Sonder is a small district town in Minahasa regency of Indonesia. It is surrounded by mountainous forest, hills, wetland (rice fields), and water streams. Ecologically, this is a good place for birding.
Since March this year, I have done numerous exploratory birding trips in the forest, agricultural land, and terraces of paddy fields of District Sonder.
In higher elevation forest, I saw a number of interesting species including the endemic ones. I went to the forest by motorcycle early in the morning at 06:00 and reached the top at around 06:15, the trees were still covered by fog. However, it did not take long for it to disappear. For birding, I only walked down the slope holding my binoculars and an old bridge camera - the Fujifilm HS50EXR.
There were Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, White-faced Cuckoo-dove, Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Superb Fruit Dove, Red-eared Fruit Dove, Warbling White-eye, Black-faced Munia, Chestnut Munia, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Collared Kingfisher, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Purple Needletail, Crimson Sunbird, Sulawesi Drongo, and etc.
After 09:30, I usually returned to Sonder town to have a plate of warm vegetable soup and hot coffee or tea as my breakfast.
There was a small forest in the middle of Sonder town, at Tounelet slope, behind Siloam Hospital. There, we could find Slender-billed Crow, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Black-naped Oriole, Pale Blue Monarch, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Barn Swallow, Turquoise Flycatcher, Brush Cuckoo, White-nest Swiftlet, Glossy-Swiftlet, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Sahul Sunbird, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
Birding could be done along the roadside. After birding in this small forest, I took a rest. Birds were not so active between 11:00 and 15:00 local time.
There were roads in the farmland and paddy fields of Sonder. So, everybody could enjoy easy birding and sightseeing walk. Most of the birds that could be watched were the ones that eat small fish, insects and grain, such as Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Purple Heron, Cinnamon Bittern, Rock Pigeon, Zebra Dove, White-breasted Woodswallow, Pacific Swallow, Finch-billed Myna, Hair-crested Drongo, Spotted Dove and etc.
Visitors who are interested in birding in Sonder town and its surrounding areas can spend around 3 to 5 days.
I have written a number of articles about my birding activities in Sonder and Minahasa highland in my blog and website. Anyone could see them at these links: Wildlife Minahasa.
and Ecotours Indonesia - Birdwatching Malagufuk and Wildlife Watching Tour in North Sulawesi, Minahasa, Tangkoko, Raja Ampat, Sorong city, Tambrauw, Bali.
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