Our birding adventure of the endemic-rich Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra begins on the smaller island of Java. This is a land of great beauty, although densely populated, and is dominated by towering volcanos whose forests support important watersheds for the fertile rice fields, which cover most of the lowlands. Nevertheless, Java still supports some wonderful forests and an impressive list of endemic and near-endemic species, and we will explore the best of these. From our hotel we will make an excursion to the tiny swamp of Muara Angke for the highly threatened Sunda (Javan) Coucal, Javan Pond Heron, White-capped Munia, and Cerulean Kingfisher. A boat trip into the Bay of Jakarta and onto Pulau Rambut should yield the localised Christmas Frigatebird, Javan Myna and Milky Stork, while the lowland forest site of Carita harbours endemic, Black-banded Barbet, Grey-cheeked Tit-Babbler and Steaky-breasted Spiderhunter, as well as Javan Owlet, Javan Frogmouth and Javan Banded Pitta. Thereafter, we take in the famous Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park, better known to birders as Cibodas. Here we will wander enchanting pathways and trails through pristine montane forest in our search for a long list of mouth-watering endemics and specialties such as Javan Cochoa, Spotted Crocias, Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush, White-bibbed Babbler, Sunda Forktail, Mees’s White-eye (Javan Heleia), Sunda (Javan Blue) Robin, Blue Nuthatch, Chestnut-bellied Partridge, Javan Trogon, Javan Tesia, Brown-throated and Flame-fronted Barbets, Javan Hawk-Eagle and the exquisite White-flanked Sunbird among many others.

A short flight from Jakarta takes us to the island of Sumatra, a vast, wild island that is surprisingly poorly explored and yet supports a fabulous range of habitats and many rare, beautiful, and endemic birds and mammals. We will range from the bird and mammal rich lowlands of Way Kambas National Park to the volcanic slopes of Gunung (Mt) Kerinci, Sumatra’s highest mountain. The lowland forests harbour a spectacular array of species including several very little-known and/or endangered species such as the globally endangered White-winged Duck. Way Kambas is arguably THE best place in all of SE Asia to seek out a number of the continent’s rarest and least-seen lowland forest owls, frogmouths and nightjars; and we hope to find Large, Gould’s and Sunda Frogmouths, Malaysian Eared and Bonaparte’s Nightjars, (the latter is currently only known from this site) in addition to a remarkable suite of owls including Reddish Scops Owl and the peculiar Oriental Bay Owl. From Way Kambas we will make our way to the enormous Kerinci Seblat National Park that protects a vast chunk of Sumatra’s Barisan Ranges. We will bird the slopes of Gunung Kerinci amid some of the most exquisite forests on our planet. The birding is certainly not easy; however, the rewards are fabulous and include such rare endemics as Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant, Salvadori’s Pheasant, Red-billed Partridge, the incomparable Schneider’s Pitta, Sumatran Trogon, Brown-winged and Shiny Whistling Thrushes, Short-tailed (Sumatran) Frogmouth, Rusty-breasted and Sumatran Wren-Babblers and if we are incredibly fortunate, the brilliant but ultra-elusive Sumatran Cochoa. We conclude this fantastic Asian birding tour along the famous Tapan Road where Marbled Wren-Babbler, Graceful Pitta, Blue-masked and Sumatran Leafbirds, Cream-striped and Spot-necked Bulbuls, Sumatran Treepie and Sumatran Green Pigeon await us, along with an impressive suite of lowland species such as the regal Rhinoceros and Wreathed Hornbills and the rarely seen White-tailed Flycatcher.