WEST PAPUA (Irian Jaya), INDONESIA. - Burung-Nusantara / Birds ...

Specialities.
Salvadori's Teal resident on Lake Habbema but has become rarer since the
arrival of the road.
Snow Mountain Quail ** resident at low density on the alpine grassland but
few records since arrival of road and may no longer occur here.
Meyer's Goshawk ** one above Yaubougema.
Painted Tiger Parrot * fairly frequent below pass at limit of trees.
Mountain Nightjar ** near pass but very elusive.
Alpine Pipit common in alpine grassland.
Island Thrush abundant in alpine grassland.
Lesser Melampitta ** H. common but very skulking in upper moss forest.
Blue-capped Ifrit scarce in moss forest.
Mountain Robin * near treeline.
White-eyed Robin in secondary growth below Ibele
White-winged Robin frequent and vocal in upper moss forest.
Lorentz's Whistler frequent at and above timberline particularly on hills south
of Lake Habbema. A bright yellow, neat Robin-like whistler with
a distinctive song, a pleasant full, fluty, rising and falling whistle.
Black Sitella seen on two occasions below Yaubagema.
Crested Berrypecker common at highest altitudes.
Orange-cheeked Honeyeater common in alpine zone.
Yellowish-streaked Honeyeater ** a pair of this scarce species seen with
feeding flock in upper Ibele Valley.
Sooty Melidectes * perhaps just one bird seen several times at the pass. Very
confiding allowing excellent views.
Short-bearded Melidectes frequent in alpine shrubbery.
Papuan Parrot-Finch ** above Dyela
Black-breasted Mannikin common, often in large flocks in cultivation of
Baliem and Ibele Valleys.
Western Alpine Mannikin pairs and small flocks frequently encountered in
alpine grassland.
Archbold's Bowerbird * one adult male of this very retiring species seen next
to its bower just below Pos III. Heard most days when birding the
area but not seen again.
Macgregor's Bird of Paradise perhaps New Guinea's strangest and most
wonderful Bird of Paradise. Its intense velvety black plumage
contrasts strikingly with the brilliant orange/yellow primaries and
face wattles. And all set in some of the most splendid mountain
scenary this side of the Himalayas. Once regularly seen in early
morning at the pass feeding in pines and on the ground, retiring
into the hills later in the day. However, since the road arrived its
numbers have been severely depleated but small numbers were
still presedt in 1994 in quieter areas away from the road.
Brown Sicklebill * Scarce but can be dound from Yaubagema to near
treeline.
26