Cocos & Christmas Island From Perth

2008 Tour Dates 4 NIGHTS COCOS 3 NIGHTS CHRISTMAS ISLAND $2600 ex Perth 2008 Dates 25.2.08 to 3.3.08 and 3.3.08 to 10.3.08 EXTENDED TOUR 11 nights 7 NIGHTS CHRISTMAS 4 NIGHTS COCOS $3300 ex Perth 2008 Dates 24.11.08 to 5.12.08

Abbott's Booby

Australia's remote Indian Ocean territories are as unique as they are spectacular. Birding Tours Australia are the experts in both of these locations, having discovered more rare vagrant species on these islands than anyone else.

Christmas Island

Lying 360 kilometres south of Jakarta, Christmas Island sits like a formidable, rocky bastion. It's rocky and jagged shores are famous for hosting the world's largest migration of crabs.

Christmas Island is home to a number of endemic species of birds including:

• Christmas Island Frigatebird (The world's rarest frigatebird)
• Christmas Island Thrush
• Christmas Island Swiftlet
• Christmas Island Goshawk
• Christmas Island Hawk Owl
• Christmas Island White-eye
• Christmas Island Imperial Pigeon
• Abbotts Booby (The world's largest and rarest booby)

Our groups have seen all of the island endemics easily, leaving plenty of time to search the territory's hotspots looking for rare Asian vagrant species.

Christmas Island White Eye	To date we have recorded: Eurasian Hobby Savannah Nightjar Asian House Martin White Wagtail Watercock Pin-tailed Snipe Common Kingfisher White-breasted Waterhen
Touring the island, we also often encounter: White-tailed Tropicbird White-tailed Tropicbird (Golden morph) Red-tailed Tropicbird Greater Frigatebird Lesser Frigatebird Brown Booby Red-footed Booby Javan Finch Eurasian Tree Sparrow Emerald Dove Common Noddy	Christmas Island Goshawk Also: Christmas Island Fruit Bat Robber Crab Red Crab Blue Crab

Christmas Island's astounding natural history is characterised by its isolated location and is punctuated by limestone grottoes, natural water springs, volcanic cliffs, dense rainforest and keyhole beaches. Birding Tours will take you to these features in search of the birds they attract.

Tour prices include expert guiding by Richard Baxter, flights, accommodation and car hire on Christmas Island. Book now to avoid disappointment.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Macronyx Yellow Wagtail

Situated ten kilometres closer to Perth than to Sri Lanka, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands were once thought to lack Avian species diversity. A pristine lagoon encircled by tiny coral atolls, Richard Baxter of Birding Tours Australia has rediscovered this island paradise as a key location for encounters of rare vagrant species: We have seen:

• Chinese Pond Heron
• Saunders Tern
• Western Reef Egret
• Asian House Martin
• Macronyx Yellow Wagtail
• Barn Swallow

Green Junglefowl Saunder's Tern

As well as locating the following: Green Junglefowl Buff-banded Rail (North Keeling ssp) Other birds seen on Cocos include: White-breasted Waterhen (now common) Nankeen Night Heron White Tern CI White-eye Red-footed Booby Masked Booby Brown Booby Lesser Frigatebird Greater Frigatebird Wedge-tailed Shearwater Pacific Golden Plover Whimbrel

Convict Tang

Gin clear waters provide some of the best snorkelling in the Indian Ocean. The lagoon is home to a myriad of fish species, shipwrecks, plane wrecks, WWII military ruins and the largest growth of cabbage corals in the world. There will be the opportunity to snorkel on the wreck of a 100yr old clipper on one of our days.

Cocos has a colourful history of piracy, colonialism, industry, and adventure on the high seas. A legacy of this history is being constantly updated at the 'sailing shack' on Direction Island. Generations of Malay people, descendant from the time of the Clunies-Ross family, still live on Home Island.

As part of Birding Tours' exploration of Cocos, you will discover these spectacular aspects and most likely walk where few have walked before on your journey.

Tour prices include local expert guiding by Richard Baxter, flights, accommodation, boat hire and car hire on the Cocos-keeling Islands. Book now to avoid disappointment.