial pigeon
e
x
x
spectacled imperial pigeon
x
x
Cacatuidae
Psittacidae
chattering lory
e
x
x
white cockatoo
e
x
moluccan hanging parrot
x
violet necked lory
x
x
red flanked lorikeet
x
red cheeked parrot
x
great billed parrot
x
x
eclectus parrot
x
x
moluccan king parrot
x
Cuculidae
moluccan cuckoo
e
x
giant coucal
e
x
brush cuckoo
x
x
channel billed cuckoo
x
Danau Tolire
Tytonidae
Strigidae
moluccan scops owl
x
x
moluccan boobook
x
Caprimulgidae
moluccan owlet nightjar
e
x
x
Apodidae
sulawesi swiftlet
x
Hemiprocnidae
moustached treeswift
x
x
Coraciidae
purple dollarbird
e
x
x
Alcedinidae
blue and white kingfisher
e
x
x
sombre kingfisher
e
x
x
beach kingfisher
x
x
variable dwarf kingfisher
x
Meropidae
rainbow bee eater
x
Bucerotidae
blyths hornbill
x
x
Pittidae
ivory breasted pitta
e
x
x
Meliphagidae
white streaked friarbird
e
x
dusky friarbird
e
x
x
Artamidae
Campephagidae
moluccan cuckoo shrike
e
x
x
halmahera cuckoo shrike
e
x
x
rufous bellied triller
e
x
Pachycephalidae
Oriolidae
dusky  brown oriole
e
x
Dicruridae
Rhipiduridae
Monarchidae
slaty monarch
e
x
moluccan monarch
x
white naped monarch
x
x
moluccan monarch
x
moluccan flycatcher
x
shining flycatcher
x
x
Corvidae
long billed crow
e
x
Paradiseaidae
paradise crow
e
x
x
standardwing
e
x
x
Hylocitridae
black chinned whistler
x
cinnamon breasted whistler
x
x
Pycnonotidae
northern golden bulbul
x
x
malia
x
Phylloscopidae
Timaliidae
cream throated white eye
x
x
Sturnidae
metallic starling
x
x
moluccan starling
x
x
Muscicapidae
Dicaeidae
flame breasted flowerpecker
e
x
x
Nectariniidae
black sunbird
x
s
Estrididae
Nomenclature Notes:
black chinned whistler (IOC) is split from common golden whistler (Coates)
sulawesi swiftlet (Coates) is split into halmahera, sulawesi and seram swiftlets (IOC)
giant coucal (Theo) = goliath coucal (Coates, IOC)
heinrich's nightjar (Coates) = satanic nightjar (IOC)
scarlet honeyeater (Coates ) = sulawesi myzomela (IOC)
dusky honeyeater (Coates) = dusky myzomela (IOC)
grey-faced goshawak (PG) is not recognised by IOC yet, still variable goshawk
moluccan boobook (Coates) = hantu boobook (IOC)
drab whistler (Coates) = cinnamon breasted whistler (IOC)
spectacled monarch (Coates) split into moluccan monarch (IOC)