A closeup of a cardinal lory, a curious red parrot endemic to Bougainville and the Solomons
A pale mountain pigeon below Tutue (Mt Balbi)
at least 35 species are endemic to the Solomon archipelago. Through a window in the vegetation to the southeast, I distinguish
The male distinguishes itself by a yellowish white head, nape and breast, with the rest of the body totally black, except for a white tail. The big curved bill is white with a dark red base. A conspicuous distinction of the species is the helmet – reddish, with a juxtaposition of horny scutes (plates) jutting forward from the base of the beak. The female is totally black, except for a white neck. It was initially named after the British naturalist (Edward Blyth) who identified it. The Solomon hornbill is heard mostly by the peculiar sound of its flapping wings when in flight, heavy, propeller- like, as if straight out of the prehistory. It is hard to see due to the dense foliage of the forest. The tough and fastidious climb leads eventually to the so- called ‘first camp’, on a ridge in the jungle, at the foot of Tutue – the local name for Mt
A Solomons cockatoo in flight, Mt Balbi
in the distance the perfect cone of Mt Bagana volcano (1750m), smoking
heavily – a picturesque postcard of a Jurassic world. As we gain in elevation, the Solomons cockatoo (Cacatua
solomonensis) is remarkable, often flying in squads screeching loudly over the top of the
canopy. Totally white with the underwings yellow, a white erectile crest and the eye circled with a pale blue ring, this is another endemic species to the Solomons region. Equally present, but much harder to see, is the Solomon hornbill (originally Papuan or Blyth’s hornbill – Rhyticeros plicatus harterti), an endemic sub-species to Bougainville – and also common in PNG.
elevations up to 2000m and over. Its head, neck and chest are pearl grey, with darker grey-green wings. The roots that run wildly on the ground do not make for easy going, not to mention branches and logs that often block the way. Time passes slowly in silence, only torn by the piercing calls of the multicolored rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus
haematodus), a beautiful bird with its purple-blue head, yellow nape, red breast and green plumage. The cardinal lory (Pseudeos cardinalis) is often seen in pairs, a red parrot with darker wings that is also endemic to Bougainville and the Solomons. Their innate curiosity is a welcome diversion for sure. Out of 229 species of birds in Bougainville,
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