Southwest Pacific: New Caledonia Extension 8/27/2025-8/30/2025

https://ebird.org/tripreport/407094

It was with great excitement that we were able to travel to New Caledonia this year after recent unrest in the French territory. While there are certainly still tensions, life seems to have returned to normality here for the most part, and locals are very grateful to have visitors back.

We enjoyed two very fulfilling days of birding in the company of the fantastic Isabelle Jollit. The weather turned it on for us, and it was a joy to explore the unique forests of Blue River National Park and the Parc Provincial des Grandes Fougeres.

We had remarkably close looks at several Yellow-bellied Flyrobins in Blue River NP (C) Max Breckenridge

Our first real bird of the trip came in the form of a smart New Caledonian Goshawk perched up beautifully beside the road in the morning sun. A little further down the road, we entered the Blue River National Park and quickly encountered a small flock of New Caledonia Parakeets. After switching vehicles and crossing a narrow wooden bridge that separates two parts of the park, we quickly entered the rainforest. We started at a flowering tree where New Caledonian Friarbirds were in attendance, along with the neatly patterned Barred Honeyeater and several noisy Coconut Lorikeets. A New Caledonian Whistler did a good job to steal our attention away, as did several excitable New Caledonian Streaked Fantails and the scarce New Caledonian Cuckooshrike. Heading further into the forest, a great boardwalk showcasing an impressive giant kauri tree allowed us to get deeper into the beautiful forest here. It didn't take long before the front of the line stopped, and there next to the track was a Kagu! And then another! Practically walking around our feet, searching for insects on the forest floor. Then from behind us on the track, a third came sprinting over, wings and crest extended! What a special encounter.

Back in the carpark, the birds kept coming, with a couple of gorgeous and inquisitive Yellow-bellied Flyrobins, as well as a friendly Southern Shrikebill and a pair of Melanesian Flycatchers. A quick check of the giant kauri again proved fortuitous, as a pair of the strange Horned Parakeets were spotted feeding above us. We enjoyed a wonderful packed lunch, with fresh salads and baguettes, coffee, and cookies—all the while being watched intently by several Yellow-bellied Flyrobins snatching up crumbs. A short walk down the road after lunch yielded great looks at the truly huge New Caledonian Imperial-Pigeon, as well as stunning New Caledonian Myzomela, Gray Fantail, roving groups of Green-backed White-eyes, and a showy male Melanesian Flycatcher. We then staked out a nearby flowering tree for the rare Crow Honeyeater, but despite our long vigil, no bird appeared. Leaving the park, we stopped for several Whistling Kites nesting in dead trees, and had better looks at Dark-brown Honeyeater.

This impressive New Caledonian "Goliath" Imperial-Pigeon posed by the road in Blue River NP ( C) Max Breckenridge

Our second full day dawned with beautiful weather once again, and we headed north along the western coast in the direction of La Foa and the nearby Parc Provincial des Grandes Fougeres. We had a productive morning birding along the road towards the park, where fruiting trees and seeding grasses yielded a number of new species—Pacific Emerald Dove, South Melanesian Cuckooshrike, Long-tailed Triller, New Caledonian Crow, Striated Starling, and several species of introduced finches. The highlight was undoubtedly a splendid male Cloven-feathered Dove—a strangely proportioned and uniquely colored endemic pigeon that gave wonderful looks. After entering the park itself we enjoyed morning tea looking over the verdant forests and impressive tree ferns. Afterwards, we took a very pleasant hike through the forest, where we had close looks at a great variety of the Caledonian endemics. One of the highlights were good views of several tool-using New Caledonian Crows using small sticks to probe into the trunks of several trees! After another excellent packed lunch, we began the drive back to Noumea, stopping along the entrance road again, where we scored a pair of gorgeous Red-throated Parrotfinches.

In the evening we enjoyed another wonderful meal on the waterfront in Noumea and reflected on what had been a fantastic trip in some stellar company!

The curious Southern Shrikebill was observed on several occasions (C) Max Breckenridge

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/407094

Photo gallery.

Description for the next departure of this tour.

Max Breckenridge's upcoming tour schedule.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: August 27, 2025: (AM) Fly NAN-NOU; (PM) Noumea

Day 2: August 28, 2025: (AM/PM) Blue River National Park

Day 3: August 29, 2025: (AM) Farino, Parc Provincial des Grandes Fougeres; (PM) La Foa

Day 4: August 30, 2025: (AM) Departures from Noumea

Cute New Caledonian Fantails were commonly encountered in the forest (C) Max Breckenridge