Holiday in a wildlife paradise

If you have ever watched a nature documentary and really wanted to experience all the wildlife for yourself, then a holiday to Christmas Island could be an unforgettable trip.

Christmas Island has been the subject of many nature documentaries as it is a tropical paradise that is home to some of the most amazing wildlife on the planet.

Run as a national park by the Australians, 65 per cent of the island is made up of species of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

Located south of Indonesia and north-west of Australia, the island is set to host its first ever bird week from August 31st to September 7th 2006.

The week is led by David James, the coordinator of biodiversity monitoring for Parks Australia, who manage Christmas Island National Park.

Starting in July and ending in September 2006, David James and his team of experts have been collaborating in an intensive program to track and band seabirds, particularly the three booby species, the endemic Christmas Island Frigatebird and the Red-tailed Tropicbird.

Bird week participants will be invited in small groups to help catch Abbott’s Boobies high in the rainforest canopy and assist in colour-banding Brown Boobies and monitor their colonies on the remote and secluded rocky coasts.

Participants will also get a chance to study the nesting biology and foraging ecology of Christmas Island Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.

Depending on interest and demand, there will be opportunities to assist in the colour-banding of Christmas Island Goshawks, go on a Christmas Island Hawk-Owl survey, have a seabird identification workshop, have a territory mapping of Island Thrushes and closer looks at the island’s other wildlife.

And of course there will be the chance to search for a few of those rarities for which Christmas Island is so famous.

Nightly seminars will showcase the results of all the seabird research, the status of the endemic landbirds, the rarities of Christmas Island, and the marine and terrestrial ecology of the island.

The event is planned to be repeated in 2007.

Prices, from £799 per person sharing a twin room (singles from £895 per person) include return economy class flights from Singapore to Christmas Island, seven nights accommodation in rooms with private facilities, all meals, four wheel drive vehicle hire and participation in all the bird events.

For more information see www.wildwings.co.uk
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