Hotel category:
Rating:
Country: Papua New Guinea
Region: Western Province
We speak: English
Web site: http://www.pngtours.com/lodge5.html
Location: Bensbach Wildlife Lodge is located in the southwestern corner of Western province in PNG. It is approximately 10 kilometres from West Papua, the Indonesian half of the island. The lodge sits along the Bensbach River. Access to the lodge is by charter aircraft, either from Cairns and Horn Island, Australia and then Daru or through Mount Hagen. Charters from Mount Hagen can be arranged with Trans Niugini Tours. Aircraft arrives and departs using a private airstrip adjacent to the lodge. Stands of Malaluca (paper bark eucalyptus) provide building materials for the local people and the bark is used as insulation in traditional ovens for cooking. Sago and yams are the staples of the Bensbach people.
Services: River tours for birding and fishing are organized on river boats from the lodge. 191 bird species have been recorded in the Bensbach area. Experienced local guides and boat drivers accompany all tours. Bensbach practices sustainable catch and release fishing and only what is needed for an evening meal is kept. A solar system powers the lodge providing 24-hour 220V electricity. Meals are served in a communal dining room and menus often include freshly caught Barramundi and venison purchased from local hunters. Menus are based on European style recipes including a taste of local foods. Generous packed lunches are prepared for tours and served as a picnic along the river. A well-stocked bar and comfortable lodge are located in the guest common area central to the rooms. Beer, wine and soft drinks are available at the bar. However, bottled water is not sold at the lodge and boiled rain water is provided for drinking.
Guestrooms: Guests are accommodated in two separate wings, each linked to the main lodge building that also houses the dining room, bar and lounge. The lodge is built entirely from local materials and adapted to the tastes and comfort of its visitors. Each wing has 4 twin rooms with single beds and 2 shared bathrooms with showers, hot and cold water, basin and flush toilets. Each room has a ceiling fan as the climate is tropical. Boiled rain water is available in the rooms as well as in the dining room. Bed linen and towels are provided and daily housekeeping service ensures that your room is comfortable.
* Please note that the English bird names on this site follow the American terminology. If you can't find a species name, try searching by Family or latin name.
Status key: B = breeding species; RB - rare breeding; W = winter only; V - vagrant; RV = rare vagrant; TM - trans-migrant; In - introduced
Name |
Status | Name (lat) |
Family |
Tropical Scrubwren | R | Sericornis beccarii | Acanthizidae |
Yellow-bellied Gerygone | R | Gerygone chrysogaster | Acanthizidae |
Green-backed Gerygone | W | Gerygone chloronotus | Acanthizidae |
Fairy Gerygone | B | Gerygone palpebrosa | Acanthizidae |
Large-billid Gerygone | R | Gerygone magnirostris | Acanthizidae |
Grey Goshawk | W | Accipiter novaehollandiae | Accipitridae |
Spotted Marsh-harrier | TM | Circus spilonotus | Accipitridae |
Wedge-tailed Eagle | B | Aquila audax | Accipitridae |
White-bellied Sea-eagle | B | Haliaeetus leucogaster | Accipitridae |
Whistling Kite | W | Haliastur sphenurus | Accipitridae |
Grey headed Goshawk | NB | Accipiter poliocephalus | Accipitridae |
Brahminy Kite | B | Haliastur indus | Accipitridae |
Little Eagle | B | Hieraaetus morphnoides | Accipitridae |
Crested Hawk | NB | Aviceda subcristata | Accipitridae |
Clamorous Reed-Warbler | RB | Acrocephalus stentoreus | Acrocephalidae |
Barred Owlet-nightjar | R | Aegotheles bennettii | Aegothelidae |
Singing Bushlark | TM | Mirafra javanica | Alaudidae |
Variable Dwarf Kingfisher | TM | Ceyx lepidus | Alcedinidae |
Spangled Kookaburra | R | Dacelo tyro | Alcedinidae |
Little Paradise-Kingfisher | R | Tanysiptera hydrocharis | Alcedinidae |
Little Kingfisher | B | Alcedo pusilla | Alcedinidae |
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra | B | Dacelo gaudichaud | Alcedinidae |
Azure Kingfisher | R | Alcedo azurea | Alcedinidae |
Blue-winged Kookaburra | R | Dacelo leachii | Alcedinidae |
Forest Kingfisher | R | Halcyon macleayii | Alcedinidae |
Sacred Kingfisher | TM | Halcyon sancta | Alcedinidae |
Yellow-billed Kingfisher | B | Halcyon torotoro | Alcedinidae |
Magpie Goose | TM | Anseranus semipalmata | Anatidae |
Spotted Whistling Duck | B | Dendrocygna guttata | Anatidae |
White-headed Shelduck | NB | Tadorna radjah | Anatidae |
Grey Teal | NB | Anas gibberifrons | Anatidae |
Wandering Whistling Duck | TM | Dendrocygna arcuata | Anatidae |
Green Pygmy-Goose | NB | Nettapus pulchellus | Anatidae |
Pacific Black Duck | NB | Anas superciliosa | Anatidae |
Australasian Darter | W | Anhinga novaehollandiae | Anhingidae |
Pacific Swift | TM | Apus pacificus | Apodidae |
Papuan Spine-tailed Swift | R | Mearnsia novaeguineae | Apodidae |
Great Egret | NB | Ardea alba | Ardeidae |
Intermediate Egret | TM | Egretta intermedia | Ardeidae |
Pied Heron | W | Ardea picata | Ardeidae |
Little Egret | NB | Egretta garzetta | Ardeidae |
White Faced Heron | RB | Egretta novaehollandiae | Ardeidae |
Striated Heron | R | Butorides striata | Ardeidae |
Great-billed Heron | R | Ardea sumatrana | Ardeidae |
Rufous Night-heron | B | Nycticorax caledonicus | Ardeidae |
White-breasted Wood-swallow | TM | Artamus leucorhynchus | Artamidae |
Beach Stone-Curlew | W | Esacus magnirostris | Burhinidae |
White Winged Triller | TM | Lalage sueurii | Campephagidae |
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike | B | Coracina papuensis | Campephagidae |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | TM | Coracina novaehollandiae | Campephagidae |
Cicadabird | TM | Coracina tenuirostris | Campephagidae |
Papuan Nightjar | B | Eurostopodus papuensis | Caprimulgidae |
White-throated Nightjar | TM | Eurostopodus mystacalis | Caprimulgidae |
Large-tailed Nightjar | R | Caprimulgusmacrurus | Caprimulgidae |
Southern Cassowary | R | Casuarius casuarius | Cassuariidae |
Lesser Sand-Plover | NB | Charadrius mongolus | Charadriidae |
Red-kneed Dotterel | RB | Erythrogonys cinctus | Charadriidae |
Greater Sand-Plover | NB | Charadrius leschenaultii | Charadriidae |
American Golden-Plover | NB | Pluvialis dominica | Charadriidae |
Masked Lapwing | B | Vanellus miles | Charadriidae |
Whiskered Tern | TM | Chlidonias hybridus | Chlidonias |
Black-necked Stork | R | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus | Ciconiidae |
Zitting Cisticola | TM | Cisticola juncidis | Cisticolidae |
Brown Cuckoo-dove | R | Macropygia amboinensis | Columbidae |
Bar-shouldered Dove | NB | Geopelia humeralis | Columbidae |
Black-billed Cuckoo-dove | R | Macropygia nigrirostris | Columbidae |
Peaceful Dove | R | Geopelia striata | Columbidae |
Pied Imperial-Pigeon | TM | Ducula bicolor | Columbidae |
Emerald Ground-Dove | NB | Chalcophaps indica | Columbidae |
Pinon Imperial Pigeon | B | Ducula pinon | Columbidae |
Great Cuckoo-dove | R | Reinwardtoena reinwardtii | Columbidae |
Collared Imperial Pigeon | R | Ducula mullerii | Columbidae |
Stephan's Ground-Dove | NB | Chalcophaps stephani | Columbidae |
Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove | R | Ptilinopus iozonus | Columbidae |
Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove | R | Ptilinopus aurantiifrons | Columbidae |
Dollarbird | B | Eurystomus orientalis | Coraciidae |
Australian Magpie | TM | Gymnorhina tibicens | Cracticidae |
Black-backed Butcherbird | R | Cracticus mentalis | Cracticidae |
Malay Bronze-cuckoo | R | Chrysococcyx minutillus | Cuculidae |
Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo | R | Chrysococcyx basalis | Cuculidae |
Greater Black Coucal | B | Centropus menbeki | Cuculidae |
Chestnut-brested Cuckoo | TM | Cacomantis castaneiventris | Cuculidae |
Common Koel | TM | Eudynamys scolopacea | Cuculidae |
Lesser Black Coucal | R | Centropus bernsteini | Cuculidae |
Pheasant Coucal | B | Centropus phasianinus | Cuculidae |
Oriental Cuckoo | TM | Cuculus saturatus | Cuculidae |
Brush Cuckoo | TM | Cacomantis variolosus | Cuculidae |
Spangled Drongo | R | Dicrurus hottentottus | Dicruridae |
Yellow-legged Flycatcher | B | Microeca griseoceps | Eopsaltriidae |
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher | W | Microeca flavovigaster | Eopsaltriidae |
Grey-crowned Mannikin | R | Lonchura nevermanni | Estrildidae |
Crimson Finch | R | Neochmea phaeton | Estrildidae |
White-spotted Mannikin | R | Lonchura leucosticta | Estrildidae |
Black Mannikin | R | Lonchura stygia | Estrildidae |
Peregrine Falcon | R | Falco peregrinus | Falconidae |
Oriental Pratincole | NB | Glareola maldivarum | Glareolidae |
Australian pratincole | TM | Stiltia isabella | Glareolidae |
Magpie-lark | R | Grallina cyanoleuca | Grallinidae |
Brolga | W | Grus rubicunda | Gruidae |
Moustached Tree-swift | R | Hemiprocne mystacea | Hemiprocnidae |
Pacific Swallow | R | Hirundo tahitica | Hirundinidae |
Tree Martin | TM | Hirundo nigricans | Hirundinidae |
Comb-crested Jacana | B | Irediparra gallinacea | Jacanidae |
White-winged Tern | TM | Chlidonias leucopterus | Laridae |
Gull-billed Tern | TM | Gelochelidon nilotica | Laridae |
White-shouldered Fairy-wren | R | Malurus alboscapulatus | Maluridae |
Orange-footed Scrubfowl | RB | Megapodius reinwardt | Megapodiidae |
Papuan Flowerpecker | R | Dicaeum pectorale | Melanocharitidae |
Puff-backed Meliphaga | R | Meliphaga aruensis | Meliphagidae |
Red-headed Myzomela | R | Myzomela erythrocephala | Meliphagidae |
Meyer's Friarbird | R | Philemon meyeri | Meliphagidae |
Graceful Meliphaga | NB | Meliphaga gracilis | Meliphagidae |
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater | R | Lichenostomus flavescens | Meliphagidae |
Helmeted Friarbird | R | Philemon buceroides | Meliphagidae |
Mimic Meliphaga | R | Meliphaga analoga | Meliphagidae |
White-throated Honeyeater | R | Melithreptis albogularis | Meliphagidae |
Long-billed Honeyeater | B | Melilestes megarhynchus | Meliphagidae |
Tawny Straightbill | R | Timeliopsis griseigula | Meliphagidae |
Noisy Friarbird | R | Philemon corniculatus | Meliphagidae |
Spotted Honeyeater | B | Xanthotis polygrammus | Meliphagidae |
Blue-faced Honeyeater | R | Entomyzon cyanotis | Meliphagidae |
Pygmy Honeyeater | W | Oedistoma pygmaeum | Meliphagidae |
Brown-backed Honeyeater | W | Ramsayornis modestus | Meliphagidae |
Twany-breasted Honeyeater | R | Xanthotis flaviventer | Meliphagidae |
Little Friarbird | R | Philemon citreogularis | Meliphagidae |
Green-backed Honeyeater | TM | Glycichaera fallax | Meliphagidae |
Yellow-bellied Longbill | R | Toxorhamphus vovaeguineae | Meliphagidae |
Rufous-banded Honeyeater | B | Conopophila albogularis | Meliphagidae |
Streak-headed Honeyeater | B | Pycnopygius stictocephalus | Meliphagidae |
Dusky Myzomela | B | Myzomela obscura | Meliphagidae |
Brown Honeyeater | R | Lichmera indistincta | Meliphagidae |
Plain Honeyeater | R | Pycnopygius ixoides | Meliphagidae |
Blue-tailed Bee-eater | B | Merops philippinus | Meropidae |
Rainbow Bee-eater | TM | Merops ornatus | Meropidae |
Western Yellow Wagtail | TM | Motacilla flava | Motacillidae |
Black Faced Monarch | TM | Monarcha melanopsis | Myiagridae |
Frilled Monarch | B | Arses telescopthalmus | Myiagridae |
Shining Flycatcher | W | Myiagra alecto | Myiagridae |
Yellow-breasted Boatbill | W | Machaerirhynchus flaviventer | Myiagridae |
Spectacled Monarch | TM | Monarcha trivirgatus | Myiagridae |
Restless Flycatcher | R | Myiagra inequieta | Myiagridae |
Yellow-bellied Sunbird | B | Nectarinia Jugularis | Nectariniidae |
Black Sunbird | R | Nectarinia apasia | Nectariniidae |
Brown Oriole | R | Oriolus szalayi | Oriolidae |
Yellow Oriole | R | Oriolus flavocinctus | Oriolidae |
Painted Quail-thrush | R | Cinclosoma ajax | Orthonychidae |
Australian Bustard | W | Adeotis australis | Otididae |
Grey Shrike-Thrush | R | Colliricincla harmonica | Pachycephalidae |
White-bellied Pitohui | R | Pitohui incertus | Pachycephalidae |
Little Shrike-thrush | R | Colluricincla megarhyncha | Pachycephalidae |
Varied Triller | R | Lalage leucomela | Pachycephalidae |
Osprey | B | Pandion haliaetus | Pandionidae |
Glossy-mantled Manucode | R | Manucodia atra | Paradisaeidae |
Australian Pelican | B | Pelecanus conspicillatus | Pelecanidae |
Great Cormorant | V | Phalacrocorax carbo | Phalacrocoracidae |
Pied Comorant | NB | Phalacrocorax varius | Phalacrocoracidae |
Little Pied Cormorant | R | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos | Phalacrocoracidae |
Little Black Cormorant | R | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris | Phalacrocoracidae |
Noisy Pitta | TM | Pitta versicolor | Pittidae |
Marbled Frogmouth | B | Podargus ocellatus | Podargidae |
Papuan Frogmouth | B | Podargus papuensis | Podargidae |
Australasian Grebe | W | Tachyboptus novaehollandiae | Podicipedidiae |
Grey-crowned Babbler | R | Pomatostomus temporalis | Pomatostomatidae |
Red-winged Parrot | R | Aprosmictus erythropterus | Psittacidae |
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | R | Cacatua galerita | Psittacidae |
Orange-breasted Fig-parrot | R | Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii | Psittacidae |
Red-cheeked Parrot | R | Geoffroyus geoffroyi | Psittacidae |
Yellow-streaked Lory | B | Chalcopsitta scintillata | Psittacidae |
Eclectus Parrot | R | Eclectus roratus | Psittacidae |
Rainbow Lorikeet | B | Trichoglossus heamatodus | Psittacidae |
Papuan Hanging Parrot | R | Loriculus aurantiifrons | Psittacidae |
Little Corella | W | Cacatua pastinator | Psittacidae |
Palm Cockatoo | R | Probosciger aterrimus | Psittacidae |
Edwards' Fig-Parrot | R | Psittaculirostris edwardsii | Psittacidae |
Red-flanked Lorikeet | W | Charmosyna placentis | Psittacidae |
Fawn-breasted Bowerbird | W | Chlamydera cerviniventris | Ptilonorhynchidae |
Spotted Catbird | R | Ailuroedus melanotis | Ptilonorhynchidae |
White-eared Catbird | Ailuroedus buccoides | Ptilonorhynchidae | |
White-headed Stilt | NB | Himantopus leucocephalus | Recurvirostridae |
Rufus-backed Fantail | W | Rhipidura rufidora | Rhipiduridae |
Rufus Fantail | W | Phipidura rufifrons | Rhipiduridae |
Mangrove Fantail | TM | Rhipidura phasiana | Rhipiduridae |
Willie Wagtail | R | Rhipidura leucophrys | Rhipiduridae |
Red-necked Stint | W | Calidris ruficollis | Scolopacidae |
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | TM | Calidris acuminata | Scolopacidae |
Curlew Sandpiper | NB | Calidris ferruginea | Scolopacidae |
Black-tailed Godwit | TM | Limosa limosa | Scolopacidae |
Gray-tailed Tattler | NB | Tringa brevipes | Scolopacidae |
Swinhoe's Snipe | TM | Gallinago megala | Scolopacidae |
Wood Sandpiper | TM | Tringa glareola | Scolopacidae |
Marsh Sandpiper | RV | Tringa stagnatilis | Scolopacidae |
Little Curlew | NB | Numenius minutus | Scolopacidae |
Common Greenshank | NB | Tringa nebularia | Scolopacidae |
Ruddy Turnstone | NB | Arenaria interpres | Scolopacidae |
Long-toed Stint | R | Calidris subminuta | Scolopacidae |
Little Tern | TM | Sterna albifrons | Sternidae |
Southern Boobook | TM | Ninox novaeseelandiae | Strigidae |
Barking Owl | R | Ninox connivens | Strigidae |
Tawny Grassbird | R | Megalurus timoriensis | Sylviidae |
Golden-headed Cisticola | R | Cisticola exilis | Sylviidae |
Fly River Grassbird | R | Megalurus albolimbatus | Sylviidae |
Yellow-billed Spoonbill | NB | Platalea flavipes | Threskiornithidae |
Glossy Ibis | W | Plegadis falcinellus | Threskiornithidae |
Sacred Ibis | W | Threskiornis aethiopicus | Threskiornithidae |
Royal Spoonbill | NB | Platalea regia | Threskiornithidae |
Straw-necked Ibis | NB | Threskiornis spinicollis | Threskiornithidae |
Common Sandpiper | NB | Tringa hypoleucos | Tringinae |
Masked Owl | R | Tyto novaehollandiae | Tytonidae |
New Guinea White-eye | R | Zosterops novaeguineae | Zosteropidae |
Black-fronted White-eye | R | Zosterops atrifrons | Zosteropidae |