Eco park sigatoka fiji

Kula Eco Park is set in the southern Coral Coast area of Viti Levu close to sigatoka, very nice animals in a tropical forest environement

Pacific Islands Conservation Research Association - Home

PICRA's mission is to advance knowledge of Pacific species, populations, and ecosystems through unbiased scientific investigations. We facilitate and conduct research that focuses on understanding of islands and the conservation issues they face. Results are used to develop solutions to conservation problems.

History

PICRA was formed in 2004 when founding members felt that conservation issues on Pacific islands could benefit from additional research. Although many organizations were already attempting to address various facets of conservation, much more work was needed to form the basis of a complete conservation program.

Documenting the distribution, behavior, interactions, and population dynamics of species inhabiting Pacific Oceania were of utmost importance. Conservation planning and management are complex endeavors, however, so focus on the evolutionary foundations of these species is also important.

Our Work
We are proud of the progress that has been made since our inception in 2004, and we intend to continue expanding.

PICRA sponsored scientists have conduct investigations to facilitate the recovery of insular birds and fish. Before land managers and policy makers plan recovery actions for endangered species, information is often needed about the natural history, population biology, behaviour, resource use, and demography of those organisms.

Pacific Islands Conservation Research Association - Home

Planning a bird watching vacation that allows birdwatchers The best choice

When choosing a bird watching vacation or birding tour, careful planning is the birdwatchers best resource for a successful trip.

Planning your own vacation will also suit your time and money needs more effectively.

You choose where you want to go and what birds you want to see on your trip. In addition, you choose what you do when you're not birdwatching.

Proper planning of your birding vacation will give you the ability to choose the types of birds you are most interested in spotting.

You'll also be able to set up the accommodations and other community interest that you may have.

This allows any members of your family to enjoy the same vacation, whether they enjoy birdwatching or not.
While you can set up a bird watching vacation with an agency, I believe you'll get greater enjoyment out of a birding trip you develope within your own interest.

After the first time, you'll be able to plan consecutive trips faster and with less expense than a tour company.

Full article here: Planning a bird watching vacation that allows birdwatchers The best choice

Bird Social Network

Bird Network , a leading social network for bird enthusiasts worldwide, has been launched in Dec 2008. The website has already had a successful beginning with hundreds of members taking interest and signing up.

Bird Network (http://www.bird-networks.com) encourages members to share their passion with fellow members, by uploading images or videos of their latest bird spot, blogging about their sightings or stories, interacting on the discussion forums, and uploading their own news stories, press releases and white papers. Bird Network welcomes bird enthusiasts of all kinds, from bird watchers, to twitchers, to those who admire from their garden habitat.

“The feedback on Bird Network has been fantastic” says Kate Cummings, Online Editor of Bird Network . “Our members are very passionate about birding, and are keen to share stories and photographs from their trips and sightings. Many of our members are avid bloggers, and share some amazing stories.”

For marketing, partnerships and other queries, please contact;
Name : Kate Cummings
Tel : +44 (0)117 3119 338
Fax: +44 (0)117 3119 340
Email: info@bird-networks.com

Bird Social Network

Trip Report Fiji 1999

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit Fiji, I'd say that you have missed one of the truly fabulous places on the planet. Aside from birding, there is ample opportunity to see many of the wonders of the sea and make connections with some of the friendliest people we have met in our travels. People still greet each other, and foreigners, with a friendly "Bula". We were fortunate to get to spend 5 nights with a Fijian-Indian family and form bonds that hopefully will last our lifetime. Often times as we were walking down roads to look for birds, farmers would stop and talk to us and offer a papaya. Theirs is a culture that seems to want to make time to be more human with each other. Probably not a bad idea for other cultures to emulate.

Fiji is the kind of place where birding can be much more leisurely than in other locales. There are not that many birds that can be seen (somewhere around 120 according to Pratt, et al). Most of the birds are fairly easy to see, with the more difficult species creating enough of a challenge to make it interesting. It was because of this that we found we had time to enjoy other activities as well. Therefore, it made for a much more rounded trip than other journeys where birding was our only focus.

Read full list here: Fiji 1999

The Fiji Petrel Expedition 2008

The Fiji Petrel Expedition 2008

Most birders will know the story behind the enigmatic and near-mythical Fiji Petrel. Unrecorded from the type specimen taken in 1855 until 1984 when Dick Watling had the extraordinary experience, when spotlighting, of a bird crash-landing into his head! Breeding is suspected on the small island of Gau but detailed searching there has not found any birds. Some 10 though, mainly juveniles, have since crashed onto roofs and grounded in a local village there. One of these last year, 2007, having died, is now preserved as a study skin (the 1855 skin is at the BMNH and this second in Fiji). The biology of the species is completely unknown.

Left and right - the Fiji Petrel of 1984

Left, right and below -

Fiji Petrel, the bird of 2007

The voyage had three main goals:

1. To learn the at-sea identification of the Fiji Petrel, observe behaviour if possible, and hopefully get an understanding of the likely numbers in the area.

2. To try to obtain photos of Fiji Petrel at sea, for use in both scientific and conservation/education publications to protect native Fijian birds.

3. To survey other species of petrels in this area, on which limited information is currently available.

The proposed expedition dates, at sea, were 17th-26th July

The seabird team aboard consisted of Hadoram Shirihai (Israel), Dick Watling (Fiji), Tony Pym (England),

Patric Blomquist (Sweden), Jörg Kretzschmar (Germany), Geoff Jones (Australia) and Dick Newell (England)

FijiPetrelExpedition

Awesome John McKeen Pics

Sunrise at Matava on Kadavu (Fiji) from our thatched Fijian bure (hut)

Collared Kingfisher

Pacific (or Eastern) Reef Egret - dark morph

Orange-breasted Myzomela (Honeyeater)

Silvereye

See more of John's great pictures here