Solomon Islands trip report 29-6-96 to 21-7-96
by Gerry Richards, 15/5 Lister Avenue, Rockdale, NSW, Australia
Introduction
This report covers a visit to the Solomon Islands from 29th
June to 21st July 1996. For the first two weeks I was accompanied
by my wife Lucy, and although we put a fair bit of effort into
finding birds, a little time was set aside for relaxation. In
addition to the main island of Guadalcanal, I visited Rennell,
Ghizo, Kolombangra and Makira. Although many places lack a well
developed tourist infrastructure, the local people were almost
always friendly and helpful, which for us made this an enjoyable
holiday as well as a successful birding trip.
Essential for any visit to the Solomons is the Lonely Planet
Solomon Islands Travel Survival Kit, which provides a wealth of
information on even the most remote to islands. We found the guide to
be informative and accurate, although inevitably a few changes
have taken place since the most recent edition (1993) was
published.
The Solomons are easily accessible from Australia. There are
currently three Solomon Airlines flights a week between Honiara
and Brisbane, with connections to Sydney and Melbourne. Note
however that the time allowed to make the connection in Brisbane
(you have to change terminals) is often not very long, and if your
flight is delayed you could miss out. We made our connections but
I heard of people who did not. If were doing the journey again I
would ensure that I had plenty of time to make the connecting
flight, even if this meant spending a night in Brisbane.
Flying is really the only option for getting to the major
islands within the Solomons if your time is limited. There are
boats to just about everywhere, but these are notoriously
unreliable. We booked all our internal flights, flying Solomon
Airlines, from Australia. It is wise to reconfirm all flights the
day before as one of ours was brought forward an hour.
We rented a car for three days in Honiara. Total cost for a
Mazda 121 from Budget was S$560 (there are currently 2.75 Solomon
Dollars for one Australian Dollar). If you book in advance they
will come out to meet your flight. If not, you will probably find
the kiosk unattended and have to travel into town to make
arrangements. You can get to most places around Honiara easily by
taxi, but bear in mind that many of the roads are rough, and you
might find a taxi driver unwilling to take his car along roads
that you would happily drive a rental vehicle.
There is a bank at the airport that opens briefly when
international flights arrive. Otherwise money can be changed at
banks or major hotels with a minimum of formalities. You can only
change money in the major towns, which are mentioned in the Lonely
Planet Guide. Once you get off the beaten track there are no
exchange facilities.
The potential risk posed by malaria should not be
underestimated. This is a serious problem in the Solomon Islands
and recent medical advice should be sought and followed. We were
prescribed the antibiotic doxycycline, although one of its side
effects is an increased risk of sunburn, a point to remember if
you go swimming. Many places have tank water which we drank with
no ill effects, as was the case with stream water in the
mountains. We drank bottled water in Honiara although this is
fairly expensive. We were not much troubled by insects, the only
things that bit us were tiny red ants (which were accidentally
introduced from Queensland on a bunch of coconuts), but the
inconvenience was short-lived.
Although there is no Field Guide that covers the Solomon Islands you
should not have too much difficulty identifying the birds, particularly if
you have some previous birding experience
in Australasia. The total number of species in the Solomon
Islands is quite small, and while there are large numbers of some
potentially confusing species (for example White-eyes), there is
generally only one or two species in any particular locality.
Mayr's, Birds of the Southwest Pacific gives a brief descriptions
of all species, although a bit of detective work is needed to
bring the taxonomy up to date. Other useful sources that include
Bougainville (ornithologically but not politically part of the
Solomons) are Birds of the North Solomons by Hadden, and Birds of
Papua New Guinea by Coates. See the bibliography for full details.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to a number of people who helped me with
information prior to my visit. In particular, David Gibbs for his
information on all islands, but especially for his Roviana Rail
site. Joy Pegler gave me much information on Rennell, and David
Bishop offered helpful comments for Guadalcanal.
David Gibbs is planning to produce a comprehensive report
based on a three month visit to the Solomons in 1994. He is keen
to receive any records of sightings so that they may be included
in his report. His address is:
28 Blackamoor Lane
Maidenhead
Berks. SL6 8RD
England
Itinerary
29/6 Arrived Honiara and collected rental car. Late afternoon
visit to Mt. Austen.
30/6 Early morning to Mt. Austen. Afternoon drove to western end
of Guadalcanal but saw few birds of interest.
1/7 Early morning and evening visits to Mt. Austen, the latter
in an attempt to locate Solomon Hawk-Owl, but none were
heard calling.
2/7 Morning flight to Rennell followed by tractor ride to Lake
Te'Nggano, where met by the owner of Koe Koe Lodge.
Afternoon attempted to travel by boat to Booby nesting
islands, but were forced to turn back because strong winds
had made the lake too rough.
3/7 Morning walk along road towards Tinggoa. Afternoon
succeeded in reaching Booby nesting islands.
4/7 Morning walk along road towards Tinggoa. Afternoon by
tractor to Tinggoa.
5/7 Morning flight to Honiara. Afternoon flight to Ghizo.
6/7 Morning and afternoon walks along road towards Saeraghi.
7/7 Early morning boat to Iriri Village on Kolombangra. Walked
up to Camp Professor.
8/7 Walked up to summit and returned to Camp Professor.
9/7 Walked down to Iriri Village and on to Kukundu.
10/7 Morning boat to Gizo. Afternoon walk along road towards
Saeraghi.
11/7 Relaxing on Olasana Island.
12/7 Morning walk along road towards Saeraghi. Afternoon flight
to Honiara.
13/7
Morning along track to Tenaroo Falls. Afternoon visit to
Honiara Botanic Gardens.
14/7 Honiara
15/7 Morning flight to Makira. Afternoon birding around
Kirakira.
16/7 Walk from Kirakira to Hauta Village. Afternoon birding
along main track down to coast.
17/7 Morning birding along track down to coast. Afternoon
birding on ridge above Hauta Village.
18/7 Morning birding on ridge above Hauta Village. Afternoon
birding along main track down to coast.
19/7 Morning birding along main track to coast. Afternoon walk
to Kirakira.
20/7 Morning flight to Kirakira. Afternoon Honiara.
21/7 Morning departure to Australia.
Guadalcanal
Mt Austen A very good area for birds only a few kilometers
from Honiara. We drove here but it should be easy to arrange a
taxi to take you there and to bring you back. From Honiara head
towards the airport, and turn right a couple of kilometers east of
town. This junction has a bakery (open early for breakfast) on one
corner and a SDA church on the other. Continue straight ahead,
ignoring all turnoffs to the left and right until you reach a
lookout at the top of a hill. The road continues steeply downhill
from here but is very overgrown. We parked at the lookout and
walked down the road, almost to the river at the bottom. Habitat
is mostly second growth with a few clearings. We saw a Rail on the
track here on two occasions that we have not been able to
identify. It was about the size of a Buff-banded Rail with a long,
thick based, decurved bill and a short erect tail. Head, neck and
underparts were mid grey, the mantle and wings dark slate grey. I
would be most interested in any further information about this
bird. Other notable species at this site included: Finschs Pygmy-
Parrot, Ducorps Cockatoo, Buff-headed Coucal, Ultramarine
Kingfisher, Blyth's Hornbill, Black-headed Myzomela, Solomon
Cuckoo-Shrike and Midget Flowerpecker.
Tenaroo Falls. We went here by taxi and arranged for the
driver to come back and collect us later in the day. The turnoff
for Tenaroo is about 4km. east of the airport, turn right if
coming from Honiara. After a few kilometers you reach the village
of Ando where there is a sign requesting a S$10 custom fee. After
a further lkm. the road forks. Take the left fork which quickly
becomes a walking track and follows the river, crossing it
numerous times. There are now several. villages along this track,
each of which will demand a S$5 custom fee to proceed. We never
went all the way to the waterfall, instead we birded in some
second growth between the second and third villages. Interesting
birds included Buff-headed Coucal, Ultramarine Kingfisher and the
only Black-and.-white Monarch of the trip. Unless you have plenty
of time I would recommend concentrating on Mt. Austen. The habitat
is better, there are fewer people, and you wont be bothered by
custom fees.
Rennell
There are currently two flights a week between Honiara and
Tinggoa airstrip on West Rennell. There are a couple of rest
houses with cooking facilities near the airstrip but most tourists
head for Lake Te'Nggano at the eastern end of the island. At
present the only transport is in an open trailer pulled by a
tractor. Needless to say you are likely to share the trailer with
many other people, animals and agricultural products, all of which
will get very wet if it rains. There is no regular timetable but
it should be around to meet all incoming flights. If you travel to
Lake Te'Nggano remember to arrange for the driver to come and pick
you up. If your flight is in the morning it is best to travel back
the previous afternoon and spend the night at Tinggoa. The
transport situation may soon improve as the island was supposed to
be getting a truck in late 1996.
At Lake TeNggano you have a choice of two lodges. We stayed
at Kia Koe Lodge which has an idyllic setting on top of a small
hill on the east side of the lake (the other is in a village
further along the western shore). If you intend to stay at Kia Koa
it is best to write in advance to the owner, saying when you
intend to arrive, and he will meet the tractor. Also, as there are
very few tourists at present visiting Rennell he will make sure
there is enough food at the lodge. You should write to:
Lance Tango
Kia Koe Lodge
East Rennell
Rennell Bellona Province
Solomon Islands
Accommodation costs S$35 per person per night and meals are
S$14. Boat transport from the road to the lodge costs S$10 per
person, while boat transport on the lake costs S$35 per hour. The
islands with roosting Frigatebirds and nesting Boobies are at the
far end of the lake and will need at least a three hour trip
(perhaps longer if it is rough), allowing for a bit of time to
look at the birds. There are no trails around the lodge so, we came
back to the western side of the lake and walked back along the
road towards Tinggoa. We saw all the endemics with little
difficulty except for the Shrikebill. Our single sighting was
about 3km. along the road.
Ghizo
The main ornithological interest on this island is the
endemic Splendid White-eye. The bird appears to be reasonably
common close to Gizo Town along the road towards Saeraghi, which
can be found by following the directions in the Lonely Planet
Guide. I saw a few White-eyes in a patch of forest just past the
power station, and several more near a cemetery which is reached
by walking a little further along the road, turning right, and
walking a short distance up the hill. Other birds of note included
Pied Goshawk, Yellow-vented Myzomela, and White-capped Monarch.
Kolombangra
We arranged our trip to the 1750m high summit of Mt. Veve
through the Gizo Hotel. It was not cheap. Total cost for two
people was S$1100 which included return boat from Ghizo to
Kolombangra, food, porters, and custom fees. In addition, the
hotel sent someone across to the starting point at Iriri village
to arrange the custom fee with the chief, the hire of the porters,
and to ensure that we would be able to stay at the rest house in
the nearby village of Kukundu on our return. It would certainly be
cheaper to do it yourself, the villagers are quite used to people
going up the mountain, but our main priorities were to, save time
and hassle; and we were well fed.
The first part of the climb is from Iriri village to, an area
known as Camp Professor at about 1000m. We camped here (we had
own tent) for two nights, with a walk up to the summit in between.
Water is available here from a small stream behind the Camp. It is
possible to go to the summit and back in two days, but we felt
this would allow little time for birding along the way. If you are
reasonably fit the climb is not difficult, although there are lots
of fallen logs to scramble over as you approach the top.
Interesting birds below the camp included: Melanesian
Scrubfowl, Buff-headed Coucal White-capped and Kolombangra
Monarchs and Solomon Islands White-eye. From the camp to the
summit we saw Pale Mountain-Pigeon, Meek's Lorikeet, Yellow-vented
Myzomela, and Kolombangra White-eye. We missed one of the island's
most interesting birds, Kolombangra Leaf-Warbler. It is confined
the moss forest near the summit where it is supposed to be
uncommon. We did see Phylloscopus Warblers in this habitat but
they looked like Island Leaf--Warblers to us.
A short distance from Iriri is the village of Kukundu. There
is a comfortable resthouse here which offers the chance to take a
well earned shower after your trek to the summit, and to see the
recently described Roviana Rail in the garden. We saw up to three
Rails evening and morning out in the open on the lawn. If they
fail to appear, try looking on the airstrip. I saw two birds at
the far end (closest to Iriri), and David Gibbs saw four here in
1994.
Makira
The main site for birds on this island is Hauta village which
is a days walk from the main town and airport of Kirakira. The
villagers at Hauta and surrounding settlements have recently
initiated an ecotourism project to, raise revenue as an alternative
to logging their forests. Although the project is aimed primarily
at tour groups that visit three times a year, individual
travellers are welcome provided they make contact with the village
beforehand. This can be done by writing to, the village chief at
the following address:
John Waihuru
Hauta Village
Bauro East
Kirakira
Makira
Solomon Islands
The village can also be contacted through SIDT (Solomon
Islands Development Trust) in Honiara, or by radio through Solomon
Telekom in Honiara or Kirakira (best early in the morning). Guides
will be sent down to meet you; outside the government offices in
Kirakira would be a good place to arrange a meeting. If you start
your walk in the afternoon you will spend the night in a house
about half way to Hauta. If you spend a night in Kirakira there is
a resthouse with cooking facilities (Meda Lodge in the Lonely
Planet Guide).
The cost of accommodation in a traditional village house at
Hauta is S$35 per person per day which includes three meals. I
paid the guides from Kirakira S$15 each, and during my stay I paid
a guide S$10 per day (or part day) day to take me into the forest.
Even if you think you do not need a guide it is accepted practice
to take one as it provides additional revenue for the villagers-
mine was also a good pigeon spotter.
When you see the extent of logging in other parts of the
Solomons it is encouraging to see the creation of a revenue
raising project that preserves the forest. However there is some
pressure within the community to allow logging, so the future
preservation of the forest here depends on the success of this
tourism venture. As an individual you should be prepared to pay a
fair price for the services you receive, and to respect the
customs of the villagers.
>From the village I birded the track back down towards the
coast, and up onto the ridge behind the village. At the time of my
visit there were lots of fruiting trees around which were very
good for pigeons. The one bird I missed here was Dusky Fantail. It
is here but is supposed to be uncommon. Best birds below Hauta
were: Yellow-bibbed and White-headed Fruit-Doves, Chestnut-bellied
Imperial-Pigeon and Duchess Lorikeet. Above the village: Solomon
Sea-Eagle, Yellow-legged Pigeon, Crested Cuckoo-Dove, Bronze
Ground-Dove, Duchess Lorikeet, San Cristobal Thrush and Shade
Warbler.
Species List
The following list uses Clements(1991) names and taxonomy.
AUSTRALASIAN GREBE
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Rennell: Few on Lake Te'Nggano.
GREAT FRIGATEBIRD Fregata minor
Rennell: 100 resting on small islet in Lake Te'Nggano.
LESSER FRIGATEBIRD Fregata ariel
Rennell: Common around Lake Te'Nggano. Ghizo: few around Gizo
Town.
RED-FOOTED BOOBY Sula sula
Rennell: 20-30 pairs nesting on two islets in Lake Te'Nggano.
Several nests with chicks.
BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster
Rennell: Single bird resting on small islet in Lake Te'Nggano.
LITTLE PIED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Rennell: Common on Lake Te'Nggano.
GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
Rennell: Fairly common on Lake Te'Nggano.
PACIFIC REEF EGRET Egretta sacra
Fairly common. Seen on all islands except Rennell.
GREAT EGRET Casmerodius albus
Rennell: I on Lake Te'Nggano.
STRIATED HERON Butorides striatus
Kolombangra: 1 near Kukundu.
AUSTRALIAN IBIS Threskiornis molucca
Rennel I: Common.
OSPREY Pandion haliaetus
Guadalcanal: 1 aprox. 15km. west of Honiara. Rennell: 3 around
Lake Te'Nggano. Kolombangra: 1 near Kukundu.
PACIFIC BAZA Aviceda subcristata
Ghizo: 4 near Gizo Town.
BRAHMINY KITE Haliastur indus
Fairly common. Seen on all islands except Rennell.
SOLOMON SEA-EAGLE
Haliaeetus sanfordi
Makira: 1 over forest ridge above Hauta.
GREY GOSHAWK Accipiter novaehollandiae
Guadalcanal: 2 Mt. Austen. 1 aprox. 25km west of Honiara.
BROWN GOSHAWK: Accipiter fasciatus
Rennell: Several along road west from Lake Te'Nggano.
PIED GOSHAWK Accipiter albogularis
Ghizo: 1 near Gizo Town Kolombangra: 1 near Kukundu. Makira: 4
between coast and Hauta.
PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus
Guadalcanal: 1 Mt. Austen. Kolombangra: 1 at Camp Professor.
MELANESIAN SCRUBFOWL Megapodius eremita
Kolombangra: 1 near Iriri on track to Mt Veve.
BUFF-BANDED RAIL Gallirallus philippensis
Makira: Common morning and evening along road east of Kirakira.
ROVIANA RAIL Gallirallus rovianae
Kolombangra: 3 around Kukundu Guest House and 2 on airstrip
morning and evening.
PURPLE SWAMPHEN Porphyrio porphyrio
Rennell: 4 around Lake Te'Nggano.
WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus
Ghizo: 1 near Gizo town
COMMON SANDPIPER Tringa hypoleucos
Ghizo: 1 on Olasana Island.
ASIAN GOLDEN-PLOVER Pluvialis fulva
Guadalcanal: 25 at Henderson Airport.
GREAT CRESTED-TERN Sterna bergii
Rennell: 4 on Lake Te'Nggano. Ghizo Fairly common.
BLACK-NAPED TERN Sterna sumatrana
Rennell: 12 on Lake Te'Nggano. Ghizo: Fairly common.
BRIDLED TERN Sterna anaethetus
Rennell: 1 on Lake Te'Nggano.
METALLIC PIGEON Columba vitiensis
Kolombangra: Fairly common above and below Camp Professor.
YELLOW-LEGGED PIGEON Columba pallidiceps
Makira: 1 on forest ridge above Hauta.
MACKINLAYS CUCKOO-DOVE Macropygia mackinlayi
Fairly common. Seen on all islands except Makira.
CRESTED CUCKOO-DOVE Reinwardtoena crassirostris
Makira: 2 on forest ridge above Hauta, 1 between Hauta and coast.
STEPHAN'S DOVE Chalcophaps stephani
Guadalcanal: 2 along track to Tenaroo Falls. Makira: 2 between
Hauta and coast.
BRONZE GROUND-DOVE Gallicolumba beccari
Makira: 1 on forest ridge above Hauta. 2 other Ground-Doves
flushed from track in the same area were probably also this
species.
SUPERB FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus superbus
Kolombangra: 1 between Iriri and Camp Professor.
SILVER-CAPPED FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus richardsii
Rennell: Common in forest along road west from Lake Te'Nggano,
YELLOW-BIBBED FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus solomonensis
Makira: Fairly common around Kirakira and Hauta
CLARET-BREASTED FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus viridis
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt.Austen. Ghizo: 4 near Gizo Town.
WHITE-HEADED FRUIT-DOVE Ptilinopus eugeniae
Makira: Several near Hauta.
PACIFIC IMPERIAL-PIGEON Ducula pacifica
Rennell: Seen daily. Aprox. 15 birds in total.
RED-NOBBED IMPERIAL-PIGEON Ducula rubricera
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt.Austen. Kolombangra: Several on
lower slopes of Mt. Veve. Makira: Fairly common around Hauta.
CHESTNUT-BELLIED IMPERIAL-PIGEON Ducula brenchleyi
Makira: 6 feeding in fruiting trees just below Hauta.
PALE MOUNTAIN-PIGEON Gymnophaps solomonesis
Kolombangra: Aprox. 15 near Camp Professor.
FINSCH'S PYGMY--PARROT Micropsitta finschii
Guadalcanal: 3 Mt. Austen. Rennell: 1 along road west from Lake
Te'Nggano. Makira: 7 near Hauta.
SINGING PARROT Geoffroyus herteroclitus
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt.Austen. Rennell: Several along road
west from Lake Te'Nggano. Makira: Several near Kirakira.
ECLECTUS PARROT Eclectus roratus
Guadalcanal: 3 Mt. Austen. Kolombangra: 6 near Iriri. Makira: 10
near Kirakira.
DUCORP'S COCKATO0 Cacatua ducorpsi
Gaudalcanal: 8 Mt.Austen, 10 along track to Tenaroo Falls.
Kolombangra: 5 between Iriri and Camp Professor.
CARDINAL LORY Chalcopsitta cardinalis
Common on Guadalcanal, Ghizo, and Kolombangra. Makira: 2 between
coast and Hauta.
RAINBOW LORIKEET Trichoglossus haemotodus
Common on all islands except Rennell.
YELLOW-BIBBED LORY Lorius chlorocercus
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt. Austen and along track to Tenaroo
Falls. Rennell: 6 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano. Makira:
Fairly common around Hauta.
MEEK'S LORIKEET Charmosyna meeki
Kolombangra: 20 around Camp Professor.
DUCHESS LORIKEET Charmosyna margarethae
Makira: Common on forest ridge above Hauta.
BRUSH CUCKO0 Cacomantis variolosus
Guadalcanal: Several heard Mt. Austen. Makira: Several heard around
Hauta.
FAN-TAILED CUCKO0 Cacomantis flabelliformis
Kolombangra: 3 around Camp Professor.
SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO Chrysococcyx lucidus
Rennell: 10 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano
KOEL SPP. Eudynamis spp .
Guadalcanal: Heard along track to Tenaroo Falls. Makira: Heard
around Hauta.
BUFF-HEADED COUCAL Centropus milo
Guadalcanal: Several Mt. Austen and Track to Tenaroo Falls. Ghizo:
Several heard near Gizo Town. Kolombangra: 2 near Iriri.
MOUSTACHED TREESWIFT Hemiprocne raystacea
Fairly common, Seen on all islands.
GLOSSY SWIFTLET Collocalia esculenta
Common.
WHITE-RUMPED SWIFTLET
Kolombangra: 10 near Kukundu.
Collocalia spodiopygia
UNIFORM SWIFTLET Collocalia vanikorensis
Guadalcanal: 1: Mt. Austen. Rennell: Common.
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis
Kolombangra: 2 along beach at Kukundu. Makira: 2 between Hauta and
coast.
VARIABLE KINGFISHER Ceyx lepudus
Makira: 2 between Hauta and coast.
ULTRAMARINE KINGFISHER Todirhamphus ieucopygius
Guadalcanal: 2 Mt. Austen, 2 along track to Tenaroo Falls.
COLLARED KINGFISHER Todirhamphus chloris
common
BEACH KINGFISHER Todirhamphus saurophaga
Ghizo: 1 at Olasana Island.
DOLLAR BIRD Eurystomus gularis
Guadal canal: 1 Mt. Austen. Kolombangra: 1 below Camp Professor.
Makira: Several. between Hauta and coast.
BLYTH'S HORNBILL Aceros plicatus
Guadalcanal: 1 Mt. Austen.
FAN-TAILED GERYGONE Gerygone flavolateralis
Rennell: Common
CARDINAL MYZOMELA Myzomela cardinalis
Rennell: Common. Malkira: Common around Kirakira.
YELLOW-VENTED MYZOMELA Myzomela eichhorni
Ghizo: 2 near Gizo Town. Kolombangra: common on higher slopes of
Mt. Veve.
BLACK-HEADED MYZOMELA Myzomela melanocephala
Guadalcanal: 15 Mt. Austen.
SOOTY MYZOMELA Myzomela tristrami
Makira: Common.
SAN CRISTOBAL MELIDECTES Melidectes sclateri
Makira: Common around Hauta.
SCARLET ROBIN Petroica multicolor
Kolombangra: 2 near summit of Mt. Veve. Makira: 2 on forest ridge
above Hauta.
G0LDEN WHISTLER Pachycephala pectoralis
Guadalcanal: Several Mt. Austen and Track to Tenaroo Falls.
Renne11: 1 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano. Kolombangra:
Common on higher slopes of Mt.Veve. Makira: Common around Hauta.
WILLIE WAGTAIL Rhipidura leucophrys
Common on all islands except Rennell.
WHITE-WINGED FANTAIL Rhipidura cockerelli
Guadalcanal: 1 Mt. Austen. Kolombangra: 1 below Camp Professor.
GREY FANTAIL Rhipidura fuliginosa
Makira: Common on forest ridge above Hauta.
RENNELL FANTAIL Rhipidura rennelliana
Rennell: 6 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano.
RUFOUS FANTAIL hipidura rufifrons
Kolombangra: Several on higher slopes of Mt. Veve. Makira: Common
around Hauta.
RENNELL SHRIKEBILL Clytorhynchus hamlini
Rennell: 1 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano.
CHESTNUT-BELLIED MONARCH Monarcha castaneiventris
Guadalcanal: 2 Mt. Austen. Makira: Common around Kirakira and
Hauta.
WHITE-CAPPED MONARCH Monarcha richardsii
Ghizo: Fairly common near Gizo Town. Kolombangra: Fairly common on
lower slopes of Mt.Veve.
BLACK-AND-WHITE MONARCH Monarcha barbatus
Guadalcanal: 1 along track to Tenaroo Falls.
KOLOMBANGRA MONARCH Monarcha browni
Kolombangra: 1 below Camp Professor.
WHITE-COLLARED MONARCH Monarcha viduus
Makira: Common around Kirakira and Hauta.
STEEL-BLUE FLYCATCHER Myiagra ferrocyanea
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt.Austen. Ghizo: Several near Gizo
Town. Kolombangra: Several below Camp Professor.
OCHRE-BREASTED FLYCATCHER Myiagra cervinicauda
Makira: 2 near Kirakira, several around Hauta.
SPANGLED DRONGO Dicrurus bracteatus
Makira: 1 near Kirakira, 3 below Hauta.
BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina novaehollandiae
Rennell: I near Lake Te'Nggano.
YELLOW-EYED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina lineata
Guadalcalal: 2 Mt.Austen. Rennell: Common. Ghizo: 2 near Gizo
Town. Makira: Fairly common around Hauta.
WHITE-BELLIED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina papuensis
Common. Seen on all islands except Rennell and Makira.
COMMON CICADABIRD Coracina tenuirostris
Guadalcanal: 3 along track to Tenaroo Falls. Kolombangra:
Camp Professor. Makira: 6 near Hauta.
SOLOMON CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina holoplia
Guadalcanal: 2 Mt. Austen.
LONG-TAILED TRILLER. Lalage leucopyga
Makira: Several near Hauta.
SAN CRISTOBAL THRUSH Zoothera margaretae
Makira: 1 on forest ridge above Hauta.
ISLAND THRUSH Turdus poliocephalus
Rennell: 6 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano.
SINGING STARLING Aplonis cantoroides
Common all islands except Rennell where only 2 were seen.
RENNELL STARLING Aplonis insularis
Rennell: 15 along road west from lake Te'Nggano.
BROWN-WINGED STARLING Aplonis grandis
Guadalcanal: Common Mt. Austen and Track to Tenaroo Falls.
Kolombangra: Several below Camp Professor.
SAN CRISTOBAL STARLING Aplonis dichroa
Makira: Common around Hauta.
METALLIC STARLING Aplonis metallica
Common. Seen on all islands except Rennell.
YELLOW-FACED MYNA Mino dumontii
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt.Austen and Track to Tenaroo Falls.
Ghizo: Several near Gizo Town. Kolombangra: Several. near Iriri.
PACIFIC SWALLOW Hirundo tahitica
Fairly common. Seen on all islands except Rennell.
RENNELL WHITE-EYE Zosterops rennelliana
Rennell: 5 along road west from Lake Te'Nggano.
SPLENDID WHITE-EYE Zosterops luteirostris
Ghizo: About 10 seen near Ghizo Town.
SOLOMON ISLANDS WHITE-EYE Zosterops kulambangrae
Kolombangra: Several on lower slopes of Mt. Veve.
KOLOMBANGRA WHITE-EYE Zosterops murphyi
Kolombangra: Common on higher slopes of Mt.Veve
GREY-THROATED WHITE-EYE Zosterops rendovae
Makira: Common on forest ridge above Hauta.
BARE-EYED WHITE-EYE Woodfordia superciliosa
Rennell: Common.
SHADE WARBLER Cettia parens
Makira: Common on forest ridge above Hauta.
ISLAND LEAF-WARBLER Phylloscopus poliocephalus
Kolombangra: 4 near summit of Mt. Veve.
SAN CRISTOBAL LEAF-WARBLER Phylloscopus makirensis
Makira: Fairly common on forest ridge above Hauta.
MIDGET FLOWERPECKER. Dicaeum aeneum
Guadalcanal: Fairly common Mt,Austen and Track to Tenaroo Falls,
MOTTLED FLOWERPECKER Dicaeum tristrami
Makira: Common around Kirakira and Hauta.
OLIVE--BACKED SUNBIRD Nectarinia jugularis
Guadalcanal: Common. Seen on all islands except Rennell and
Makira.
Bibliography
Clements, J.F. (1991) Birds of the World: A Checklist, Ibis
Publishing, California.
Coates, B.J. (1985) The Birds of Papua New Guinea, Vol. I. Dove
Publications, Queensland.
Coates, B.J. (1990) The Birds of Papua New Guinea, Vol. II. Dove
Publications, Queensland
Gibbs, D. (1996) Bulletin of the British Ornithologists Club,
Notes on Solomon Island Birds, Vol . 116, pp. 18-25.
Hadden, D. (1981) Birds of the North Solomons, Wau Ecology
Institute, Papua New Guinea.
Hacombe, D. (1993) Solomon Islands-A Travel Survival Kit, Second
Edition, Lonely Planet, Melbourne.
Mayr, E. (1945) Birds of the Southwest Pacific Macmillan, New
York.
There are three maps which accompany this report and they can be obtained
for a small fee from the Dutch Birders Trip Report Service
http://www.mebweb.nl/DBTRS/index.html
Trevor & Annie Quested
Sydney, Australia
Phone +61 2 9955 6266
Fax + 61 2 9959 4005
|
