Birding in Lore Lindu National Park

The island of Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia is considered a bird watching paradise, and one of the most accessible places to head for birding is the Lore Lindu National Park. Located in Central Sulawesi, Lore Lindu covers over 250,000 hectares of protected forest with varying topography that has been recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. This diverse forest varies in altitude from 200m to 2600m and provides a habitat to several rare bird species, including over 70 that are endemic to the island including the Great Short Wing, Purple Bearded Bee Eater and Sulawesi Thrush. The area is also famous for its scattering of mysterious stone jars and megaliths depicting human and animal forms, thought to be between 1000 and 5000 years old.  

For multi-day birding expeditions, it is best to fly to Palu and drive around four hours to the village of Wuasa. There are a few simple guesthouses in the village that provide a base to access the birding sites around Lake Tambing, and the Anaso Track that ascends through the montane forest to reach an altitude of 2000m. If you are on a Trans-Sulawesi itinerary it is more convenient to access the National Park from Tentena on Lake Poso. There are superb birding opportunities in the Malei Rainforest, located a short hike from the road between Tentena and the Bada Valley, where some of the region's finest megaliths are found. This birding experience is featured on our Adventures in Sulawesi tour.