Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Birding in the Rainforest of Tambrauw Mountains

by Charles Roring
Forest Kingfisher in Tambrauw forest
The lowland rainforest of Tambrauw mountains is the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds including those in the families of lories, parrots and cockatoos; kingfishers and kookaburras; swallows and swiftlets; and the famous birds of paradise.
Birding can be done all year round particularly along the side of Cuan river. I offer guided trekking and birding tours for those who are interested in watching these birds. I and the local villagers in Tambrauw regency believe that by offering this tour, we can introduce our customers a new experience where they can watch the birds in rainforest region that is less visited by birdwatchers.
Approximately 80 percent of the forest area has been declared by the local government for conservation. The rainforest and birding tours to this rainforest will support the government's plan and at the same time, provide alternative income generation scheme for the indigenous Papuan people who live in the regency.
How to get there:
  • Fly from your country to Jakarta city the capital of Indonesia.
  • Continue your trip by taking a domestic flight to Sorong city. There are daily flights served by Batik Air, Garuda, Sriwijaya, Nam Air between Sorong and Jakarta.
  • We will meet you in Sorong to organize the birding and rainforest tour for you.
What to bring:
All birdwatchers know what they need to bring. But I will give some suggestions for anybody who is interested in birding for the first time.
  • Spotting scope
  • Digital camera with birdwatching telephoto lens such as Nikon Coolpix P900 (with extra batteries)
  • Clothing for warm tropical climate such as t-shirt, shorts, water shoes, flipflops. 
  • Head lamp or torch
  • Birding book: "Birds of New Guinea" by Beehler and his friends.
Other activities
In addition to watching birds, visitors can enjoy butterfly watching, trekking, camping, swimming in the rainforest and discover the richness of bio-diversity of West Papua's rainforest.

Tambrauw regency is located between Sorong and Manokwari. The forest can be reached by 4 WD car from Sorong city. It takes approximately 4 hours to reach our destination where we will explore the forest for at least 4 days/ 3 nights. I can also prepare a customized tour program for anybody who plans to stay longer and combine his or her trip to another place in the bird's head region of West Papua. For detailed itinerary and cost, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

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