Adventure Birding 'n Outdoors in New Guinea's Wild West
The beautiful Biak Monarch Symposiachrus brehmii only occurs on the twin islands of Biak and
Supiori in West Papua's fabled Geelvink or Cendrawasih Bay and nowhere else on Earth! Copyright © Juergen Schneider
albatros-tours.com
Geelvink Islands: Biak, Supiori and Numfor
Of truly oceanic origin, the twin islands of Biak and Supiori, only separated from one another by a narrow
mangrove-lined channel, harbor the most highly endemic avifauna of any singular landmass in the entire New Guinea region, with up
to 20 endemic taxa variously treated at species level. And Numfor Island, approximately 60 kilometers to the southwest, further
boasts its very own paradise kingfisher and leaf warbler.
Biak Coucal Centropus chalybeus, Biak Scops Owl Otus beccarii, Biak Paradise Kingfisher
Tanysiptera riedelii, Biak Lorikeet Trichoglossus rosenbergii, Biak Hooded Pitta Pitta rosenbergii,
Biak Myzomela Myzomela rubrobrunnea, Biak Gerygone Gerygone hypoxantha, Biak Triller Lalage leucoptera,
Biak Whistler Pachycephala melanorhyncha, Biak Fantail Rhipidura kordensis, Biak Monarch Symposiachrus
brehmii, Biak Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus misoriensis, and Biak White-eye Zosterops mysorensis, occur only on
Biak-Supiori and nowhere else on Earth.
Biak Megapode Megapodius geelvinkianus, Geelvink Fruit Dove Ptilinopus speciosus, Geelvink
Imperial Pigeon Ducula geelvinkiana, Geelvink Pygmy Parrot Micropsitta geelvinkiana, Black-winged Lory Eos
cyanogenia, Biak Black Flycatcher Myiagra atra, and Long-tailed Starling Aplonis magna are being shared
with Numfor Island, which further boasts the single-island-endemic Numfor Paradise Kingfisher Tanysiptera carolinae and
Numfor Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus maforensis.
Only the highly mobile Eos ranges further to Meos Num Island due northwest of the large land-bridge
island of Yapen.
Additionally, another ten or so, often morphologically highly distinctive, endemic subspecies exist on the
islands. Such an extraordinary high degree of endemism, both at the species and subspecies level resulted in Biak-Supiori being
united with Numfor and Meos Num into an Endemic Bird Area: Geelvink Islands.
Geelvink Islands birding facts
1
✔Together, Biak, Supiori and
Numfor support the most highly endemic birdlife of the entire New Guinea region.
2
✔22 Geelvink endemics, including a
megapode, a regionally unique scops owl, 2 gorgeous paradise kingfishers, and 3 parrots, are now
variously accepted at the species level.
3
✔An additional 10, often highly
distinct, endemic subspecies occur.
4
✔Generally, an impoverished avifauna,
comprising in excess of 80 resident land and fresh water species only.
5
✔Heartland of the friendly Biak tribal
people, unspoiled by mass tourism.
❮ ❯
Geelvink endemic birds (22 species)
☑Biak Megapode Megapodius geelvinkianus
☑Geelvink Fruit Dove Ptilinopus speciosus
☑Geelvink Imperial Pigeon Ducula geelvinkiana
☑Biak Coucal Centropus chalybeus
☑Biak Scops Owl Otus beccarii
☑Biak Paradise Kingfisher Tanysiptera riedelii
☑Numfor Paradise Kingfisher Tanysiptera carolinae
☑Geelvink Pygmy Parrot Micropsitta geelvinkiana
☑Black-winged Lory Eos cyanogenia
☑Biak Lorikeet Trichoglossus rosenbergii
☑Biak Hooded Pitta Pitta rosenbergii
☑Biak Myzomela Myzomela rubrobrunnea
☑Biak Gerygone Gerygone hypoxantha
☑Biak Triller Lalage leucoptera
☑Biak Whistler Pachycephala melanorhyncha
☑Biak Fantail Rhipidura kordensis
☑Biak Monarch Symposiachrus brehmii
☑Biak Black Flycatcher Myiagra atra
☑Numfor Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus maforensis
☑Biak Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus misoriensis
☑Biak White-eye Zosterops mysorensis
☑Long-tailed Starling Aplonis magna
Restricted-range species (3 species)
☑White-bibbed Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rivoli
☑Moluccan Fruit Dove Ptilinopus prasinorrhous
☑Island Whistler Pachycephala phaionota
Widespread goodies
☑Long-tailed Honey Buzzard Henicopernis longicauda
☑Gurney's Eagle Aquila gurneyi
☑Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica
☑Victoria Crowned Pigeon Goura victoria
☑Moustached Treeswift Hemiprocne mystacea
☑Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuensis
☑Beach Kingfisher Todiramphus saurophagus
☑Red-fronted Lorikeet Charmosyna rubronotata
☑Eastern Hooded Pitta Pitta novaeguineae
☑Emperor Fairywren Malurus cyanocephalus
Related links
❯Read on about our birding
walk on Biak Island.
❯Read on about our short birding
break to the Geelvink Islands.
❯Read on about our Easy
West Papua birding expedition visiting Biak Island.
Biak Island
0.5 or 1 day
The twin islands of Biak and Supiori in West Papua's fabled Geelvink or Cendrawasih Bay
harbor 20 endemic species, all of which we stand a genuine chance to encounter on this birding walk out of the main town
here of Kota Biak.
❯Read more...
Geelvink Islands endemics
7 days/6 nights
No less than 22 endemic bird species, including two fabulous paradise kingfishers, plus a
host of highly distinctive endemic subspecies await us on this birding adventure covering the islands of Biak and Numfor in
West Papua's Geelvink or Cendrawasih Bay.
❯Read more...