Overview
Tour report
Species list
Reference
 

 
 FALCONIDAE

  • Spotted Kestrel (Moluccan K) Falco moluccensis
  • Oriental Hobby Falco severus: Great views of two in Lore Lindu NP. A small and attractive falcon.
  • Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus: Best views were of the small dark (ernesti subspecies) individual chasing the waders near Ujung Pandang.
Sunda Teal

ANATIDAE

  • Wandering Whistling Duck (Diving Tree D) Dendrocygna arcuata: Common in the wetlands and paddyfields near Dumoga Bone.
  • SundaTeal Anas gibberifrons: Many good sightings. Interesting to see them perched in the dead trees at Dumoga Bone.

MEGAPODIIDAE

  • Dusky Scrubfowl Megapodius freycinet: Most of us managed reasonable views in the end on Halmahera.
  • Moluccan Scrubfowl Eulipoa wallacei: Superb spotlight views of this unexpected stunner down to just a few feet on two occasions on Halmahera. It is a species that is usually found in montane forest away from its egg-laying sites. It normally takes a special trip to one of these sites to see this rare and threatened species.
  • Maleo Macrocephalon maleo: Some great views this year at Dumoga Bone, the salmon-pink underparts coming as a surprise to many.

TURNICIDAE

  • Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator: One seen near Ujung Pandang.

RALLIDAE

  • Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis: Many excellent sightings.
  • Barred Rail Gallirallus torquatus: Especially good views near Toraut in Dumoga Bone NP. The subspecies concerned is celebensis and this form lacks the chestnut breast band shown by birds in the Philippines.
  • White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea: Seen a couple of time near Toraut.
  • Rufous-tailed Bush-hen Amaurornis moluccanus: Heard on Halmahera and glimpsed by a couple of us.
  • Isabelline Waterhen Amaurornis isabellinus: Excellent views of this skulking and handsome Sulawesi endemic in the clearing at Kamarora.
  • White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
  • Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (H)
  • Purple Swamphen (P Gallinule) Porphyrio porphyrio: Some good views of the subspecies indicus near to Toraut. In a recent paper it was proposed to split up the Purple Swamphen complex into six species and this form would be included in Black-backed Swamphen P. melanotus. Note that the situation is complex. Coates and Bishop give the subspecies occurring in Sulawesi as samoensis which in turn is included in Australian Swamphen P. melanotus if the species is split up. However most other Reference do refer to the Sulawesi birds as being of the race indicus!!

RECURVIROSTRIDAE

  • White-headed Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus: Up to 50 in the fishponds near Ujung Pandang. This dubious species is often lumped in the familiar Black-winged Stilt H. himantopus, though it does show a distinctive head pattern.

CHARADRIIDAE

  • Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva: A group of nine in the fishponds near Ujung Pandang.
  • Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
  • Lesser Sand-Plover (Mongolian P) Charadrius mongolus: First seen off Sidangoli and further sightings near Manado.
  • Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii: Good views near Manado where we were able to directly compare this species with the previous one.

SCOLOPACIDAE

  • Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
  • Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis: One in the fishponds near Ujung Pandang. What a bill!
  • Common Redshank Tringa totanus
  • Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis: Good numbers in the fishponds near Ujung Pandang.
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
  • Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus: One of a number of eastern waders that we were pleased to catch up with in Ujung Pandang.
  • Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
  • Grey-tailed Tattler (G-rumped T) Heteroscelus brevipes: Several sightings including a group of 15 in Manado, at least two of which were still in breeding plumage.
  • Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
  • Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris: Just a single flying over the fishponds near Ujung Pandang.
  • Rufous-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis: Great views of both moulting adults and some fresh juveniles in the fishponds near Ujung Pandang.
  • Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta: Some good views of several with the above.
  • Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
  • Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus: Many small groups between Halmahera and Ternate and off Manado.

GLAREOLIDAE

  • Australian Pratincole (Long-legged P) Stiltia isabella: Two on a football pitch near Ujung Pandang.