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Watching Birds of Paradise in the Rainforest of Arfak mountains
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I have just returned from the rainforest of Arfak mountains in Manokwari
regency with two Spanish tourists, Begona and Miguel. We spent one week trekking
around the jungle to watch butterflies, birds of paradise and cuscus. There are
several species of birds of paradise that we saw in the mountains.
In our first destination which was the high elevation forest near Kwau village,
we watched the magnificent birds of paradise (cincinnurus magnificus), western
parotia (parotia sefilata) and bower bird (ambliornis innornatus). In our second
destination which was the low elevation rainforest of Arfak mountains, we
watched the lesser birds of paradise (paradisaea minor).
Lesser Birds of Paradise
The pictures of the lesser birds of paradise that are shown in this article were taken by Nikon Coolpix P500 - a telephoto camera that is suitable for wildlife and nature photography. To see these birds, we had to go to the low elevation forest of Arfak mountains. We went there by car. We left Manokwari city in the morning for traditional market of Wosi to buy some food. After that we continued our trip to the forest. The car stopped by the beach. I had contacted some indigenous Papuan to wait for me, Begona and Miguel. When all of our goods had been unloaded from the car, the Papuans put them on their backs and shoulders and carried them to our campsite located in the jungle. We had to climb steep slopes to reach our camp. The temperature in the low elevation forest is warmer than the temperature in high elevation forest. Besides watching Lesser Birds of Paradise, we could watch cuscus at night. Cuscus is a marsupial species that looks like kangaroo. Only its body is smaller than kangaroo. Lesser birds of paradise is the main icon of Papuan people. They are used various traditional ceremonies and dances. The males have been hunted by people since ancient times for their beautiful feathers. Now, I provide bird watching tour to tourists who want to see the paradise birds to encourage the indigenous Papuan people to protect the birds and the whole tropical rainforest eco-system.
Bird watching in High Elevation Rainforest
The foot path to the dancing ground of western parotia and bowerbird from the
guesthouse was far and steep. We had to wake up at 4.30 a.m. to have some tea or
coffee and make some preparations. After that, at around 5 a.m. we had to leave
the guesthouse that was located in the middle of the jungle above the Kwau
village. Because it was still dark, each of us brought a torch. When we arrived
at our destination, the sun had risen in the east. We needed around one hour and
twenty minutes to walk from the tourist house to the birdwatching hut.
Western Parotia Birds
The male western parotia was sitting on a branch of a tree near his dancing
ground when we entered the hut. It was only a simple construction made of woods
and leaves. There were some holes at the front and left sides of the hut big
enough for cameras or binoculars. The birdwatching hut was also called blind. It
was located around 4 meters from the dancing ground of the bird. The male
western parotia called the female birds several times. His voice sounded like, "kuaaaa..k."
After calling the females for several times, it landed on his dancing ground to
clean it from fallen leaves and dried twigs. Then he would practice dancing for
1 or 2 minutes before the real show. He flew up to a branch of a tree to call
the female western parotia again. When they had come, he would start his show
which was the courtship dance. The patterns of his dances were similar to the
dance patterns perfomed by the late Michael Jackson. So, he was the legendary
Michael Jackson in the avian world. This bird had black plumes on his wings all
over his body with yellowish green feather on his chest. There were around six
antenas on his head. His eyes were blue. His forehead was covered with white
feather. The male and female western parotia looked similar. The area above the
nose of the female bird that was covered with white feather was more curvy.
Watching the Bower Bird
When the western parotia birds had left their dancing ground, we left the blind
for another birdwatching hut to see the bowerbird. It was not far from the hut
where we watched the western parotia. This bird is considered as king of
seduction in the avian world. The male has to build a bower that is constructed
of a lot of wooden sticks in an arch form to attract his female birds. He also
has to collect various bright articles and arrange them around his bower. In the
morning this bird stands in front of his display ground to sing songs and
imitate the sounds of other birds and mammals to attract the female birds. The
vogelkop bower bird can only be seen in Arfak mountains and other bird's head
region of New Guinea island.
The Magnificent Birds of Paradise
This bird species is called Cincinnurus Magnificus in Latin language. This is the first bird which birders usually watch when traveling to high elevation forest of Arfak mountains in Kwau village. The dancing ground of this bird is only a 15-minute walk from the guesthouse.
Are you interested in watching birds in Arfak mountains?
If your answer is yes, you need to fly to one of the big cities of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Manado or Denpasar. After that, take a domestic flight from the city to Manokwari town. Contact me at my cell phone +62 81332245180 or e-mail me at charlesroring@gmail.com before you come to Manokwari. I will be happy to arrange your tour and guide you around the Arfak mountains where you can watch various species of paradise birds.
Where to stay in Manokwari
There are a number of hotels and guesthouse in Manokwari city. A guesthouse that I recommend to backpackers is Losmen Kagum. It is located on Jalan Brawijaya in Kompleks Missi area. If you have enough money to stay in luxurious hotels. I recommend you to stay in Mansinam beach hotel, Swiss-Belhotel or Billy Jaya Hotel.
by Charles Roring
Manokwari Map | Where is Manokwari? | Souvenir Shops | Travel Attractions | Accommodation in Manokwari | Professional Guide
Travel Guide Manokwari
The following articles are my recommendation, stories and experience when guiding foreign tourists who come to Manokwari of West Papua to enjoy the beauty of its natural scenery and the hospitality of the indigenous people. This website is aimed at promoting eco-tourism in the region to create jobs among the indigenous people and awareness among us about the importance of protecting and preserving tropical rainforest that is now facing extinction due to rapid deforestation.
Happy Traveling
Charles Roring (click to e-mail me)
Tourist Guide
If you want to read more stories about travel in Manokwari of West Papua, you can see my other blogs at the following addresses:
Papuan Art and Culture Stories
My personal diary on Manokwari Eco-tourism activities
