Arfak Mountains
The Premier Birds Of Paradise Site In Indonesia, And Home Of The Vogelkop Bowerbird, Which Builds A Decorated Hut And Sorts Its Ornaments By Colour · Manokwari, West Papua
The Arfak range rises behind Manokwari on the Bird's Head of New Guinea, and birders come from around the world for two things. THE FIRST IS BIRDS-OF-PARADISE - the magnificent, the western parotia with its six head-wires, and the VOGELKOP SUPERB BIRD-OF-PARADISE, whose display opens into a black oval with a blue smile and which was confirmed as a separate species in 2018. THE SECOND IS STRANGER. THE VOGELKOP BOWERBIRD BUILDS A HUT - a roofed structure of sticks around a sapling, with a cleared lawn in front, on which the male arranges FLOWERS, FRUIT, BEETLE WINGS AND FUNGI IN NEAT COLOUR-SORTED PILES, rearranging them daily. It is among the most elaborate constructions made by any animal that is not a person. YOU WATCH ALL OF IT FROM A CRAMPED HIDE, BEFORE DAWN, IN THE COLD, SITTING ABSOLUTELY STILL FOR HOURS - which is the entire activity, and it is worth knowing that before you book a week of it.
Arfak Mountains, Manokwari, West Papua, Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia
REACHED VIA MANOKWARI, which has flights from Jakarta, Makassar and Sorong. FROM THERE IT IS THREE TO FOUR HOURS ON A ROUGH MOUNTAIN ROAD to the villages - MOKWAM and SYOUBRI are the usual bases - and A FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE IS REQUIRED. EVERYTHING IS ARRANGED THROUGH LOCAL VILLAGE GUIDES, who own and maintain the hides and know which bower and which display tree is currently active; this cannot be booked as a package from abroad and should be organised through a specialist birding operator or directly in Manokwari. HIDES ARE OCCUPIED BEFORE DAWN - you walk in by torchlight and sit still for hours. IT IS COLD AND WET AT ALTITUDE in every month. PAPUA'S PERMIT AND SECURITY SITUATION CHANGES; check current advice.