West Java Bird Watching
Jakarta
Pondok Bambu – East Jakarta, Taman Monas, Metro Marina Beach – North Jakarta, Marunda – North Jakara, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol – North Jakarta, Taman Wisata Angke – North Jakarta.
Stay in Jalan Jaksa area which is near Gambir Station. Examples of hotels could be Bloem Steen Homestay or Kresna Homestay.
Get here via Airport(get Damri bus to Gambir), Boat(Pelni Lines), Bus, Train.
Muara Angke Wetland Reserve
This reserve is in the north-western suburbs of Jakarta, close to the Muara Angke fish market. You need to get a permit to enter beforehand. There are marshy areas and pools. The boardwalk has been fixed up and is a good place to see the rare Sunda Coucal. Other birds there may include Black Bittern, Sunda Woodpecker, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and the Small Blue Kingfisher. You can catch a bus here from the Gogol terminal and stop at the entrance to Pantai Indah Kapuk housing estate or Jalan Pluit Karang. Then walk to the reserve.
Pulau Rambut
You can take a small speed boat out to this island. On the way you may see White-bellied Sea-eagles or frigatebirds. On the island is an observation tower where you might see Black-crowned Night-heron, Purple Heron, egret or Black-naped Oriole.
Pamanukan shrimp ponds.
This spot is to the east of Jakarta. You may see White-headed Stilt, Javan Plover, Small Blue Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Plain Prinia, Pied Fantail or Javan White-eye.
Pulau Dua
At the wetlands close to Pulau Dua, have a look for Javan Plovers and other waders. This spot may be hard to find, so you might need a guide to help you out. You might spot some Sunda Teal, kingfishers, Streaked Weaver, Rainbow Bee-eater, Pied Fantail, or Golden-bellied Gerygone. To get there, from Jakarta go to Serang, then Sawah Luhur.
You can stay at park or hotel in Serang.
Carita
Look for the Banded Pitta behind the village. In the evening you may see the Javan Owlet. Most of the birding in Carita is done along a three kilometre track that goes to Gurug Gendang waterfall. You might get to see the White-breasted Babbler, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Grey-headed fish eagle, and minivets. You can stay at the Black Rhino hotel which is quite close to the birding areas in Carita, or Sunset View.
Ujung Kulon National Park
To get there, charter a boat from Labuan or travel by land from Labuan to Taman Jaya and then walk.
Stay: guest house on Peucang as well as Handeleum and Taman Jaya. You may have to hire a guide.
Good birdwatching spots at:
– Grazing grounds at Ciujungkulon and Chihadelum.
– canoe ride up the Cigenter River
– hike from Peucang to Cibunar on south coast.
Bogor.
Taking the train from Jakarta seems to be the best option. I have travelled by bus and got hopelessly lost. The Bogor Botanical Gardens are in the centre of town and you cannot miss them. They are quite close to Pensione Firmane on Jalan Palendang, where I stayed in the nineties. The Botanical Gardens open at 8am. You may see Orange-headed Thrushes, hanging parrots, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Black-naped Fruit-dove, kingfishers and herons.
Gunung Gede
The Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park is 41 kilometres south east from Bogor. Visit the Cibodas Botanical Garden to look for the Javan Scoop Owl, Pygmy Tits, Javan Hawk-eagles or Salvadori’s Nightjar. Have a look around the golf course as well. On Mount Gede, stay at Freddy’s Homestay. Walk up the track in the Gunung Gede National Park before the Air Panas hot springs, where you might see Sunda Thrush, Mountain Serin, Sunda Cuckoo-shrike, Horsfield’s Babbler or Spotted Crocias, for example.
Gunung Halimun
The Gunung Halimun National Park is south west from Bogor, near the village of Cipenteng/Kabandungan. Get your permits here and head towards the park to Citalahab, two kilometres from the visitors centre, where there are some cheap losmens. You are not allowed into the park without a guide, so hire one of the villagers to show you the way. You may get to see the endemic White-bellied Fantail or a Javan Hawk-eagle if you are lucky.
Pangandaran
This is a very popular tourist resort on the south coast of Java. Avoid like the plague during Indonesian holidays. To get there, go from Bandung to Tasikmalaya, Banjar, then Pangandaran. In the National Park at the end of the peninsular you may see Black-banded Barbet, Blue-breasted Quail, Green Junglefowl, Oriental Pied-hornbill, Collared Kingfisher or Cream-vented Bulbul. You can get a ranger to guide you for about 50,000 Rupiah. The Boundary Trail is said to be the easiest trail through the park. You can hire becak, bicycle, motorbike, or car.
Stay: Adams Homestay, Bamboo House. At East Beach try Laguna Beach Bungalows. Most convenient to park is Pondok Pelang or Pondok Moris.
To the west of Pangandaran, try Batu Karas, Green Canyon, Parigi.
Segara Anakan is a large tidal lagoon close to Pangandaran, where you might find Sunda Coucal, Milky Stork or Lesser Adjutant. To get there, take a minibus from Pangandaran to Kalipucang. There is also a ferry from Kalipucang to Cilacap, which takes about four hours and goes along all the backwaters.
Bandung
Stay at HOtel Arimbi, Wisma Asri, Hotel Citra, Hotel Guntur.
The Parahyangan Highlands is north of Bandung. Catch a bemo to the top of Tangkuban Prahu volcano, then catch a bemo to Ciater Hot Springs, Stop at Maribaya for the waterfalls and walk down through the forest to the Dago Tea House, Jalan Juanda.
Resources:
The National Parks and Other Wild Places of Indonesia (National Parks of the World)
A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali: The Greater Sunda Islands
Photographic Guide to Birds of Java, Sumatra and Bali
