The Ultimate In Birding Tours

Australia & The Pacific Islands

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

Friday 17th July – Friday 14th August 2026

Leaders: Pete Morris and local guides

29 Days Group Size Limit 6

SOLOMON ISLANDS BIRDING TOUR: OVERVIEW

Birdquest’s Solomon Islands birding tours explore these rarely-visited but endemic-rich islands that lie to the east of New Guinea. Our Solomon Islands birding tour provides a very comprehensive coverage of the islands for the more adventurous birder who longs to see its rich birdlife, including that final glorious pitta right at the edge of the family’s world range.

Scattered in a loose oval to the east of New Guinea, the Solomon Islands are a quintessential South Pacific idyll, combining a classic landscape and largely tourist-free, easy-going island life with exotic endemic birds. The nation is an archipelago of volcanic islands, still largely cloaked in luxuriant rainforest, sweeping down to golden sand beaches and fringing coral reefs. Which other nation has a national flag symbolizing sea, sand and forest?

The environment is still remarkably pristine as most Solomon Islanders pursue their traditional life of fishing on the reefs and tending lush gardens hidden in the forest. Few tourists have discovered this Eden, and the Solomon Islanders remain overwhelmingly friendly and generous to visitors whilst retaining much of their cultural heritage. Beyond the central island of Guadalcanal, famous for some of the most heroic battles of the Second World War, and Gizo, a fledgling scuba-diving destination, we may well encounter no other tourist visitors.

During our journey through the Solomons, we will visit more than a dozen of the islands, allowing us the opportunity to find the great majority of the Solomons endemics and specialities. The Solomons form a chain of islands stretching out beyond Papua New Guinea into the deeper Pacific. They are close enough to retain a reasonably high bird diversity yet isolated and fragmented enough to enable an amazing level of speciation of endemic birds. Here, islands only eight kilometres (five miles) apart have evolved their own endemic bird species!

The Solomons are unequivocally one of the richest ‘Endemic Bird Area’ in the world. Using current taxonomy, the Solomon Islands has 67 strict endemics, with a further 31 endemics shared with Bougainville. Of these 10 strict endemics and one shared endemic only occur in areas that are not accessible on this tour, and a further nine are restricted to the Santa Cruz Islands (see the Santa Cruz Island Extension). In addition, there are over 20 other Melanesian endemics possible on the tour. More species are likely to be recognized in future if current concepts of species limits are applied. Whilst searching for many of these incipient species, we will marvel at the subspecific variation between islands and come to our own ideas about species limits, which are still poorly understood in this part of the world. Still yielding undescribed species and rediscoveries of birds long feared extinct, this region has truly been overlooked both by scientists and by birders.

This exciting tour aims to see as many as possible of the accessible Solomon Islands endemics during a four-week timescale. While much of the tour involves nothing out of the usual and has moderate or even easy walking, this tour also involves some quite demanding hiking and very basic village accommodations at times, so it will definitely appeal to the more adventurous birder! Provided you are prepared, this adventurous tour is incredibly rewarding, and the hospitality shown on many of the islands is unparalleled.

We will begin our Solomon Islands birding tour on the island of Guadalcanal, where we will be based in the small capital town of Honiara. We will have to return repeatedly to Honiara as it is the hub of the Solomons air services, so we will have several opportunities for local birding. As this ground-breaking tour unfolds, the presence of large flocks of parrots, especially the raucous Solomons Corella (or Ducorps’s Cockatoo), and many large pigeons reminds us just how unspoilt these wonderful islands still remain.

On Guadalcanal, the lower altitude forests hold such endemics as the huge Buff-headed Coucal, Pied Goshawk, Solomons Corella (or Ducorps’s Cockatoo), Yellow-bibbed Lory, Guadalcanal Owl, the attractive Ultramarine Kingfisher, Solomons Cicadabird, Chestnut-bellied and Solomons Monarchs, Steel-blue Flycatcher, Midget Flowerpecker, Brown-winged Starling, and the uncommon Black-headed Myzomela. We will also look for Woodford’s Rail.

On Malaita, we will be seeking six endemics; Malaita Cicadabird, White-gorgeted Fantail, Malaita Monarch, Malaita White-eye, Red-vested Myzomela and the poorly known Malaita Owl.

The New Georgia Islands are rich in endemics, and we will thoroughly explore this fascinating part of the Solomons, taking in Munda, Tetepare, Kolombangara, Gizo, Ranongga and Vella Lavella.

On Tetepare our main targets will be Solomons Nightjar, Crimson-rumped (or Yellow-vented) Myzomela, White-capped Monarch and Dark-eyed White-eye.

Afterwards, we take a boat to Kolombangara (or Kulambangra), a steep volcanic cone with a series of exciting endemic birds, including the magnificent Sanford’s (or Solomons) Sea Eagle, the flightless Roviana Rail, Pale Mountain Pigeon, New Georgia Kingfisher, Meek’s Lorikeet, the beautiful Duchess Lorikeet, White-winged (or Cockerell’s) Fantail, Kolombangara Monarch, North Melanesian Cuckooshrike and Solomons White-eye.

On Gizo, we will find the endemic Gizo (or Splendid) White-eye, and from there, we will make a day trip by boat to the islands of Ranongga and Vella Lavella, each with endemic white-eyes, the shared endemic Vella Lavella Monarch and the chance of Heinroth’s Shearwater during the boat journeys.

On Santa Isabel, we aim to see some of the most spectacular Solomons birds and in particular, the unique Solomons Frogmouth (in its own monotypic genus) and the smart Black-faced Pitta at its single known accessible site. Other endemics include the local form of flightless Woodford’s Rail, Red-capped Myzomela, White-billed Crow, Solomons Cuckooshrike, Solomons Monarch and Yellow-throated White-eye, not to mention West Solomons Owl and, if we are very lucky, the impressive Fearful Owl.

On Makira (or San Cristobal), we will look for a number of lowland endemics, including the attractive White-headed Fruit Dove, Chestnut-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Makira Dwarf Kingfisher, Sooty Myzomela, the strange Makira Honeyeater, White-collared Monarch, Makira Flycatcher, Makira Starling and Mottled Flowerpecker.

We will also trek into the highlands where a very distinctive array of endemics and specialities occur, including the bizarre Crested Cuckoo-Dove, Makira Owl, the shy Makira Thrush, Shade Bush Warbler, Makira Leaf Warbler, Makira Fantail and Makira White-eye. This is the only island where we stand a good chance of seeing the little-known, range-restricted Yellow-legged Pigeon.

Far to the south of the main Solomons group is the remote island of Rennell, a raised coral atoll that is a World Heritage Site. Rennell holds no fewer than seven single-island endemics, namely Rennell Fantail, the beautiful Rennell Shrikebill, Rennel Whistler, Rennell Gerygone, Rennell Starling, Rennell White-eye and the weird Bare-eyed White-eye, as well as the slightly more widespread endemic Silver-capped Fruit-Dove. The number of single-island endemics may be swelled by ‘Rennell White Ibis’ in the future, and we should also find the localized Vanikoro Island Thrush.

Birdquest has operated Solomon Islands birding tours since 1996.

Santa Cruz Islands Extension Option: Doing the main Solomon Islands properly means a long tour in itself, owing to the infrequent flights to most islands combined with the need to ensure enough time on each island. There are, however, five additional endemics and three near-endemics that are accessible in the remote Santa Cruz Islands. Endemics on Nendo and nearby Tinakula include Nendo Whistler, Santa Cruz Fantail, Santa Cruz and Sanford’s White-eyes and the scarce Santa Cruz Shrikebill. Near-endemics (shared with the highlands of Vanuatu) include Santa Cruz Ground Dove, Palm Lorikeet and Polynesian and Rusty-winged Starlings. (Note: the endemic Utupua and Vanikoro Whistlers, Vanikoro Monarch and Vanikoro White-eye are effectively beyond the scope of bird tours given the lack of suitable boats in this part of the world for long sea crossings.)

If we have participants on our Solomon Islands tour who would like to visit the Santa Cruz Islands, we will arrange an extension. The cost will depend on both the number of participants and the necessary duration (most likely five extra days after allowing for the infrequent flights). Please inform us at the time of booking if you are interested in a Santa Cruz Islands extension.

The Highlands of Guadalcanal: The difficult-to-reach highlands of Guadalcanal hold six endemics, including Guadalcanal Honeyeater, Hooded Whistler, Guadalcanal Fantail, Guadalcanal Thicketbird, Guadalcanal Thrush and Guadalcanal White-eye, as well as the rare and beautiful Moustached Kingfisher (which is endemic to Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea and Guadalcanal). Exploring the relevant area for these birds requires very arduous mountain trekking, including steep, slippery and difficult/dangerous trail sections, walking up rivers and lots of ‘off-trail’ in steep terrain. We have spoken with experienced people who have explored the area, and they regard trekking in the area as high-risk. So, for the time being, pending the discovery of easier and safer access to these birds, we are not including the Guadalcanal highlands in our tours.

Important: Flight schedules in the Solomons change unpredictably, and flights to most islands are infrequent (sometimes only twice a week), so participants need to be aware of this and have a flexible approach. The order in which the islands are visited changes every tour and changes to the amount of time spent on particular islands likewise varies. Our Solomon Islands birding tour itinerary has a built-in safety margin to allow for the inevitable schedule changes. Risking missing a major island (or having far too little time on one or two islands) owing to an itinerary that is too tight is something we feel is best avoided! Please note that owing to schedule changes to the infrequent inter-island flights, we may be compelled to move the tour dates by up to three days in either direction. So you need to keep these days free.  We will know the finalised dates at least 6 months before the tour starts and will let you know if there is an unavoidable change.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels at Honiara and Gizo are of a good standard. The hotel on Malaita is fairly simple, although it usually has functioning air-conditioning. The guesthouses on Rennell, Kolombangara, Makira (near the airstrip) and Santa Isabel are fairly basic but provide mattresses, clean sheets, cold showers and toilets. Accommodation is very basic at Hauta on Makira, where we will sleep on bamboo beds in traditional, open-plan village houses, and washing is under piped stream water or in the local river. Road transport will be by minibus/passenger van and 4×4 vehicles. Roads away from the Honiara area are mostly bad, but in any event, we do not travel far on them.

Walking: Our Solomon Islands birding tour mostly involves moderate walking effort, and while there are a few easy areas, there are also two more demanding hikes to get to accommodations in the highlands. The trek on Makira up to the accommodation near the village of Hauta involves a steep hike on muddy trails lasting for a number of hours (usually including one or more river crossings, depending on the route taken), and there is also a steep hike of two hours on Santa Isabel from the coast up to our accommodations. The local villagers give a lot of help to those who need it during the hikes to the villages. A lightweight walking pole is recommended for this tour.

Climate: Hot and humid. Although it is the ‘dry’ season, rain is still very likely, and it can be heavy. Boat journeys and the optional camping night on Kolombangara can be cool.

Bird Photography: Opportunities during our Solomon Islands birding tour are worthwhile.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Challenging but exciting tour to see a huge number of poorly-known island endemics!
  • See more restricted-range species here than in any other Endemic Bird Area in the world!
  • Hop between more than a dozen different tropical islands in search of amazing species.
  • Four bizarre endemic genera are to be found on this tour, represented by Solomons Frogmouth, Woodford’s Rail, Makira Honeyeater and Bare-eyed White-eye
  • Black-faced Pitta represents the eastern distribution limit of the pitta family.
  • Similarly, Solomons Cockatoo is the furthest east that raucous family goes.
  • Evolutionary trends are fascinating in the Solomons, best seen through 10 different species of white-eye – some of them truly weird.
  • Monarchs feature heavily, with White-capped, White-collared and Chestnut-bellied Monarchs usually being favourites.
  • Different Dwarf Kingfishers on most islands, and plenty of chances to see both Ultramarine Kingfisher and Beach Kingfisher.
  • Astounding parrot diversity includes Duchess Lorikeet, Yellow-bibbed Lory and Song Parrot
  • Seeing pigeons such as the lovely Silver-capped Fruit Dove, the funky Crested Cuckoo-Dove and the rare Yellow-legged Pigeon.
  • Sanford’s Sea Eagle is often the last Haliaeetus species for many participants.
  • Boat trips in the western islands give us an excellent chance to see Heinroth’s Shearwater.
  • Declining species such as Roviana Rail, Solomons Nightjar and Rennell Shrikebill.
  • Remote-island rarities such as Kolombangara Leaf Warbler and Makira Thrush.
  • Having outside chances for finding exciting rarities such as Fearful Owl and White-eyed Starling.
  • Visiting the remote and seldom explored islands of Nendo and Tinakula in the Santa Cruz Islands.

OUTLINE ITINERARY

  • Day 1: Our tour starts at the city of Honiara on Guadalcanal island.
  • Days 2-28: Exploring Guadalcanal, Malaita, Tetepare, Kolumbangara, Gizo, Rannongga, Vella Lavella, Fera, Santa Isabel, Makira (or San Cristobal) and Rennell Islands
  • Day 29: Our tour ends at Honiara.

To see a larger map, click on the square-like ‘enlarge’ icon in the upper right of the map box.

To see (or hide) the ‘map legend’, click on the icon with an arrow in the upper left of the map box.

To change to a satellite view, which is great for seeing the physical terrain (and for seeing really fine details by repetitive use of the + button), click on the square ‘map view’ icon in the lower left corner of the ‘map legend’.

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)


2026: provisional prices £10500, $14100, €12260, AUD22130. Honiara/Honiara.

Single Supplement: 2026: £550, $740, €640, AUD1160.

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.

SOLOMON ISLANDS TOUR REPORT 2023

by Pete Morris

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SOLOMON ISLANDS TOUR REPORT 2019

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SOLOMON ISLANDS TOUR REPORT 2017

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Other Melanesia birding tours by Birdquest include: