Indonesia
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic country, comprising thousands of islands between mainland Asia and Australia. Its geography ranges from the vast rainforests and peat swamps of Sumatra and Borneo to the volcanic mountains of Java, the seasonal forests of the Lesser Sundas and the rugged tropical landscapes of Sulawesi and New Guinea. Hundreds of active volcanoes form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, shaping both the landscape and the country's fertile soils. The climate is predominantly tropical, with rainfall patterns varying considerably between the humid western islands and the seasonally dry southeast. Indonesia's position between two continents and its long isolation among island groups have created extraordinary biological diversity and endemism.
Overview
Indonesia is one of the world's great destinations for endemics and island birding, with dramatically different avifaunas between its major archipelagos. Sulawesi is famous for species such as Maleo, Knobbed Hornbill and Sulawesi Pitta, while the Lesser Sundas offer Komodo Dragon country alongside numerous restricted-range birds. Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo support hornbills, pittas and broadbills, and the Moluccas add parrots, kingfishers and other Wallacean specialties. Indonesian New Guinea provides access to birds-of-paradise, bowerbirds and cassowaries. Important birding areas include Lore Lindu, Way Kambas and Gunung Gede-Pangrango. Specialist guides and tours are available, but comprehensive birding requires multiple flights, ferries and considerable travel between islands. Some remote areas have limited infrastructure. Indonesia's extraordinary island-by-island endemism means several separate trips can be required to experience its birdlife properly.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus | 28.2% | 31.4% | 30.8% | 30.7% | 29.3% | 33.8% | 30.3% | 24.6% | 22.1% | 24.9% | 24.8% | 25.0% | 30.4% |
| Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis | 26.1% | 32.2% | 31.9% | 30.0% | 28.7% | 30.7% | 28.8% | 21.8% | 20.3% | 20.2% | 21.8% | 20.2% | 26.7% |
| Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster | 22.6% | 29.2% | 27.3% | 24.7% | 25.6% | 28.9% | 24.5% | 19.4% | 16.9% | 17.0% | 17.2% | 18.1% | 22.2% |
| Cave Swiftlet Collocalia linchi | 22.0% | 28.4% | 26.5% | 25.7% | 24.5% | 25.8% | 24.8% | 19.9% | 17.1% | 16.2% | 18.6% | 16.7% | 19.5% |
| Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier | 21.4% | 25.6% | 24.8% | 26.1% | 25.0% | 27.3% | 25.1% | 17.8% | 15.8% | 15.1% | 17.4% | 16.3% | 20.6% |
| Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris | 19.6% | 22.9% | 19.7% | 19.4% | 19.4% | 22.0% | 19.7% | 16.4% | 16.7% | 18.2% | 20.7% | 20.0% | 19.8% |
| Pacific Swallow Hirundo javanica | 18.8% | 19.6% | 19.9% | 16.9% | 17.3% | 18.3% | 18.4% | 17.6% | 18.9% | 20.4% | 19.5% | 19.0% | 20.2% |
| Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata | 14.4% | 17.6% | 16.5% | 17.1% | 18.3% | 18.8% | 17.3% | 12.0% | 10.2% | 10.0% | 9.9% | 10.7% | 14.4% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 13.6% | 16.1% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 16.7% | 18.4% | 18.1% | 12.7% | 11.1% | 9.1% | 10.6% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| Ornate Sunbird Cinnyris ornatus | 12.4% | 16.0% | 15.6% | 14.7% | 14.1% | 15.4% | 13.6% | 9.6% | 8.4% | 9.2% | 10.8% | 9.5% | 11.5% |