Presenter: Suzanne Beauchesne

Suzanne has had a lifetime obsession with birds. After receiving the gift of binoculars and a field guide at the age of four, she started keeping records at the age of eleven. Growing up with a father working in the travel industry provided early opportunities for international birding travel, a hobby she has pursued rather relentlessly ever since.

Suzanne feels fortunate to have been able to turn her bird passion into a career as a professional ornithologist. Having recently retired the focus is back on birding for fun both at home and in far flung places.

Island biogeography has always been of particular interest (Darwin, Wallace and Diamond are some of Suzanne’s super heroes). In November of 2023 Suzanne and John Cooper, her partner in crime, spent five weeks island hopping from their home on Vancouver Island to the Indonesian archipelago, via Japan (briefly). West Papua, an Indonesian province on the island of New Guinea, with its iconic Birds of Paradise, was the ultimate destination but they couldn’t resist doing a little exploration on both sides of Wallace’s line while in the region. Birds of Paradise are undeniably absolutely outstanding but the region’s kingfishers, pittas and doves compete for some of the glory. This presentation will discuss the unique avifauna of these islands, illustrated with John’s excellent and Suzanne’s passable photography, with a few travel tips and tricks included for anyone contemplating visiting the region.