Photographer: Glen Valentine   Destination: Indonesia

 

 

Even among a family celebrated for outrageous colour and elusive behaviour, the Ivory-breasted Pitta is exceptional. This imposing Wallacean endemic is huge for a Pitta, even bigger than the Giant Pitta of Sundaland, but like so many members of the family, actually finding one amid the tangled vegetation of a tropical forest can still provide a memorable challenge.

 

Restricted to a small group of islands in the North Moluccas, including Halmahera, Bacan, Kasiruta and Morotai, the Ivory-breasted Pitta is one of eastern Indonesia's most iconic endemic birds. Interestingly, it is more arboreal than many pittas when calling, sometimes perching above the forest floor to deliver a powerful song that can travel considerable distances through the trees. It can be found in primary and even degraded forest as well as well-vegetated gardens, yet remarkably little is known about its life history. Fundamental details of its breeding biology, including incubation and fledging periods, remain undocumented, a striking reminder of how much there is still to learn about the birds of Wallacea.

 

Indonesia's extraordinary geography has created one of the most exciting birding destinations on Earth. Thousands of islands scattered between Asia and Australasia have allowed bird populations to evolve in isolation, and travelling across the archipelago can feel like moving repeatedly between entirely different avifaunas. Our tours explore these contrasting regions, from the rainforests of Sumatra and Java through Wallacea and the Lesser Sundas to the remote islands surrounding western New Guinea, seeking an exceptional concentration of endemic and range-restricted birds along the way.

 

Across Sulawesi and Halmahera, the endemic excitement begins as soon as you set foot into the habitat. Sulawesi holds such extraordinary birds as the monotypic Hylocitrea, spectacular Purple-bearded Bee-eater, bizarre Geomalia, Satanic Nightjar and impressive Knobbed Hornbill, before Halmahera introduces an almost completely different cast. Here, alongside our search for Ivory-breasted Pitta, we visit a traditional lek for the remarkable Standardwing, while White Cockatoo, Chattering Lory and a host of other Moluccan specialities provide further evidence of the region's remarkable evolutionary isolation.

 

Western Indonesia offers a striking contrast. The great islands of Sumatra and Java support their own wealth of highly localised birds, while nearby Bali is home to one of Indonesia's most celebrated conservation success stories, the striking Bali Myna. Our Highlights of the West journey combines these rich Sundaic forests with the drier landscapes farther east, culminating among the islands inhabited by the formidable Komodo Dragon. Here, the transition between Asian and Australasian influences becomes increasingly apparent in both the birds and the landscapes.

 

Continuing east through the Lesser Sundas, another succession of island endemics awaits. These comparatively dry islands have generated a remarkable number of birds with extremely restricted distributions, making the region particularly rewarding for dedicated endemic hunters. Moving from island to island repeatedly introduces new specialities, with each crossing offering another reminder that Indonesia is less a single birding destination than an extraordinary collection of distinct biological worlds.

 

Our most remote voyages push still farther into the Moluccas, Banda Sea and West Papuan islands, where isolation has produced some of Indonesia's least-known and most desirable birds. Buru and the Kai Islands add their own endemic suites, while the islands surrounding western New Guinea bring us firmly into the realm of Australasian birdlife. Here, spectacular parrots, kingfishers, crowned pigeons and birds-of-paradise take centre stage, culminating in such unforgettable species as Western Crowned Pigeon, Red Bird-of-paradise and the almost impossibly colourful Wilson's Bird-of-paradise.

 

Few countries can match Indonesia for the sheer variety of birding experiences packed within its borders. From Sundaic rainforest and misty montane forest to dry island woodland and remote tropical archipelagos, every region offers something completely different. The magnificent Ivory-breasted Pitta is just one example of what makes this country so addictive for birders: spectacular, highly localised and still touched by mystery, in a corner of the world where there remains a genuine sense that much is still waiting to be discovered.