Papua New Guinea Highlights

Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise © Max Breckenridge

Exceptional tropical forest birding with large numbers of endemics in one of the world’s most exotic birding destinations. We explore vast, untouched areas of lowland, hill, and pristine montane forest from comfortable, well-appointed, air-conditioned hotels and lodges. We expect to see an excellent variety of birds-of-paradise, fabulous kingfishers, pigeons, parrots, bowerbirds, and many handsome forest skulkers.

We have designed a very special highlights tour of this fascinating country of Papua New Guinea. We will focus our efforts on three specific locations: the vast lowland forests of the mighty Fly River—replete with Blyth's Hornbill, crowned-pigeons, and King Bird-of-paradise; the little-known hill forests of Tabubil boasting a bevy of avian curiosities; and the montane forests of "the highlands," literally dripping with birds-of-paradise, as well as some very exciting monotypic specialties.

New Guinea, albeit the second largest island in the world, is in reality an island-continent. This still wild, sparsely inhabited, and somewhat mystical land hosts more than 700 species of birds, the world’s richest island avifauna, nearly half of which are found nowhere else on earth. While the extraordinary birds-of-paradise are the finest jewels in New Guinea’s ornithological crown, there is so much else to attract the birdwatcher—huge, flightless cassowaries; strange mound-building megapodes; a gorgeous array of doves, parrots, and kingfishers; exquisite fairywrens; and fascinating bowerbirds. Interesting mammals include numerous little-known marsupials. In addition to some striking and weird reptiles and amphibians, we will also enjoy a wondrous plethora of moths and butterflies, including the spectacular birdwings. This will be a true wilderness experience; however, we will still be able to enjoy all the comforts and trappings of civilization.

Very good to good accommodations, with Kumul Lodge often being described as "rustic"; good Western-style food; generally easy to moderate walking, mostly roadside, or along well-defined trails, and very occasionally an optional moderate grade hike for certain special birds with some steep, muddy, and uneven sections; hot and humid in the lowlands, cool and pleasant in the hills and mountains.

Sclater's Crowned-Pigeon © Dion Hobcroft