Mai Veikau – Tales of Fijian Wildlife

Mai Veikau – Tales of Fijian Wildlife By Dick Watling

Illustrated by Ian Rolls

Soft Cover, Colour & B&W illustrations, 160 pages

An immensely popular introduction to Fiji’s varied wildlife. 30 short stories written in a popular style but factual and informative.

There is no better reference for learning about Fiji’s snakes or why Banded Sea Krait’s should be treated with respect (Fiji’s Snakes: Fact and Fiction).

• Why Taveuni’s stick insect shocked the scientific world (Taveuni’s Mythical Mimimata); 
• some of the most successful biological control work in the world (A Coconut Trilogy) 
• Fiddlers on the Reef; 
• Tombs of the Living Dead;
• When the Vunivalu was bitten.

BirdQuest | Tour Reports | NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

Saturday 8th October - Sunday 23rd October 2005
Richard Thomas

The October 2005 tour to the island archipelagos of New Caledonia and Fiji was the most successful Birdquest ever to this magical part of the South Pacific. In 2003, Birdquest became the first tour company to record all known 21 extant endemics on New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, and this feat was emulated in 2005.

Highlights included stunning views of the notoriously skulking and elusive New Caledonian Grassbird, superb views of male Cloven-feathered Doves and Crow Honeyeater, and all topped off by the incomparable Kagu. Our visit to Fiji recorded 22 endemic species and, thanks to help from my contacts, we became the first bird tour to see the exceedingly rare, localized and highly elusive Long-legged Warbler, an endemic species “lost” on the main island of Viti Levu for more than 110 years, until its rediscovery in 2003. Other highlights of this tropical island nation paradise included a stunning array of fruit-doves: Many-coloured, Velvet and Golden plus the unimaginable Orange Dove – one of the world’s brightest species, plus a total of three male Black-throated Shrikebills, an increasingly scarce and elusive endemic species.


The tour recorded 118 species, 42 of them endemic to either New Caledonia or Fiji, plus around 20 regional specialities.

Download Full Tour Report 201kb

NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI Jul 2009 - Aug 2009 Tour Details

Call us: +44 (0)1254 826317 (international: +44 1254 826317) Email us: birders@birdquest.co.uk

BirdQuest | Tour Reports | NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

Birdwatching in Fiji : Gowealthy.com

Bird watching is a pleasure in Fiji, with a variety of rare and indigenous found in its forests.

You can observe the Fiji Goshawk glide majestically, a bird you only find in Fiji, or the Blue-Crested Broadbill, found only in the Viti Levu rainforest, or hear the deep hollow call of the Barking Pigeon at the Colo-I-Suva Forest Park.

There are about 80 species of terrestrial and freshwater birds of which about 10 have been introduced. They are distributed throughout the islands but those interested in sampling an array bird should consider visiting three islands: Viti Levu (which has 56 of the 81 known species found in the group), Kadavu, and the Garden Island of Taveuni. In general, the larger islands tend to be more ecologically intact and the bigger birds--notably the parrots and pigeons--are easily seen.

There are three species of hawk in Fiji. The most common is the swamp harrier, Circus approximans, which is most commonly seen over the grasslands, swamps and wooded areas. It feeds on rodents, birds and occasionally snakes. The Fiji Goshawk, Accipiter rufitoques, ranges from the coast to inland areas and preys on lizards, insects and other birds. Peregrine falcons, Falcus peregrinus, can also be found in Fiji but are not commonly observed. 

There are several varieties of dove in Fiji. The most common is the introduced spotted turtle dove, Streptopelia chinensis, which is also among the most destructive vis a vis fruit crops. Among the most sought after by birders is the orange dove, Ptiliponus victor found in Vanua Levu, Taveuni and some of the other offshore islands. The male of the species is a bright orange with the exception of an olive green head. So rare is this bird that you'll be hard pressed to find a photo of it in any book.

Peale's pigeon, Ducula latrans , as Paddy Ryan, the South Pacific's premier nature photographer points out in his superb Fiji's Natural Heritage guide, is "more likely to be seen than heard" and sounds a great deal like a barking dog. Thus when walking through a remote rainforest, the bark you'll hear is more likely avian rather than canine in origin.

The white-collared kingfisher, Halcyon chloris, is a striking blue with a white collar around the neck. I've often seen them dipping into a friend's swimming pool in Taveuni. Also seen on Taveuni is the silktail, Lamprolia victoriae. Once thought to be a bird of paradise, it is becoming increasingly rare on other islands most likely because of logging. Paddy Ryan describes it as a deep black with metallic blue spangling on the head and breast.

Birdwatching in Fiji : Gowealthy.com

Oceanic Society

Oceanic Society Expeditions serves over 5,000 individuals annually through international natural history journeys, participatory research expeditions and California whale watching trips. The Expeditions programs offer opportunities for the public to enjoy and learn about wildlife and natural habitats or to assist scientists with field research. Please visit Natural History Expeditions and Research Expeditions.
We believe that responsibly conducted nature tourism can help save natural areas by contributing financially to conservation. By traveling to the worlds parks and reserves, individuals help protect those wilderness areas by contributing to an economy that is in harmony with conservation. Oceanic Society follows a code of ethics in all of its ecotours and research expedtions. Please check out our Ecotourism Code of Ethics.

• Conde Nast Traveler Nominee: Best Ecotourism Operator of the Year for 2003
• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council member
• Turneffe Islands Coastal Advisory Committee member

Thank you Outside Magazine and National Geographic Traveler for acknowledging several of our expeditions in their Trips of a Lifetime Series:


Oceanic Society online | Oceanic Society

Fiji’s Natural Heritage By Paddy Ryan

Fiji’s Natural Heritage By Paddy Ryan

First published in 1988 to critical acclaim, the second edition is now out.

This time in a hard cover with a staggering 500 color photos and an enormous compendium of useful information packed into 288 pages.

You cannot get a better introduction to the breadth of Fiji’s wildlife – a masterpiece and labour of love for Paddy.

BirdQuest | NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

Including Vanuatu and Samoa
Friday 24th July - Sunday 9th August 2009
(17 days)

Leaders: János Oláh and assistant

Group Size Limit: 10

The wonderful Kagu – in a family of its own and without doubt the avian highlight of a visit to New Caledonia (Richard Thomas)

The words ‘South Pacific’ conjure up images of curving white sand beaches, sparkling turquoise seas, exotic coral reefs, swaying coconut palms, emerald green hills and soaring volcanoes under deep blue skies. The various island groups, scattered throughout the vast Pacific Ocean, have been isolated for almost 80 million years. Despite their relative proximity to each other, a high degree of endemism has developed, especially in the larger, more diversified archipelagos. This is particularly evident amongst the island groups of New Caledonia and Fiji, both of which support endemic-rich avifaunas.

These groups lie near the western edge of the South Pacific and are made up of numerous volcanic and coral islands which are inhabited by people of Melanesian origin. The moisture-laden southeast tradewinds have swept the islands for millions of years, ensuring that the many volcanic peaks are draped with lush, tropical rainforest. Scattered like pearls across the ocean, it is little wonder that these beautiful islands are thought of as a heaven on earth. This is a tour for those keen to observe the many island endemics of this fascinating region, including the monotypic bird family Rhynochetidae, whose sole member is the renowned Kagu. Living costs are high in the area, but as compensation the standards of accommodation and food are good throughout and travelling conditions in general are well above average. For those who love tropical islands, beautiful scenery, unique endemic birds and that ‘get away from it all’ feeling, this is a wonderful experience.

We begin our travels in New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, which comprises the large island of New Caledonia itself (known as Grande Terre) and a chain of much smaller islands, the Loyalty Islands, to the northeast, as well as a number of other small islands and islets. The main island is the largest island in the South Pacific, apart from New Zealand and New Guinea, being some 400 km long by about 50 km wide. Most of our time will be spent on the main island, centred around Noumea in the southeast, but with short explorations of the far less visited islands of Lifou (or Lifu) and Ouvea (or Uvea) in the Loyalty Islands. The New Caledonia group has at least 22 endemic species, of which two are feared extinct, but we have a very good chance of seeing all but one of the others, including the spectacular Kagu, the sole member of the family Rhynochetidae.

From New Caledonia we fly to Fiji, a group that comprises two large islands (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu), two medium-sized islands (Taveuni and Kadavu) and a large number of small islands and islets. We will visit three of the larger islands, where we should see all of Fiji’s 27 endemic birds except for two restricted to remote islets and four others that are exceedingly rare (and hardly ever observed). Firstly we will explore Viti Levu, the main island, followed by relaxing visits to the peaceful, beautiful and largely undeveloped islands of Taveuni and Kadavu. It will be hard to drag ourselves away from such a paradise.
See full trip details here: BirdQuest | NEW CALEDONIA & FIJI

Practical Advice for Foreign Bird Trips and Recommended Birding Equipment

Study principal language(s) spoken in area of trip. The better you are able to communicate, the more you will enjoy your trip. Plan to spend an hour per day for at least six months (Western European languages) to one year (e.g., Polish) to more than a year (e.g., Mandarin Chinese) to attain minimal competence for birding. You shouldn't be discouraged because of unfavorable classroom experiences. While language classes can be quite helpful when reading advanced works, at the basic, conversational level, you will progress much faster on your own, studying what you need to learn for practical communication instead of what happens to be in the course materials. Moreover, the vocabulary needed to get along on a birding trip is only a fraction of that required in university classes. You don't have to be able to translate Cyrano de Bergerac to hire and communicate with porters in Congo. See the WorldTwitch Language Resources page.

Study tapes of bird vocalizations. It is best to dub study tapes of voices you don't know and need to learn and to listen to a short tape of a few cuts repeatedly until you are intimately familiar with them. Periodic repetition of your study tapes will help solidify what you have learned.

Exercise daily. Running is good for overall conditioning, but for bird trips it should be combined with uphill exercise, at a minimum, stair climbing machines set at high resistance. There's quite a substantial difference between the most strenuous workout on a stair machine and real mountain hiking, and no gym equipment can prepare you for steep downhill descents.
Read whole article here:

WORLDTWITCH - Birding Travel - Practical Advice for Foreign Bird Trips and Recommended Birding Equipment