Overview
Tour report
Species list
Reference

 

 


CUCULIDAE

  • Sulawesi Hawk-Cuckoo Cuculus crassirostris (H): Surely one of the most difficult cuckoos to observe. We heard several around Dongi Dongi in Lore Lindu NP but were unable to get near them.
  • Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus: As the tour was slightly later than ever before, we bumped into a number of migrants, including several Oriental Cuckoos. Contrary to what I thought at the time, it seems that it is not possible to know whether they were Siberian or Himalayan birds as both forms winter as far south as Australia and as far as I know, there are no known field characters to separate them!
  • Rusty-breasted Cuckoo (Indonesian C) Cacomantis sepulcralis: Common and conspicuous at Lore Lindu and heard elsewhere.
  • Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus (H)
  • Black-billed Koel Eudynamys melanorhyncha: Some great views at Kamarora and at Dumoga Bone. Some authorities (see Handbook of Birds of the World) lump this form together with Australian and Common Koels. This is another species that is frequently vocal during the hours of darkness.
  • Yellow-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus calyorhynchus: Many excellent views. I much prefer the old name Fiery-billed Malkoha!
  • Goliath Coucal Centropus goliath: We had good views of this huge northern Moluccan endemic near our lodge on Halmahera. They are so big and heavy they seem to be barely able to fly!
  • Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
  • Bay Coucal Centropus celebensis: A somewhat sneaky and elusive species. Fortunately they were common so our repeated encounters meant that everyone eventually got good views.

TYTONIDAE

  • Sulawesi Masked Owl Tyto rosenbergii: Heard at Lore Lindu, we then had first class scope views of two calling adults at Toraut, Dumoga Bone NP.

STRIGIDAE

  • Sulawesi Scops Owl Otus manadensis: Seen very well at both Lore Lindu and Dumoga Bone.
  • Moluccan Scops Owl Otus magicus: Great views of this large scops owl at our little owling spot on Halmahera.
  • Ochre-bellied Boobook (O-b Hawk Owl) Ninox ochracea: A super pair showed brilliantly on our first nocturnal foray into Dumoga Bone NP and we didn’t even need to go across the river (much to the relief of some!).
  • Moluccan Boobook (M Hawk Owl) Ninox squamipila: After much perseverance, a single finally gave superb views near the lodge on Halmahera. This was a fitting climax to a fantastic night of spotlighting!
  • Speckled Boobook (S Hawk Owl) Ninox punctulata: Cracking views of acute individual at Kamarora. A surprisingly quiet owl which is not easy to see without a tape.
     
Listen to
Moluccan
Owlet–Nightjar
174k Quicktime 4
 

AEGOTHELIDAE

  • Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar (Long-whiskered O-N) Aegotheles crinifrons: Great views of a rufous morph individual near Sidangoli during our spotlighting bonanza.

CAPRIMULGIDAE

  • Heinrich’s Nightjar (Satanic N) Eurostopodus diabolicus: Magic spotting by one of the team ensured that we all enjoyed unrivalled views of this little-known species at Anaso in Lore Lindu NP. We will publish an article in the OBC bulletin in due course. Fourth in the bird of the trip contest, this was perhaps our luckiest encounter of the tour (on a tour with many lucky encounters!).



Heinrich's (Satanic) Nightjar

  • Great Eared Nightjar Eurostopodus macrotis: Seen well in Lore Lindu and Dumoga Bone.
  • Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus: Great views at our owling spot on Halmahera on the second visit.
Listen to
Sulawesi Nightjar
195k Quicktime 4

 

  
  • Sulawesi Nightjar Caprimulgus celebensis: The kick-start to the Manado grand finale! Superb views of three individuals in mangroves near to Manado. Despite their superficial resemblance to both Large-tailed and Philippine Nightjars their distinctive vocalizations surely mean that treatment as a full species is justified.
  • Savanna Nightjar Caprimulgus affinis: Great views of several near Ujung Pandang including a couple in broad daylight.

APODIDAE

  • Uniform Swiftlet Collocalia vanikorensis
  • Moluccan Swiftlet Collocalia infuscata
  • Glossy Swiftlet (White-bellied S) Collocalia esculenta
  • Purple Needletail Hirundapus celebensis: The usual high in the sky views in Lore Lindu NP.
  • Fork-tailed Swift (Pacific S) Apuspacificus: Several seen in Manado on the last day were returning migrants. Interesting to see them skimming low over the sea.
  • House Swift (Little S) Apus nipalensis
  • Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis: Those first noted at the Maleo site represent a further range extension for this recent colonist of Sulawesi.

HEMIPROCNIDAE

  • Grey-rumped Tree Swift Hemiprocne longipennis
  • Moustached Tree Swift Hemiprocne mystacea: Several marvellous encounters with these huge, highly attractive and superbly elegant birds on Halmahera.

ALCEDINIDAE

  • Green-backed Kingfisher (Blue-headed Wood-K) Actenoides monachus: After a fair bit of fretting and sweating we all obtained excellent views of a brilliant male at Toraut
  • Common Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysipteragalatea: Stunning spotlight views of three different individuals (on two nights). Frequently heard at dawn, we had no real need to trackthem down in the daytime!
  • Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher (Lilac K) Cittura cyanotis: Some great views at Dumoga Bone. I always think that they don’t look as bright as they should!
  • Great-billed Kingfisher Halcyon melanorhyncha: Nice views of one at Dumoga Bone and another seen nicely near Manado.
  • Blue-and-white Kingfisher Halcyon diops: Several encounters on Halmahera where this attractive species inhabits forest edge and open country.
  • Sombre Kingfisher Halcyon funebris: One of the few true Halmahera endemics which we saw well near our lodge. An interesting though fairly aptly named species.
  • Collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris
  • Beach Kingfisher Halcyon saurophaga: Three or more on our boat trip out of Sidangoli were much appreciated.
  • Sacred Kingfisher Halcyon sancta
  • Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx fallax: Great views of one in the forest at Dumoga Bone. One also seen there the following day.
  • Variable Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx lepidus: Excellent views of one that was spotlighted along my favourite trail on Halmahera on our first attempt and then two individuals on the second attempt! Great views down to a few feet. This species is surprisingly difficult to observe during the daytime.
  • Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis: One migrant bird (bengalensis) seen in the Sidangoli mangroves. Those we saw at Dumoga Bone NP belong to the strange subspecies hispidoides which is very similar to Blue-eared Kingfisher.