Bird Watching Indonesia – Birds of Paradise

Did you know that many of the tourists who travel to Indonesia (outside of Bali) come for one of two reasons? One group are the scuba divers and the second group are birders! Birders (or Twitchers as they are often called) are an adventurous group of people who love tracking their favorite animals. Of course at the end of the day it’s always great to finish a tough day of bird tracking by coming home to a private luxury yacht!

Indonesia is a top destination for birders. There are over 1700 species found within this archipelago of 17,000 islands. Many species are endemic to their particular island, which means they aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Not only are many of the birds unique, they are also spectacular. Some of the most spectacular are the “Bird of Paradise” family. These beautiful birds are only found in parts of Indonesia Papua, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a few islands in the Maluku region.

The Bird of Paradise

There are over 40 different Birds of Paradise and they are some of the most stunning birds on Earth. In fact, the plumage of the males became a real fashion piece in Europe for hundreds of years in the 16th century and beyond. However, this drove many of these birds to the brink of extinction. Hunting of these birds continues to this day and was especially evident in the 19th and 20th centuries for military plumage.

Thankfully though, bird watching tourism is now a strong industry and many ex bird hunters are now guides instead. One of the best places to find these birds is Raja Ampat. The two species that we find there are the Red Bird of Paradise and the Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. These two beautiful birds are found on the islands of Waigeo and Batanta. In fact, they are not found on the mainland and are endemic to Raja Ampat.

Bird Watching in Raja Ampat

When in Raja Ampat, we believe our guests deserve to encounter all of the best the area has to offer. Of course this means swimming on the reefs, visiting the incredible beaches, and walking to amazing lookouts. It should also include finding these amazing birds. We work with local villagers in the Dampier Strait area who are expert bird guides. They know all of the top spots to find these beautiful animals. As an added bonus, they can also spot other birds in the area. The best time to see the birds is at sunrise when the males perform their mating dance. It’s an early morning wakeup call but the reward is so worth it!

The Samata Private Luxury Yacht for Bird Watchers

Of course for many birders a trip to places like Raja Ampat usually means setting up a camp in the wild. But why rough it when you can use a luxury vessel as your platform? With our private boat experience, we work with you to plan your trip to suit your needs. For a small group of birding enthusiasts the Samata is the perfect boat to host your Raja Ampat bird watching adventure.