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Traveling by air, road and boat, we will explore the diverse habitats of the country from winding lowland rivers and sprawling grasslands, to rich highland ecosystems and forested valleys where native tribesmen dance still dressed to mimic the fabulous birds-of-paradise and adorned with elaborate head plumes of parrots and birds-of-paradise. Our most recent PNG tour attained over 400 bird species, with 25 species of birds-of-paradise seen, including adult males for nearly all species, many of them performing their remarkable courtship displays. Our 20 species of kingfishers would be impossible to equal anywhere else and this included the rarely seen Shovel-billed Kookaburra and four paradise-kingfishers. We also scored good views of three species of owlet-night jars. Several huge Southern Crowned Pigeons showed to great advantage. A mind-boggling flock of 150 Rose-breasted Pygmy Parrots swarming the trees around the group were one of more than 30 parrot species observed! On our previous tour, Doria’s Goshawk; a rare, large, forest raptor, flew past us carrying prey and calling and a Papuan Eagle was also glimpsed. Our eighteen-day tour covers the highlights of this enchanting and under-traveled country in depth. We can expect a phenomenal variety of remarkable birds and vast regions of immaculate forests that have been experienced by few people on earth. Our New Britain Extension takes us to the Bismarck Archipelago, where numerous endemics can be found. Here we bird forests and small islets for such exciting species as Melanesian Megapode, Nicobar Pigeon and a plethora of endemic doves, kingfishers and parrots. Tour Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival in Port Moresby. Day 2: Day excursion to Varirata National Park. Day 3: Port Moresby area. Day 4: Port Moresby flight to Tari Valley. Days 5-6: Tari Valley. Day 7: Tari Valley drive to Mount Hagen. Days 8-9: Mount Hagen area. Day 10: Mount Hagen flight to Kiunga drive to Tabubil. Days 11-12: Tabubil area. Day 13: Tabubil drive to Kiunga. Day 14: Kiunga area. Day 15: Kiunga to Elevala River by boat. Day 16: Elevala River and afternoon boat to Kiunga. Day 17: Kiunga flight to Port Moresby. Day 18: Varirata and departure. New Britain is the largest island of the Bismarck Archipelago and supports many seldom seen endemics for which we will be searching. Situated between the Bismarck and Solomon Seas, this narrow mountainous island is over six hundred kilometers long, but only eighty kilometers at its widest. The rich, exploited volcanic soils of the eastern portion of the island present a striking contrast to the western portion, where Western influences began mostly in the Second World War. We begin our exploration of the area by embarking on an afternoon boat trip into Kimbe Bay and the open ocean, stopping off at some small islands in search of species such as Spot-breasted Cuckoo-Dove, Floury Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Island Monarch, Golden Whistler, (Bismarck) Black and Scarlet-bibbed (Sclater’s) Myzomelas and the beautiful Nicobar Pigeon. Over the next two days, we will then bird various sites around West New Britain including Pokili Wildlife Management Area, Garu Ridge and the Kulu River. These are key areas for many of the birds that are either endemic to New Britain or the Bismarck Archipelago. A healthy proportion of these birds are sought-after species with extremely limited ranges. We will also visit a vast colony of Melanesian Megapodes that number thousands of individuals, and we should see good numbers of these awkward birds as they flush from the ground and clamber in the trees around us. This short yet exciting extension to our Papua New Guinea birding adventures offers several rare and endemic bird species to be found nowhere else on our planet Tour Itinerary: Day 1: Port Moresby to New Britain. Day 2 to 4: New Britain. Day 5: New Britain to Port Moresby. Notes: Birding in Paradise (18 days): 
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