Updated October 2026 with new photographs and birding observations.
A male Chestnut-throated Flycatcher (Myiagra castaneigularis) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park - one of my favourite birds in Fiji.
The road through Colo-i-Suva Forest Park, one of my favourite places to walk slowly and look for birds.
A few years ago, when I still lived in Tamavua, I used to walk our only dog at the time, Kaia, almost daily in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park, just outside Fiji's capital, Suva. Naturally, I would combine these walks with my passion for bird photography, usually carrying my telephoto lens and hoping to photograph some of the many birds inhabiting the forest.
Since moving into town, my visits have become a little less frequent, but Colo-i-Suva remains one of my favourite places for birdwatching around Suva and I try to come here at least once a week. Over the years, I've spent countless hours walking through the forest, observing its birdlife and slowly building up my collection of photographs of Fiji's native and endemic birds.
Some species are relatively easy to find, while others require considerably more patience and a little luck. And even after all these years, I still regularly come across something unexpected (for example, recently a Barn Owl!)
In this article, I want to share some of the birds I've encountered and photographed in Colo-i-Suva, along with a few tips for anyone interested in exploring this beautiful forest with binoculars or a camera.
A Masked Shining Parrot (Prosopeia personata), a species endemic to Viti Levu in Fiji, foraging in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A Fiji White-eye (Zosterops explorator), a species endemic to Fiji, photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A Fiji Bush Warbler (Horornis ruficapilla) calling in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A Sulphur-breasted Myzomela (Myzomela jugularis) perched on a branch in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
Colo-i-Suva Forest Park
Established in 1952, Colo-i-Suva Forest Park covers just under five square kilometres of tropical forest on the outskirts of Suva. Managed by Fiji's Ministry of Forestry, the park offers a network of walking trails, lush vegetation, streams and natural swimming pools.
Being so close to the capital, it is a wonderful place to escape the busy city for a few hours (and my favourite place here by far!). But beyond the hiking trails and waterfalls, the forest is also an excellent place to discover some of Fiji's remarkable birdlife and tick off a few of Viti Levu’s Endemics.
For birdwatchers and wildlife photographers, it offers opportunities to encounter a variety of species, including several birds found only in Fiji.
Birdwatching in Colo-i-Suva: Where and When to Go
Over the years, I've explored different parts of the park, but personally, I've had the most success birding along the main road leading down from the entrance booth to the main parking area.
Rather than driving straight to the bottom, I recommend leaving your vehicle near the upper entrance and slowly making your way down the road on foot.
The vegetation along the roadside provides good opportunities to observe birds moving between trees, feeding in the canopy or occasionally perching at eye level. Some of my favourite photographs from Colo-i-Suva were taken along this relatively short stretch of road.
The key is to take your time. I often stop for several minutes in one location, listening for calls, watching movement in the vegetation and scanning the canopy. Sometimes very little happens, and then suddenly several species appear within just a few minutes.
A Fiji Island Thrush (Turdus ruficeps) perched in Colo-i-Suva. These birds can be tricky to spot in the thick undergrowth.
A Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A Fiji Streaked Fantail (Rhipidura layardi), a species endemic to Fiji, photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
What is the best time for birdwatching in Colo-i-Suva?
As with most birdwatching locations, early mornings are generally a good time to visit, when many species tend to be particularly active.
If you're visiting Colo-i-Suva for the first time and only have a few hours available, I would recommend getting there early in the morning to maximise your chances of seeing a good variety of birds.
That said, I wouldn't limit birdwatching here to the early hours.
I've visited Colo-i-Suva at all sorts of times throughout the day, and many of my favourite bird photographs were actually taken outside what would traditionally be considered peak birding hours.
Bird activity can be unpredictable, and patience, a bit of luck and simply spending time in the forest often matter just as much as the time of day.
So even if you only find yourself with a free afternoon, it's still well worth bringing your binoculars or camera and heading into the forest.
A Barking Imperial Pigeon (Ducula latrans) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
Birds of Colo-i-Suva Forest Park
One of the things I love about birdwatching in Fiji is the remarkable diversity of species that can be encountered in a relatively small area.
Colo-i-Suva is no exception. From colourful parrots and fruit doves to tiny flycatchers and often elusive forest birds, there's plenty to discover if you know how to look (little warning here: tropical birding can be very difficult!).
Below is a list of 23 bird species I've personally encountered during my visits to the park, along with one possible hybrid parrot. Some are relatively common and regularly seen, while others can be much more challenging to find, let alone photograph.
Parrots and pigeons
Masked Shining-Parrot (Prosopeia personata)
Possible Red Shining Parrot × Masked Shining Parrot hybrid (Prosopeia tabuensis × Prosopeia personata)
Collared Lory (Vini solitaria)
Golden Dove (Ptilinopus luteovirens)
Barking Pigeon (Ducula latrans)
White-throated Pigeon (Columba vitiensis)
Honeyeaters and other forest birds
Wattled Honeyeater (Foulehaio procerior)
Giant Honeyeater (Gymnomyza brunneirostris)
Fiji White-eye (Zosterops explorator)
Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
Yellow-throated Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala graeffii)
Fiji Bush-Warbler (Horornis ruficapilla)
Fiji Island Thrush (Turdus ruficeps)
Sulphur-breasted Myzomela (Myzomela jugularis)
Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa)
Flycatchers and other species
Slaty Monarch (Mayrornis lessoni)
Fiji Streaked Fantail (Rhipidura layardi)
Chestnut-throated Flycatcher (Myiagra castaneigularis)
Vanikoro Flycatcher (Myiagra vanikorensis)
Fiji Shrikebill (Clytorhynchus vitiensis)
Pacific Robin (Petroica pusilla)
Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)
Birds of Prey and Owls
Fiji Goshawk (Accipiter rufitorques)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
A few species that have managed to escape my camera are, for example, the Fan-tailed Cuckoo and the Barn Owl. I also know of people having seen the Shy Ground Dove here, although I never heard its call in the park nor seen it in all these years.
I'm sure there are other species to be found here as well, so if you've encountered or photographed any birds in Colo-i-Suva that aren't on this list, I'd love to hear about them!
Two Collared Lories (Vini solitaria) at the entrance to a tree hollow in Colo-i-Suva. Possibly a nesting site, although I couldn’t confirm whether they were breeding.
A male Yellow-throated Fiji Whistler (Pachycephala graeffii) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A perched male Golden Dove (Ptilinopus luteovirens), one of Fiji’s most striking doves. Its unusual call always reminds me of a barking puppy.
A perched female Golden Dove (Ptilinopus luteovirens).
A White-throated pigeon (Columba vitiensis) photographed near Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A Few Tips for Bird Photography in Colo-i-Suva
Photographing birds in tropical rainforests can be quite challenging. The vegetation is often dense, light levels can be low, and many birds spend much of their time high in the canopy or hidden among the leaves.
A few things I've learned from my many visits:
Take your time along the main road. This is where I've had many of my best encounters. Walking slowly and stopping regularly is generally more productive for me than trying to cover as much ground as possible.
Listen as much as you look. Many birds can be heard long before they're seen. Learning to recognise a few of the more common calls can make a big difference.
Keep an eye on the canopy. Many species spend much of their time high in the trees, so regularly scan the branches above you.
Be patient. Sometimes you can walk for quite a while without seeing much, only for the forest to suddenly come alive with activity.
And perhaps most importantly, enjoy being out in the forest! Not every visit will produce fantastic photographs, but there's almost always something interesting to observe.
A Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A young Pacific Robin (Petroica pusilla) photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Park.
A possible hybrid parrot in Colo-i-Suva
One of my more unusual encounters in Colo-i-Suva was a red-bodied parrot spending time with a flock of Masked Shining Parrots. I photographed what appeared to be the same bird on three occasions in 2024 and 2025. Its plumage combined features of Red and Masked Shining Parrots, suggesting a possible hybrid, although genetic testing would be needed to confirm this. I documented these observations in a short paper published in Notornis in 2025. Read the paper here.
A possible Red Shining Parrot × Masked Shining Parrot hybrid (Prosopeia tabuensis × Prosopeia personata) in Colo-i-Suva. I documented its mixed plumage traits and association with Masked Shining Parrots in my 2025 Notornis paper, although its parentage remains unconfirmed.
The Manumanu Vuka Project: Photographing Fiji's Birds
A few years ago, I started the Manumanu Vuka project, an ambitious attempt to photograph as many of Fiji's bird species as possible, including both resident and visiting species.
Photographing some of the more common birds is comparatively easy, but finding the rarer and more elusive species often requires travelling to remote parts of the country, spending long hours in the forest and, quite often, simply being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
A friend once told me about the 80/20 rule: roughly 80% of the results can be achieved with 20% of the effort, while the remaining 20% requires most of the work. I think that describes my bird photography project rather well!
Over the years, I've managed to photograph more and more of Fiji's fascinating birds, and with each new species, the list of those still missing becomes a little shorter. At the same time, the remaining species are often among the most difficult ones to find. Currently, as of October 2026, I am at 71 species.
Colo-i-Suva continues to be an important place for this project. And even when I'm not photographing a new species, there's always the chance to capture a better photograph or observe some interesting behaviour. (And besides, even without a camera, I keep coming here with my three dogs, who love the park as much as I do, although not for the birds!)
My beautiful girl Lewa.
Explore Fiji's Birds
Even after years of visiting Colo-i-Suva, I still find something new to photograph or observe. I hope this guide gives you a useful starting point for your own visit!
And if you're interested in exploring Fiji's birdlife beyond Colo-i-Suva as part of an organised trip, I also offer private birdwatching and bird photography trips across Fiji. You can find out more about my birding trips and photography experiences here: Birding in Fiji, and have a read through the trip report of my first tour.
Enjoy the forest, and fingers crossed for some great bird encounters!
