Birding and Butterfly Watching Tour from Manado City

Manado city is the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. It is the destination for visitors who want to spend their holiday in Bunaken, Siladen, Lembeh Strait, Minahasa highland, and Tangkoko Nature Reseve. As a matter of fact Manado city itself has got its own natural attractions especially in the outskirt areas.

Collared Kingfisher

The duration of the birding tour at the outskirts of Manado city can be half day or 1 day. Birdwatching, butterflywatching and sightseeing is the natural attraction which tourists can enjoy. The farm forest at the outskirts of Manado city is the habitat of some interesting bird species such as Pacific Swallow, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Crow, Collared Kingfisher, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Finch-billed Myna, Zebra Dove, Pale Blue Monarch,  and etc.

Pacific Swallow

To enjoy birding at the outskirts of Manado city, visitors need to bring binoculars. It is an important birding device that can enhance the birding experience of tour participants. 

In addition to birds, tour participants could also observe various species of butterflies such as Lime Swallowtail, Blanchard's Ghost Butterfly, Blanchard's Tree Nymph Butterfly, Gigon Swallowtail, Manado Yellow Tiger Butterfly, and etc. 

Blanchard's Wood Nymph

Lime Swallowtail

Extended Birding Tour to Minahasa Highland

This birding tour from Manado city can be extended to other parts of North Sulawesi such as to Mount Mahawu and Lake Linow near Tomohon town and to Mount Lengkoan, Talikuran Paddy Fields, and Lalek Farm Forest in Subdistrict town of Sonder. The duration of this extended tour in Minahasa highland is about 3 to 4 days. 

Sahul Sunbird

Higher elevation forest, lake, paddy fields, and farmland are the habitat of various species of tropical birds of Sulawesi such as:

• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
• Citrine Canary Flycatcher
• Turquoise Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Black-crowned White-eye
• Warbling White-eye
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Gray-sided Flowerpecker
• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Sahul Sunbird
• Black Sunbird
• Crimson Sunbird
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Pygmy Hanging Parrot
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove
• Superb Fruit-dove
• Zebra Dove
• Sooty-headed Bulbul
• Chestnut Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Black-faced Munia
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• Sulawesi Crow
• Sulawesi Myna
• Finch-billed Myna
• Little Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Purple Heron
• White-breasted Waterhen
• White-browed Crake
• Black-naped Oriole
• and etc.

Booking

If you are interested in taking a birding tour from Manado city and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Related Posts:

• Birding in Sonder
• Birdwatching Tour in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birds of Minahasa in Highland and Lower Montane Forest
• Birding in Bali

Birding in Sonder

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of Indonesia. It has increasingly become a popular destination of birdwatching.  Some of the tropical birds of Sulawesi island that can be watched in Sonder town include: 

Juvenile Pygmy Hanging Parrot

Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Myzomela, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Black-sunbird, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker , Ashy Woodpecker, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Pygmy Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi-crested Myna, Finch-billed Myna, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia doreya albicapilla), Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Green Imperial Pigeon, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Zebra Dove, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Pale Blue Monarch, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-faced Munia, Black-naped Oriole, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, Isabelline Bush-hen, Collared Kingfisher, Sulawesi Crow, Sooty-headed Bulbul, and etc.

Some birds in Sonder

Birdwatchers usually bring 8×42; 10×42 or 10×50 mm binoculars. Leica, Swarovski, Nikon are some of the famous brands that manufacture high quality binoculars. For photographers, they could bring DSLR or mirrorless camera with telephoto lens. 

The average duration of birding tour in Sonder is 3 days/ 2 nights. The tour can be combined with birding trip in Mount Mahawu of Tomohon town and Tangkoko Nature Reserve in Bitung. The total duration of the tour is around 1 week. 

Where is Sonder and how to get there?

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa highland. It is the destination for visitors who love nature. It is around 1 hour drive from Manado city which is the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. 

Car route from Manado city to Sonder town in Minahasa highland

To visit the town, visitors need to fly to Manado city. International visitors could fly by Scoot Air from Singapore to Manado. China Southern Airlines and TransNusa also fly between Manado city and Guangzhou. 

Flight route to Manado city

For domestic flights between Manado and other major cities in Indonesia, they are available everyday. They are served by Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, Wings Air, TransNusa, Super Airjet, Sriwijaya Air. 

Accommodation

There are homestays in Sonder town. There are also hotels in the nearby Tomohon town which visitors could choose to stay. 

To extend the birdwatching tour to another  week in Indonesia, a trip to Sorong city is highly recommended. The areas that can be visited include Sorong regency, Tambrauw regency and Waigeo island in Raja Ampat archipelago. 

Booking

If you are interested in taking a birding tour in Sonder and other areas in North Sulawesi and West Papua, and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Also read:

• Birdwatching Tour in Subdistrict Sonder
• Birds of Minahasa