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Waigeo Bird Kingdom

In the jungle: Birdlovers take part in training on the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART) initiated for conservation to protect tourism assets in Raja Ampat, West Papua

Syafrizaldi (The Jakarta Post)
Raja Ampat, West Papua
Tue, July 12, 2016

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Waigeo Bird Kingdom

In the jungle: Birdlovers take part in training on the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART) initiated for conservation to protect tourism assets in Raja Ampat, West Papua. (Syafrizaldi)

Famous for marine riches and undersea paradises, Raja Ampat in West Papua also boasts a terrestrial realm of rare birds.

Origenes Dimara, a local guide, greeted birdwatchers with a smile at his modest lodging house in the village of Saporkren in Raja Ampat regency, West Papua.

He gently conveyed the dos and don’ts of bird-watching, such as keeping noise to a minimum, walking slowly while looking around, not wearing garish clothes that may frighten birds and leaving no trash in the forest.

Guided by Origenes, the four birdwatchers started climbing a small hill behind the village, where red birds of paradise could be seen courting and dancing. A sulfur-crested cockatoo flew overhead as the sun brightened.  

The high market demand for cockatoos has increased the threat to the birds. Their fate depends on the capacity of nature to protect them and human intervention to maintain a balance in the ecosystem so as to prevent mass extinction.

“They live only within a small area, yet their presence is very important as part of the ecosystem and as agents of seed distribution,” said Origenes. The area is known for its limestone spreading across the island with its pointed hills offering unique features of karst. “Look, it’s a red cockatoo,” whispered Origenes, pointing up at a branch.  

He then took the birdwatchers to a steep hill ridge, which he said was the best place to observe red birds of paradise, the most sought-after species among birdlovers.

The species, he said, is endemic to Indonesia and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated a near-threatened status for red birds of paradise. “Moreover, this species can only be found on Waigeo and Batanta Islands in Raja Ampat,” he said.

The ridge where the watchers waited for the birds was sparsely forested, enabling them to observe the mating ritual. An adult male bird of paradise landed on a shady branch. Ignoring the viewers below, it began to dance, trying to attract a female partner.

“The males are polygamous,” said Origenes. After mating, they leave the female partners to take care of their young birds. As it wasn’t the mating season, these birds were only dancing when observed. When the female approached, the male flapped its tail, which began to spread and display two long feathers; the female hopped closer.

“The dance performance of the birds of paradise lasts only a little while. He’ll stop in a moment to feed,” he explained in a low voice. The red species was an icon of the 1990s when its picture adorned Bank Indonesia’s Rp 20,000 banknotes, which are now already scarce.

Bird-watching tourism is the main source of income for most denizens of Saporkren. “We rely on the preserved equilibrium of the local environment, which ensures the birds stay in their habitat here,” he said, taking the watchers to the hilltop to view the island group of Waigeo. A building with a tower offered an extensive view of the scenery.

Fauna and Flora International (FFI) has recorded 173 bird species in Waigeo, 94 of which are protected, including 11 endemic ones.

The FFI’s project coordinator in Raja Ampat, Fitria Rinawati, described Raja Ampat with its karst islands and the sea as rich in nutrition in the form of fish and vegetation, with seeds spread around by birds.

“Some of the birds are completely surrounded by forests such as Waigeo’s maleo birds or Brush-turkey. This terrestrial species, which builds nests at an altitude of 600 meters, looks like a small turkey. The IUCN categorizes Waigeo’s maleos as an endangered species,” she added.

The birdwatchers also encountered various parrots, notably rainbow lorikeets, locally called perkici pelangi. The colorful birds looked tame and flew down to perch on low branches. On descending, bird observer Alex Andhy Priyo Sayogo mentioned another species endemic to Raja Ampat.

The Pitohui birds of Raja Ampat belong to the kutilang (sooty-headed bulbul) family, with light gray heads and chests and bright brown tails. This species has been found to produce a strong alkaloid nervous poison to deter predators.

Origenes still had one more species to show: the Wilson’s bird of paradise. Also endemic to Waigeo, Wilson’s birds don’t like to be disturbed while courting. Sadly, after almost two hours’ surveillance, none showed up. According to Alex, this species is fond of chirping and its adult males always take care of their nests.  

Meanwhile, the plan for a ring-road around Waisa has triggered controversy. A group of people has initiated a patrol under the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART) for conservation to rescue the tourism assets of Raja Ampat.

The group gathered at a road corner in Saporkren last month for a briefing on the use of the global positioning system (GPS).

Tri Kurnia Goram, a middle-aged woman, had been engaged in the SMART patrol training for two days with the West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) and FFI.

Tri said that the routine patrol and recording of changes in the natural environment would assist decision makers in adopting natural protection measures.

In the SMART patrol, Tri and her team will be surveying protected forests, listing all findings and incorporating them in a report, to be presented by the BKSDA in a spatial map.

“We want this zone to be safeguarded. The plan for the Waisai ring road threatens nature conservation,” she said.

In October 2014, the Raja Ampat regency administration issued an environment impact analysis in connection with the 207-kilometer Waisai ring road, which will traverse the East and West Waigeo nature reserves.

“We’re accustomed to sea transportation. For us, boats sufficiently meet our need to travel everywhere. If the government really intends to carry out the plan, why isn’t it looking to develop sea transportation?” she lamented.

Environment and Forestry Ministry Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation Tachrir Fathoni said the plan should first be profoundly studied.

In his view, the road will threaten the ecosystem through poaching and erosion.

Forest protection, according to him, is required to preserve Raja Ampat’s tourism assets. If the habitat is gone, those assets will also be lost.

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