Join us for an extraordinary 8-week bird photography expedition across Melanesia, spanning Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji. Led by one of Asia and Oceania’s most experienced bird photographers, this tour offers unrivaled opportunities to capture rare and endemic species in stunning natural settings. From the misty highlands and lowland rainforests of Papua New Guinea, home to the legendary Birds-of-Paradise, to the lush island forests, volcanic landscapes, and tropical coastlines of the surrounding archipelagos, every moment is designed to inspire and elevate your photography.
Explore a rich diversity of habitats and encounter extraordinary birds, from Birds-of-Paradise to colorful Parrots, Honeyeaters, Bowerbirds, Fruit Doves and Kingfishers as well as the iconic Kagu of New Caledonia. With expert guidance on composition, lighting, and field techniques, you’ll create images that capture the vibrancy and drama of these remote islands. Perfect for passionate photographers and nature enthusiasts alike, this immersive journey promises both adventure and artistry, leaving you with unforgettable memories and a portfolio of Melanesia’s most remarkable birds.
Papua New Guinea: King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise / Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia / Ribbon-tailed Astrapia / Brown Sicklebill / Black Sicklebill / Short-tailed Paradigalla / Ribbon-tailed Astrapia / Lesser Bird-of-Paradise / Short-tailed Paradigalla / Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise / Blue Bird-of-Paradise / Raggianna Bird-of-Paradise/ Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise / King Bird-of-Paradise / Greater Bird of Paradise / Glossy-mantled Manucode / West Papuan Lorikeet / MacGregor’s Bowerbird / Flame Bowerbird / Mountain Kingfisher / Azure Kingfisher / Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher / Barred Owlet-Nightjar
Solomon Islands: Lesser Frigatebird / Great Frigatebird / Black Noddy / Brown Noddy / Brown Booby / Red-footed Booby / Blue-billed White Tern / Greater Crested Tern / Bridled Tern / Black-naped Tern / Guadalcanal Dwarf Kingfisher / Ultramarine Kingfisher / Pacific Kingfisher / Sacred Kingfisher / Grey-throated White-eye / Sanford’s White-eye / Santa Cruz White-eye / White-winged Fantail / Brown Fantail / Rufous Fantail / Willie Wagtail / Chestnut-bellied Monarch / Vanikoro / Steel-blue / Melanesian Flycatchers / Guadalcanal Myzomela / Cardinal Myzomela / Metallic Starling / Polynesian Starling / Rusty-winged Starling / Claret-breasted Fruit Dove / Red-bellied Fruit Dove / Yellow-bibbed Fruit Dove / Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon / Island Imperial Pigeon / Pacific Imperial Pigeon / Melanesian Megapode / Polynesian Triller / Coconut Lorikeet / Guadalcanal Boobook
New Caledonia: Kagu / Cloven-feathered Dove / Horned Parakeet / New Caledonian Parakeet / Ouvea Parakeet / New Caledonian Myzomela / New Caledonia Friarbird / Crow Honeyeater / Barred Honeyeater / New Caledonian Streaked Fantail / New Caledonian Crow / Yellow-bellied Flyrobin / New Caledonian Thicketbird / Green-backed White-eye / New Caledonian Goshawk / Goliath Imperial Pigeon / New Caledonian Island Thrush / Striated Starling / Red-bellied Fruit Dove / Pacific Imperial Pigeon / Metallic Pigeon / Melanesian Flycatcher / Melanesian Whistler / Collared Kingfisher / Silvereye / Fan-tailed Gerygone / Grey Fantail / Southern Shrikebill / South Melanesian Cuckooshrike / Long-tailed Triller / Polynesian Triller / White-breasted Woodswallow / Common Waxbill / Blue-faced Parrotfinch / Chestnut-breasted Mannikin / Coconut Lorikeet
Fiji: Peale’s Imperial-pigeon, Orange Dove, Golden Dove, Velvet Dove, Fiji Petrel, Fiji Goshawk, Crimson Shining-parrot, Masked Shining-parrot, Red Shining-parrot, Collared Lory, Rotuma Myzomela, Orange-breasted Myzomela, Kadavu Honeyeater, Chattering Giant-Honeyeater, Duetting Giant-Honeyeater, Western Wattled-Honeyeater, Fiji Wattled Honeyeater, Fiji Woodswallow, Natewa Silktail, Taveuni Silktail, Fiji Streaked Fantail, Taveuni Streaked Fantail, Kadavu Fantail, Chestnut-throated Flycatcher, Ocea Monarch, Slaty Monarch, Black-throated Shrikebill, Azure-crested Flycatcher, Long-legged Thicketbird, Fiji Bush-warbler, Layard’s White-eye, Fiji Parrotfinch, Pink-billed Parrotfinch.
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Papua New Guinea
Days 1-2 National Capital District, Port Moresby[1N, 0D, 0S]. Arrive Port Moresby International and transfer to hotel.
Days 2-8 Western Highlands Province [6N, 5D, 11S]. Domestic Flight from Western Province to Western Highlands Province. Photographic Targets: King of Saxony Bird-of-Paradise / Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia / Brown Sicklebill / Short-tailed Paradigalla / Ribbon-tailed Astrapia / Lesser Bird-of-Paradise / Crested Satinbird / Bird-of-Paradise / Raggianna Bird-of-Paradise / Lawes’s Parotia / MacGregor’s Bowerbird.
Days 8-13 Central Province, Varirata National Park [5N, 4D, 9S]. Domestic Flight from Western Highlands Province to Central Province. Photographic Targets: Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise / Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher / Yellow-billed Kingfisher / Azure Kingfisher / Barred Owlet-Nightjar / Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher / Growling Riflebird / Barking Owl / Papuan Boobook / Torresian Imperial Pigeon / Pink-spotted Fruit Dove.
Day 13-14 National Capital District, Port Moresby [1N, 0D, 1S]. Transfer to Port Moresby Airport for International Departures.
Solomon Islands
Days 14-15 Guadalcanal Province [1N, 0D, 1S]: Arrive Honiara International Airport [Overnight: Honiara].
Days 15-24 The Reef Islands [9N, 9D, 19S]: Domestic flight 2-hours [Overnight: Various Atolls amongst The Reef Islands].
Days 24-25 Guadalcanal Province [1N, 0D, 0S]: Domestic flight 2-hours to Guadalcanal Province for International Departures [Overnight: Honiara].
New Caledonia
Day 25-26 South Province [1N, 0D, 0S]: Arrive at Tontouta International Airport and transfer to hotel.
Days 26-29 Ouvea Island, Loyalty Islands Province [3N, 2D, 5S]: Domestic flight 1-hour to Ouvea Airport [Overnight: Ouvea]. Photographic Targets: Ouvea Parakeet / White-bellied Goshawk / Green-backed White-eye / Red-throated Parrotfinch / Striated Starling / Red-bellied Fruit Dove / Pacific Imperial Pigeon / Metallic Pigeon / Melanesian Flycatcher / Melanesian Whistler / Collared Kingfisher / Silvereye / Fan-tailed Gerygone / Grey Fantail / Southern Shrikebill / South Melanesian Cuckooshrike / Long-tailed Triller / White-breasted Woodswallow / Common Waxbill / Chestnut-breasted Mannikin / Coconut Lorikeet
Days 29-35 South Province [6N, 5D, 11S]: Domestic flight 1-hour to Tontouta International Airport [Overnight: Grande Terre]. Photographic Targets: Kagu / Cloven-feathered Dove / Green-backed White-eye / Horned Parakeet / New Caledonian Parakeet / New Caledonian Myzomela / New Caledonia Friarbird / Crow Honeyeater / New Caledonian Streaked Fantail / New Caledonian Crow / Yellow-bellied Flyrobin / New Caledonian Thicketbird / New Caledonian Petrel / New Caledonian Cuckooshrike / White-bellied Goshawk / Goliath Imperial Pigeon / New Caledonian Island Thrush / Red-throated Parrotfinch / striated Starling / Red-bellied Fruit Dove / Pacific Imperial Pigeon / Metallic Pigeon / Melanesian Flycatcher / Melanesian Whistler / Collared Kingfisher / Silvereye / Fan-tailed Gerygone / Grey Fantail / Southern Shrikebill / South Melanesian Cuckooshrike / Long-tailed Triller / White-breasted Woodswallow / Common Waxbill / Chestnut-breasted Mannikin / Coconut Lorikeet
Day 35-36 South Province [1N, 0D, 0S]: Transfer to La Tontouta International Airport for international departures.
Fiji
Days 36-40 Viti Levu [4N, 3D, 7S]: Arrive Nadi International Airport (NAN) on Viti Levu [Overnight: Viti Levu]. Photographic Targets: Pink-billed Parrotfinch (e), Golden Dove (e), Fiji Goshawk (e), Fiji Bush Warbler (e), Slaty Monarch (e), Fiji Streaked Fantail (e), Long-legged Thicketbird (e), Black-throated Shrikebill (e), Giant Honeyeater (e), Peale’s Imperial Pigeon (e), Fiji Shrikebill (e), Masked Shining Parrot (e), Collared Lory (e), Orange-breasted Myzomela (e), Duetting Giant-Honeyeater (e), Fiji Wattled Honeyeater (e), Fiji Woodswallow (e), Chestnut-throated Flycatcher (e), Black-throated Shrikebill (e), Azure-crested Flycatcher (e), Layard’s White-eye (e), Fiji Parrotfinch (e), [Other Targets: Many-coloured Fruit Dove].
Days 40-43 Kadavu [3N, 2D, 5S]: Arrive Kadavu Airport (KDV) on Kadavu [Overnight: Kadavu]. Photographic Targets: Whistling Fruit Dove (e), Kadavu (Crimson Shining) Parrot (e), Velvet Dove (e), Kadavu Fantail (e), Kadavu Honeyeater (e), [Other Targets: Fiji Whistler].
Days 43-46 Taveuni [3N, 2D, 5S]: Domestic Flight Kadavu – Viti Levu – Taveuni, Arrive Taveuni Airport (KDV) [Overnight: Taveuni]. Photographic Targets: Taveuni Silktail (e), Orange Dove (e), Maroon Shining Parrot (e), Chattering Giant Honeyeater (e), Red Shining Parrot (e), Black-throated Shrikebill (e), Fiji Parrotfinch (e), [Other Targets: Island Thrush].
Days 46-49 Vanua Levu [3N, 2D, 5S]: Domestic Flight Tavenui to Vanua Levu, Arrive Savusavu Airport (SVU) [Overnight: Vanua Levu]. Photographic Targets: Natewa Silktail (e), Fiji Whistler (e), Red Shining Parrot (e), Western Wattled Honeyeater (e), Black-throated Shrikebill (e).
Days 49-50 Depart Fiji [1N, 0D, 0S].
Domestic Flight Vanua Levu to Viti Levu, Depart Fiji Nadi International Airport [END].
[Key: N: Night / D: Full Day / S: Session / Half-Day]
Nick Ludovic Green has spent much of his life travelling and photographing birds across Asia and Oceania, developing a depth of field experience that few bird photographers achieve. Over more than 15 years in the region, Nick has led 150+ bird photography tours in 35 countries, carefully designing each itinerary to give photographers the best possible access to light, behaviour and habitat.
Through extensive long-term travel, Nick has photographed 2,500 bird species across Asia and Oceania, many at portrait-quality standard. In China alone he has documented over 1,200 species, working in every province and returning repeatedly to key locations to refine photographic opportunities, an experience that directly benefits photographers travelling with him.
His longer bird photography expeditions include a four-month journey across Melanesia, a three-month traverse of Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China's western frontier, and a four-month Himalayan journey from Kashmir, Ladakh and Bhutan to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. These extended field projects have helped build deep regional knowledge and trusted local relationships.
Nick’s images have been published internationally, and his methods reflects a long-term commitment to careful, respectful bird photography. On tour, he is known for his organized, supportive approach and practical in-field guidance, helping bird photographers of all levels improve their work whilst enjoying unhurried time amongst the region’s most sought-after species.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping.
