Specialist wildlife tour operator, WildWings, are pleased to release details of the first-ever Bird Week to be hosted by wildlife experts on the rainforest-clad tropical paradise of Christmas Island – a mere dot in the Indian Ocean, lying 2600km north of Perth and 360km south of its closest neighbour, Java.
From July through to September 2006, Christmas Island’s team of wildlife experts - David James, Dr Janos Hennicke and Mark Holdsworth - will be collaborating in an intensive program to track and band seabirds, particularly the three booby species (Abbott’s, brown and red-footed), the endemic Christmas Island frigatebird and the red-tailed tropicbird.
For the first time, the three scientists will invite participants to join them for a week of special events from 31 August through to 7 September 2006. Aimed at birdwatchers, photographers and artists, the event will also appeal to the casual naturalist seeking a tropical haven well away from the crowds.
Working in small groups, Bird Week participants will help catch the majestic Abbott’s booby high in the rainforest canopy, monitor brown boobies on the remote and secluded rocky coasts and learn first hand the nesting biology and foraging ecology of Christmas Island frigatebirds and red-tailed tropicbirds.
Depending on interest and demand, there will also be opportunities to assist in the colour-banding of Christmas Island goshawks, a Christmas Island hawk-owl survey, seabird identification workshops, territory mapping of island thrushes and closer looks at the island’s other wildlife. And, of course, there will be the chance to search for a few of those rarities for which Christmas Island is so famous. Around 65% of the national park contains species of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.
Nightly seminars will showcase the results of all the seabird research (revealing the wanderings of the majestic Abbott’s booby, Christmas Island frigatebirds and more), the status of the endemic landbirds, the rarities of Christmas Island, and the marine and terrestrial ecology of the island.
For the quieter moments between monitoring boobies and identifying seabirds, the waters surrounding the island is also an experience not to be missed. A myriad of tropical fish swim by in only metres of water while, only a short distance away, divers can cruise the drop-off that plunges dramatically into the abyss. Swimmers may also find themselves bumping into one of the local spinner dolphins! Christmas Island’s population is a blend of Chinese, Malay and Australian’s and, with numerous temples and a variety of cuisines the island also provides a diverse cultural experience.
The Experts
David James is the Coordinator of Biodiversity Monitoring for Parks Australia, the managers of Christmas Island National Park. Over the last few years he has been studying the diverse fauna of Christmas Island, including the seabirds, landbirds, bats, reptiles, crabs and insects. In a three-year study of the Christmas Island Frigatebird, he has mapped the nesting distribution of this unique species, estimated the population size and breeding success rate, and is currently investigating the marine range and foraging ecology using satellite transmitters. As Christmas Island’s only resident birder in recent decades, he has also recorded and documented lots of rarities including several birds new for Australia.
Dr Janos Hennicke from the University of Hamburg is a seabird expert with years of research experience on species like Humbolt Penguin and northern Gannet. Janos has been studying the foraging habitats and ecology of the three species of Booby on Christmas Island since 2004. His work primarily involves the tracking of individuals using micro-electronic devices such as satellite transmitters and GPS data loggers. In 2006 Janos and his assistants will again be on Christmas Island studying the endemic Abbott’s Booby along with Red-footed and Brown Boobies.
Mark Holdsworth runs the Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Programme for the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service. He has a special interest in birds of prey and is a longstanding member, former President and former journal editor for the Australasian Raptor Association. He has undertaken several expeditions with the federal Dept of Environment & Heritage to band seabirds in the Coral Sea. In 2004 he participated in the ARA expedition to Christmas Island, colour banding the Christmas Island Goshawk. Mark will be on Christmas Island banding seabirds and assisting with the Booby Tracking Programme in August and September 2006.
Dates for the Christmas Island Bird Week : 31 August – 7 September 2006
Prices from £799 per person sharing a twin room, singles from £885 per person. Price includes return economy class flights from Singapore to Christmas Island including taxes, 7 nights accommodation in rooms with private facilities, all meals, four-wheel drive vehicle hire and special birding events.
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