Tropical Birding Trip Report Sulawesi and Moluccas (Halmahera) Extension: August-September 2018 A Tropical Birding set departure tour INDONESIA: SULAWESI and Moluccas Extension, HALMAHERA “Birding the Edge of Wallace’s Line” 14th August – 3rd September 2018 This tour is always epic for nightbirds; 8 owls were seen as well as 1 owlet-nightjar and 5 nightjars, including this handsome pair of cruelly-named Diabolical (Satanic) Nightjars at Lore Lindu, Sulawesi Tour Leaders: Sam Woods and Theo Henoch All the birds/animals photographed in this report are indicated in red. Sincere thanks to participants Susan and Frank Gilliland who contributed many photos for this report. 1 www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110
[email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report Sulawesi and Moluccas (Halmahera) Extension: August-September 2018 INTRODUCTION: By combining the two oddly-shaped islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera we racked up a substantial list of specialties, some 128 endemic species were recorded within a grand total of 274 species. The two islands are close, sitting within Wallacea, the transition zone between Oriental and Australasian avifaunas. However, they differ markedly, permitting a large number of additions when combing the both of them – nearly 80 species were added during our visit to Halmahera, among them more than 40 more endemics. The species list acquired included 8 owls (7 of them endemic), 5 nightjars, 1 owlet-nightjar, 4 megapodes (including the strange Moluccan Scrubfowl that uniquely lays its eggs at night), 19 raptors (including 7 endemic ones), 26 species of pigeon/dove (with some stunning fruit-doves among them on Halmahera in particular), 16 kingfishers, 3 hornbills (2 endemic), 3 pittas, 3 bee-eaters, all 15 possible parrot species, 13 different cuckooshrikes, 2 birds-of-paradise, 6 species of white-eye, and 9 different starlings/mynas, and the monotypic family, Hylocitrea, endemic to the mountains of Sulawesi.