Birding in Tomohon

Tomohon is a small town in Minahasa highland of the Province of North Sulawesi. Tomohon is surrounded by mountains, forest, farmlands, lakes and paddy fields. These are attractive birding sites for visitors who want to see the beauty of nature and watch various species of birds of Sulawesi. 

Mount Mahawu is the place for watching birds that live in high elevation forest. Some of the birds which visitors could see include Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Superb Fruit-dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Drongo, Red Jungle Fowl, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, and etc. Mount Mahawu is also a beautiful destination for visitors who want to enjoy sightseeing especially from the edge of its crater.

Scaly-breasted Kingfisher in the forest of Mount Mahawu

Lake Linow is a beautiful site for sightseeing and birdwatching. Birds that could be seen in the lake include White-breasted Waterhen, Javan Pond Heron, Barn Swallow, Sunda Teal, Australasian Swamphen, Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, Little Egret, Purple Heron, and etc. 

Kayawu Rice Field is another birding site of Tomohon that is good for watching White-breasted Woodswallow, White-browed Crake, Barred Rail, Scaly-breasted Munia, Chestnut Munia, Glossy Swiftlet, White-nest Swiftlet, and Cattle Egret. From Kayawu, we could return to Tomohon town via Woloan villages. Local people there are experts in building knocked-down wooden houses.

Subdistrict Sonder - After exploring birding sites in Tomohon, we could go further to forest, farmland and waterfall in Subdistrict Sonder. The high elevation forest of Mount Lengkoan is the site for watching such birds as Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Black Sunbird, Sulawesi Myzomela, Black-crowned White-eye, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Pitta, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, and etc.

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Another interesting site for birdwatching in Sonder is Tincep village. Its Kengkang waterfall is the site for watching Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Green Imperial Pigeon, Black-naped Fruit-dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Sulawesi-crested Myna, White-rumped Triller, Black-fruit-dove, Black-naped Oriole and etc. Tincep has got huge rice field area. Visitors could watch Pied Stilt, Buff-banded Rail, Barred Rail, Collared Kingfisher, Javan Pond Heron, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and etc.

Black-naped Oriole

If you are interested in birding in Tomohon of Minahasa highland and other areas in North Sulawesi, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read: 

• Birding in Tomohon of North Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Birds in Mount Mahawu
• Birding Tour in Sonder of Minahasa highland
• Birding in Tangkoko

Yellow-billed Malkoha

This is the picture of Yellow-billed Malkoha (Rhamphoccocyx calyorhynchus) that I took in Tounelet Slope of Sonder town of Minahasa highland. The bird is quite big compared to other birds that usually sit in the branches of trees of the slope. 

Yellow-billed Malkoha in Tounelet slope of Minahasa highland

The bird plays very important role in the ecosytem of rainforest and farmland as pest controller. 

Paddy fields in Subdistrict Sonder of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia

Yellow-billed Malkoha is an endemic species of Sulawesi island. The bird feeds on insects such as grasshopper, beetle, chockroach; and small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs. 

So, it is important for us to protect this bird because it helps farmers to protect their food crops. Farmers in Sonder and other towns of Minahasa grow vegetables such as cabbage, kangkung, long bean, spinach, spring onion and etc. They also grow vanilla, tomatoes and various other fruit plants such as banana, avocado, durian, orange and mango. 

Traveling to Sonder and other places in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia

In addition to Yellow-billed Malkoha, birds that we could watch in the forest and farmland of Sonder town include Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Green Imperial Pigeon, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, Collared Kingfisher, Warbling White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi Myzomela, and etc.

If you are interested in taking a sightseeing or birdwatching tour in Sonder and other places in Minahasa and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or through whatsapp by pressing the following button:

Also read:

• Birds in Minahasa Highland
• Birding Tour in Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Tomohon of North Sulawesi