There is a very small forest that grows on the cliff next to the car road of Tounelet slope in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. This small forest, separates the upper and lower parts of Sonder town.
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| Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker |
From my late morning and early afternoon birdwatching activities, I saw Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Sahul Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Eastern Cattle Egret, Finch-billed Myna, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Zebra Dove, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Glossy Swiftlet, and Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
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| Yellow-billed Malkoha |
I used a pair of 10×50 binoculars and a spotting scope that was mounted on a tripod. To take pictures, I used my cell phone and a small adapter.
Yellow-billed Malkoha inside the leaves of a mango tree
Sonder is surrounded by farmland, paddy fields, and hill forest. They are the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds. In the hill forest and farmland, we could see such birds as Sulawesi Myzomela, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Mountain Tailorbird, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, Black-crowned White-eye, Warbling White-eye, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Drongo, Hair-crested Drongo, and etc.
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| Zebra Dove in Tounelet slope of Sonder town |
In lower elevation farmland and paddy fields, more birds could be seen. They include Buff-banded Rail, Barred Rail, Buff-banded Rail, White-browed Crake, Pied Stilt, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Heron, Javan Pond Heron, White-breasted Woodswallow, Sulawesi Crow, Brahminy Kite, and etc.
If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Minahasa peninsula of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatspp through this contact link.
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