Birds of the Lakekamu-Kunamaipa Basin

Abstract

The Lakekamu-Kunamaipa Basin (LKB) is a large expanse of flat lowland humid forest that straddles Gulf and Central Provinces, southeast of the Purari River and northwest of the Angabanga River. Although the LKB is little developed and physiographically isolated by a series of hills and mountain ranges, Kakoro airstrip (point of access) is only twenty-five minutes' flight from Wau, and an hour's flight from Port Moresby. It is thus a wilderness area that is readily accessible to field researchers desiring to spend time in relatively pristine lowland humid forest. This lowland forest supports populations of a number of difficult-to-observe bird species such as Southern Cassowary, Bat Hawk, Southern Crowned Pigeon, Vulturine Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Long-billed Cuckoo, Shovel-billed Kingfisher, and Tawny Straightbill. Here we summarize our observations of birds made on four field trips to the Lakekamu-Kunamaipa Basin from 1979 to 1992. We present a preliminary bird list and a series of annotated accounts for the more noteworthy
observations.