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Indonesia - Lesser Sundas Endemics

© Sumba Boobook by Glen valentine
Indonesia - Lesser Sundas Endemics 2025

06 Aug 2025 - 25 Aug 2025 (20 days)

USD7,195 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Carlos Bocos

Tour price (Per person): USD7,195 * GBP5,745 * EUR6,926 * AUD11,554

Single Supplement: USD1,120 * GBP894 * EUR1,078 * AUD1,798

Flight costs: USD760 * GBP607 * EUR732 * AUD1,220

Indonesia - Lesser Sundas Endemics 2026

05 Aug 2026 - 24 Aug 2026 (20 days)

USD7,495 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn

Tour price (Per person): USD7,495 * GBP5,985 * EUR7,215 * AUD12,035

Single Supplement: USD1,180 * GBP942 * EUR1,136 * AUD1,895

Flight costs: USD900 * GBP719 * EUR866 * AUD1,445

Indonesia, spread across 17,508 islands and boasting over 1,600 bird species and over 600 endemics (far more than any other country on Earth!) should be at the forefront of every international birder’s destination list! Rockjumper is proud to offer an extensive suite of tours to this mind-bogglingly biodiverse region that includes this comprehensive exploration of the endemics-rich Lesser Sundas. This diverse and rugged chain of volcanic islands, stretching across the Java Sea between Bali and New Guinea, supports over 100 Indonesian endemics with more than 80 of these restricted to the Lesser Sundas. Our tour visits five of these islands (Sumba, Timor, Rote, Flores and Komodo) and targets every single one of the area’s localised and highly sought-after endemics occurring on these five islands, other than a few isolated species restricted to East Timor.

The Lesser Sundas fall within a region known as Wallacea and its avifauna is a startling mix of Asiatic and Australasian families. Starting and ending in Bali, we explore montane rainforests, lowland monsoon forests, wetlands, mangroves, coastal mudflats, grasslands, and dry scrub. We begin this epic birding adventure in eastern Sumba, where mouth-watering specialties include Red-naped Fruit Dove, Sumba Hornbill, Little Sumba Hawk-Owl, Sumba Boobook, Mees’s Nightjar, Sumba Green Pigeon, and the little-known Sumba Buttonquail. Our next leg of the tour takes us to West Timor and the tiny island of Rote, situated just off western Timor. Over the course of the next week, we hope to encounter avian specialties such as Timor and Rote Boobooks, Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon, Jonquil Parrot, Tricolored and the yet-to-be described Timor (Mt. Mutis) Parrotfinch, Flame-breasted Sunbird, Orange-sided and Chestnut-backed Thrushes, Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher, Black-banded Flycatcher, Timor and Black Cuckoo-Doves, Buff-banded Thicketbird, Timor Stubtail and Timor Sparrow to mention just a few!

We end the tour on Flores Island, where the magnificent Flores Hawk-Eagle, Glittering Kingfisher, sensational Ornate Pitta, Wallace’s Hanging Parrot, Leaf Lorikeet, Wallace’s and Flores Scops Owls, Flores Monarch and the superb Bare-throated Whistler will be among the many targets on the island. One of the undoubted highlights of the trip will be the visit to Komodo Island just off Flores, where 10ft (3m) Komodo Dragons roam this almost prehistoric paradise along with Green Junglefowl and Orange-footed Scrubfowl. Here we will also seek the beautiful and critically endangered, Yellow-crested Cockatoo. The Lesser Sundas has something very special to offer the keen birder and nature enthusiast and comprehensive, endemics-rich birding tour promises to be a classic among international birding adventures!

Top Birds

Red-naped, Banded, Rose-crowned & Black-naped Fruit Doves; Sumba Hornbill; Great-billed & Jonquil Parrots; Sumba, Flores, Timor, Least & Rote Boobooks; Mees’s & Timor Nightjars; Flores, Wallace's & Moluccan Scops Owls; Marigold, Leaf, Olive-headed & Iris Lorikeets; Sumba & Flores Green Pigeons; Pale-shouldered Cicadabird; Sumba & Red-backed Buttonquails; Wallacean Cuckooshrike; Sumba, Black-breasted & Rote Myzomelas; Sumba, Sumba Brown, Sumba Jungle, Flores Jungle, Timor Blue & Black-banded Flycatchers; Pink-headed & Timor Imperial Pigeons; Metallic Pigeon; Flame-breasted & Apricot-breasted Sunbirds; Orange-sided, Chestnut-backed & Chestnut-capped Thrushes; Cinnamon-banded & White-rumped Kingfishers; Buff-banded Thicketbird; Timor Sparrow; Timor Stubtail; Elegant & Ornate Pittas; Flores Crow; White-browed (Flores) Shortwing; Black, Timor, Ruddy & Eucalypt Cuckoo-Doves; Wallace’s Hanging Parrot; Flores Monarch; Cream-browed & Yellow-ringed White-eyes; Crested & Thick-billed Heleias; Bare-throated, Rusty-breasted, Yellow-throated & Fawn-breasted Whistlers; Rote, Timor & Brown-capped Fantails; Blue-cheeked, Black-fronted, Golden-rumped & Blood-breasted Flowerpeckers; Tricolored & Timor (Mount Mutis) Parrotfinches; Pale-headed, Black-faced & Five-colored Munias; Streak-breasted & Flame-eared Honeyeaters; Green Junglefowl; Orange-footed Scrubfowl; Beach Stone-Curlew; Great-billed Heron; Yellow-crested & Orange-crested Cockatoos.

Habitats Covered

montane rainforests, lowland monsoon forests, wetlands, mangroves, coastal mudflats, grasslands and dry scrub

Expected Climate

mostly hot and humid in the lowlands, being very cool to warm in montane areas. Some rain can be expected in the highlands

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local birding leader

Tour Pace & Walking

DIFFICULT: This is a high-intensity “mega” tour designed for passionate listers and serious birders who enjoy a fast-paced schedule. Due to its demanding nature, it’s not recommended for avid photographers, inexperienced birders, or anyone with mobility or health limitations.

Moderate to challenging birding, some basic lodging, one difficult hike (optional) & hot, humid conditions are taxing. Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.

Accommodation

Most accommodations are reasonable to comfortable, but those in the Lewa area are basic.

Ease of Birding

Birding can be demanding at some locations. Low density of several key species. Others require repeat efforts. Several late evening/early mornings for nocturnal species.

Number of Species Expected

200 to 240 depending on time of year. Over 100 Indonesian endemics & over 80 endemic to Lesser Sundas

Other Attractions

large tracts of forest, rolling forested hills scenery, beautiful beaches and tropical island scenery, 10ft (3m) Komodo Dragons!

Photographic Opportunities

Photography can reasonable, despite the lack of hides & predominant forest birding.

What our clients say about us

Glen Valentine
JK - Indonesia: Western Highlights 2019

Glen Valentine our leader really delivered. He was ultra-patient making sure everyone was comfortable and that everyone got on the bird.

Glen Valentine
JB - Lesser Sundas 2022

Although the tour was a little more strenuous than I had anticipated, it was a fantastic tour. All of the endemics except for two very rare ones—more than I’d hoped to see in my wildest dreams. Glen is an excellent guide, the local guide a very positive addition, and the driving crew was just fabulous. And when things went awry with the cancelled flight and the steep increase in the fee for Komodo, Glen, our local guide and crew handled it in complete transparency to us, so that we didn’t miss a beat. Hats off to all involved!

Glen Valentine
NH, Indonesia - West Papua Cruise 2016

I have been on birding trips for many years, but this is the first time with Rockjumper. The trip was easily the best birding trip I have ever been on. In particular, both David and Glen made life so easy and their birding knowledge was remarkable. Other members of the group were very easy to get on with. The birding was quite remarkable and it is difficult to pick out a highlight from the Birds of Paradise, the Chinese Crested Tern or the Madanga. There is no doubt that I will travel with Rockjumper again.

Adam Walleyn
JA & DR, Remote West Papuan Islands 2018

Glen Valentine and Adam Walleyn were superb guides — honestly, they saw birds before they appeared! The local guides were outstanding and the logistics and accommodations were exceptional given our locations.

Glen Valentine
SL, Indonesia 2023

What a fabulous tour to such a remote part of Indonesia. As always, Glen and Keith Valentine were exceptional guides and great fun to be with. The crew of our boat, Lady Denok, were amazing whether it was in the dining room, making great coffees, getting us in and out of the dinghies or taking us snorkelling. Once we left the boat in the Tanimbars, the local agent was there to meet us and the land-based part of the tour was exceptionally well managed. The local people were very welcoming and could not do enough for us.

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