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Common Paradise Kingfisher
Papuan King Parrot
Grey-headed Goshawk
PNG's magnificent Victoria crowned
Pigeon
Dwarf Kingfisher
Shining bronze - Cuokoo
Electus
Parrot
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GENERIC
ITINERARY
DAY 1: PORT MORESBY
/ TABUBIL
If you are arriving on an early morning international flight, Ecotourism
Melanesia staff will meet you on arrival and take you for breakfast
at the Airways Hotel (pay-as-you-go) then assist you to check in
for your morning flight to Tabubil (Air Niugini or Airlines PNG).
If you have already arrived in Port Moresby the day before, our
staff will arrange to meet you at your hotel and transfer you to
the airport to check in.
On arrival at Tabubil airport you will be met at the small terminal
by our local birding guide (details supplied upon confirmation of
your tour) and transferred to the Hotel Cloudlands in time for lunch
(pay-as-you-go or PAYG).
1300 Afternoon birding around Tabubil until sundown, includes afternoon
tea.
Hotel Cloudlands is a 2.5 star hotel located within Tabubil township,
adjacent to the bowls club and recreation centre. Rooms are both
cooled and heated to accommodate the daily fluctuations in temperature.
The restaurant serves a variety of western, Asian and PNG-style cuisine.
Tabubil is a neat and tidy mining town where everything runs like
clockwork due to the pervasive influence of Ok Tedi Mining Limited
(OTML), the company that employs most of the wage earners in the
town and owns most of the houses and office buildings. The company
runs the airport, maintains the roads and coordinates town services
including electricity, water and garbage collection. Without OTML,
Tabubil would be a ghost town.
The open cut mine itself
is located on Mt Fubilan about an hour’s
drive (steep climb) to the north west of Tabubil, at such a high
altitude of 6600 metres that it is usually covered in cloud and cannot
be seen from the town.
Although the copper mine has a limited life span, OTML is very involved
in helping local people to develop alternative economic activities
towards the goal of sustaining the community after the closure of
the mine. Apart from the obvious huge open pit created by the decapping
of Mt Fubilan, the rest of the Star Mountains area is largely virgin
forest and populations of native birds thrive in the area, making
bird watching an other nature-based activities ideal attractions
for tourists. Local nature guides have been assisted by OTML to receive
training in bird guiding and the best birding spots have been surveyed.
Species in the high altitude Star Mountains differ markedly from
the lowland and riverine species observed in the Ok Tedi River valley
between Tabubil and Kiunga. If you are thinking of adding an extra
night or two to this package, Tabubil would be an ideal place to
do so as this would enable a full exploration of both upper and lower
altitude habitats.
[If you add 2 extra nights to the Tabubil stop, for example, you
could take a full day birding along the Tabubil-Kiunga road, overnight
at Kiunga Guest House (1st extra night) and bird your way back to
Tabubil the next day, overnight Hotel Cloudlands (2nd extra night)
and pick up the core package itinerary next day with onward flight
to Mt Hagen. This would all be covered by the standard charge for “extra
night at any stop” x 2 nights.]
Tabubil is a high rainfall area so be prepared for one or more of
your birding excursions to be modified or abandoned.
Bird list for Tabubil (Star Mountains and Ok Tedi River Valley):
Intermediate Egret, Long-tailed Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Whistling
Kite, Bat Hawk, Great Cuckoo Dove, Victoria’s Crowned Pigeon,
Blue Eyed Cockatoo, Southern Cassowary, Black Billed Brush Turkey,
Common Scrub Fowl , Darter, Little Black Cormorant, Black Bittern,
Forest Bittern, Rufous Night Heron, Striated Heron, Cattle Egret,
Little Egret, Great Billed Heron, Green Pygmy Goose, Wandering
Whistling Duck, Brown Goshawk, Coloured Sparrow Hawk, Grey-Headed
Goshawk, Grey Goshawk, Black Winged Kite, Australian Kestrel, Crested
Hawk, Long tailed Buzzard, Doria’s Hawk, Little Eagle, Gurney’s
Eagle, White Billed Sea Eagle, New Guinea Harpy Eagle, Oriental
Hobby, Red Necked Rail, Bare Eyed Rail, New Guinea Flightless Rail,
Bush hen, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, New Guinea Bronzewing,
Thick Billed Ground Pigeon, Emerald Ground Dove, Stephan’s
Ground Dove, Bar shouldered Dove, Southern Crowned Pigeon, Pheasant
Pigeon, Cinnamon Ground Dove, White Bibbed Ground Dove, Great Cuckoo
Dove, Black Billed Cuckoo Dove, Brown Cuckoo Dove,Shining Bronze
- Cuokoo, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Ornate Fruit Dove, Wompoo Fruit
Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit
Dove, Orange Bellied Fruit Dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Dwarf Fruit
Dove, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Purple Tailed Imperial Pigeon, Papua
Mountain Pigeon, Collard Imperial Pigeon, White Throated Pigeon,
Red Flanked Lorikeet, Western Black Capped Lory, Dusky Lory, Rainbow
Lorikeet, Papuan King Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Greater Streaked
Lorry, Red Cheeked Parrot, Vulturine Parrot, Sulphur crested cockatoo,
Palm Cockatoo, Yellow Capped Pygmy Parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Double
Eyed Fig Parrot, White caned Bronze Cuckoo, Malay Bronzed Cuckoo,
Chestnut Breasted Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Long Billed Cuckoo, Dwarf
Koel, Common Koel, Oriental Cuckoo, White Crown Koel, Channel Billed
Cuckoo, Lesser Black Coucal, Greater Black Coucal, Little Paradise
Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher.
Overnight Hotel Cloudlands,
Tabubil (room only – pay as you
go for meals and drinks, cash or card)
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Intermediate Egret
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DAY
2:TABUBIL
0400 Depart for an early morning birding excursion around Tabubil
with packed breakfast.
0900 Return to hotel for rest. It often rains at this time of
the day and is a good time to lie low.
1300 After lunch (PAYG), a full afternoon birding excursion further
afield into the Star Mountains (highland species) OR Ok Tedi
River Valley (lowland species).
Overnight Hotel Cloudlands, Tabubil
(room only – pay as you
go for meals and drinks, cash or card)
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Dusky Lory
Blue - Brested Pitta
Mountain Owlet nightjar
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DAY
3: TABUBIL / MT HAGEN
0400 Depart for an early morning birding excursion around Tabubil with
packed breakfast, then transfer to the airport in time for your late
morning flight from Tabubil to Mt Hagen (exact flight times vary with
the day of the week).
Our local guide will meet you on arrival in Mt Hagen and transfer you
to the Highlander Hotel in time for lunch (PAYG).
1300 Afternoon birding excursion
with local bird guide around Mt Hagen.
Bird list for Mt Hagen area:
Long-tailed Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Whistling Kite, Papuan Harrier,
Wattled Bush Turkey, Pheasant Pigeon (Baiyer River), Victoria’s
Crowned Pigeon (Baiyer River), Dusky Lony, Goldie’s Lorikeet
(Baiyer River), Dwarf Cassowary (Baiyer), New Guinea Tiger Heron
(Baiyer), Papuan King Parrot (Baiyer), Blue Collared Parrot, Eclectus
Parrot, Pesquet’s Parrot (Baiyer), Sooty Owl (Waghi Valley),
Blue Breasted Pitta, Pacific Swallow (Waghi Valley), Long Tailed
Shrike, Pale Billed Scrub Wren, Willie Wagtail, Wattled Ploughbill,
Long Bearded Honeyeater, Mountain Red Headed Honeyeater, Hooded
Butcherbird, Archbold’s Bowerbird, Crested Bird of Paradise,
Ribbon Tailed Astrapia, Astrapia Bird of Paradise, Brown Sicklebill,
Lawes Parotia, Superb Bird of Paradise, Lesser Bird of Paradise,
Riggiana Bird of Paradise, Blue Bird of Paradise, Bar eye Crow
(Baiyer), Peregrine Falcon.
Overnight Highlander Hotel, Mt
Hagen (room only – pay as you
go for meals and drinks, cash or card)
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Astrapia Bird of Paradise
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DAY
4: MT HAGEN
0400 Depart on a full day birding excursion with packed breakfast.
Our local bird guide will take you to one or more birding spots around
Kumul Lodge, Magic Mountain, Baiyer River, Rondon Ridge or other locations
depending on species of interest to you.
Mid-morning, transfer to a local village for a village tour, colourful
sing-sing performance and traditional style lunch, then resume birding
in the afternoon until sundown.
Overnight Highlander Hotel, Mt
Hagen (room only – pay
as you go for meals and drinks, cash or card)
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A male hornbill
Blue eyed Cockatoo
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DAY
5: MT HAGEN / MADANG
0400 Early morning birding excursion around Mt Hagen with packed
breakfast, then transfer to Mt Hagen airport to check in for
your morning flight from Mt Hagen to Madang (either direct or
via Port Moresby depending on the day of the week).
Our local guide will meet you on arrival in Madang and transfer
you to the Jais Aben Beach Resort to check in and have lunch
(PAYG).
If time allows in the afternoon, enjoy the beach and water activities
at the resort and informal bird watching (without guide) in the
mangroves and coconut plantation around the resort. Parrots are
plentiful in the plantation.
Bird list for Madang area (incomplete):
Intermediate Egret, Long-tailed Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Whistling
Kite, Red Legged Brush Turkey, Great Cuckoo Dove, Victoria’s
Crowned Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Palm Cockatoo,
Blue Eyed Cockatoo, Biak Rd Lory, Pied Heron, Blue Collared Parrot,
Eclectus Parrot, Sooty Owl, Forest Kingfisher, Blue Black Kingfisher,
Rainbow Bee Eater, Blyth’s Hornbill, Long Tailed Shrike,
Brown Capped Jewel Babbler, Island Leaf Warbler, Willie Wagtail,
Ochre Collared Monarch, Streak Headed Mannikin, Northern Cassowary,
Brown Falcon, Brown Lory, Buff Faced Pygmy Parrot
Overnight Jais Aben Beach Resort, Madang
(deluxe bungalow, room only – pay as you go for meals and
drinks)
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Female Hornbill
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DAY
6: MADANG
0400 Depart on a full day birding excursion along the Madang
North Coast Road – a selection of locations including Kau
Wildlife Management Area, Wasab River and Udisis/Barem village
forest. Includes packed breakfast.
Mid-morning, transfer to a local village for a village tour and
sing-sing performance with traditional-style lunch. In the afternoon,
continue birding until sundown then return to hotel.
Overnight Jais Aben Beach Resort,
Madang (deluxe bungalow, room only – pay as you go for meals
and drinks)
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Crested Berrypecker
Withe-winged Robin
Little Kingfisher awake at night
Eclectus Parrot
Yellow breasted Bird of Paradise
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DAY
7: MADANG / PORT MORESBY
0400 Early morning birding trip with packed breakfast – revisit your
choice of location from yesterday’s excursion.
Mid-morning, transfer to Madang airport to check in for your flight to Port
Moresby (time varies with day of the week).
Ecotourism Melanesia staff will meet you on arrival in Port Moresby and assist
you to check in at the Gateway Hotel in time for lunch (PAYG).
1300 Afternoon birding trip to Laloki River and Pacific Adventist University
campus area OR botanical gardens bird aviary (closes at 1630).
Bird list for Port
Moresby area:
Intermediate Egret, Long-tailed Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Whistling
Kite, Papuan Harrier, Variable Goshawk, New Guinea Eagle, Yellow
Legged Bush Turkey (Riverine areas), Red Necked Crake (riverine
areas), Bare Eyed Rail, Buff Banded Rail, Purple Swamp hen, Comb
Crested Jacana, Beach Stone Curlew, Little Ringed Plover, Swinhoe’s
Snipe, Sandpiper group, Whiskered Tern, Common Tern, Bridled
Tern, Brown Noddy, Stephen’s Dove (riverine areas), Emerald
Dove (riverine areas), New Guinea Bronzewing (riverine areas),
Cinnamon Ground Dove (riverine areas), Thick Billed Ground Dove
(riverine areas), Orange Bellied Fruit Dove, Buff Faced Pygmy
Parrot, Large Fig Parrot (upper riverine areas), Streaked Shearwater,
Brown Bobby, Darter, Little Black Cormorant, Pied Heron, Rufous
Night Heron, Black Bitten, Spotted Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy
Goose, Red Checked Parrot, Blue Collared Parrot, Eclectus Parrot,
Shinning Bronze Cuckoo, Papuan Hawk Owl, Marbled Frogmouth, Barred
Owlet Night Jar, Uniform Saiftlet (riverine areas), Papuan Spine
Tailed Swift (riverine areas), Variable Dwarf Kingfisher (riverine
areas), White Throated Needletail, Little Kingfisher (riverine
areas), Azure Kingfisher (riverine areas), Blue winged Kookaburra
(riverine areas), Rufous Bellied Kookaburra (riverine areas),
Hooked Billed Kingfisher, Brown Headed Paradise Kingfisher, Common
Paradise Kingfisher, Common Dollarbird (riverine areas), Rainbow
Bee Eater, Noisy Pitta, Hooded Pitta, White Bellied Cuckoo Shrike,
Golden Cockoo Shrike, Chestnut Backed Jewel Babbler, Brown Capped
Jewel Babbler, Blue Jewel Babbler, Painted Quail Thrush, Rufous
Babbler, White Shouldered Fairy Wreu (riverine areas), Emperor
Fairy Wreu (riverine), Yellow Bellied Gerygone (riverine areas),
Australian Reed Warbler, Golden Headed Cisticola, Sooty Thicket
Fantail, Rufous Backed Fantail, Rufous Fantail, Willie Wagtail,
Spangled Drongo (riverine areas), Golden Monarch (riverine areas),
Black Faced Monarch, Spot Winged Monarch (riverine areas), Frilled
Monarch (riverine areas), Frilled Monarch (riverine areas), Yellow
Breasted Boatbill (riverine areas), Shinning Flycatcher (riverine
areas), River Flycatcher, Lemon Bellied Flycatcher (riverine
areas), Olive Flycatcher, Black Sided Robin (riverine areas),
Banded Robin (riverine areas), White Faced Robin, White Rumped
Robin, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Grey Whistler (riverine areas),
Crested Pitohui, Rusty Pitohui, Helmeted Friarbird, Plain Honeyeater
(riverine areas), Tawny Breasted Honeyeater, Puff Backed Honeyeater
(riverine areas), Yellow Gaped Honeyeater (riverine areas), Silver
Eared Honeyeater, Green Backed Honeyeater (riverine areas), Tawny
Straightbill (riverine areas), Black Berry Packer (riverine areas),
Grey Headed Mannikin, Hooded Mannikin, Grand Mannikin, Brown
Oriole, Green Figbird, Singing Starling, Metallic Starling, Yellow
Faced Myna, New Guinea Wood Swallow, Black Butcherbird (riverine
areas), Fawn Breasted Bowerbird, Crinkle Collared Manucode, Magnificent
Rifflebird, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise
(riverine areas), Raggiana Bird of Paradise,Yellow Breasted Bird
of Paradise,Orange Footed Scrubfowl, Japanese Snipe.
Overnight Gateway Hotel, Port
Moresby (room only – pay as you go for meals and drinks,
cash or card)
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Raggiana Bird of Paradise
Regent Whistler
Whiskere Lorikeet
Beautiful White-Brested Fruit Dove
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DAY
8: PORT MORESBY (VARIARATA)
0400 Depart on a full day
birding excursion with local bird guide to Variarata National Park.
Includes packed breakfast and picnic lunch.
Variarata National
Park is located on the Sogeri Plateau above
Port Moresby. A 45 minute drive up the winding main road from
the city brings you to the turnoff to the national park which
is another 30 minutes along sealed feeder road. The park and
the surrounding country is set on a region of uplifted igneous
intrusive rock complexes which rises to an elevation of 800-1000m
above sea-level, and is like a natural border marking where
the dry savannah scrublands of coastal Port Moresby end, and
the mid-montane forests and grasslands of the Sogeri plateau
begin. Birdlife at Variarata is prolific. There is a mixture
of upland as well as lowland species. There are side tracks
that lead to particular spots where certain types of birds
can be observed. The splendid Raggiana birds of paradise can
be observed performing their conspicuous courtship dance from
one of these side-tracks.
Bird list for Variarata
National Park:
Beautiful Fruit Dove, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Whistling
Kite, Variable Goshawk, New Guinea Eagle, Gurney’s Eagle, Brown
Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chestnut Forest Rail, Forbes’s Forest
Rail, Buff Banded Rail, Japanese Snipe, Great Cuckoo Dove, Brown
Cuckoo Dove, Bar Tailed Cuckoo Dove, Stephen’s Dove, New Guinea
Bronzewing, Papuan Lorikeet, Whiskered Lorikeet, Yellow Billed Lorikeet,
Brehm’s Tiger Parrot, Papuan Boobook, Sooty Owl, Mountain Night
Jar, Archbold’s Owlet Night Jar, Mountain Owlet Night Jar,
Glossy Swiftlet, Blue Winged Kookaburra, Marbled Frogmouth, Brown
Headed Paradise Kingfisher, Lemon Bellied Flycatcher, Magnificent
Bird of Paradise, Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Alpine Pipit, Spotted
Jewel Bubbler, Painted Quail Thrush, Logrunner, Blue Capped Ifrita,
White Shouldered Fairy Wren, Orange Crowned Fairy Wren, Mountain
Mouse Warbler, Papuan Scrub Wren, Large Scrub Wren, New Guinea Thornbill,
Brown Breasted Gerygone, Dimorphic Fantail, Spangled Drongo, Friendly
Fantail, Black Monarch, Black Breasted Boatbill, Canary Flycatcher,
Mountain Robin, Greater Ground Robin, White Faced Robin, Regent Whistler,
Lorentz’s Whistler, Rufous Naped Whistler, Crested Pitohui,
Belford’s Honeyeater, Sooty Honeyeater, Short Bearded Honeyeater,
Orange Checked Honeyeater, Streaked Berrypecker, Tit Berrypecker,
Hooded Mannikin, Metallic Starling, Mountain Firetail, Crested Bird
of Paradise.
Overnight Gateway Hotel, Port
Moresby (room only – pay as you go for meals and drinks,
cash or card)
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Sooty Honeyeater
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DAY
9: PORT MORESBY / FLY OUT
0400 Half day birding excursion with local bird guide to Goldie
River or Brown River. Includes packed breakfast and picnic lunch
with optional stops at the Bomana War Cemetery, Schwimmer Drome
war relics display and the botanical gardens bird aviary if time
allows before your flight.
Return to the city in time to
check in for your international flight.
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