such as New Guinea, lacks a diversity of avian life but there are enough interesting and sometimes spectacular looking birds to attract visitors from throughout the world. In all, there are about 80 species of terrestrial and freshwater birds, 70 endemics and about 10 which have been introduced.

and secluded setting of colourful tropical vegetation, waterfalls, and clear freshwater pools. Taveuni's birds and other exotic wildlife populate the forest park in abundance.

the Fiji Goshawk glide majestically - a bird you only find in Fiji; or the Blue Crested Broadbill found only in the VitiLevu rainforest; or you may hear the deep hollow call of the barking pidgeon - a bird widely hunted, but safe here. Pick up your Colo-i-Suva Bird Guide from the Visitor Center.

that the 3 large Shining Parrots all are easy too see ( Red Shining Parrot easiest along trail to Des Voeux Peak on Taveuni; Masked Shining Parrot at Joske's Thumb near Suva; Crimson Shining Parrot anywhere on Kakavu ).

A few nice pictures of Fijian birds, including the Many-Collared Fruit Dove, the Collared Lory, and the Giant Forest Honey-eater.

from Fiji (note only partially visible in Netscape), including:
• Koro Island
• Nanuyalevu (Turtle Island), Yasawa, Ba
• Nasoata Island
• Viwa Island

following is a report of a trip taken to 6 islands in Fiji. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit Fiji, I'd say that you have missed one of the truly fabulous places on the planet. Aside from birding, there is ample opportunity to see many of the wonders of the sea and make connections with some of the friendliest people we have met in our travels. 

Peter Lonsdale. Attending a scientific meeting in Suva, Fiji, at the end of September gave me the opportunity for some quick nearby birding trips. A couple of years ago I had birded the Fijian islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, plus the dry leeward side of the main island of Viti Levu (in the highlands above Nadi); this time my targets were the 4 island endemics of Kadavu, and the Pink-billed Parrotfinch that is restricted to the wet (Suva) side of Viti Levu. 

Sarah Vetault. I stayed at the Garden Island Resort for what was primarily a scuba trip, but got a couple of days of birding in. From the balcony of the resort we had Vanikoro Flycatchers and Silvereyes feeding fledglings at eye level, clearly visible without binoculars. As far as I was concerned, that paid for the trip. Even the non-birders were taking photos. 

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit Fiji, I'd say that you have missed one of the truly fabulous places on the planet. Aside from birding, there is ample opportunity to see many of the wonders of the sea and make connections with some of the friendliest people we have met in our travels. 

March 1996 by Susan Myers, Stuart Dashper and our friend Chris Doughty. We visited three islands - Viti Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu-from 24th March to 2nd April. The numerous islands of Fiji are characterised by a high degree of endemicity, most notably the three stunning Ptilinopus fruit-doves, the Silktail and the Shining-parrots. In order to observe most of the endemics it is necessary to go to the three islands mentioned above. The islands are well-endowed with tourist facilities, and on the bigger islands there is a wide range, from backpacker hostels to 5-star hotels. English is widely spoken. 

November 17 - 20, 2000, by Craig Faanes. Finding the endemic birds of Samoa is an absolute piece of cake (despite Billy Crystal's admonishment in the movie Forget Paris to "never say it's a piece of
cake."). Eight of the 10 endemics can be seen within 7 km of Aggie Grey's hotel. When Peter Lonsdale was on Upolu a couple years ago he had difficulty finding the Mao the first trip - he got it the second trip. I guess I was just damned lucky to find mine early the first day. 

Several weeks ago I asked on BIRDCHAT for advice for birding Upolu, Western Samoa. I didn't get much response, but feel duty-bound to give a Trip Report, even though I ended up with barely 24 hours on the island. An Australian correspondent did provide a 1992 Trip Report, with the pleasing news of two good sites (Vaisigano Valley and Mt.Vaea) close to Apia, the capital city --- more particularly, within walking distance of Fagalii airstrip, making the real hazards of Samoan car rental unnecessary. See also Peter's March/April 1999 trip report. 

Factoids taken from Where to watch birds in Asia  - by Nigel Wheatley

It is located on the south coast about 80 kms from Savusavu. On the Silktail Lodge property (about 400 hectares), there are about 6 kms. of walking tracks through a variety of bird habitats and a trained Fijian bird guide is available. As rainforests in Fiji are privately owned, it is not normally easy to obtain access and so this Lodge offers a unique opportunity. Being coastal, there are also a small number of coastal species. Download the Silktail Lodge speciality bird list (Word 6.0 format). The Silktail is readily seen here along with other special birds, including the Orange Dove, Red-breasted Musk Parrot, Scarlet Robin, and Slaty Flycatcher. Our Golden Whistler dawn chorus is memorable! Download More Details about Silktail Lodge (also in Word 6.0 format), or contact Stuart Chambers at as_chambers@xtra.co.nz.

American Samoa, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis & Futuna’ By Dick Watling. ‘A Guide to the Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia’ is a completely revised and reformatted edition of the widely acclaimed ‘Birds of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa’ and includes, in addition, the atoll nations of Tuvalu and Tokelau. A5-sized, the guide is handy for field use with detailed species accounts for the 173 species with confirmed records in the region and notes on a further 22 species with unconfirmed records.