We offer a number of tours around Australia. Tours can be customised to fit with individual budgets, time schedules and birding hit-lists. We can easily combine tours, for example the Outback tours can easily add Tasmania. We can also amend tours when time is limited, for example the Tropical North Tour has options to include Cape York if time permits. Check out this web-site for a wide range of available tours. Feel free to enquire about customising tours to suit time, budgets and birding wish lists.

Australia has a unique avifauna with some 250 endemic birds, 8 endemic families and a total of over 800 species. With very little north south migration apart from shorebirds and a handful of New Guinea migrants, most Australian land birds can be seen nowhere else. Because few visiting birders have unlimited time for exploration, we have developed a number of tours designed to maximise the variety of habitats and therefore the number of birds to be seen in geographically manageable areas.

Let us organise your visit to this great southern land and make sure you get the most out of your time here.

This tour can easily added on to other Australian tours as an extension. This 4+ day’s tour is fully accommodated and whereas Tasmania’s wilderness lends itself to long treks and bush camping, Tasmania’s birds are more accommodating and can be seen without undue hardship.

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The area between Perth and Albany is compact and easily accessible, with three very rare species possible in Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Whipbird and Western Bristlebird. This week long tour accesses all the major bird sites in this area. Accommodation is comfortable throughout. There are no long treks over steep or rough ground.

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PNG offers some of the world’s best birding. From the lowland rainforests of Kiunga to the highland heaths of the Tari Gap and the savannah lands around Port Moresby even the shorter trips here can usually find about 20 species of birds of paradise. New Guinea and off-shore islands as whole have over 400 endemics, the single greatest concentration on earth. It is hard birding, as many species are shy and low-density, but the rewards are intense.

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“The land of the unexpected”. Birds of Paradise, parrots, kingfishers and incredible pigeons amid endless forest and spectacular scenery.

This takes us to samples of all the most easily accessible habitats in PNG. Starting in Port Moresby with visits to the PAU ponds and Varirata National Park we then head off for the lowland rainforest around Kiunga. A boat trip up the Fly and Elevala Rivers gives us a chance of Southern Crowned Pigeon, 12 Wired, King, Raggiana, and Greater Birds of Paradise with the option for hardier folk to make a short stay in a local landowner lodge at Ekame deep within the pristine rainforest. From Kiunga we travel by road to the mid-level rainforests of Tabubil and the possibility of such delights as Greater Melampitta, Obscure Berrypecker, Carola’s Parotia, Magnificent and Greater Bird of Paradise and Vulturine Parrot. A short flight over the Hindenberg wall brings us to the highland town of Tari and from here we travel by road up to either Ambua or Warili Landowner Lodge. This is a superb world class birding area. We hope to see Brown and perhaps Black Sicklebill, Princess Stephanie’s and the extraordinary Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, Lawes Parotia, Superb, Crested, Loria’s, Blue and King-of-Saxony Birds of Paradise besides a host of other montane specialities. From Tari we can fly back to Port Moresby and return home, or take the optional extension to Madang. Here we drive and walk up into the little visited Adelbert Mountains to stay at a land-owner lodge, and look for the almost unknown Fire-maned Bowerbird plus a wonderful look at the Lesser BoP, a trip we pioneered back in 1999. On this trip overall we expect to get around 20 species of birds of paradise.

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This is a shorter version of the previous version. We do not spend as long in each area and do not visit Tabubil or Madang. This tour is good for people who have limited time. We can also run these tours at a slower pace for people who feel that the full-on bird tour would really be beyond them.

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On this 3 week tour we island hop, visiting not only the major islands of New Britain, New Ireland, Manus, Buka and Bougainville but also many of the smaller out islands such as Tong, Djaul and New Hanover for the specialities and island endemics they have on them. While the total number of species seen will not be as great as on the standard mainland tour, there will be a number of quality birds. Seldom visited Bougainville boasts Sanford’s Sea Eagle, Duchess Lorikeet, Ultramarine Kingfisher, Pied Goshawk and Woodford’s Rail. Manus has the Superb Pitta and it’s own Boobook, Friarbird, Monarch and Pygmy-Parrot, whilst a pelagic out of Walindi on New Britain offers Heinroth’s Shearwater and Tahiti Petrel. The main island of New Britain has Violaceous and Pied Coucal, Pied Cuckoo-Dove, White-backed Wood-swallow, Song Parrot, Black-headed Paradise-Kingfisher, White-mantled and Bismarck Kingfisher, whilst beautiful remote New Ireland is home to the spectacular Paradise Drongo, New Ireland Boobook, Olive-yellow Myzomela, the rare White-naped Lory and the very local Hunstein’s Mannikin. This tour is good for several other little known small-island endemics such as Nicobar Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Atoll Starling, Sclater’s Myzomela and Island Monarch.

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These tours are for people who would prefer not to take just the standard single focus bird watching tour but would like to explore the fascinating culture of Papua New Guinea as well as look at birds. These tours allow the participant’s time to visit local villages and attend sing-sings, and can be tied in with one of the major cultural events held in New Guinea each year, such as the Mt Hagen and Goroka shows. There is also the option of a 5 -day short cruise up the Sepik River visiting the riverside villages, each of which specialises in a different craft.

These tours are for the more intrepid birder. We go to areas rarely visited by outsiders, may use local transport and rely on village accommodation and camping. Not for the faint hearted or the infirm you need to be physically fit and be willing to experience some discomfort and a distinct lack of haute cuisine. This will be a trip you will not forget quickly and you will see some very rarely seen great birds.

The following destinations can be added on to longer tours or put together to make a tour in their own right. They are all interesting destinations but due to difficulties with logistics may best be undertaken by only the more intrepid birders.

1. The Louisiade Archipelago

The Louisiades are best visited in February and March at a time when the mainland BoP's are not in their breeding dress and before the trade winds kick-in. It is at this time of the year that the Goldie’s Bird of Paradise displays, and the bizarre Curl-crested Manucode is quite common.

2. The Huon Peninsula

A necessary destination for those wanting to see the Emperor Bird of Paradise, Huon Astrapia, Wahnes’ Parotia, Spangled Honeyeater and the likely split Huon Bowerbird. Accommodation here is very basic and we rely on the willingness of the local council for transportation, so participants need to be fit and able to walk in rough country.

3. The Bensbach Flats

This area is a savanna-grassland environment totally different to the rest of PNG in being seasonally flooded. Many of the species to be seen here can also be seen in Northern Australia , but local endemics include the Spangled Kookabura, Fly River Grassbird and Grey-headed Mannikin.

4. Myola

Located just off the famous Kokoda Trail, this landowner based basic village hut style accommodation is good for Forbes’ Forest-Rail, Blue Quail, Lewin’s Rail, Eastern Alpine Mannikin and chance of some elusive nocturnal specials like Sooty Owl and Mountain Owlet-nightjar.

5. The Sepik

Culturally rich the Sepik is usually best seen from a boat. It is possible to access it by canoe and village accommodation, comfortable riverboat or stay at Karawari a beautifully designed lodge modeled on a spirit house and owned and run by the same group that runs Ambua. Birds include Twelve-wired BoP, Edward’s Fig-Parrot, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Hooded Pitta, Hooded Monarch and a chance of Victoria Crowned-Pigeon.

The other New Guinea . Seldom seen montane and island Birds of Paradise and over 30 other West Papuan endemics.

West Papua is the other half of the island of New Guinea. A province of Indonesia it has been visited only rarely by birders in recent years. However with 5 endemic species of Birds of Paradise and a host of other endemics such as Black-faced and Vogelkop Bowerbird, Biak Paradise-Kingfisher and Western Crowned Pigeon it is well worth a visit. With some spectacular scenery and interesting tribal culture this is more than just a birding trip. This tour takes us to all the major birding sites in West Papua and there is an optional extension to the island of Halmahera where we hope to see the only Birds of Paradise found outside New Guinea and Eastern Australia , the Wallace’s Standardwing and Paradise Crow. Politics permitting we will visit the hills above Jayapura in the east, the Arfak mountains in the west, the Wamena valley in the north, the Rajah Empat islands off Sorong and the island of Biak in search of some of the world’s least recorded birds. A local guide will accompany us and while this cannot be seen as an easy trip it should certainly be very rewarding. The island of Halmahera marks the very limit of Australasia, separated from Asian Sulawesi by the deep ocean trench that marks the boundary of Wallace’s Line. Owlet-nightjars and birds of paradise go no further west than here.

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Tours to New Zealand can easily be combined with the Cook Islands, New Caledonia and other Pacifc destinations. Detailed itineraries can be prepared on request.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the major cities Japan is a magical land of traditional houses, and a surprising amount of unspoilt forests. Japan can be explored in both winter and summer with the emphasis on very different birds in the different seasons. In winter we can travel from the snowy wastes of Hokkaido through the Japanese Alps above Tokyo to the plains around Arasaki in Kyushu. Extremely photogenic flocks of cranes in snowfields seen through mists, roosts of Steller’s and White-tailed Sea-Eagles and the elusive Blakiston’s Fish-Owl are all part of the dramatic winter scene. In summer we will concentrate on the breeding birds of the archipelago which include Japanese Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Fairy Pitta, Japanese Robin, Japanese Thrush, Ijima’s Leaf-Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat.

Detailed itineraries for private tours to mainland Japan with or without the Ryukyu's can be prepared on request.

An optional extension to the Ryukyu islands of Okinawa and Amami for the endemics found on these subtropical islands can be added to either the winter or summer tours. These are rarely recorded by bird tours and could include Okinawa Rail, Amami Woodcock, Pryer’s Woodpecker, Amami Thrush, Ryukyu Robin and Lidth’s Jay, not forgetting the rare Amami black rabbit.

The Ryukyu can also be easily entered from Taiwan on a daily flight from Taipei to Okinawa and can be added as an extension to that tour if prefered.

Spectacular scenery, rare and beautiful pheasants and a good variety of endemics.

Once known as Formosa, the “Beautiful Isle” Taiwan is a country of opposites. The teeming cities of the east coast contrast absolutely with the spectacular rugged mountains of the interior. A short tour concentrating on the Taiwanese endemics such as Mikado and Swinhoe’s pheasants, Taiwan Hill Partridge, Taiwan Blue Magpie and Flamecrest.Outside of the major cities few people speak English and even the road signs use Chinese characters. For this reason we use local guides all of whom are very competent. Taipei has a flourishing bird society which runs regular trips to island hot spots, supports bird sanctuaries, publishes information brochures and produces sound recordings and field guides. We will start our tour in the Taipei area looking for before heading down the east coast and up into the central mountain ranges in search of the pheasants and other endemics in the Wushe and Alishan districts. A trip through the spectacular Taroko Gorge brings us to the west coast where we will see the rare Styan’s Bulbul. This is not a difficult tour. While there will be some walking it is mostly along well defined tracks. The mountain areas have an excellent network of old logging trails. Accommodation is in comfortable hotels throughout and western style food is widely available if required.

Taiwan can easily be combined with the Ryukyu's or Hong Kong. Detailed itineraries for private tours can be prepared on request.

This overseas territory of France is a must for those after all the families of the world, as it is the only place where the enigmatic Kagu can be found. In addition it boasts a slew of other endemics such as the huge and rare Crow Honeyeater, New Caledonian Grassbird, Horned and Ouvéa Parakeet, Large and Small Lifou White-eye and Cloven-feathered Dove, all of which are possible if the islands of Ouvéa and Lifou are added to a mainland trip. Accommodation is comfortable in western style hotels except on Ouvéa, home of the Ouvéa Parakeet, where it is much more basic in a landowner gîte. This is a short, easy tour which can easily be combined with another island group such as the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji or Western Samoa.

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The Federated States of Micronesia plus the Republic of Palau and the Northern Mariana Islands are a tropical paradise. They offer some of the best diving and marine experiences in the world but also boast some 40 endemics making them well worth a visit from any serious birdwatcher. The trip involves a great deal of island-hopping in boats and on small planes as many of the endemics are confined to the small atolls which make up much of this area. Our tour will be concentrating on the Micronesian endemics and will visit the islands of Palau, Saipan, Rota, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap in order to do so. Micronesia is home to a large number of small island endemic white-eyes, flycatchers, monarchs and ground-doves plus speciality birds such as Micronesian Scrubfowl, Palau Scops-Owl, Palau Swiftlet, Pohnpei Lorikeet and the Rota (ex-Guam) Rail amongst others. Accommodation will be in western style hotels and the tour involves no major trekking or rough walking. For diving enthusiasts there is the opportunity to stay on and dive in some of the world’s most beautiful coral gardens.

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In order to have a chance of all nine Samoan endemics both the islands of Upolu and Savai’i need to be visited. With 8 of the Samoan endemics including the Samoan Starling, Samoan Whistler, and Flat-billed Kingfisher found on the steep slopes of Mt Fito, not far from Apia, the main town on the island of Upolu, Samoan birding does not need a lot of daily traveling and there are a number of hotels and hostels in Apia of varying standards of comfort. However the terrain is steep and rough and in order to have a chance of the rare Mao and the very rare Tooth-billed Pigeon tour participants must be prepared to put in a lot of effort. Unfortunately the Samoan White-eye is only found on the island of Savai’i so we must also visit there however this will give us a second chance at some of the more elusive species should we have the misfortune to miss them on Upolu. Accommodation here will be in local guest houses and can be fairly basic. Again the terrain is rough as the birds we will be looking for are found in the rainforest on the slopes of Mt Silisili. A good level of fitness is required of participants as there will be a lot of hiking on steep rough slopes. This short tour is easily combined with tours of Fiji and Vanuatu.

Samoa can be easily combined with several other Pacific Islands destinations and detailed itineraries for private tours can prepared on request.

All 9 Vanuatuan endemics can be found on the island of Espiritu Santo. We will spend some time in a lowland area forest reserve looking for lowland birds such as the elusive Vanuatan megapode and the beautiful Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher. However many of the endemics, such as Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon, Vanuatu Mountain Honeyeater and the Vanuatu Thicketbird are only found in the mountains of the rugged interior and so we will also need to spend some time up in the mountains looking for the montane species. Accommodation will vary with the option of comfortable western style hotels in the towns but being much more basic in the interior where camping and staying in local village guesthouses is all that is available. This tour requires a good level of fitness as a lot of effort must be put in to get the birds. Hiking can be rough on steep slopes. This short tour is easily combined with other South Pacific island tours. Detailed itineraries for private groups can be prepared on request.

Another south sea island paradise, Fiji comprises of a number of islands of which the birder must visit at least three to make sure of the majority of the country’s endemics. Viti Levu, Kadavu and Taveuni between them are home to 22 of the 25 Fijian endemics the other 3 being restricted to remote islands and archipelagoes.

Fiji is a popular tourist destination and the main islands boast a wide variety of comfortable accommodation. The road network is good and most places are easily accessible. Unfortunately a high population density has led to the loss of most of the original forest and much of that which remains is found in the Nausori Highlands. Golden Doves and Masked Shining Parrot are often seen around our hotel and we will drive into the highlands to look for such delights as Peale's Imperial-Pigeon, Fiji Woodswallow and the rare Long-legged Warbler and Pink-billed Parrotfinch. The less populated island of Taveuni still retains some 60% of its forest cover which is home to the astonishingly vivid Orange Dove, Silktail, Red Shining Parrot and Collared Lory. Kadavu has 4 endemics of its own (Crimson Shining-Parrot, Whistling Dove,Kadavu Honeyeater and Kadavu Fantail ), all of which are usually obliging, making this a relaxing interlude on our tour.

Fiji can easily be combined with other South Pacific destinations.

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