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lesser bird of parasie (paradisaea minor) |
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Watching Birds of Paradise
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lesser bird of parasie (paradisaea minor) |
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Watching
birds of paradise in the rainforest
of Tambrauw mountains is a fascinating yet challenging activity for nature
lovers. Lesser paradise birds in Senopi village are usually the main tourist
attraction for those who want to see it in their own habitat. As a tourist
guide, I have guided a lot of tourists to several interesting places in Arfak
and Tambrauw mountains. These are two important destinations for people who want
to see the natural beauty of wild life in the rainforest of New Guinea island or
West Papua. To go to Arfak or Tambrauw mountains, you need to fly to Manokwari
city, the capital of West Papua province. I will meet you at the Rendani airport
and take you to a hotel or losmen in or near the city center. Before starting
our trip to the Arfak mountains, first, I need to arrange your "surat jalan"
or walking permit from the police station. The police require tourists to
provide photocopy of passport and visa and 2 pieces of face photographs. When I
have got your surat jalan, I will make some copies of it to be shown to
local authorities both in Kebar, and Senopi. We need to buy some food before
flying to Kebar. Don't forget to bring your tent, and sleeping bag.
Airplane operated by Susi Air will take you to Kebar. A Toyota Land Cruiser from Losmen Senopi will pick you up at the airstrip. You will have to report yourself at the local police station before you can start traveling around and meeting with the local Papuan people. The next morning, you will begin your trekking trip through the rainforest of Senopi village to a hill where birds of paradise like to dance in the morning or in the afternoon. It's better to start walking early in the morning at around 5 a.m. to make sure that you arrive at the first destination of your hiking tour at around 8.30 or 9 a.m. Along the way to the Paradise bird hill, you may have the chance to see other birds as well such as sulphur crested cockatoo, hornbills, and wild ducks. A local guide will cut some wooden sticks to help you walking through the jungle or cross the Kamundan river. After crossing the river, the terrain gradually changes from flat ground to slopes. I remember when walking up a slope near the bank of Kamundan river I saw a small snake caught a brown lizard. A local guide named Maker who was walking a head of me suddenly jumped out of the footpath screaming "ular - ular." In Bahasa Indonesia language, it means "snake, snake!" I did not jump off the path. I walked slowly to approach the snake. I took out my digital camera and began shooting it. I was also afraid, actually, but I kept on taking pictures of the rare scene. It took around 2 hours from the river bank to reach the hill of the birds of paradise.
The
tree where the lesser birds of paradise (paradisaea minor) like to gather
and dance stands at a slope. To watch them, we need to cover ourselves with
twigs and branches of trees. Because we are staying in a tropical jungle, we
will most likely be surrounded by various species of insects. Make sure that you
cover yourself with mosquito repellent lotion. Don't make much noise while
waiting for the birds to come to the tree. Prepare your long lens cameras and
turn off the flash lights. If you are lucky, birds will gather on the branches
of the tree above your head. They male birds of paradise clean the branches and
twigs of the tree to allow them to dance well without any obstructions. The
dance performance can be as short as 30 minutes to as long as 1 hour. Male birds
of paradise have more beautiful feather than the female ones. When they birds
have flewn away, you can expect them to come again in the afternoon at around 3
p.m. or 4 p.m. You can stay to wait for them or continue your bird watching trip
to Aiwatar hill. Aiwatar is a world class birding destination in the world yet
most professional birders in the United States and Europe as well as Asia do not
know its existence. If you are interested to visit the places that I mention in
this article, you can contact me via my email charlesroring@gmail.com . I will
be happy to assist you in arranging your trip to one of the most important
birding destinations in the world. by Charles Roring
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