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Fiji (Viti Levu, Koro & Taveuni) October 2002,

We visited the above islands for a two-week holiday of which birdwatching was a large but by no mean sole purpose. Unfortunately unseasonable weather dogged our journey around the islands with only a few days without significant wind and rain. These conditions made birdwatching difficult, sometimes impossible, and probably account for the low species numbers by comparison with other trip reports.

Reports by previous visitors were very useful for identifying sites and additional behavioural or morphological information. Tony Clarke's report from 2000 was particularly useful and both it and others were subject to a cut and paste job to give the list below.

We took a number of field guides, but unsurprisingly we found Dick Watling's "A Guide to the Birds of Fiji & Western Polynesia" by far the most useful. The draw back of this guide is the paucity and inaccuracy of the illustrations. Perhaps the classic case being the Blue-crested Broadbill (Myiagra azureocapilla) whose red/orange bill is a distinctive field mark in most populations, but not in the illustration. The lack of multiple seabird illustrations is also a drawback. We used the Helm Field Guide "Birds of the Solomons, Vanuatu & New Caledonia" (Helm 1999) as a supplementary reference.

What Watling's guide lost in illustrations was more than compensated in the text. Both the species description and the chapters were excellent. The latter placed birdwatching in a useful biogeographical and ecological context and provided the background necessary to understanding distributions and consequent conservation concerns. Some typographical and reference errors were annoying, but did nothing to detract from its value in the field.

Birdwatching in Fiji was certainly a more accessible business by comparison with other island environments such New Caledonia or New Zealand. However, the effects of habitat destruction and landscape fragmentation were all too obvious and the current discussions on the harvesting of mahogany plantations indicate the political climate continues to favour commodity resource extraction over value adding or service sector economic development. The political complexion of Fiji does not currently seem conducive to habitat conservation while its economy still under performs relative to underlying capacity. Tourism requires a substantial reorientation if it is to genuinely benefit the bulk of the population and therefore provide an incentive to increased conservation efforts.

The latter point appears particularly important as many of the 'iconic' endemic bird species live on the populous large islands rather than the resort areas frequented by higher paying foreign visitors. There have been some important initiatives such as Abaca and Bouma but the experience needs to be diffused and existing projects given further technical and financial support to grow to the next stage.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of Fiji is the retention by both major ethnic groups of their culture relative to other parts of the developing world. For Fijians this best exemplified in the strength of their language even if it's only the disarming use of the of the greeting "Bula"! Many Fijians can identify common bird species from their local name and a few, particularly farmers, can indicate some likely habitat. Increasing the strength of this knowledge through the schooling system and demonstrating its economic value are critical components identified by Watling (pp60-61) in conserving the islands' biodiversity.

Reinforcing the links between indigenous Fijian culture and physical environment it describes is only half the equation. Indo-Fijians show far less connection (for fairly obvious political and historical reasons) to the physical environment, but are clearly in a powerful economic position to influence it. This is not the least because they form a major component of the teaching resources and the commercial farming activity. The development of projects that demonstrate the practical social and economic benefits of conservation to this population may have spin-offs in other areas of Fijian society.

Itinerary and Sites.

This trip was not solely a birdwatching (twitching or otherwise) trip but an annual holiday in a new country. For this reason we tended to spend longer in places regardless of the birding opportunities and did not get to others (e.g. Kadavu) at all.

On arriving in Suva from Sydney we hired a car and drove anti-clockwise around Viti Levu returning to Suva after a week. From Suva it was a trip on the "SOFI" via the island of Koro, and Savusavu on Vanua Levu to Taveuni. We spent a week on Taveuni before flying back to Suva and then on to Sydney.

Our preference in accommodation was self-contained units in order to make the most of local food and give us flexibility.  Fiji is much better equipped for this type of travel than say New Caledonia; suitable self-contained units were available in the F$45-80 price range throughout our time there. Value relative to cost was unfathomable! Some of the most expensive had plumbing failures and indifferent locations while others seemed unusually cheap. In part this reflects the damage to main island tourism as a result of the political instability since the coup in 1988 and the subsequent churning in ownership and clientele. We did not stay in any of the larger resorts or city hotels so it is hard to judge their value.

The details of the sites are well covered in Watling (pp233-241) and we won't duplicate this material. At the end of each site is a list of some of our sightings though not all.

1.      Suva Point.

The start of this area is literally walking distance from the city and includes mudflats and mangrove stands. Well worth a few visits on the falling tide but given the length of coast  (Suva city to Laucala Bay) and bird dispersal it is probably more efficient to take a car and pull over at will. Don't expect clouds of waders (they are probably mynas!) but rather small interspecific groups and individuals.

Pacific Reef Heron        
Pacific Golden Plover   
Whimbrel
Wandering Tattler         
Bar-tailed Godwit         
Ruddy Turnstone
Great Crested Tern

2.      Nadarivatu

This is an area of forest reserve/park above Tavua on the north coast. There is an easy short walk through the forestry station and village up to a series of small dams and thence on to the fire tower. The drive up from Korovou is scenic and has some useful birding spots on the last five kilometres in the native forest. Nadarivatu gave us our introduction to raucous call of the Masked Shining Parrot at close range. The Tavua Hotel provided a pleasant night in a definitely ageing colonial setting!

White-throated Pigeon 
Barking Pigeon 
Polynesian Triller
Scarlet Robin     
Vanikoro Flycatcher     
Streaked Fantail
Orange-breasted Honeyeater

3.      Saweni Flats.

This was probably the best wader site we encountered and worth a few visits at varying times. Drive south of Lautoka until the signposted turnoff onto a dirt road with tramlines through it. Follow the road to a shop and turnoff to the motel and go straight on until the next right over the tram tracks. The area is surrounded by disused cane fields and Indo-Fijian houses to the east and mangroves to the west. The pond to the right on the road to the crematorium we found to be the most productive on all visits but it may also be worth walking further into the mangroves.

Pacific Reef Heron        
Pacific Golden Plover   
Lesser sand Plover
Wandering Tattler         
Bar-tailed Godwit         
Ruddy Turnstone
Great Crested Tern       
Pacific Black Duck                  
Pacific Swallow
Vanikoro Flycatcher    
Fiji Woodswallow       
Red-headed Parrotfinch

Saweni Flats Field Centre?

This area would make a useful project if the civic leaders of Lautoka could see their way clear to facilitate the establishment of a community maintained wetland. The above mentioned pond seems to be favoured by a broad range of species as a roosting site and it was not uncommon to see five or six species grouped on the small mud banks in the centre. This preference is despite the presence of substantial water borne garbage, drainage pollution, two boundary roads and a row of houses in clear view of the birds and must reflect some superior habitat qualities.

It would be interesting to see if some small sums of foreign aid (USD$45k) could be invested in fencing the first pond, cleaning the rubbish and providing a basic hide and screened walkways. All these are well within the capabilities of the immediate community of materials and education were provided. On the basis of F$10 fee per visit turnover may just be sufficient to cover maintenance and some incremental expansion. The proximity of the Saweni Motel (walking distance) could provide a further incentive for the area to be a locus for both birds and their observers. Such a project would also offer the opportunity to involve the Indo-Fijian population in a conservation activity with potential economic spin-offs (accommodation, food and beverages).

The increased security provided by both fencing the pond and some revegetation of its banks may also increase the species count over time and may also provide the facility for some re-introduction programmes (e.g. Porphyrio porphyrio vitiensis).   These types of activities could also attract some donor funding or be the base to establish a Kula type facility for waders and seabirds. While the commercial sides of such ventures have an intrinsic economic and social value the real intention would be the use of such a facility as a point of education for schools in the populous Ba-Nadi corridor.  This area also has some of the major tracts of mudflats and mangroves and therefore depositories of both wildlife (particularly fish breeding), sugar cane nutriment runoff and garbage. This is a useful combination for ecological education particularly if combined with injured seabird and wader rehabilitation (similar to Kula) where it is often possible to see up close and personal the effects of poor land management (dietary defects, plastic injuries etc).

The funding of such projects beyond some small-scale initial infrastructure (e.g. fences, hides and paths) is the perennial difficulty of developmental economics. On the education side there may be some interest in the EU and particularly Britain, perhaps especially after the decision to withdraw privileged access to their markets for Fijian sugar after 2007. On the development of a protected reserve area it may be possible to rope in Australian North American and Japanese interest on the grounds that Fiji is/could be a significant staging post for migratory waders.

The Miranda Shorebird Centre in New Zealand's North Island is a useful model of the type of facility and reserve approach that might work in this area.

4.      Abaca.

This is a village in Koroyanitu National Heritage Park and an initiative by the landowners to integrate indigenous Fijian life into the ecotourism trade. It is well worth visiting and offers a few 2-5hour walks in partial forest interspersed with kava, dalo and fruit gardens. The road up is advertised as four wheel drive but apart from some wash aways and a creek crossing it was well within the capabilities of our Toyota Starlet (this was the case with a number of roads which must reflect either an obsession with 4WDs, European birth or both!). If this is not for you then there is a convenient local carrier who picks up from the hotels.

Swamp Harrier
Many-coloured Fruit Dove      
Barking Pigeon
Collared Lory   
White-rumped Swiflet   
Polynesian Triller          
Scarlet Robin   
Golden Whistler 
Fiji Bush Warbler
Streaked Fantail          
Fiji Woodswallow        
Vanikoro Flycatcher
Orange-breasted Honeyeater    
Wattled Honeyeater
Fiji White-eye     
Red-headed Parrotfinch

5.      Nausori Highlands.

This area is heavily degraded, as Watling points out, by forestry and its camp followers. When viewed from the air the landscape exhibits a classical shredded pattern of strips of native forest along watercourses and roads with large clear fell or plantation areas giving a fragmented mosaic where native species are the losers. The shreds of remnant forest would appear to be too small to support long term populations. Many would be sinks for declining populations at the mercy of edge effects such as nest predation and competition. Those species requiring forest cores at least 500m from edges abutting plantation or farmland have probably got a grim long term future without some serious reforestation of large areas.

Hard to fathom are the large areas of slope and ridge above the cane farms, which have been clear felled but now lie covered in grass like some African veldt rather than replanted to forest plantation. One soon learns the complication of land ownership and tenure often explains apparently irrational land use patterns. 

We found Nausori a little disappointing in terms of numbers of any particular species but this may have been the weather (high wind) as much as the above. As previous reports have said the two bridges and valleys 8-9km passed the village are particularly productive but require patience and some slow, neck cracking strolls. The bats make an interesting diversion.

White-faced Heron      
Swamp Harrier
Many-coloured Fruit Dove      
Golden Dove    
Barking Pigeon
Collared Lory
Masked Shining Parrot 
White-rumped Swiflet   
White collared Kingfisher          
Polynesian Triller
Fiji Woodswallow         
Vanikoro Flycatcher
Polynesian Starling         
Wattled Honeyeater Silvereye
Fiji White-eye     
Red-headed Parrotfinch

6.      Sigatoka Sand Dunes and Kula Eco-Park.

Both are worth a visit. Kula is a great place to get up close and personal with species normally viewed through 8x30s and the iguanas. The facility is also interesting to those of us who rehabilitate native birds and the possibilities of developing wildlife based tourist ventures. The estuaries on either side of Korotogo are also good wader areas on a receding tide and there are good sightings to be had of frigate birds along this coast.

7.      Colo-I-Suva Forest Park and the Pipeline and Waterfall Tracks.

Both these areas are well described by others but we thoroughly recommend Raintree Lodge as a base for exploration. This excellent facility is billed as backpackers centre but offers some of the best accommodation in Viti Levu and the possibility of seeing Giant Forest Honeyeaters, parrots and others from the comfort of your lodge. We did most of the walks directly from the Lodge and only drove to the Pipeline track. The most productive walks were along the entrance road and the Pipeline track.

Fiji Goshawk      
Golden Dove     
Barking Pigeon  
Collared Lory   
Masked Shining Parrot 
White-rumped Swiflet   
White-collared Kingfisher         
Polynesian Triller         
Golden Whistler  
Fiji Shrikebill     
Slaty Flycatcher  
Blue -crested Flycatcher          
Streaked Fantail
Vanikoro Flycatcher
Orange-breasted Honeyeater    
Wattled Honeyeater
Fiji White-eye     
Silvereye
Red-headed Parrotfinch

8.      SOFI.

Two shipping companies offer overnight transport to Taveuni from Suva and we opted for Consort Shipping's 'Spirit of the Fiji Islands'. The first class cabin was certainly not crowded though the food was ordinary and it was delayed by four hours (apparently a regular occurrence). As Watling indicates the birdwatching is sparse but we did get excellent views of a large number of Red-footed Boobys between Koro and Savusavu and the odd tern. Perhaps the highlight is opportunity to see a different slice of Fijian life amongst the passengers and crew of the ship as they stopped at various ports.

9.      Des Voeux Peak and the Waiyevo area.

In hindsight we made an error by staying in Somosomo (Kabas Motel) as the area is readily accessible from the more attractive (particularly in terms of accommodation) Matei. We made a second error by attempting to climb Des Voeux in mid morning by foot! After reaching the forest about half way up we were too sweaty and tired to be interested and of course most of the birds had long since retired for siesta. Hiring a driver and vehicle to the summit before daybreak was, we were reliably informed later, the only way to do it.

10.  Matei and the Little Dolphin Treehouse.

We had booked the above in advance and were delighted when we got there. The only room looks out over the ocean and is placed in a pleasant garden with resident Vanikoro Flycatchers, Kulas, Fiji Whiteeyes and land crabs. All shops and restaurants was an easy walk and there was some reasonable wader sightings from the veranda at low tide. Scott and Lalita (the proprietors) were fantastic hosts and pointed us to the Brown Booby colony off the coast. The Treehouse is spotlessly clean and has all you need in a self-contained house including fresh papaya and a sharp knife to cut it with!

Pacific Reef Heron        
Pacific Golden Plover   
Brown Booby
Wandering Tattler         
Black-napped tern        
Lesser Frigatebird
Great Crested Tern       
Fiji Goshawk     
Collared Lory
Many Coloured Fruit Dove      
Red Shining Parrot        
Magpie
Vanikoro Flycatcher     
Orange-breasted Honeyeater    

11.  Bouma National Heritage Park & Vidawa Rainforest Hike.

The park is half an hour drive (F$40 by taxi F$2 by bus) from Matei along a coast road. The New Zealanders have done a great job in assisting to establish the tracks and a visitor's centre (they were also involved in Abaca) and we spent a pleasant morning climbing the waterfalls. Unfortunately torrential rain set in and prevented the bus from crossing a flooded river so it took some time to return to Matei. The walk up the waterfalls is not overly productive as it winds through secondary growth or edge areas so we left determined to do the all day Vidawa Forest Hike.

The Forest Hike was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip as it not only gave us views of Silktail and Orange Dove but also brought us in close contact with large tracts of old growth forest. We were accompanied by three guides all of whom had a comprehensive knowledge of their ancestor's use of the forest. The guides were also very adept at finding the Orange Dove through combination of call imitation and tracking skills. The trip was extremely good value when you consider that from the F$60 per head F$40 went to the taxi driver. The remaining F$20 covered lunch, drinks and afternoon tea with scones at the visitors centre as well as the guides time an expertise.

The walk is moderate in effort and entails a lot of mud and some creek crossings. There is plenty of time to sit quietly under the canopy and let the Silktails come to you, listen for the telltale click of the Dove or get told off by the Slaty Monarch.

The village has apparently forgone the temptation of easy money from the timber industry and opted to preserve the forest. While the Visitors Centre and the walks provide some income from this community investment, it is a trickle compared to the transport and accommodation services based in Matei which feed of it. Discussions with the guides indicated a strong interest in moving to the next level of providing accommodation in the village and perhaps the forest itself. Gaining a foothold in the transport would also increase revenues but entails more substantial capital outlays.

Despite the weather we had a very enjoyable time in Fiji and would return without hesitation. The birds certainly provide both raison d'etre and a way into Fijian life as most people will ask what you are looking for when you raise your glasses and this can lead anything from a discussion of politics to an invitation to dinner and kava or usually both!

Pacific Reef Heron         
Mangrove Heron          
Fiji Goshawk      
Orange Dove     
Barking Pigeon  
Collared Lory   
Red Shining Parrot         
White-rumped Swiflet   
White-collared Kingfisher         
Pacific Swallow
Magpie   
Golden Whistler  
Fiji Shrikebill      
Slaty Flycatcher  
Blue -crested Flycatcher          
Silktail
Island Thrush      
Fiji Woodswallow
Polynesian Starling         
Streaked Fantail
Vanikoro Flycatcher     
Giant Forest Honeyeater
Wattled Honeyeater       
Fiji White-eye    
Silvereye

Bird List.

The following checklist contains notes and sightings which were cut and pasted from four different trip reports from 1995 to 2002.  In the column marked 'Name' we have included the range of field guides in which an illustration can be found. Descriptions of all the species on this list can be found in Watling. Our sightings are the first with a date in the separate column and a selection of subsequent sightings. We are both extremely conservative in terms of sighting so those "that looks like a.." from a distance of 200 metres were not included.  The name column reflects the range of titles used for the species.

Legend

[P]   Pizzey           
[B]   Birds of the Solomons.  
[W]  Watling
[F]   Birds of Fiji

(E) Endemic to Fiji
(I) Introduced

K   Kadavu
T    Taveuni
VL  Vitu Levu  

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