Birding in Raja Ampat with our Biodiversity Eco Resort Team
Previous bird-rewarding visits convinced to spend our holiday again in Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat Biodiversity Resort on Gam Island is the place for all who enjoy birding and diving. The beautiful coral reefs and the good birding opportunities looked promising. The nearby island of Waigeo was also interesting to us. At the end, we were everything but disappointed. Both diving and birding in Raja Ampat exceeded our expectations.
You can reach the Biodiversity Resort by ferry from Sorong to Waisai on Waigeo. There you can find a boat to Gam Island. The boat trips offer good chances for birding in Raja Ampat. On the way, we saw Matsudaira’s Stormpetrel Pomarine Skua and Terns. Tree trunks in the water are perfect for terns. They use them as transport between the islands. Reaching the resort we got a warm welcome from the manager Rey and his friendly staff who felt as friends. They informed us about the dive sites, excursions and birdwatching sites. Gam has several jungle tracks which are good for low and middle elevation bird species.
What to expect from birding in Raja Ampat?
The first day we spotted a thermal flock of birds while birding in Raja Ampat. More precisely, 2 White-bellied Sea-eagles (one adult and one immature), 1 Gurney’s Eagle, 1 Osprey and more than 7 Lesser Frigatebirds. The jetty of the resort is a good place for observing Sulfur-crested Coke, Papuan Hornbills and Brahmany Kites.
There are a lot of birds at the beach and the paths between the cottages. Noisy Helmeted Friarbirds, shining metallic Starlings, alarming sacred Kingfishers, bold Willy Wagtails and spiderhunting Mimic Meliphaga’s are the most common birds. By early morning walks, we spotted also Pink-spotted, Wompoo and Superb Fruitdove.The forest openings at the hillside are a perfect place for Shining Flycatcher, Northern Fantail and Hooded Butcherbird. But also, for starbirds like Glossy Manucode and Common Paradise Kingfisher.
One morning an un-expected Great Cuckoo-dove was here. Between the cottages at Papuan Frogmouth kept us out of our sleep. We also saw Brown-headed crow for two times, close to the dining area.
Good places for Birding in Raja Ampat
Close the resort area there were two paths that lead into the jungle. One followed the coastline and ended in the little village Yenbeser. The other one leads into the hills and ends at the display-site of the Red Bird of Paradise. The best time to walk on these paths is definitely early in the morning. But also mid-day and afternoon walks can be productive.
On the coastal path all Pigeons seemed to congregate. Brown Cuckoo-dove, Stephen’s Emerald Dove and Moluccan Fruit-dove were present. In the palm treetops, we spotted Sunbirds and Lories. Also loud Dollarbirds and a Brush Cuckoo were there. The Dollarbirds attacked to Collared Sparrowhawk, a very good species! When we reached the beach we watched a beautiful scene. Several Moustached Treeswifts bullied to perching Osprey (how good can it get).
The jungle path to the Red Bird of Paradise site is good if you want to encounter a wide variety of birds. We saw Frilled Monarchs, 2 Myzomela species, Long-billed Honeyeater, Raja Ampat and Rusty Pitohui, Spot-winged Monarch and Thicket-fantails while birding in Raja Ampat Also, Flowerpeckers, Sunbirds and a Hanging Parrot. To our surprise Fruitdoves, Drongo’s and a female Red Bird of Paradise (!) Were active in the flock. We also spotted Nicobar Pigeon.
Red Bird Location and Wilson’s Site
The Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson’s Bird of Paradise are both close by the Biodiversity Resort. A visit to the Red Bird location is best by boat and in the early morning. We saw Beach Stonecurlew, Great-billed Heron, Dwarf Fruitdove (!) And Largetailed Nightjar. The Wilson’s site is on Waigeo was extra worth visiting.
After some tracking in the dark, we observed this jewel of the forest. It cleaned the display site for more than one hour and we felt like David Attenborough. Close to the hide of the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise several Red Bird of Paradise were active. Birding in Raja Ampat is a Wonderful opportunity for all the bird lovers.
In our two weeks visit, we have spotted over 100 bird species on Gam (bird list below). We saw a lot of birds and experienced good dining options. Nice cottages and the worlds best diving sites were also part of our wonderful trip. So, if you want to go birding in Raja Ampat, this is definitely a place for you.
There is only one problem: You want to go back, again and again.
With kind regards,
Jurgen van der Meer
Take a look at our section Birdwatching and Jungle Treks , If you want to know more About birding in Raja Ampat.
Birdlist Raja Ampat:
- Dusky Scrubfowl
- Matsudaira’s Stormpetrel
- Pomarine Skua
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater (pale morph / dark morph)
- Lesser Frigatebird
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Brown Noddy
- Little Tern
- Black-naped Tern
- Lesser Crested Tern
- Beach Stonecurlew
- Striated Heron
- Little Egret
- Intermediate Egret
- Eastern Great Egret
- Eastern Reef Egret
- Great-billed Heron
- Brahmany Kite
- Eastern Osprey
- White-bellied Sea-eagle
- Gurney’s Eagle
- Collared Sparrowhawk
- Long-tailed Buzzard
- Brown Cuckoo-dove
- Great Cuckoo-dove
- Stephen’s Emerald Dove
- Wompoo Fruit-dove
- Pink-spotted Fruitdove
- Superb Fruitdove
- Beautiful Fruit-dove
- Dwarf Fruit-dove
- Claret-breasted Fruit-dove
- Moluccan Fruit-dove
- Spice Imperial Pigeon
- Nicobar Pigeon
- White-throated Pigeon
- Pinon’s Imperial Pigeon
- Eclectus Parrot
- Palm Cockatoo
- Sulfur-crested Cockatoo
- Red-flanked Lorikeet
- Black-capped Lory
- Violet-necked Lory
- Red-cheeked Parrot
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Great-billed Parrot
- Orange-fronted Hanging Parrot
- Blyth’s Hornbill
- Brush Cuckoo
- Papuan Frogmouth
- Large-tailed Nightjar
- Glossy Swiftlet
- Moustached Treeswift
- Uniform Swiftlet
- Tree Martin
- Pacific Swallow
- Common Paradise-kingfisher
- Oriental Dollarbird
- Rainbow Bee-eater
- Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
- Beach Kingfisher
- Collared Kingfisher
- Sacred Kingfisher
- Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher
- Rusty Mouse-warbler
- Ruby-throated Myzomela
- Papuan black Myzomela
- Long-billed Honey-eater
- Varied Honeyeater
- Helmeted Friarbird
- Mimic Meliphaga
- Puff-backed Blaze
- Mountain Lives
- Tropical Scrubwren
- Fairy Gerygone
- Black Sunbird
- Olive-backed Sunbird
- Pygmy Longbill
- Olive-crowned Flowerpecker
- White-breasted Woodswallow
- Hooded Butcherbird
- Black-browed Triller
- Golden Cuckooshrike
- White-bellied Cuckooshrike
- Black Cicadabird
- Little Shrikethrush
- Raja Ampat Pitohui
- Rusty Pitohui
- Papuan Babbler
- Shining Flycatcher
- Frilled Monarch
- Golden Monarch
- Spot-winged Monarch
- Northern Fantail
- Willie Wagtail
- White-bellied Thicket-fantail
- Sooty Thicket-fantail
- Glossy Manucode (mature / immature)
- Brown-headed Crow
- Torresian Crow
- Wilson’s bird of paradise (male)
- Red Bird of Paradise (female)
- Black-sided Robin
- Olive Flycatcher
- Spangled Drongo
- Moluccan Starling
- Metallic Starling
- Brown Oriole
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
- House Sparrow
- Italic Birds = seen in the Sorong area or on the pelagic trip to Gam
- Bold birds = highlights of the trip