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THE LESSER SUNDAS

Southeast Indonesia

Monday 30th August - Sunday 19th September 2010
(21 days)

Leader: Craig Robson

Group Size Limit: 8

Tour Category: Easy to Moderate

A good range of Indonesian endemics occur through the Lesser Sundas. The secretive Elegant Pitta is one of those most talked about! (Craig Robson)

(Note: This is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Scattered across about 5000 kilometres of tropical ocean, the Indonesian archipelago is remarkable for its cultural and biological diversity. Of all the regions of Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara (meaning ‘Southeast Islands’) is probably the most varied.

Strung out to the east of the popular holiday island of Bali, they contain, in microcosm, a wide range of tropical habitats from the luxuriant cloud forests on the flanks of the volcanoes of Flores to the xerophytic scrub on Komodo, famous for its ‘Dragons’. Better known as the Lesser Sundas, they are relatively undeveloped and thinly populated: only 2% of Indonesia’s huge population live in the islands in contrast to the burgeoning millions inhabiting the fertile plains of adjacent Java and Bali. On the road to nowhere in particular, they are seldom visited and so much remains undiscovered about their birdlife.

Although these small islands hold fewer species than an equivalent area of continental Asia, many are endemic and often confined to a single island. This tour represents an enjoyable and not especially difficult adventure for those who want to see the many exciting and little-known endemics of the Lesser Sundas, some of which are becoming harder and harder to find due to habitat loss. Indeed, we can say that of all the endemic-bird-rich places in the world, the Lesser Sundas is somewhere one should hurry to visit.

The most isolated and least often visited of the Lesser Sundas is Sumba. This dry, infertile island is mostly covered with rough pasture, much of it given over to the horse rearing for which Sumba is famous throughout the archipelago. Flying into Sumba, it is difficult to believe that the endemic species, all but one of them forest birds, could have survived. Fortunately a few patches of monsoon forest remain and in these we have an excellent chance to find some of the world’s most critically endangered species such as Citron-crested Cockatoo, Sumba Hornbill and the very attractive Red-naped Fruit-Dove. Other specialities include Sumba Buttonquail, Marigold Lorikeet, Sumba Boobook, Mees’s Nightjar, Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher, Sumba Green Pigeon, Sumba Flycatcher, Sumba Jungle Flycatcher, Sumba Brown Flycatcher, the gorgeous Apricot-breasted Sunbird and Sumba Red-headed Myzomela.

To the east of Sumba lies Timor, the largest and geographically most ancient of the Lesser Sundas and holding the greatest number of endemics, including that most excellent of songsters the Buff-banded Thicket-Warbler and the strikingly-marked Orange-sided Thrush. In contrast to the tropical luxuriance of Bali, Timor more closely resembles those parts of northern Australia that lie not far away to the south across the Timor Sea. Over much of the island dry grassland and acacia scrub predominate, with indigenous eucalyptus adding strongly to the Antipodean feel. The lowland forests of Timor are highly threatened, as the few remaining patches are unprotected, and so woodcutters and bird trappers do as they please. Several species which were common until quite recently have now become decidedly scarce. Their future looks bleak, so now is the time to see such jewels as Olive-headed Lorikeet and Timor Sparrow. The many other specialities we will be looking for on this island include the exquisite Black-backed Fruit-Dove, Timor Imperial Pigeon, Streaked Boobook, Greater Wallacean Drongo, Timor Figbird, the pretty White-bellied Chat, Chestnut-backed Thrush, the lovely Orange-sided Thrush, the tiny Timor Stubtail, Timor Leaf Warbler, the skulking Buff-banded Thicket Warbler, the beautiful Timor Blue Flycatcher, the attractive Black-banded Flycatcher, Fawn-breasted Whistler, Timor Friarbird, Streak-breasted and Yellow-eared Honeyeaters, Black-chested Myzomela, the dazzling Flame-breasted Sunbird, Red-chested Flowerpecker, Spot-breasted Dark-eye, Tricoloured Parrot-Finch and Black-faced and Five-coloured Munias.

North of Timor, Flores could hardly be more different. This long narrow island is one of the most beautiful in Indonesia. Its complex mountainous relief is bisected by deep V-shaped valleys and surmounted by many volcanoes, 14 of them still active. Only the very much larger islands of Java and Sumatra are more volcanically active. Many of the rugged mountains of Flores are still covered with humid rainforest, in some places extending down to the lowlands, where we will look for specialities like Flores Hawk-Eagle, Flores Lorikeet, Wallace’s Hanging Parrot, Wallace’s Scops Owl, the striking White-rumped Kingfisher, Elegant Pitta, the little known Flores Crow, the diminutive Russet-capped Tesia, Flores Leaf Warbler, Flores Jungle Flycatcher, Brown-capped Fantail, the very rare Flores Monarch, Bare-throated Whistler, Scaly-crowned Honeyeater, Black-fronted and Golden-rumped Flowerpeckers, and Yellow-browed, Crested and Thick-billed Dark-eyes.

West of Flores, in the strait separating it from Sumbawa, lies another strikingly different island, Komodo. Here among parched hills and dry gullies lives the most important population of the Komodo Dragon, a huge monitor lizard otherwise known only from adjacent Rinca and a small part of Flores. There can be few wildlife experiences to compare with the sight of these unique and decidedly antediluvian reptiles in so remote and inhospitable a setting. As if to accentuate the barrenness of the land, the surrounding seas are rich in beautiful coral reefs, dolphins, turtles and seabirds.

Birdquest has operated tours to the Lesser Sundas since 2004.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are mostly of normal Birdquest standard. The hotels at Waingapu and Soe are fairly simple, but all rooms have private bathrooms. The guesthouses at Lewa and at Kisol are very simple and very basic respectively; bathroom facilities are shared and are quite primitive at Kisol. Road transport is by small coach, minibus or car.

Walking: The walking ranges from easy to moderate, with some more difficult terrain to negotiate over relatively short distances.

Climate: Most days in the lowlands will be hot, dry and sunny, but overcast conditions are fairly frequent and some rain can be expected. In montane areas it will be cool or warm and at the highest altitudes it can be decidedly cold at times. The humidity is often rather high.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.

Tour Price: £4190, €4944, $6914 London/London (or £3470, €4095, $5726 Denpasar/Denpasar). Price includes all transportation (including all flights), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: £252, €297, $416.

Deposit: £420, €496, $693. If booking more than 12 months before departure, the initial deposit is only £150, €177, $248.

Linking Birdquests: This tour can be linked with Java & Bali in 2010. Please contact us for further information.

The splendid White-rumped Kingfisher is another of the tour's 'flagship' birds (Craig Robson)

The smart Timor Sparrow is one of two species in the genus Padda (Craig Robson)

Brown-capped Fantail, an endemic of Sumbawa, Flores and Lomblen, is frequently seen in the highlands of Flores (Craig Robson)

If we're fortunate we'll come across a good migrant such as Oriental Plover (Craig Robson)