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RFI owling trip to Sulawesi and Satalites (1 Viewer)

iain tomlinson

Well-known member
Hello, I am an avid owler. I am planning a trip to Sulawesi and neighboring Islands to look for owls. I am thinking of visiting the following sites in April:
Sulawesi-visiting Tangkoko, Gunung Ambang and Lore Lindu for Minahassa masked owl, ochre-bellied, speckled, "white spotted"and cinnabar boobooks.
Togian Is for the boobook and (possible scops)
Sangihe for the scops
Banggai for the scops

Any specifics on sites for owls would be great. And recommendations and contact information for guides. (I am planning on using Nurlin for Lore Lindu).

Logistical info for the Togian and Banggai Islands would also be great.

Finally I am trying to figure out the taxonomy of these owls. If you have any insights on white-spotted boobook-is it synonymous with cinnabar boobook? Also I heard there is an undescribed scops owl on the Togian Islands-if you have any information on this owl it would be very helpful.

Many thanks in advance, Iain http://iainsowls.blogspot.com/
 
White-spotted Boobook hasn't been formally described yet has it? Thought to be at least related to Cinnabar Boobook but it can't be a synonym until it's described and they know what it is?

Rob and James at Birdtour Asia will have the inside track on all the Owls, I don't think very many people have done much of this independently?



A
 
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Samuel, the chief guide at Mama Roo's, Tangkoko is highly recommended for finding you some daytime stake-out Boobook roosts in that area. He was booked while I was there and consequently I saw none! (But the Spectral Tarsiers there are out of this World!)
 
Samuel, the chief guide at Mama Roo's, Tangkoko is highly recommended for finding you some daytime stake-out Boobook roosts in that area. He was booked while I was there and consequently I saw none! (But the Spectral Tarsiers there are out of this World!)

Be aware that Samuel is one of the few guides I've met in the World who charges per person, his rate doesn't include any night birding or transport of any kind either but his eyes are or were, amazing!

Sulawesi Scops was easily seen without a guide on the entrance to the trail just across the road from Mama Roos. If I remember right there was a small bridge and just beyond that, put you tape on and it came straight in.


A
 
Rather old gen (2009), but in case it helps, of the birds you mentioned we had:

Speckled Boobook at the burial caves at Londa, c6km south of Rantepau, and in buildings around Wallacea, which is near the Tambun Maleo site (Sulawesi Masked Owl and Sulawesi Scops Owl also seen there, and Ochre-bellied Boobook heard)

Minahassa Masked Owl heard only, at Lore Lindu, along a short track leading down to the lake from the main road, roughly opposite (south of?) the start of the Anaso track (forest still there??)

Cinnabar Boobook seen at Lore Lindu along the main rd, a few hundred metres north of the Minahassa (forest still there??)

We also birded with Samuel at Tankoko, but he couldn't find us Ochre-bellied Boobook, which is apparently unusual.
 
Some more recent gen (from the last month):

Minahassa Masked Owl - I didn't reliably see this but heard them at Tangkoko with Samuel. There are some roost sites there too, but these weren't being used. Was also heard at a site Nurlin knows a few hours north of Palu near a lake.
Sulawesi Masked Owl - there's a reliable roost in Kotamobagu in a palm grove behind someone's house. Nurlin and Samuel will know about this site.
Ochre-bellied Boobook - I contrived to miss this species, but others I was with saw three roosting birds in Tangkoko. I tried looking for these with Samuel but only heard them. I think they can regularly be found in the right area though.
Speckled Boobook - I saw this at Gunung Mahawu near Tomohon in the north of Sulawesi.
Cinnabar Boobook - Seen at Lore Lindu along the main road, probably at the same spot Larry mentions.
Sulawesi Scops Owl - See at Tangkoko and heard in a few other places. Seems to be fairly common.

If you're interested, Nurlin has a good site for Eastern Grass Owl at Lore Lindu. We saw it quite well there.

If you're interested in working with Samuel, you can contact him here:
http://www.samuelbirding.com/
With Nurlin, be aware that due to current personal circumstances he may not always be able to do the guiding himself. He works with a number of other guides (including Samuel) who are generally very good though.
 
Some more recent gen (from the last month):
Sulawesi Masked Owl - there's a reliable roost in Kotamobagu in a palm grove behind someone's house. Nurlin and Samuel will know about this site.

Is the one that roosts in the cave off shore form Tangkoko still being seen?

If you do the mangrove trip to look for Black-billed kingfisher (which I dipped, twice) they will take a short detour to show to this bird.


A
 
Is the one that roosts in the cave off shore form Tangkoko still being seen?

If you do the mangrove trip to look for Black-billed kingfisher (which I dipped, twice) they will take a short detour to show to this bird.


A

I don't know but I did the boat trip to the mangroves (saw the kingfisher!) and we didn't go to look for Sulawesi Masked Owl. Maybe that means it's no longer reliable.
 
Is the one that roosts in the cave off shore form Tangkoko still being seen?

If you do the mangrove trip to look for Black-billed kingfisher (which I dipped, twice) they will take a short detour to show to this bird.


A

As the OP is going for owls on Togian Is, the kingfisher is there too.
 
Thanks again for the helpful advice. Anyone been to Gunung Ambang lately?

If you have worked with Nurlin, would you recommend him as a guide/organizer?

Cheers, Iain
 
Thanks again for the helpful advice. Anyone been to Gunung Ambang lately?

If you have worked with Nurlin, would you recommend him as a guide/organizer?

Cheers, Iain

1. Yes, I went to Gunung Ambang about a month ago. It was good, although we didn't see Matinan Flycatcher. Very good views of Purple-beared Bee-eater though.
2. Yes, I would recommend Nurlin in both capacities.
 
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