SOLOMON ISLANDS – An extraordinary island endemics tour, including Black-faced Pitta and Sanford’s Sea Eagle

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers and accommodation/restaurant staff.

We also include these flights in our tour price:

Honiara-Munda

Gizo-Honiara

Honiara-Fera (Santa Isabel)-Honiara

Honiara-Kirakira (Makira)-Honiara.

Honiara-Rennell-Honiara

Cumulatively these flights amount to a very large cost.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

The single room supplement relates to Honiara, Gizo and Malaita only.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

SOLOMON ISLANDS BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Solomon Islands: Day 1  Our tour begins today at Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, situated on the island of Guadalcanal.

Solomon Islands: Days 2-28  Owing to endless flight schedule changes in the Solomons, we can never predict the order in which the islands will be visited, other than the fact we start and end the tour at Honiara on Guadalcanal, where the sole international airport is situated. The islands we will be visiting are described below, and the amount of time we spend on each will be sufficient, or more than sufficient, as we must always build in a considerable ‘safety margin’ on Solomons Islands tours to avoid the risk of being forced to miss out an island, or have far too little time on one, owing to unexpected flight schedule changes.

GUADALCANAL

The name Guadalcanal is still synonymous with huge air and naval battles and bloody jungle warfare, for some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific between Japanese and Allied forces took place on and around this island. Relics of that great struggle can be found littered throughout the island and its offshore waters, a stark reminder of darker days when, for a brief period in history, Guadalcanal was thrust to the forefront of the world’s stage. Now largely ignored and forgotten by the rest of the world, Guadalcanal, like the rest of the Solomons, is a sleepy backwater which receives few visitors from the outside world.

Guadalcanal will act as our hub for the tour, a base that we will come back to time and time again. It is also home to a good number of species, including a number of widespread species as well as a suite of specialities.

Widespread open country species that we may well first encounter around Honiara, the capital, include Pacific Swallow, Willie Wagtail, Singing and Metallic Starlings and introduced Common Myna and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Even colourful Cardinal Lories and Coconut Lorikeets may be found around our hotel.

We will spend much of our time on Guadalcanal exploring Mount Austen, and on another logging road that penetrates into the mountains. As we walk along trails through the forest, we should encounter a handful of species that we will only find on Guadalcanal, including the uncommon Black-headed Myzomela and the rather elusive endemic Guadalcanal Owl (now treated as an Athene species restricted to Guadalcanal rather than as a more widespread boobook), and with luck, we will also find the rare Guadalcanal Dwarf Kingfisher or the equally rare White-eyed Starling feeding amongst the more common Metallic Starlings. We will also encounter a number of other more widespread Solomons endemics, such as the huge Buff-headed Coucal, the smart Pied Goshawk, the surprisingly common Solomons Corella (or Ducorps’s Cockatoo), the beautiful Yellow-bibbed Lory, the attractive Ultramarine Kingfisher, Solomons Cicadabird, Oriole Whistler (represented on Guadalcanal by a distinct endemic form), the scarce White-winged Fantail (nominate subspecies), Chestnut-bellied and smart Solomons Monarchs, Steel-blue Flycatcher, Midget Flowerpecker, Brown-winged Starling and White-billed Crow (an endemic species with an outlandish huge bill and remarkable calls).

Regionally interesting species include the huge Blyth’s Hornbill, Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted and Superb Fruit Doves, the attractive Melanesian Kingfisher, Papuan Eclectus and Long-tailed Myna, as well as the more widespread Pacific Baza, Variable Goshawk, the dashing Oriental Hobby and Oriental Dollarbird.

We will also visit the Betikama wetlands, a haunt of the flightless and threatened endemic Woodford’s Rail, the first of three distinct forms of this species that we have a chance of seeing. We may also be fortunate enough to see our first Sanford’s (or Solomons) Sea Eagle here. There are likely to be a few other widespread species here, such as Glossy and Uniform Swiftlets, Buff-banded Rail, Great and Plumed Egrets, Little Pied Cormorant, (Eastern) Osprey, Brahminy Kite and Sahul Sunbird, and if we are fortunate we will see the rare local form of Red-backed Buttonquail. We will also keep an eye out for vagrants to the islands, as this is a prime location for such wanderers.

MALAITA

From Honiara on Guadalcanal, we will travel either by ferry or plane to the town of Auki on the adjacent island of Malaita.

Malaita has sadly suffered heavy forest clearance, but thankfully some good accessible forest sections remain. We will explore some of these accessible forested hills and forest patches of the island’s interior along a driveable road and old logging tracks.

The endemic Malaita White-eye is fairly common, and we will also have a good chance of finding the recently split Malaita Monarch and Malaita Cicadabird. We will search flowering trees for the scarce endemic Red-vested (or Red-bellied) Myzomela, and with luck, we will also find the tricky White-gorgeted Fantail. After dark, we will turn our attention to the poorly known and recently split Malaita Owl, which we have a reasonable chance of finding.

There are also a number of interesting subspecies that we may see, including an as-yet-undescribed subspecies of Woodford’s Rail, the distinctive malaitae form of the Brown-winged Starling, and the local form of Oriole Whistler. We may also see our first endemic Central Melanesian Cicadabird.

NEW GEORGIA GROUP (MUNDA, TETEPARE, KOLOMBANGARA, GIZO, RANONGGA & VELLA LAVELLA)

We will begin our visit to the New Georgia group with a flight to Munda on New Georgia. From here we will take a series of boat trips around the New Georgia Island group, taking us to five further islands within the group. During these boat trips, we will see a few seabirds. In particular, we will be keeping a lookout for the rare and poorly-known Heinroth’s Shearwater, and we have a good chance of an encounter. More common seabirds during the crossings include Brown Booby, Lesser and Great Frigatebirds, Black and Brown Noddies, and Greater Crested, Roseate, Black-naped, Common and Bridled Terns.

Our first such adventure will be a boat journey south, past the large island of Rendova, to our first birding spot, the relatively unspoilt island of Tetepare. As we motor in alongside the forested hillsides, Island Imperial Pigeons are usually conspicuous, and we may well see another Sanford’s Sea Eagle as well as Beach Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper and perhaps Beach Stone-curlew.

Almost as soon as we step off the boat we will encounter our first New Georgia endemics. Dark-eyed White-eye and the handsome White-capped Monarch are often to be found right around our accommodation, and we may also find our first Crimson-rumped Myzomela and the local form of Brown-winged Starling in a fruiting tree. Melanesian Megapode (or Melanesian Scrubfowl) are frequently to be heard here, and Tetepare is a particularly good place to see this retiring species creeping past our cabins.

Undoubtedly our most exciting target here will be the cryptic endemic Solomons Nightjar. This species was once found throughout the Solomons. It roosts and breeds exclusively on littoral vegetation on beaches, often among seaweed just above the tideline. As a result, it has declined severely owing to greatly increased human disturbance and has only been reliably recorded in recent times from Tetepare. We will be trying our hardest to get to grips with this poorly-known species that has only been seen by a few birders. Indeed we have a great chance of seeing them, though they are very shy and we will not want to disturb them.

We will also take a walk into the forest in the interior, where we will have a first chance to find the New Georgia (Black-breasted) form of White-winged Fantail and Kolombangara Monarch. Other possibilities on the island include Pacific Black Duck, Nicobar Pigeon, Song Parrot, the elegant Moustached Treeswift, Little Kingfisher and White-bellied Cuckooshrike, and even the rare and declining Dugong is very occasionally seen.

From Tetepare, we will travel by boat via Munda to the volcanic island of Kolombangara, where we will spend two nights in a simple guesthouse. The guest house is situated along a driveable road and gets us to an altitude where we can find most of the target birds on the island.

A major target on Kolombangara is the endemic Roviana Rail, a species which was only described in 1991 but which emerges onto short grassland at dawn and dusk together with Australasian Swamphens. A goose-like honking is likely to reveal a pair of Sanford’s (or Solomons) Sea Eagles sparring high overhead. Kolombangara, with its rich reefs and forests, is a stronghold for this threatened endemic predator.

Walking slowly through the primary forest, we will be searching for a selection of forest birds. Species we will be keen to find here include the stunning little endemic New Georgia Dwarf Kingfisher, the endemic Solomons White-eye and the range-restricted North Melanesian Cuckooshrike. We will also have another chance of finding the scarce White-winged Fantail (Black-breasted form), Kolombangara Monarch and the local form of Oriole Whistler (New Georgia form). We will also spend some time looking from viewpoints where we hope to find the scarce Pale Mountain Pigeon, the beautiful endemic Duchess Lorikeet and, with luck, the scarce Meek’s Lorikeet, and we may see White-rumped Swiftlets hawking overhead.

Other more widespread species on Kolombangara include Pacific Reef Heron, Striated Heron and Sacred Kingfisher. Much rarer, but occasionally seen, is Meyer’s Goshawk.

Afterwards, we will drive back to the lowlands and travel by boat across to Gizo Island for some well-deserved creature comforts. While on Gizo, we will walk along a road through a mixture of scrub, gardens and plantations looking for the attractive but endangered endemic Gizo (or Splendid) White-eye, which is easy to find here, and we will have another chance to see species such as the gorgeous White-capped Monarch and Crimson-rumped Myzomela.

Weather and sea conditions permitting, we will take a day boat trip from Gizo to the islands of Ranongga and Vella Lavella. The passages between the islands will give us another opportunity to look out for the scarce Heinroth’s Shearwater. Once we reach Ranongga, we will seek out the smart endemic Ranongga White-eye and the endemic subspecies of a few other forest passerines and we’ll have more chances to admire the large Beach Kingfisher which frequents the coastline.

Crossing the strait, we will reach the little-visited island of Vella Lavella. This island also has its own endemic white-eye, the Vella Lavella (or Banded) White-eye, and we will do our best to track this species down. We also have a chance of finding the uncommon and recently split Vella Lavella Monarch. Later we will return to our hotel on Gizo.

FERA AND SANTA ISABEL

The airstrip for Santa Isabel is on the small offshore island of Fera, where we will look for Island Monarch and may encounter a wintering Pacific Long-tailed Cuckoo.

After crossing the channel to the main island, a steep walk up into the hills takes us to Tirotonga village, home of some of the most sought-after Solomons endemics.

The village has built a simple ‘ecotourism facility’ (a guesthouse) for visiting birders, and here in this remote but happy place, we will enjoy some wonderful hospitality.

Our prime target on Santa Isabel will be the beautiful endemic Black-faced Pitta, which has been seen by very few birders. Although very shy, it is highly vocal, and we should all hear and, with persistence, eventually see what may be the least-known pitta in the world!

White-billed Crow is common here, as is the endemic Yellow-throated White-eye. Less common endemics are North Solomons Dwarf Kingfisher, Solomons Monarch, Red-capped Myzomela and the local form of Woodford’s Rail. The very poorly-known endemic Imitator Sparrowhawk is a secretive forest raptor that requires an unusual amount of luck to find, but by spending some time at viewpoints overlooking the hills, we may strike gold.

We will also want to find the endemic Solomons Frogmouth (now placed in its own genus), the interesting West Solomons Owl (now classified as an Athene rather than as a boobook) and the imposing endemic Fearful Owl. All are difficult to see at night, especially Fearful Owl, although we will try hard. The steep, slippery and rugged terrain makes this no easy task! If we are really lucky, our keen local guides will have found us roost sites for one or two of these rare and little-known species so that we can observe them in detail in daylight.

MAKIRA (SAN CRISTOBAL)

Another flight from Honiara will take us to Kirakira on the island of Makira (or San Cristobal).

A number of the endemics of Makira can be found at low elevations close to the village, and by exploring these lowland areas we hope to find Makira endemics such as the attractive White-headed Fruit Dove, Makira Cicadabird, Sooty Myzomela, White-collared Monarch, Makira Flycatcher, Makira Starling and Mottled Flowerpecker, and perhaps our first impressive Makira Honeyeater (or San Cristobal Melidectes) or pretty little endemic Makira Dwarf Kingfisher. We should also find the regional endemic Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove, Chestnut-bellied Imperial Pigeon, and Solomons Rufous Fantail, as well as the local forms of Chestnut-bellied Monarch, Oriole Whistler (which is particularly common here), and the more widespread Long-tailed Triller. We may also see the shy Pale-vented (or Rufous-tailed) Bush-hen and Pacific Koel, whilst it is also interesting to note that Makira is the easternmost limit for some bird species and groups, including the widespread Common Kingfisher.

To see the endemics and other species that live at higher altitudes, a bit more physical effort and hardship is required! First, we will drive along the few kilometres of road and then hike inland to the village of Na’ara. The hike takes a few hours and usually involves one or more river crossings (the crossings may be aided by canoes, depending on the state of the water levels). However, we will take our time over the hike, passing through plenty of good forest and enjoying the forest bird species along the way, including more good chances of Makira Honeyeater (or San Cristobal Melidectes) and Makira Dwarf Kingfisher. Na’ara is our base before we hike higher into the Hauta conservation area. Hauta is a classic example of integrating conservation with traditional values, and we will be helped along an arduous trail to a purpose built shelter on a higher ridge, which allows us to connect with the remaining Makira specialities. Staying at about 2400ft (750m) in the Hauta conservation area, we will enjoy the traditional food and hospitality while we explore a network of trails in pristine hill and mountain rainforest with the aid of our skilled local guides.

Species that we will look for along the hike include the scarce endemic Makira Fantail and the distinctive and isolated Solomons-endemic form of the Spangled Drongo (which is found only on Makira and Guadalcanal). This is also the best site for the threatened and virtually endemic Yellow-legged Pigeon, which is uncommon but joins other pigeon species in the fruiting trees or perches on exposed branches. Along the higher ridges, we will search for Shade Bush Warbler in the dark forest understorey and the attractive Solomons Robin, whilst the Makira (or White-bellied) Thrush is not uncommon but is very shy and requires luck and patience to see well. Endemics in the mixed-species flocks here include Makira Leaf Warbler and Makira White-eye.

Whilst looking for thrushes and other birds, we may also encounter Bronze Ground Dove, and throughout our time in the area, we will be listening carefully for the distinctive call of the endemic Crested Cuckoo-Dove. With time and persistence, we should be able to lure one into view, allowing us all to admire this most bizarre pigeon. We are also likely to encounter Metallic (or White-throated) Pigeon and the recently split Solomons Brush Cuckoo, as well as the local subspecies of Grey Fantail. We will also have more chances to find the stunning Duchess Lorikeet.

The Makira Owl is now treated as a single-island endemic rather than as part of a widespread ‘Solomons Boobook’, and we have a good chance of seeing this interesting bird around our ‘camp’ during our visit.

After a final morning at Hauta, we will return to the lowlands and stay overnight in a guesthouse close to the airstrip. Here we will have another chance to catch up on lowland forest species before we fly back to Honiara.

RENNELL

The remote island of Rennell is a World Heritage Site. Landing on the rough grass airstrip, we will disturb numbers of Australian White Ibis, which are remarkably tame and widespread across the island, behaving almost like farmyard chickens. The endemic race pygmaeus (restricted to Rennell and nearby Bellona), is not only smaller than the nominate race birds found 1,500 kms away in Australia, but has pink legs and looks and sounds quite different. It is surely a potential split as Rennell or Pygmy White Ibis.

On Rennell, birds are abundant along the trails through the forest, which grows on this large raised coral reef, situated far out in the Coral Sea and very unlike most of the other Solomon Islands, which are mountainous. Despite heavy and ongoing logging, most of the Rennell endemics, including Rennell Fantail, the beautiful Rennell Shrikebill, Rennell Starling, Rennell Gerygone, Rennell White-eye and the weird Bare-eyed White-eye, are generally common and confiding, but the Rennell Whistler is uncommon and restricted to undisturbed forest.

The other passerines on Rennell include three Melanesian endemics, Cardinal Myzomela, Melanesian Flycatcher and Vanikoro Island Thrush (the latter a Eurasian Blackbird-like race, found here at sea level). As elsewhere in the country, there is very little hunting in the extensive forests, and we will see large numbers of the endemic Silver-capped Fruit Dove, as well as Pacific Imperial Pigeon, Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Dove and (Rennell) Song Parrot.

Another highlight is the abundance of diminutive Finsch’s Pygmy Parrots, which can be watched nibbling away at the trunks and branches of the roadside trees. Other species likely to be seen are Stephan’s Emerald Dove (this widespread species is most likely to be seen well here), Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Pacific Kingfisher and Barred Cuckooshrike, whilst this is the only island in the Solomons with resident Brown Goshawks. We also have another opportunity to find the tricky Bronze Ground Dove

Solomon Islands: Day 29  Our tour ends today at Honiara.

SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS EXTENSION

The remote Santa Cruz Islands lie far to the southeast of the main Solomon Islands, a 650km flight from the capital Honiara. The main island of Nendo, in the north of the group, is the only easily accessible island and is served by a weekly air service from Honiara. Sadly, the remote islands of Utupua and Vanikoro, to the south of Nendo, are very difficult to reach owing to the lack of suitable boats, rendering the four endemics shared between those islands (a white-eye, two whistlers and a monarch) effectively out of reach.

We will have plenty of time to explore Nendo, and will try to reach the best forest along some old logging roads. Four of the endemics should be relatively straightforward to see, namely Nendo Whistler, Santa Cruz Fantail and Santa Cruz and Sanford’s White-eyes. Tougher will be the task of finding the endangered and attractive Santa Cruz Shrikebill, a species that has been seen just a handful of times, but we will have time and will try our best. Other species of interest likely to be seen include the attractive Melanesian endemic Red-bellied Fruit Dove, the scarce Palm Lorikeet, Polynesian Triller and Rusty-winged Starling, as well as the colourful local form of Pacific Kingfisher.

If weather and sea conditions allow, we will also attempt to reach the tiny volcanic island of Tinakula, around 30km to the north of Nendo. This tiny island is predator free, and as a result, still harbours a population of the extremely rare and threatened Santa Cruz Ground Dove. This species is extinct across much of its range, and although it still occurs in the remote Vanuatu Highlands, this tiny island is now really the only accessible sites for this attractive species. Also present on the island are Palm Lorikeets and a localized subspecies of the unusual-looking Polynesian Starling.