A perfect halfday’s birding in Jakarta Zoo

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When: November 2025 Weather: warm 28C

OM1mk2 Zuiko 150-400mm Pro

In Jakarta for their national cataract meeting and I had a morning free today. I engaged a guide called Eci who’s face book page I had stumbled upon a few weeks ago…..My host kindly provided me with a car and driver and we set off from the Pullman Central Hotel for the 30-40min drive down to Ragunan Zoo in south jakarta.

View of Jakarta skyline at sunset with clouds and buildings visible from a hotel window.
the sun rises early in Jakarta in November…it was already light before 6am
Entrance to Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, with visitors lined up at the gate on a warm day.
Eci had recommended the Zoo as a birding hotspot not so far away ..we got there by 630am and it was already open….
A tranquil scene at Ragunan Zoo in Jakarta, featuring lush greenery, a pathway with railings, and a tranquil water reflection.
we headed pass the orang utan enclosure to the water body near the crocodile enclosure…she said this was where we’d see most of the endemics we were after…
Two birds perched on thin branches amidst lush green bamboo foliage in a vibrant natural setting.
First birds to show were the pied fantails…
A small bird perched on a branch surrounded by green foliage.
pied fantail fanning
A bird perched on a branch against a gray sky.
the female scarlet headed flower-pecker flitted about teasing us
A small bird perched on a thin branch against a gray sky.
Here we can see a glimpse of the scarlet rump…..of course the female does not have the scarlet head…the male proved elusive for a while until….
A vibrant orange and black bird perched on a branch surrounded by green foliage.
it finally came near enough and posed long enough…
A colorful bird with an orange head and wings perched on a branch surrounded by green foliage.
the stunningly pretty male scarlet headed flower pecker…endemic and a lifer
A colorful bird with an orange head and gray body perched on a branch, surrounded by green foliage.
a few more views
A vibrant bird with a red head and gray body perched on a branch surrounded by green leaves.
the scarlet headed FP
He finally took off….
A small bird partially hidden among green leaves, displaying a bright yellow underbelly and gray wings.
brown throated sunbird
A vibrant blue and orange kingfisher perched on a twig, surrounded by blurred greenery.
Blue eared kingfisher
A vibrant kingfisher perched on a branch, surrounded by lush green foliage.
the stunning blue eared KF
A small bird perched among green bamboo leaves, partially obscured by foliage, with a light background.
another endemic we were seeking was the olive backed tailorbird…elusive and quick I only managed a couple of backlit shots…..
A bird fluttering among green bamboo leaves against a light background.
and of course couldn’t get a view of the olive back
A small bird with a black head and bright yellow underparts perched among branches in a lush, green environment.
local birders told of a Korean flycatcher near the crocodile area….and this handsome fellow obliged
A small yellow and black bird perched on a branch amidst lush green foliage.
the korean FC AKA the yellow rumped flycatcher…the male
A close-up of a yellow and black bird perched on a branch, surrounded by green foliage.
the yellow rumped flycatcher
Two sparrows perched on a rocky surface, showcasing their gray feathers and distinctive red beaks.
we then went looking for the Javan sparrow…and found them in the trees …very hard to shoot and playing around this water feature
A close-up of a colorful bird perched on a rock, featuring a gray body, a black head, and a red beak.
the pretty javan sparrow
A close-up of a colorful bird with a black and white head, red beak, and blue-gray body perched on a textured rock.
javan sparrow
A bird perched on a branch against a light gray sky.
last bird of the day, the Javan Mynah. We spent just over 3 hours birding in the zoo and left about 10am….
A map of Taman Anggrek Ragunan displaying the layout and area designations within the park, surrounded by greenery and a parking area.
last port of call was to visit some plant nurseries a short distance from the zoo….the small road goes down the middle of two rows of very nice nurseries…..many interesting plants and very reasonably priced too….

It took about an hour to get back to the hotel as the usual jakarta traffic was in full flow….

This was a great way to spend a half day. Highly recommended.

Eci can be contacted on her facebook page……this is her number +628998719954

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