A welcome restart of our classic Sulawesi and Halmahera itinerary was long overdue, and eagerly anticipated by a very keen clutch of birders. There was no Obi extension this year, but we did visit Morotai for the second time. There was also no visit to Makassar Fish Ponds, due to itinerary constraints, so our trip list of 277 species was a healthy one! Included in this total was a whopping 127 taxonomy-dependant endemics (i.e. species with ranges restricted to the Sulawesi Region or the Northern Moluccas).
Highlights included such mega-stars as: Maleo, Moluccan Megapode, eight species of owl, Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar, Azure Dollarbird, 14 species of
kingfisher, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Sulawesi, North Moluccan, Ivory-breasted and ‘Morotai’ Pittas (the latter new for Birdquest), […] – tour leader Craig Robson