Birdwatching in the Kei archipelago

• The kei archipelago is home to about 200 species of which around 10 are endemic and there are 23 endemic subspecies. Of the birds that are endemic to kei, all but one (Kei Besar White-eye) can be found pretty easily around the villa.

• One of the most common birds around the villa, the endemic kei fantail (Rhipidura assimilis) easily seen in the preserved forest patches behind the villa.

• The restricted range Great kei endemic Kei besar white-eye (Zosterops grayi). You can see this target species will booking a trip to Kei Besar were all of the endemics are more easily seen + kei leaf warbler and Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher that can only be seen there

• One of the most typical bird species in Kei is the Common Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) easily seen on roadsides on Kei kecil

• Salvadori's Flowerpecker (Dicaeum keiense) hard to photographe but common endemic ssp splitted from Australian "Mistletoebird" if you are lucky you can observe the species feeding on the flowers of the garden.

• The endemic Black Sunbird ssp (Cinnyris keiensis) very common in all habitats. 

Kei endemics :

- Kei Coucal (Centropus spilopterus)

- Kei Fantail (Rhipidura assimilis)

- Kei kecil White-eye (Zosterops uropygialis)

- Kei besar white-eye (Zosterops grayi)

- Kei Spangled Drongo (Dicurus megalornis)

- Kei Cuckooshrike (Coracina pollens)

+ 5 debated species/subspecies status 

The elusive endemic ssp of Grey Whistler (Pachycephala simplex rupifennis) very hard to see but present in the forest near the villa.

Kei is homme to 4 species of Whistlers Grey, Drab, island and Wallacean with that last one only found in kei and tanimbar with ssp tianduana endemic to Tayandu (islands part of the Kei archipelago) but hasn't been seen in Tayandu since 1903, possibly extinct but no o

Kei is home to 9 species of raptors of which 5 breed on the island.

- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

- Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)

- Crested Honey-Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus )

- Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

- White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

- Variable Goshawk (Tachyspiza hiogaster) spp albiventris endemic to kei

- Chinese Goshawk (Tachyspiza soloensis)

- Australian Kestrel (Falco 

Variable Goshawk (Tachyspiza hiogaster) this species is more often heard then seen but is fairly common specially in Kei besar where I shot this photo, a breeding pair nests every year in a coconut tree behind the villa, the subspecies albiventris is endemic to kei and is much paler then the nominate race, here a juvenile.

In Kei, can also found the Chinese Goshawk (Tachyspiza soloensis) a rare vag

The most emblematic raptor in Kei is undeniably the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus) a couple is often seen fishing in front of the villa and the nest is located at Perek beach. I also suspect the presence on the island of Gurney's Eagle but no confirmed sightings so to search for...

Falcons are easily observed in degraded forests and plantations in Kei kecil and the Peregrine Falcon should occ