With the coming of the rains, birds usually resident in New Guinea  such as Papuan (Red-bellied) Pitta, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher and Black-winged Monarch migrate south.  They then return north again when the rains stop. While the Kingfisher heads down as far as Cairns the Pitta and the Monarch tend to stay in the Iron Range area. Of course, the other “New Guinea specials” which cannot be seen anywhere else in Australia such as Eclectus Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Magnificent Riflebird, Trumpet Manucode, Tropical Scrubwren, Green-backed Honeyeater, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Black-eared Catbird and Frilled Monarch are there all year round.

This tour is a great chance to see some of the rarest birds in the world and visit the cultural masterpieces of Angkor. The tour starts in Siem Reap where we explore the temples and bird the surrounding countryside including the Greater Adjutant colony at Prek Toal and the ATT marshes. We visit the open forest of Timatboey, and travel north to visit the Vulture Restaurant and look for the White-winged Wood Duck along the border with Laos.

The Wet Tropics  including the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns area has 15 endemic birds which are found nowhere else in the world. (see Sidebar) It also has many distinct subspecies including Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Southern Boobook, Masked Owl, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Yellow Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Pale Yellow Robin and Bassian Thrush. It addition it has some birds like Southern Cassowary which are found also in New Guinea and Papua but not anywhere else in Australia.

Taiwan has recorded 682 species of birds of which 28 are endemic including the spectacular Swinhoe’s Pheasant and Mikado Pheasant. These are always high on everyone’s wish list. In addition there are 56 endemic subspecies. It. has a great list of birds many of which are quite spectacular including the migratory Fairy Pitta. Resident birds include Golden Parrotbill, Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Taiwan Rosefinch and Himalayan Owl. There are also some interesting mammals including the very attractive White-faced Flying Squirrel, Taiwanese Serow and Reeve’s Muntjac

If you are interested in a guided bird and photography tour to Taiwan why not join us on Birding Taiwan in the spring?

This 17 day Japan birding tour takes you travelling from the subtropical Ryukyu Islands in the south west to Hokkaido in the north east with its strong Siberian influences, this is a great chance to explore Japan and its birds with an experienced and knowledgeable Japanese speaking guide. We visit many small islands each with its own endemics and also search for the many Palearctic migrants that visit Japan at this time of year.

There are some great seabirds to be seen and for true seabird enthusiasts we offer the Bonin Islands extension. The tour can be broken into 3 parts Honshu and the Ryukyus, Hokkaido and also the Bonin Islands.

This 17 day Japan birding tour takes you travelling from the subtropical Ryukyu Islands in the south west to Hokkaido in the north east with its strong Siberian influences, this is a great chance to explore Japan and its birds with an experienced and knowledgeable Japanese speaking guide. We visit many small islands each with its own endemics and also search for the many Palearctic migrants that visit Japan at this time of year.

There are some great seabirds to be seen and for true seabird enthusiasts we offer the Bonin Islands extension. The tour can be broken into 3 parts Honshu and the Ryukyus, Hokkaido and also the Bonin Islands.

This nomadic lifestyle leaves much of Mongolia still a place of vast wilderness and habitat diversity with treeless plains and high mountains interspaced with rivers, lakes and marshes as well as taiga forest and sandy deserts. With over 520 species of birds, many of them migratory, Mongolia’s vast wilderness makes it a birders dream.

This nomadic lifestyle leaves much of Mongolia still a place of vast wilderness and habitat diversity with treeless plains and high mountains interspaced with rivers, lakes and marshes as well as taiga forest and sandy deserts. With over 520 species of birds, many of them migratory, Mongolia’s vast wilderness makes it a birders dream.

The New Guinea Endemic Families tour is designed to target at least one member of all 7 endemic bird families of New Guinea. These include Crested Berrypecker, Tit Berrypecker, Blue-capped Ifrit, Mottled Berryhunter, Wattled Ploughbill, Lesser Melampitta, Crested Satinbird, Loria’s Satinbird and Fan-tailed Berrypecker. This is a short tour of only 6 days. Visiting just two areas, both close to Mt Hagen this tour give you a good chance of cleaning up on the current New Guinea bird families in one surgical strike.

A unique 14 day chance to visit some of the worlds greatest birding locations in search of Papua New Guinea’s spectacular birds and experience some of New Guinea’s fascinating culture with attendance at the world famous Mt Hagen show where representatives of cultural groups from all over New Guinea come together in a spectacle of costume, music and dancing as a highlight.

Visiting several New Guinea habitats we expect to see a number of species of spectacular Birds of Paradise plus a great supporting cast of New Guinea specialities,  many of which form the basis for the fantastic headdresses you will see at the show.

A unique 14 day chance to visit some of the worlds greatest birding locations in search of Papua New Guinea’s spectacular birds and experience some of New Guinea’s fascinating culture with attendance at the world famous Mt Hagen show where representatives of cultural groups from all over New Guinea come together in a spectacle of costume, music and dancing as a highlight.

Visiting several New Guinea habitats we expect to see a number of species of spectacular Birds of Paradise plus a great supporting cast of New Guinea specialities,  many of which form the basis for the fantastic headdresses you will see at the show.

Travelling from Cairns to Iron Range allows a good look at the different habitats that can be seen in this northernmost part of Australia. Mangroves, heathland, rainforest, vine forest, savannah and wetlands offer lots to look at. Iron range has a number of bird species that cannot be seen elsewhere in Australia such as the New Guinea “specials” like Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo and Yellow-billed kingfisher and the Cape York endemics such as Golden-shouldered Parrot.

A great short 5 day birdwatching trip to the island of Manus where the target bird is the beautiful Superb Pitta. While the number of other endemic species is limited and some need good weather and a trip to Tong Island, the Pitta makes the trip a must for serious birders.

The Wet Tropics  including the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns area has 15 endemic birds which are found nowhere else in the world. (see Sidebar) It also has many distinct subspecies including Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Southern Boobook, Masked Owl, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Yellow Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Pale Yellow Robin and Bassian Thrush. It addition it has some birds like Southern Cassowary which are found also in New Guinea and Papua but not anywhere else in Australia.

New Caledonia and the adjacent Loyalty Islands are a great place for birders. The islands have a total of 21 extant endemic birds. All but 3 of these can be seen, most relatively easily, on the main island of Grand Terre. The jewel in the crown is the iconic Kagu. The “Grey Ghost”, as it is affectionately known, is the only member of its monotypic family. In the last century this long-legged, flightless bird,  which is endemic to the dense mountain forests of Grand Terre, was on the brink of extinction.

Santa Isabel is the 3rd largest island in the Solomons Islands archipelago. The Pacific Ocean lies to its north while Guadalcanal and the capital Honiara, lie to the south.

It was the first island in the Solomons to be contacted by Europeans when in 1568 it was charted by Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana. Soon lots of Spanish ships were visiting the island and relationships which were originally cordial became more tense as the visiting ships needed food and freshwater. A small Spanish settlement was set up but after finding no gold and suffering attacks and sickness it was moved to Guadalcanal.

Budgies or Budgerigars to give them their full name, are nomadic. They follow the food and water. For most of the year they split up into small groups. This means that finding them in the vast expanse of Australia’s arid interior can be a bit hit or miss. However, as the standing water available in the bush dries up, these small flocks join together. They head to where there is a permanent source of this very necessary commodity. One of the places they head to is the small, western Queensland country town of Boulia.

The Wet Tropics  including the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns area has 15 endemic birds which are found nowhere else in the world. (see Sidebar) It also has many distinct subspecies including Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Southern Boobook, Masked Owl, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Yellow Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Pale Yellow Robin and Bassian Thrush. It addition it has some birds like Southern Cassowary which are found also in New Guinea and Papua but not anywhere else in Australia.

A 6-day/5-night trip exploring this great destination which boasts the largest avifauna in Australia. This tour visits many of the wide variety of habitats found in this region. We hope to see all the Wet Tropics endemics birds during the tour and a spotlighting trip should give us a good selection of nocturnal mammals such as tree kangaroos, platypus, possums and more. At this time of year many of the northern migrants are still here with the palearctic waders along the coast and birds down from New Guinea like the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. Led by an experienced and expert guide this is a great way of maximising your North Queensland wildlife experience.

A short trip visiting one of the major bird and wildlife areas of Cape York. The Cape York peninsula is one of Australia’s last frontiers and at this time of the year the road up from Cairns is often impassable so, to avoid getting bogged, or stuck on the wrong side of a river, we will be flying in and out of Lockhart River. This area boasts a number of diverse habitats including mangroves, heathland, rainforest, vine forest and coastal areas which offers lots to look at. Iron Range has a number of bird species that cannot be seen elsewhere in Australia such as the New Guinea ‘specials’ like Palm Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot and Yellow-billed Kingfisher and at this time of the year we are expect good views of the Papuan (Red-Bellied) Pitta and Black-winged Monarch.