What is your favorite bird species?
Snow Mountains Robin
Blyth’s Hornbill
What is your name, and where do you live?
Demi Wasage, Indonesia
White-bibbed Fruit Dove
What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?
Indonesia: Raja Ampat, Sorong, Manokwari, Jayapura, Wamena, and highland Papua New Guinea
Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler
How long have you been a bird guide?
21 years
Black Sicklebill
How did you get into bird guiding?
First, I built my Traveling company, called Trek-Papua. I put all the information related to Papuans’ Experience, such as trekking, filming, cultural tours, and wildlife photography. I added some info about bird photography in my country. Many photographers contacted me, and then, I became interested in working with bird photographers. This is relatively easy to organize, and the photographers tend to be patient – they focus on one bird until they get the right shot. This means that I have time to discuss the importance of our rainforests as the home of New Guinea Wildlife with the indigenous tribal people.
Crescent-caped Lophorina
What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most?
I like to be a conservationist. So, I have more time to teach locals the advantages of protecting forests. | dislike aspects, such as locals killing Papuan endemic birds for souvenirs and bird traffickers selling birds to other parts of Indonesia and worldwide through black markets.
Biak Hooded Pitta
What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that are the most interesting for visiting birders?
- Magnificent Bird-of-paradise
- Western Parotia
- Arfak Astrapia
- Black Sicklebill
- Buff-tailed Sicklebill
- Superb Bird-of-paradise
- Long-tailed Paradigalla
- Spotted Jewel-babbler
- Masked Bowerbird
- Mountain Owlet-nightjar
- Lesser Bird-of-paradise
- Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise
- Magnificent Riflebird
- King Bird-of-paradise
- Pale-billed Sicklebill
- Red Bird-of-paradise
- Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise
Spotted Jewel-babbler
Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds, and the approximate duration of such a trip
The Lesser Birds-of-Paradise in Jayapura is easiest to see dancing in the morning from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and from 14:00 PM to 17:00 PM. Not only lesser BoP, but some endemic birds such as pigeons, white & black cockatoo, coconut lorry, Papuan pygmy parrot, and many more birds are easy to hear & see in a mini adventure.
Hooded Pitohui
What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?
Bird photographers need to bring extra batteries, binoculars, trekking shoes, rubber boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts or sweaters, rain coats, sunglasses, sun screen lotion, mosquito repellent, a camera with a tele lens, and a smile.
Red-breasted Pygmy-parrot
If any readers of 10,000 Birds are interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?
They can contact me by WhatsApp +6281247628708 or e-mail: trekpapua@gmail.com
Biak Black Flycatcher
Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?
Papua is safe for travelers.
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