The Sangihe Islands are volcanic Islands, including such volcanoes as Awu and Karangetang

Sangihe Islands, Indonesian: Kepulauan Sangihe, also spelled Sangi, archipelago off the northeastern tip of Celebes (Sulawesi), Indonesia. The islands extend northward from Celebes for about 160 miles (260 km)
and have a total area of 408 square miles (1,056 square km); they are administered from Manado, the capital
of Sulawesi Utara province.
The main islands in the group are Sangihe, Siau, Tahulandang, and Biaro, and there are numerous islets.
Tahuna (Taruna), on Sangihe’s west coast, is the main town
http://www.britannica.com/

The Sangihe Islands is dominated by the 1830m Karangetang volcano on Api Siau Island..
This chain of around 40 steep and lush volcanic islands connects Indonesia with Philippines.

These islands are inhabited by many rare and exotic birds and mammals. There are several parrots among them
the Red-and-blue Lory, Eos histrio, and other birds such as the Talaud rail and bush-hen and the
Sangihe scops owl that are very rare or nearly extinct. The Karakelang Hunting Reserve on Karakelang island
is for hunting wild buffaloes and wild pigs, but it is also good for birding.
http://www.starfish.ch/dive/Siau.html

The Elegant Sunbird, Aethopyga duyvenbodei, is a large, Australasian sunbird in the genus Aethopyga.

An Indonesian endemic, the Elegant Sunbird is distributed to the island of Sangihe, north of Sulawesi.
It is found and locally common in the forests and plantations near Mount Sahendaruman in southern Sangihe.

The Elegant Sunbird is about 12 cm. Large, brightly-coloured sunbird. Male has purplish-red ear-coverts and collar, metallic green-and-blue patches on crown, upperwing-coverts and uppertail-coverts, yellowish-olive back,
yellow rump-band and underparts. Female is much duller, with yellowish-olive upperparts and yellow rump and underparts.

Population estimate: 19,000 - 43,800. Population trend: decreasing
Range estimate (breeding/resident): 560 km2

The Elegant Sunbird, Aethopyga duyvenbodei, is currently known from Sangihe, north of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
It is, however, absent from large areas of the island, and continuing loss of both primary and secondary forest
habitat suggests that populations continue to decline.

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Endangered

Original forest on Sangihe has been almost completely cleared. This species is now known to survive in secondary
habitats without adjacent primary forest patches, but agricultural intensification is reducing the available area of even these modified habitats. The tiny remaining area of primary forest, around which the main population is centred, receives inadequate protection and continues to suffer from agricultural encroachment at its lower fringes. Forest-cover on the volcanically active island of Siau is extremely limited and the species is either extinct there, or survives in tiny numbers.

Text from BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Aethopyga duyvenbodei.
Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 7/10/2010

Temminck's Sunbird is 10 cm (female) -12.5 cm (male) long, . The longer-tailed male is mostly scarlet, except
for a greyish belly, and yellow and purple bands between the back and tail. The female is drab olive, except for
rufous fringes to the wing and tail feathers.
Source: http://indonesiatravelling.com

The Brown-throated Sunbird is a relatively large, heavy sunbird with a thick bill. Measuring some 14 centimetres in length, with males averaging slightly larger than females.

Like most sunbirds, the male Brown-throated Sunbird is more colourful than the female. The male has iridescent green and purple upperparts with chestnut on the wing-coverts and scapulars; it is primarily yellow below. The female is olive-green above and yellowish below.

The Brown-throated Sunbird primarily feeds on nectar, but it will also take small fruits and berries. Juveniles are fed with insects.
Source: http://indonesiatravelling.com

The bear cuscus is found on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia and the neighbouring islands of Sangihe, Salidabu, Butung, the Peleng Islands, the Togian Islands, and possibly Muna

The bear cuscus inhabits lowland moist tropical rainforests, up to 600 metres above sea level. It prefers
undisturbed forest and rarely enters degraded habitats . On Sangihe, the bear cuscus is largely restricted to
undisturbed primary forest surrounding an extinct volcanic crater
http://www.arkive.org

Bulwer's pheasant - overview BBC Natural History Unit BBC Natural History Sound Library www.arkive.org

Bulwer's Pheasant is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a rapidly declining population. The primary reasons for this decline are habitat loss and fragmentation due to commercial logging and forest fires. Local hunting is also thought to undermine the birds population. Further, captive breeding programs aimed at preserving the species have met with little success. Population is estimated to 1.000-10.000 specimens.
Partly from BirdLife International (2012) Species factsheet: Lophura bulweri. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/02/2012. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2012) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13/02/2012.

The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds
with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means large foot (Greek: mega =
large, poda = foot), and is a reference to the heavy legs and feet typical of these terrestrial birds.

Megapodes do not incubate their eggs with their body heat as other birds do, but bury them. Their eggs are
unique in having a large yolk, making up 50-70% of the egg weight.They are best known for building massive
nest-mounds of decaying vegetation, which the male attends, adding or removing litter to regulate the internal
heat while the eggs hatch

Megapode chicks do not have an egg tooth: they use their powerful claws to break out of the egg, and then
tunnel their way up to the surface of the mound, lying on their backs and scratching at the sand and vegetable
matter. Similar to other precocious birds, they hatch fully feathered and active, already able to fly and live
independently from their parents.

Megapodes are found in the broader Australasian region, including islands in the western Pacific, Australia,
New Guinea, and the islands of Indonesia east of the Wallace Line, but also the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
in the Bay of Bengal.
http://www.indonesiatraveling.com

Dollarbirds got their name from the two silvery white circular patches on each underwing, that flash as they fly. These look like shining American silver dollar coins.

Dollarbirds eat mainly insects, and appear particularly fond of hard-skinned flying insects like beetles. But they
will take any large insect or even feed on swarming insects. They also catch other small animals.

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) Samsonvale Cemetery, SE Queensland, Australia Photo: Aviceda, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dollarbird_Samcem_Dec02.JPG

They nest in hollow trees including dead coconut palms or dig out burrows in earth banks; good nest sites are
re-used every year. 3-4 white eggs are laid; the eggs are rather pointed at one end. Both parents incubate and
raise the young. Incubation takes 17-20 days and the chicks fledge in about a month.

Migration: Some Dollarbirds that breed in China and Japan visit Singapore in April-May. The adults leave the
breeding area first, the young following later. They don't migrate in huge flocks, but travel in two's or even alone,
usually during the day.
http://www.indonesiatraveling.com

The Lilac Kingfisher or Celebes Flat-billed Kingfisher, Cittura cyanotis, is a resident breeding bird in the lowlands of the Indonesia island of Sulawesi and the neighbouring Sangihe and Talaud Islands. It is the only member of the genus Cittura.

The Lilac Kingfisher is 28 cm long. It has the typical kingfisher shape, with a short tail and long bill. The adult
male of the nominate race, Cittura cyanotis cyanotis, has a brown crown and back and rufous rump and tail.

The call of this large tree kingfisher is a rapid ku-ku-ku-ku.

Lilac-marked Kingfisher Cittura cyanotis cyanotis - Female, seen in Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, 9 July 2006 Photo: Lip Kee Yap, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lilac_cheeked_kingfisher.jpg

The Lilac Kingfisher is unlikely to be confused with any other kingfishers in its range..The Lilac Kingfisher is
found in lowland rainforest and drier hill forest up to 1000 m altitude. It perches motionless on a low branch
watching for its prey, mainly large insects, on the ground below.

This species has a restricted range and fragmented distribution, and is uncommon, with no records from south
Sulawesi. Lowland deforestation has been extensive in recent decades, and the loss of its habitat has led to
Lilac Kingfisher being classed as near-threatened. Little else is known of the behaviour of this species,
and no nests have been found.

The Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae.
It is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia.

Rainbow bee-eaters are brilliantly colored birds that grow to be 18-20 cm in length, including the elongated
tail feathers. The upper back and wings are green in color, and the lower back and under-tail covers are bright
blue.

Rainbow bee-eaters are a common species and can be found during the summer in un-forested areas in most of
southern Australia and Tasmania, however they are becoming increasingly rare in Suburban parks. They migrate
north during the winter into northern Australia, New Guinea, and some of the southern islands of Indonesia.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Dayboro, SE Queenslad, Australia Photo: Aviceda , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Bee-eaters_Juffs.JPG

Like all bee-eaters, rainbow bee-eaters are very social birds. When they are not breeding they roost together in
large groups in dense undergrowth or large trees.Breeding season is before and after the rainy season in the north, and from November to January in the south.

Rainbow bee-eaters are believed to mate for life. The male will bring the female insects while she digs the
burrow that will be their nest.

Rainbow bee-eaters mostly eat flying insects, but, as their name implies, they have a real taste for bees.
Rainbow bee-eaters are always watching for flying insects, and can spot a potential meal up to 45 m away.
Once it spots an insect a bee-eater will swoop down from its perch and catch it in its long, slender, black bill
and fly back to its perch. Bee-eaters will then knock their prey against their perch to subdue it.

Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus. November 2005 Photo: Brett Donald, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbowbeeeater.jpg

Even though rainbow bee-eaters are actually immune to the stings of bees and wasps, upon capturing a bee
they will rub the insect's stinger against their perch to remove it, closing their eyes to avoid being squirted with poison fromthe ruptured poison sac. Bee-eaters can eat several hundred bees a day, so they are obviously resented by beekeepers, but their damage is generally balanced by their role in keeping pest insects such as
locusts, hornets, and wasps under control.

The Asian Koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes.
It is found in South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia.

The Asian Koel is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of crows and other hosts, where the young are
raised by the foster parents. They are unusual among the cuckoos in being largely frugivorous as adults.

The Asian Koel is a large, long-tailed, cuckoo at 45 cm. The male of the nominate race is glossy bluish-black,
with a pale green or grey bill, the iris is crimson, and it has grey legs and feet. The female of the nominate race is
brownish on the crown and has rufous streaks on the head.

The Asian Koel is a bird of light woodland and cultivation. It is a mainly resident breeder in tropical southern Asia
from India and Sri Lanka to south China and the Greater Sundas. They have great potential in colonizing new
areas. They first arrived in Singapore in the 1980s and became very common birds.

Asian Koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India Photo: J.M.Garg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Koel_(Eudynamys_scolopacea)-_Male_close_up_in_Kolkata_I_IMG_7568.jpg

The Asian Koel has several geographic forms that have well marked plumage differences or have been
geographically isolated with little gene flow. The following is a list of named subspecies with their distributions
and synonyms as given by Payne:
Eudynamys scolopaceus scolopaceus (Linnaeus, 1758). Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Laccadives and Maldives.
Eudynamys scolopaceus chinensis, Southern China and Indochina, except the Thai-Malay Peninsula.
Eudynamys scolopaceus harterti . Hainan.
Eudynamys scolopaceus malayana, Thai-Malay Peninsula, Lesser Sundas and Greater Sundas, except      Sulawesi. This may include the race dolosa described from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Eudynamys scolopaceus mindanensis (Linnaeus,1766)
     (includes Eudynamys scolopaceus paraguena from  Palawan, and      Eudynamys scolopaceus corvina      from Halmahera, the Philippines (including Palawan and the Babuyan Islands), islands between Mindanao and      Sulawesi, and North Maluku, except the Sula Islands.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Koel

The Lesser Coucal, Centropus bengalensis, is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.
Lesser Coucals are mostly solitary, only rarely seen in pairs.
It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.

Although they are members of the cuckoo family, Lesser Coucals do not lay their eggs in other birds' nests.
They build their own nests. These are usually well concealed and comprise a large globe (18 x 25cm) made
of twigs or grass (blades and stems) with a large entrance hole to one side.

2-3 white eggs are laid in December-July. Hatchlings are black skinned with long bristly down.
Like other Coucals, when disturbed, the chicks squirt out copious amounts of foul-smelling liquid faeces.

The Coucals have the head and bill of a crow, but long tail feathers of a pheasant. In fact, in the past, they were known as crow-pheasants.

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded
habitats in Australia and New Guinea. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being
considered pests. They are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.

It has a total length of 45–55 cm (18–22 in), with the Australian subspecies larger than subspecies from
New Guinea and nearby islands. The plumage is overall white, while the underwing and -tail are tinged yellow.
The expressive crest is yellow. The bill is black, the legs are grey, and the eye-ring is whitish. Males typically
have almost black eyes, whereas the females have a more red or brown eye, but this require optimum viewing
conditions to be seen.

The parrot: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita The tree: Alloxylon flammeum - Queensland Waratah, Australia rainforest tree, The tree is vulnerable in the wild, but luckily it can be found as street tree in Brisbane city and suburbs. Brisbane city, Queensland, Australia, September 2009 Photo: Tatiana Gerus, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cacatua_galerita_in_a_Alloxylon_flammeum_tree-8a.jpg

The differences between the subspecies are subtle. Cacatua galerita fitzroyi is similar to the nominate race but lacks the yellow on the ear tufts and slightly blueish skin around the eye. Cacatua galerita eleonora is similar
to Cacatua galerita fitzroyi but is smaller and has broader feathers in the crest, and Cacatua galerita triton
is similar to Cacatua galerita eleonora except it has a smaller bill. (This makes it so easy to identify them....)

The Great-billed Parrot, Tanygnathus megalorynchos, also known as Moluccan Parrot or Island Parrot,
is a medium-large, approximately 38 cm long, green parrot with a massive red bill, cream iris, blackish shoulders,
olive green back, pale blue rump and yellowish green under parts. The female is typically smaller than the male,
but otherwise the sexes are similar.

The Great-billed Parrot is found in forest, woodland and mangrove in the south-east Asian islands of Maluku, Raja Ampat, Talaud, Sangir, Sarangani, the Lesser Sundas, and nearby small island. The diet consists mainly of fruits.

It remains widespread and locally fairly common, and consequently has been rated as Least Concern on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The Blue-backed Parrot, Tanygnathus sumatranus, is also known as Müller's Parrot, or Azure-rumped Parrot. This parrot is endemic to the Philippines, and Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. It occurs in forest and
nearby habitats (including cultivated areas) at altitudes up to 800 m. Flocks are small and often active at night. Known to eat crops, including corn.

It is of medium size (32 cm), basically green with yellowish edging to the wings, a blue rump, and blue wing bends.

There are six subspecies:
Tanygnathus sumatranus sumatranus: Sulawesi and nearby islands. Yellow iris.
Tanygnathus sumatranus sangirensis: Sangir Islands and Karakelong. More blue on wing bends and wing        coverts, head darker green. Yellow iris.
Tanygnathus sumatranus burbidgii: Sulu Islands. Darker green with lighter collar. Yellow iris.
Tanygnathus sumatranus everetti: Panay, Negros, Leyte, Samar, Mindanao. Mantle and back darker, rump        and head lighter. Some blue in mantle. Red iris.
Tanygnathus sumatranus duponti: Luzon. Dark green with yellow collar. Yellowish underwing coverts. Iris red.
Tanygnathus sumatranus. freeri: Polillo Islands. More uniform color with less contrast, more yellow on nape. Iris red.

The Sangihe Hanging Parrots, Loriculus catamene, are endemic to the small island of Sangihe, north of Sulawesi,
in Indonesia where they can be found at elevations up to ~1,000m.
They are strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground, preferring to stay high up in dense tree canopies.
They are less conspicuous than most hanging parrots as they are well camouflaged in the foliage and are rathe
r quiet. They are only conspicuous when foraging on lower bushes or when they form noisy, screeching flocks.

This small parrot averages 12 to 13.5 cm in length.
Its natural diet consists of coconut nectar, soft fruits (especially wild figs) and flowers.

Its range is very limited and the population numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction. Sources seem to
disagree about the estimated world population of this species. Some state that only 1,000 to 2,500 of these
parrots are still in existence, while a 1998/1999 survey listed that up to 46,200 of these parrots can still be
found in their natural habitat. This information could not be substantiated.