More Indonesian bird species nearing extinction

Antara 11 Jun 11;

Bogor, West Java (ANTARA News) - More Indonesian bird species are threatened by extinction due to the loss of their habitat to forest destruction or conversion, according to the Indonesian Wild Bird Conservation Association.

"In 2010 the number of species threatened was recorded at only 122 but it has now risen to 123," Bird Conservation Officer Dwi Mulyawati said here on Saturday.

She said of the species 18 were categorized as endangered while 31 others endangered and 74 vulnerable.

Therefore "Indonesia has been put into the blacklist of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), " she said.

Dwi said the new bird species that has been put into the list of endangered species is "Gosong Sula" (Megapodius Bernateinii) from formerly under near threatened category to vulnerable.

She said the bird species had become increasingly endangered because their natural habitat was damaged.

Dwi said forests were an important habitat for birds as more than half of birds live in the forests as their main habitat.

Due to conversion of forests into agricultural land in Taliabu on Sula Islands for example Gosong Sula is now losing their habitat there.

"The egg and meat of the 35 cm long bird is now still considered primadona food by local people causing the bird`s population growth to be hindered," she said.

Gosong Sula is a bird species that can be found in Banggai and Sula Islands in the Wallace zone, she said.

These birds are inhabitants of low land forests and coastal areas. They live in couple and in group of up to five.

The dark brown birds take the benefit of earth heat for hatching like "maleo senkawor" (macrocephalon maleo).

"In their natural habitat their number is estimated at around 1,000," she said.

Efforts have to be made to protect this bird by prioritizing important bird zone (DPB) despite the challenge that not all DPB is located in conservation areas but some are found spreading in production forests, she said.

Dwi said Indonesia as the owner of the world`s third largest tropical forests is the center of the world`s bio-diversity from eco-system, flora and fauna species to bird species.

Of a total of almost 10,000 bird species in the world, 1,594 are found in Indonesia. (T.KR-LR)

(T.SYS/B/H-YH/A/H-YH)

(ANTARA)

Editor: Ella Syafputri