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RFI about New Caledonia (1 Viewer)

Jose Ramon

Well-known member
Hi all,

I am planning a birdwatching tour to New Caledonia and I would like some help in order to set it up.

I have seen a few scheduled tours from big tour operators but they are very expensive so I would like to contact any local guide or birding pal.

Some people have mentioned a person called Yves Letocart who studies the Kagus but I do not know if he works as a birdwatching guide.

Anyway, I have been looking for his email of webpage and I was not able to find it. I found references about him in some webpages but not any way to contact him.

In addition to the, a few questions, please:

- How many days should I need to see the most important birds of the island?

- What is the best month of the year to visit the island taking into account that Kagu is my main target bird but I would also watch more endemic and special birds?

- In the case that I consider to combine my visit to New Caledonia to any other territory in the area, what is the best option (Vanuatu, Fidji, Samoa, ...)?

Thanks in advance,

Jose Ramon
 
I gather Yves is a decent age now so may no longer be guiding. Jean-Marc Meriot works at Riviere Bleue and knows about the birds; I think I have read of him guiding groups, but I don't have contact details.

If you search here on BirdForum you will find a report of a trip by me where I got most of the main island birds in three days. That doesn't include visiting the Loyalty Islands and I'd suggest at least an extra day for backup.

As mentioned in my report the wet season is around March/April, and sometimes Riviere Bleue gets closed if water levels are too high. So I don't think that is the best time to visit.
 
I was 5 x in New Caledonia.
For plants I met the brother from Yves, who managed endemia.nc.
For birds I met Vivien Chartendrault from ornitogical society.
I bought the book Oiseaux de la Chaine Central Province Nord de Nouvelle - Caledonie from Vivien Chartendrault, Frederic Desmoulins, Nicolas Barre.
Is french but very good maps.
 
I preferred November.
It is cool bad weather in Germany, warm weather with a little bit longer days in NC.
Main rain season with cyclons starts usually from December.
But it does not mean you will have sunny weather in Novmeber.
One year I had 25 sunny does in Novmeber, one year later 25 mostly rainy days.
In the rainy years I had lots of flowering plants. Remember NC has more than 2.700 endemic plants included Amborelle trichopoda( flowers in March ), from the first flowering plant family in the world ( one plant is the whole family today, endemic ).
To find Kagu outside breed season ( September, begin of October ? ), is very easy. If you stay 3 -4 days in Parc Riviere Bleue, I would say almost 100 % sure you will see different birds.
Crow Honeyeater is much more difficult.
Go to Point Germain, than back to entry to next turn ( learn the voice is big advantage ).


For endemic birds you need to travel to Lifou ( Small and Big Lifou Whiteeye ) and Ouvea ( in the north of the island ).
International airport is far away from Noumea, national airport close to town.
 
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