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

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, visitors who travel to North Sulawesi should consider Sonder as one of the birding sites which they will visit. 

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 of the hill early in the morning to watch such birds as 

Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Sulawesi Myzomela, Crimson Sunbird, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-faced Munia, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Drongo, Collared Kingfisher, and etc.

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, Celebes-banded Swallowtail, could be watched while they were feeding on nectar of the wild flowers. 

Blandchard's Ghost Butterfly in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency

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)
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• and a lot more.

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

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. 

Farmers grow peanuts, corn, vanilla, clove, banana, chilli, aubergine, rice. They also run fish, poultry and pig farming.

Where is Sonder?

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of the Province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The town is surrounded by hills, farmland, rice field, rivers, and ponds. The capital of the province is Manado city. It takes around 1 hour drive between Manado city and Sonder town. 

Car routes from Manado to Sonder town

Accommodations

There are homestays in Sonder for visitors who want to spend several days birding in Sonder town. For more comfortable rooms, visitors could stay in Tomohon and make day tours to Sonder. As a tour guide, we could organize accommodation for visitors who want to take this tour. 

How to get there?

Every day, there are regular flight services between Manado and some major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, Balikpapan, Ternate and Manokwari. These flights are served by Garuda, Citilink, AirAsia Indonesia, Lion Air, Batik Air, Super Airjet, Wings Air, Sriwijaya Air, TransNusa.

Flight routes from major cities in Indonesia to Manado

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.

Also read:

• Birds of Minahasa in Highland and Lower Montane Forest