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Sulawesi

Blue-fronted Blue Flycatcher Eumyias hoevelli ©Andy Walker Website

Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world’s 11th-largest island, covering an area of over 180,000 km² (c.70,000 square miles). With a population of over 20 million people. The Capital and largest city is Makassar with a population of 1.5 million, three times as many as the second city Manado. It is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Within Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger populations.

The landmass of Sulawesi includes four peninsulas: the northern Minahasa Peninsula, the East Peninsula, the South Peninsula, and the Southeast Peninsula. Three gulfs separate these peninsulas: the Gulf of Tomini between the northern Minahasa and East peninsulas, the Tolo Gulf between the East and Southeast peninsulas, and the Bone Gulf between the South and Southeast peninsulas. The Strait of Makassar runs along the western side of the island and separates the island from Borneo. The central part of the island is ruggedly mountainous, such that the island’s peninsulas have traditionally been remote from each other, with better connections by sea than by road. The economy of Sulawesi is heavily centred around agriculture, fishing, mining, and forestry.

The Selayar Islands make up a peninsula stretching southwards from Southwest Sulawesi into the Flores Sea are administratively part of Sulawesi. The Sangihe Islands and Talaud Islands stretch northward from the northeastern tip of Sulawesi, while Buton Island and its neighbours lie off its southeast peninsula, the Togian Islands are in the Gulf of Tomini, and Peleng Island and Banggai Islands form a cluster between Sulawesi and Maluku. All the above-mentioned islands, and many smaller ones are administratively part of Sulawesi’s six provinces. Sulawesi, in contrast to most of the other islands in the biogeographical region of Wallacea, is not truly oceanic, but a composite island at the centre of the Asia-Australia collision zone. Parts of the island were formerly attached to either the Asian or Australian continental margin and became separated from these areas by vicariant processes.

Birding Sulawesi

Sulawesi is part of Wallacea, meaning that it has a mix of both Indo-Malayan and Australasian species that reached the island by crossing deep-water oceanic barriers.

There are 8 national parks on the island, of which 4 are mostly marine. The parks with the largest terrestrial area are Bogani Nani Wartabone with 2,871 km2 and Lore Lindu National Park with 2,290 km2. Bunaken National Park which protects a rich coral ecosystem has been proposed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park ©Hardi A. Gani

Sulawesian bird species tend to be found on other nearby islands as well, such as Borneo. However, 31% of Sulawesi’s birds are found nowhere else. One endemic bird is the largely ground-dwelling, chicken-sized maleo, a megapode which uses hot sand close to the island’s volcanic vents to incubate its eggs. Others (also found on small neighbouring islands) include the flightless snoring rail and the Sulawesi masked owl. There are around 350 known bird species in Sulawesi. An international partnership of conservationists, donors, and local people have formed the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation, in an effort to raise awareness and protect the nesting grounds of these birds on the central-eastern arm of the island.

Birding in Sulawesi is an amazing experience not least because nearly 100 of the 500 or so birds which have been recorded are endemic (67) or near endemic (26) (some say as many as 100 full endemic species) First-time visitors will be forgiven for thinking that they are in that avian paradise they have always dreamt of, where almost every different species they see is a new one. Furthermore, it is possible to see a high percentage of these unique and often extraordinary birds by visiting just three sites: Tangkoko NR and Dumoga – Bone NP at the northeastern corner of Sulawesi.

This page is sponsored by Birding Ecotours

Top Sites

  • Banggai

    InformationSatellite View
    A nice selection of Sula endemics after a short boat ride from Luwuk, including the newly rediscovered Banggai Crow.

  • Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (Formerly Dumoga Bone NP)

    InformationSatellite View
    A massive national park which has only partially been explored. Known sites include Tambun for Maleo and some nice lowland birding…

  • Gunung Ambang

    InformationSatellite View
    Montane birding in north Sulawesi. Not as many species as Lore Lindu, but a few things are easier to see here.

  • Gunung Mahawu

    InformationSatellite View
    Just outside Manado and a great spot for Scaly Kingfisher.

  • Lake Tondano

    InformationSatellite View
    Near Manado and good for waterbirds and migrant raptors.

  • Lore Lindu National Park

    InformationSatellite View
    Lore Lindu NP is home to most of Sulawesi’s endemic species, including the magnificent Red-Knobbed Hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) which is common and the largest bird in the park with a wing span of over one meter. Speckled Boobook, Yellow-breasted and Golden-mantle Racquet-tail, Green Imperial Pigeon, Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon, Sulawesi Hanging parrot, Pygmy and Ashy Woodpeckers, Purple-bearded Bee-eater (Jul – Sep); White-neck Myna, Red-bellied pitta, etc. And the Maleo bird, a megapode that buries its single large egg in the warm sand to be incubated by the heat of underground hot springs. Two other endemic birds are the Sulawesi woodcock (Scolopax celebensis) and Heinrich’s Nightjar. Sulawesi woodcock is rarely seen; many birdwatchers visit this park but miss it.

  • Makassar Environs

    InformationSatellite View
    An endemic white-eye and some good migrant shorebirds can be found by those with a few hours to kill between flights.

  • Sangihe, Talaud & Siau

    WebpageSatellite View
    The string of islands off north Sulawesi including Sangihe, Siau and Talaud are not so easy to get to, but loads of great endemics await those who try it.

  • Tangkoko Nature Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    Easy access and a great introduction to Sulawesi's birds.
Contributors

  • Royke Mananta

    Sulawesi | lorelindu@yahoo.com

Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 519

    (As at April 2024)
Endemics

  • Number of endemics: 111

    Maleo Macrocephalon maleo
    Sula Scrubfowl Megapodius bernsteinii
    Sulawesi Ground Dove Gallicolumba tristigmata
    White-bellied Imperial Pigeon Ducula forsteni
    Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon Ducula radiata
    Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon Ducula luctuosa
    Red-eared Fruit Dove Ptilinopus fischeri
    Maroon-chinned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus subgularis
    White-faces Cuckoo-dove Turacoena manadensis
    Sombre Pigeon Cryptophaps poecilorrhoa
    Heinrich's Nightjar Eurostopodus diabolicus
    Sulawesi Nightjar Caprimulgus celebensis
    Sulawesi Woodcock Scolopax celebensis
    Bay Coucal Centropus celebensis
    Yellow-billed Malkoha Rhamphococcyx calyorhynchus
    Sulawesi Hawk-cuckoo Cuculus crassirostris
    Black-billed Koel Eudynamys melanorhynchus
    Snoring Rail Aramidopsis plateni
    Blue-faced Rail Gymnocrex rosenbergii
    Talaud Rail Gymnocrex talaudensis
    Isabelline Bush-hen Amaurornis isabellina
    Talaud Bush-hen Amaurornis magnirostris
    Sulawesi Serpent Eagle Spilornis rufipectus
    Sulawesi Goshawk Accipiter griseiceps
    Spot-tailed Goshawk Accipiter trinotatus
    Small Sparrowhawk Accipiter nanus
    Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk Accipiter rhodogaster
    Sulawesi Golden Owl Tyto inexspectata
    Sulawesi Owl Tyto rosenbergii
    Taliabu Masked Owl Tyto nigrobrunnea
    Togian Hawk-owl Ninox burhani
    Ochre-bellied Hawk-owl Ninox ochracea
    Cinnabar Boobook Ninox ios
    Speckled Boobook Ninox punctulata
    Sulawesi Scops Owl Otus manadensis
    Siau Scops Owl Otus siaoensis
    Sangihe Scops Owl Otus collari
    Sulawesi Hornbill Penelopides exarhatus
    Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix
    Ashy Woodpecker Mulleripicus fulvus
    Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos temminckii
    Purple-bearded Bee-eater Meropogon forsteni
    Purple-winged Roller Coracias temminckii
    Great-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis melanorhyncha
    Sulawesi Kingfisher Ceyx fallax
    Green-backed Kingfisher Actenoides monachus
    Scaly Kingfisher Actenoides princeps
    Talaud Kingfisher Todiramphus enigma
    Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher Cittura cyanotis
    Yellowish-breasted Racquet-tail Prioniturus flavicans
    Golden-mantled Racquet-tail Prioniturus platurus
    Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio
    Ornate Lorikeet Trichoglossus ornatus
    Yellow-cheeked Lorikeet Saudareos meyeri
    Great Hanging Parrot Loriculus stigmatus
    Sangihe Hanging Parrot Loriculus catamene
    Red-billed Hanging Parrot Loriculus exilis
    Sula Hanging Parrot Loriculus sclateri
    Sulawesi Myzomela Myzomela chloroptera
    Dark-eared Myza Myza celebensis
    White-eared Myza Myza sarasinorum
    Caerulean Cuckooshrike Coracina temminckii
    Pied Cuckooshrike Coracina bicolor
    White-rumped Cuckooshrike Coracina leucopygia
    Slaty Cuckooshrike Coracina schistacea
    Sulawesi Cicadabird Edolisoma morio
    Pygmy Cuckooshrike Celebesica abbotti
    Ivory-backed Woodswallow Artamus monachus
    White-rumped Triller Lalage leucopygialis
    Pale-blue Monarch Hypothymis puella
    Olive-flanked Whistler Hylocitrea bonensis
    Maroon-backed Whistler Coracornis raveni
    Sangihe Shrikethrush Coracornis sanghirensisa
    Sulphur-bellied Whistler Pachycephala sulfuriventer
    Sulawesi Drongo Dicrurus montanus
    Sulawesi Fantail Rhipidura teysmanni
    Piping Crow Corvus typicus
    Banggai Crow Corvus unicolor
    Tanahjampea Monarch Symposiachrus everetti
    Cerulean Flycatcher Eutrichomyias rowleyi
    Yellow-sided Flowerpecker Dicaeum aureolimbatum
    Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker Dicaeum nehrkorni
    Grey-sided Flowerpecker Dicaeum celebicum
    Elegant Sunbird Aethopyga duyvenbodei
    Malia Malia grata
    Sulawesi Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus sarasinorum
    Pale-bellied White-eye Zosterops consobrinorum
    Lemon-throated White-eye Zosterops anomalus
    Togian White-eye Zosterops somadikartai
    Sangihe White-eye Zosterops nehrkorni
    Black-crowned White-eye Zosterops atrifrons
    Streaky-headed White-eye Lophozosterops squamiceps
    Sulawesi Babbler Trichastoma celebense
    Pale-bellied Myna Acridotheres cinereus
    Sulawesi Myna Basilornis celebensis
    White-necked Myna Streptocitta albicollis
    Bare-eyed Myna Streptocitta albertinae
    Fiery-browed Myna Enodes erythrophris
    Finch-billed Myna Scissirostrum dubium
    Blue-fronted Flycatcher Cyornis hoevelli
    Matinan Flycatcher Cyornis sanfordi
    Sulawesi Blue-flycatcher Cyornis omissus
    Sulawesi Strteaked Flycatcher Muscicapa sodhii
    Rufous-throated Flycatcher Ficedula rufigula
    Lompobattang Flycatcher Ficedula bonthaina
    Geomalia Geomalia heinrichi
    Sulawesi Thrush Cataponera turdoides Great Shortwing Heinrichia calligyna
    Red-backed Thrush Zoothera erythronota
    Sulawesi Mountain-thrush Zoothera heinrichi
    Red-and-Black Thrush Zoothera mendeni
Checklist

  • Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Sulawesi Archipelago , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers.

  • BirdLife Data Zone

    Checklist
    Almost all of the restricted-range species are forest birds, and they are found at all altitudes on the island. Many of these species appear to be patchily distributed on Sulawesi; this is partly a result of uneven coverage by ornithologists, but also a reflection of local variations in forest type related to altitude, climate, soil and landform.

  • Wikipedia

    Endemics Checklist
    Endemic birds of Sulawesi links to individual pages
Useful Reading

  • A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea

    | (Sulawesi, The Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia) | By Brian J Coates & K David Bishop | Dove Publications | 1997 | Hardback | 535 pages, 64 col plates [697 species], colour photos, maps, illustrations | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780959025736 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of the Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sundas and the Moluccas

    | By Norman Arlott | William Collins (HarperCollins imprint) | 2018 | Hardback | 416 pages, 179 plates with colour illustrations; colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780008102395 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • The Birds of Sulawesi

    | By Derek Holmes | Oxford University Press | 1996 | Hardback | 120 pages, 142 col & 22 b/w illustration | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789835600050 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations

  • Burung Nusantara

    Website
    Burung Nusantara aims to become a home for the growing number of dedicated and enthusiastic birdwatchers, bird conservationists, bird clubs and local bird conservation NGOs across Indonesia. It also aims to promote Indonesian birds and bird conservation to the rest of the world. Find information about the top birdwatching sites in Sulawesi
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NP Bantimurung – Bulusaraung

    InformationSatellite View
    Located in the transition area of Asia and Australia zone, the national park has many unique animals collection, such as Sulawesi moor macaque (Macaca maura), the red-knobbed hornbill (Aceros cassidix, Penelopides exarhatus), cuscus (Strigocuscus celebensis), Sulawesi palm civet (Macrogalidia musschenbroekii), bat, and pot-bellied boar (Sus scrofa vittatus). Recently, in March 2008, staffs of Bantimurung – Bulusaraung National Park had documented the existence of Tarsius fuscus and they also found its nest inside the area.

  • NP Bogani Nani Wartabone

    InformationSatellite View
    The park has been identified by Wildlife Conservation Society as the single most important site for the conservation of Sulawesi wildlife and is home to a large number of species endemic to Sulawesi. The maleo megapode is endemic to the island and is the park's mascot. Maleo birds have been bred successfully in this park, and as per February 2012, about 3,300 birds have been released to their habitat. Hungoyono camp in Bone Bolango is the largest maleo habitat which the conservationists have 4 breeding sites.

  • NP Bunaken

    InformationSatellite View
    A very rich coral ecosystem covers most of Bunaken National Park, dominated by fringing reef and barrier reef corals. On land, the islands are rich in species of palm, sago, woka, silar and coconut. Among the animal species that live on the land and the beaches are Celebes crested macaque, Timor Deer, and Sulawesi bear cuscus.

  • NP Gandang Dewata

    InformationSatellite View
    LIPI research in 2013 shows that Gandang Dewata is a habitat for a number of endemic bird species, and even found a number of new species that need to be maintained

  • NP Kepulauan Togean

    InformationSatellite View
    Kepulauan Togean National Park is a largely marine national park, including the Togian Islands, near Sulawesi island.

  • NP Lore Lindu

    InformationSatellite View
    Lore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species endemic to Sulawesi…

  • NP Rawa Aopa Watumohai WII

    InformationSatellite View
    It contains the Aopa peat swamp, the largest in Sulawesi, and is recognised as a wetland of international importance. The park has varied vegetation: sub-montane rain forests, mangrove forests, coastal forests, savanna and freshwater swamp forests. It is home to Babirusa, both species of endangered Anoa – miniature water buffaloes – and 155 bird species, of which 37 are endemic to Sulawesi. Birds in the park include the maleo, lesser adjutant, woolly-necked stork, collared kingfisher, Yellow-crested cockatoo, vinous-breasted sparrowhawk, Sulawesi black pigeon and Nicobar pigeon. The park also provides habitat to a population of 170 endangered milky storks.[1] Primates in the park include the spectral tarsier and the vulnerable booted macaque.

  • NP Wakatobi

    InformationSatellite View
    It consists of four larger islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, as well as many small islands such as Tokobao, North Lintea, South Lintea, Kampenaune, Hoga and Tolandono. Habitats found in the national park are mangrove forest, coastal forest, lowland swamp forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest, mountain rainforest and coral reefs.

  • NR Tangkoko Batuangus

    InformationSatellite View
    The reserve covers an area of 8,700 hectares and includes three mountains: Mount Tangkoko (1,109 meters), Mount Dua Saudara (1,361 meters) and Mount Batuangus (450 meters). Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve protects at least 127 mammal, 233 bird and 104 reptile and amphibian species. Of these 79 mammal, 103 bird and 29 reptile and amphibian species are endemic to the island. Birds include the knobbed hornbill, Sulawesi hornbill and maleo

  • WR Gunung Manembo-nembo

    Limited InformationSatellite View
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    The fauna of the vast island country of Indonesia is characterized by high levels of biodiversity and endemism due to its distribution over a vast tropical archipelago. Many sources credit Indonesia as the most species-rich country on earth. Indonesia is divided into two ecological regions; western Indonesia, which is more influenced by Asian fauna, and the east, which is more influenced by Australasian species.

  • Delina Panontongan - Tourist Guide

    Tour Operator
    For those who want to have an experinces to Morowali Reserves and the Togian Islands also available to start after Lore Lindu Trip. In Lore Lindu National Park we can also do a Lore Lindu birdwatching for searching the Geomalia, Diabolical Nightjars, Great shortwings, Olive Flanked Whistlers, etc

  • Rockjumper Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Our Sulawesi & Halmahera - Wallacean Endemics tour comprehensively covers much of the area’s available habitats, maximizing our chance to find the more than one hundred range-restricted bird species confined to this fabulous region…

  • Sulawesi Birding

    Tour Operator
    Began from hobby and interest to outdoor activity and community development, in 2002 we established Adventurindo. One of our division is ‘adventurindo’, which purpose to managed professionally the natural wonder of North Sulawesi and make wild nature adventure become tourist attraction. Hopefully, by serving you this wild nature adventure we share you the pleasure of natural beauty and build your respect to it.

  • Sultan Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Sultan Birding Tours Indonesia is a local birding tour operator based in Manado, North Sulawesi of Indonesia and offering unforgettable private guided birding and wildlife photography trips to West Papua for Bird-of-Paradise; Arfak Mountains, Jayapura-Nimbokrang, Waigeo-raja ampat island, Biak, Ballliem Valley, also We guided birding trip all over Sulawesi; Tangkoko Nature Reserve, Gunung Mahawu Tomohon, Dumoga Nani Wartabone National Park, Lore Lindu National Park, Karaenta forest and other part of including Bali, Kalimantan, Java, Sumatera, Kalimantan, Flores and other birding destinations in Indonesia.

  • Vacation Indonesia Tours

    Tour Operator
    Vacation Indonesia Tours, owned by Nurlin Djuni & Darwin Sumang, is your gateway to Indonesia. We can immerse you in our culture, heritage and our extraordinarily diverse natural history. The Islands of Indonesia are justly famous for birdwatching. Over 372 species have been recorded and many are found nowhere else. Nurlin Djuni specialises in Birdwatching/Holidays Tours in Sulawesi, Halmahera, Papua, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Lesser Sundas and Sumatera
Trip Reports

  • 2015 [09 September] - Sam Woods - Sulawesi & the Moluccas

    PDF Report
    ...stunning birds to boot, and are rightly revered as some of the most highly desired species in all of the region; a quick perusal of our final bird list reveals exquisite birds like Sulawesi Dwarf-Kingfisher, Lilac-cheeked and Green-backed Kingfishers, Knobbed and Blyth’s Hornbills, Moluccan and Ivory-breasted Pittas, Purple-winged and Azure Rollers (A.K.A “Purple Dollarbird”), Rusty-backed (Red-backed) Thrush, and the astonishing Wallace’s Standardwing.

  • 2017 [09 September] - Sam Woods

    PDF Report
    The oddly-shaped islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera boast many endemic birds, so are must visit destinations for big listers, people interested in finding all the families (i.e. Hylocitrea on Sulawesi), or those looking to see some of Asia’s best- looking birds.

  • 2017 [09 September] - Zoothera

    PDF Report
    The list of highlight species above, seen on this birding tour to Sulawesi and Halmahera, gives a quick insight to why it remains a highly-desirable destination for birding trips with not only a wealth of endemic species but a large number of really striking birds. We found a very high proportion of our target species which included birds from a wide range of families and almost all of our top priority targets

  • 2017 [11 November] - Mike Nelson

    PDF Report
    When Alfred Russel Wallace arrived on Sulawesi he noticed the distinctly Australasian tone of the avifauna compared to the Malay Archipelago with its distinct Asian tone. This dividing line between Borneo and Sulawesi extending south to Bali became known as Wallace’s Line and it began his independent development of the idea of evolution through natural selection. It was also his work in these islands where he noticed habitat preferences among species which led to him being known as the father of biogeography. Over 150 years later the fou pronged isl and of Sulawesi and its smaller cousin Halmahera still represent that Australasian flavour and their isolation over millennia have created an array of endemics much sought-after by birders.

  • 2018 [06 June] - Carlos Bocos - Southwest and Central Sulawesi, and Halmahera

    PDF Report
    Our first tour of the year to Sulawesi and Halmahera was another endemic fest, as expected. This custom tour, focused in the southern and central parts of Sulawesi followed by Halmahera, covered the lowlands of Makassar and Palu to the mossy forests of the Lompobattang mountains and Lore Lindu, delivering a great selection of endemics despite its short duration. Highlights of the south included Black-headed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher, Black-ringed White-eye and the Endangered Lompobattang Flycatcher.

  • 2018 [08 August] - Sam Woods - Halmahera

    PDF Report
    By combining the two oddly-shaped islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera we racked up a substantial list of specialties, some 128 endemic species were recorded within a grand total of 274 species. The two islands are close, sitting within Wallacea, the transition zone between Oriental and Australasian avifaunas.

  • 2018 [10 October] - Craig Robson

    PDF Report
    With an ever-evolving and improving itinerary this fantastic tour continues to produce the goods. With our first ever visit to the North Moluccan islands of Morotai and Bacan, the addition of Obi as a post-tour extension, and further explorations in the Lompobattang mountains of SW Sulawesi, we were able to amass an impressive total of 320 species, including as many as nine or more Birdquest lifers.

  • 2018 [11 November] - Steve Clark - Sulawesi & Halmera

    Report
    This report covers a 3-week trip to Indonesia, primarily Sulawesi and Halmahera. I had not been to Indonesia before but had spent a week on East Timor in 2013.

  • 2019 [10 October] - Mike Nelson - Sulawesi & Halmahera

    PDF Report
    Our scheduled tour covers both the islands well and our first tour this year racked up an impressive 132 endemics among the 269 species we recorded, with five being heard only. We

  • 2019 [11 November] - Mike Nelson - Sulawesi & Halmahera

    PDF Report
    Our scheduled tour covers both the islands thoroughly and our second tour this year racked up an impressive 129 endemics from the 265 species we recorded, three being heard only.

  • 2019 [12 December] - Carlos Bocos - Remote Sulawesi

    PDF Report
    Our third Remote Sulawesi tour was, as expected, a real adventure through some of the least-visited islands throughout the whole of the archipelago. After a nice start near Manado with Scaly Kingfisher as highlight, Talaud was hard work, catching up with the usual suspects such as Talaud Pitta and Talaud Kingfishr, while the rarest jewels toiled with us.

  • 2020 [09 September] - Andy Walker

    PDF Report
    The island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) offers some of the best birding in Indonesia, and that’s saying something for a country made up of over 17,500 islands sprawling across 3,181 miles (5,120 kilometers) from east to west, and 1,094 miles (1,760 kilometers) from north to south, including the ‘famous’ islands of New Guinea (Papua and West Papua), Borneo (Kalimantan), Halmahera, Java, Bali, and Sumatra to name a few, and which has a bird list of nearly 1,800 species!

  • 2022 [07 July] - Andrew Walkwe - Sulawesi and Halmahera

    PDF Report
    Some of the birding highlights included Moluccan Megapode, Maleo, White (Umbrella) Cockatoo, Moluccan King Parrot, Golden-mantled Racket-tail, Moluccan Hanging Parrot, Knobbed Hornbill, Sulawesi Hornbill, Blyth’s Hornbill, Goliath Coucal, Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle, Gurney’s Eagle, Pygmy Eagle, Barred (Sulawesi) Honey Buzzard, Sulawesi Masked Owl, Eastern Grass Owl, Ochre-bellied Boobook, Speckled Boobook, Halmahera Boobook, Satanic Nightjar, Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher, Sulawesi Lilac Kingfisher, Great-billed Kingfisher, Blue-and-white Kingfisher, Sombre Kingfisher, Common (Halmahera) Paradise Kingfisher, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Halmahera Paradise-crow, (Wallace’s) Standardwing, Hylocitrea, Malia, Lompobattang Flycatcher, and Lompobattang Leaf Warbler.

  • 2022 [08 August] - Dave Farrow - Sulawesi & Halmahera

    PDF Report
    ...On Sulawesi we enjoyed the delights of montane forest birding at Lore Lindu where we saw six Satanic Nightjars, Sombre Pigeon, Cinnabar and Speckled Boobook, Sulawesi Masked Owl, Eastern Grass Owl, Sulawesi Serpent and Sulawesi Hawk Eagles, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Sulawesi Thrush, White-eared Myza and Hylocitrea...
Other Links

  • Birding in Sulawesi

    Website
    Information about birding sites in Sulawesi, including key species, maps, access, local guides and resources. Sulawesi has the highest percentage of endemic birds of any island in the world. The birding in many places is also easy, and almost all the endemic species can be seen at a small number of sites in the centre and north. For those looking for more adventure (and more birds!) the islands off the north of Sulawesi (Sangihe, Talaud, Siau) are also packed with goodies, as are the islands to the east (Banggai, Peleng). If that
Photographers & Artists

  • Photographer - Marie-France Grenouillet

    Gallery
    Excellent photos of North Sulawesi birds

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