Observation d'oiseaux à Kei et Aru
One of the most common birds around the villa, the endemic kei fantail (Rhipidura assimilis) easily
Kei Besar white-eye (Zosterops grayi)
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
Common Dollar bird (Eurystomus orientalis)
One of the most emblematic bird species in Kei 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
South Moluccan Sunbird ssp keiensis (Cinnyris clementiae)
The endemic South Moluccan Sunbird ssp keiensis (Cinnyris clementiae) 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
ssp of Grey Whistler (Pachycephala simplex rupifennis)
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 1923, possibly extinct but no ornithologists ever searched there since and no pictures of the ssp ever taken, to rediscover ?
Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)
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 cenchroides)
- Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)
Here a juvenile Pacific Baza.
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 vagrant that I observed once in Kei besar.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus)
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 occur at least in the cliffs of Kei besar but no records yet.
Greater Bird-of-Paradise.
Male
King Bird-of-Paradise
The other species of bird of paradise in Aru is the King Bird-of-Paradise that is fairly common in non degraded forest patches.
Aru in contrary to Kei has still huge primary forests and is home to 'bigger'' species like the Southern Cassowary and the same is true for mammals like wild deers, ground cuscus, dusky pademelon and more.
White-naped Pheasant Pigeon
The White-naped Pheasant Pigeon in an endemic bird to Aru, It is an elusive species and there are no pictures of the species in the wild. During my last trip to Aru I searched for it by placing camera traps around the village of Toengwatu but didn't get any results. The species may be extinct in the wild and if you go to Aru, finding it would be a huge accomplishment, The local name of the species is "Torbol" are "Burung jergorum"...
