Biak Monarch

Intro: 

Biak Monarch (Symposiachrus brehmii) is a bird species to the family of Monarchidae. It is endemic to Biak Island. The natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, the species faces the threat of habitat loss due to logging and forest clearing for local plantations, and its population is currently estimated to be in decline. The size of Biak Monarch approximately 17 cm in length and is characterized by black markings on its head, wings, throat, and central tail feathers, while its outer tail feathers, belly, breast, and rump are white; it also features a white patch on its wings. This bird is quite wary and is often seen moving through the forest canopy as part of a mixed-species flock.

Explore new spot for Biak Monarch

Today is the first day of July (1st July-2026). This morning, I go to a new location with my team as my planned before. We arrived there at 08.00am and had breakfast and hearing the short briefing before heading to explore the forest. It was a relatively short excursion, it is about four hours and got our goal. "Yes", that is  Biak Monarch was my target this morning. When we begin our activities with a prayer to the our God, the journey is truly blessed. 

It didn't take long, once I played my bird tape, the bird came right to me. About 4-5 of them appeared, playing amidst the foliage and acting somewhat shy. Nevertheless, they were not difficult to see or photograph. beside that, i also heard the other species such as: Biak Black Flycacther, Biak Fantail, Biak Coucal, Biak Hooded Pitta, Biak Paradise Kingfisher, Geelvink Imperial Pigeon, Geelvink Cicada Bird, Geelvink Fruit-dove, Long-tailed Starling, Geelvink Pygmy Parrot (i was took his photo), Emperor Fairywren, Sahul Brush Cuckoo, Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Spangle Drongo, Metallic Starling, Clared-breasted Fruit-dove, Sahul & Black Sunbird, Red-capped Flowerpecker, Little Bronze Cuckoo in the one location. My next plan is to return to this spot to try make the photo's of them. So, for now...I would like to share some photos of my target this morning: Biak Monarch and additional of Geelvink Pygmy Parrot.

Explore new spot for Biak Leaf-warbler

The weather was clear yesterday morning (Thursday, 25 June 2026), I set out to search for my first target bird species Biak Leaf-warbler since the previous location had been damaged. 

While exploring the new area, I found a spot to see the Biak Leaf-warbler, I also saw the Biak Gerygone, Biak Coucal, Black-winged Lory, Pacific Baza, and Brahminy Kite. There were also birds I could only hear from a distance such as Biak Whistler and Geelvink Imperial Pigeon as my time constraints prevented me from luring them coming closer to me, so my next plan is to return to this location after exploring a new site in the west of Biak City to see what bird species can be found there.

Here's the photo of Biak Coucal and Biak Gerygone that I took while exploring the area. I hope when return to the same location later, I will taken more of the birds found there.

Biak Coucal

Intro :

Biak Coucal is a very shy and sometimes elusive bird, as it frequently hides amidst the branches and dense foliage of the forest understory. It is entirely black, featuring striking yellow irises and a relatively straight bill that give it a fierce appearance. Although it inhabits both dense forests and secondary habitats across various elevations, the bird is rarely sighted. This bird only coucal species found on Biak Island. While somewhat resembling the Orru Crow, it possesses a longer tail. It is a rather vocal bird, and its calls are heard far more often than the bird itself is seen. The Biak Coucal has a length of approximately 46 cm and weighs around 244 grams.

Biak Gerygone

Intro :

Biak Gerygone is a small songbird species belonging to the Acanthizidae family. This endemic bird is found only in Biak and Supiori. It actively forages in pairs, small groups, or sometimes alone, and may join mixed-species flocks. It feeds in the mid-canopy and is frequently seen in lowland forests, secondary forests, and along roadsides. 

The color of Biak Gerygone is an olive-brown back, a grey head, a pale yellow belly, and a broken white eye-ring. It resembles the Biak race of the Island Leaf-Warbler, but Biak Gerygone has a black bill and legs rather than orange ones. Its call consists of a chaotic-sounding whistle with rising, falling, and discordant notes, occasionally interspersed with harsh sounds. They are small, with most having an average weight of 6–7 gr and show little variation in size across their distribution range.