Friday, June 14, 2024

Birdwatching Tour in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa Highland

Sonder is a subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of Indonesia. It is a good destination for visitors who love nature. Visitors who spend their holiday in Sonder can enjoy walking tours to explore its villages, farmlands, paddy fields, forest, water streams and fish ponds. For birdwatchers, Sonder should be included in their destination for holiday. 

Subdistrict Sonder in Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia
Subdistrict Sonder in Minahasa regency of Indonesia

Most of the farmland and forest of Sonder can be explored on foot or by motorized vehicles. In higher elevation forest, visitors can go hiking to the top very early in the morning to watch such birds as Warbling White-eye, Crimson Sunbird, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-faced Munia, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Drongo, Collared Kingfisher, Sulawesi Drongo, and etc.

Black-crowned White-eye
Black-crowned White-eye

There are flower plants that grow along the roadsides that attract butterflies. Blanchard's Ghost Butterfly, Blanchard's Wood Nymph and Common Birdwing could be watched while they were feeding on nectar of the wild flowers. 

Blanchard's Ghost Butterfly
Blandchard's Ghost Butterfly in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency


Sooty-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster)
Sooty-headed Bulbul

Walking down to the central area of Sonder town, visitors could see a small forest along the slope of Tounelet village.  Tounelet forest and the farmland areas that surround Sonder are the sites for watching such birds as:

  • Sooty-headed Bulbul
  • Slender-billed Crow
  • Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon
  • Sahul Sunbird
  • Brown-throated Sunbird
  • Black-naped Oriole
  • Pale Blue Monarch
  • Grey-sided Flowerpecker
  • Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
  • Hair-crested (White-eyed) Drongo
  • Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
  • Finch-billed Myna
  • Brush Cuckoo
  • Purple Needletail
  • Gray-rumped Treeswift
  • White-nest Swiftlet
  • Barn Swallow
  • Collared Kingfisher (Todirampus chloris)
  • and a lot more.
Collared Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher (Todirampus chloris)
Visitors could also enjoy birdwatching while walking through rice fields of Subdistrict Sonder. There, they can finds such birds as:
  • Cattle Egret
  • Little Egret
  • Purple Heron
  • Grey Teal
  • Sunda Teal
  • White-browed Crake
  • Eastern Yellow Wagtail
  • Zebra Dove
  • Chestnut Munia
  • Scaly-breasted Munia
  • Cinnamon Bittern,
  • And etc.
Yellow-billed Malkoha
Yellow-billed Malkoha
There are also butterflies especially among the flower gardens and agricultural lands in the villages of Sonder. Visitors could find The Clipper (Parthenos sylvia), Lime Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus), Gigon Swallowtail (Papilio gigon), Sacred Tabby (Pseudergolis avesta), Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly, and etc.

Visitor could see more butterflies when walking deeper into the farmland and forest of Sonder. 
Farm Tour
While walking through villages, visitors could also see  various kinds of activites that are related to farming. Tour participants will see the kinda of crops that farmers grow.
Most of the inhabitants of Subdistrict Sonder work as farmers. They grow rice, corn, banana, durian, papaya, orange, kangkung (water spinach), cabbage, carrot, chilli, tomato, and etc. They have got pigs, chicken and tilapia fish.  Farmers in Tincep grow various kinds of flowers. 
agricultural produce in District Sonder of North Sulawesi
Farmers grow peanuts, corn, vanilla, clove, banana, chilli, aubergine, rice. They also run fish, poultry and pig farming.
If you are interested in spending your holiday time in Sonder of Minahasa highland and want me to organize your trip, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 and by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.
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Monday, April 8, 2024

Birds of Minahasa in Highland and Lower Montane Forest

The rainforest, agricultural land, lake, and paddy fields of Minahasa is the habitat of various species of tropical birds that are unique and beautiful. Some of them include Black-crowned White-eye, Black-naped Oriole, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, and a lot more.

birdwatching in Minahasa highland
Black-naped Oriole, White-breasted Woodswallow, Pale Blue Monarch, Crimson Sunbird, Collared Kingfisher, Sooty-headed Bulbul

Yellow-billed Malkoha of Minahasa highland
Yellow-billed Malkoha

The birding sites that are easy to be reached by visitors are Talawaan and Mount Tumpa at the outskirts of Manado city, and the Nature Reserve of Tangkoko. For the Highland of Minahasa, Sonder town is the recommended destinations. Tounelet forest should be in the list of places to go especially early in the morning. 

The farmland, rice fields and forest sites at the outskirts of Sonder town are the habitat of Collared Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow, White-browed Crake, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Hair-crested (white-eyed) Drongo, Zebra Dove, Finch-billed Myna, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Drongo, Turquoise Warbling Flycatcher, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Mountain (Warbling) White-eye, Crimson Sunbird, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, and a lot more. 

Where is Minahasa and How to get there?

The main gate to Minahasa highland is Manado city which is the capital of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. Visitors need to fly from their country to one of the major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar Bali, Makassar and Balikpapan. After that, they could continue their trip to Manado city by one of the domestic airlines such as Garuda, Citilink, TransNusa, Lion Air, and Batik Air. 

There are international direct flights between Singapore and Manado which is served by Scoot Air and between Guangzhou China and Manado city of Indonesia served by China Southern Airlines.

Flight route to Manado city
Flight routes between Manado city and major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Sorong

Land route to Sonder town
Sonder town is the recommended destination for birdwatching

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching trip to Minahasa and are looking for a guide who can accompany you and organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

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