Conservations Javan Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) in Gunung Picis Ponorogo Nature Reserve

The Javan Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) is a bird prey species (raptor) at the top of the food chain cycle that only exists in Java’s Island. Population the Javan Hawk Eagle is endangered due to illegal trade, poaching, and land narrowing. The purpose of this study is to know the population of the Javan Hawk Eagle in Gunung Picis Ponorogo Nature Reserve. The identification method used is by using the suitable method and direct observation. The study results explained that in the area, the Javan Hawk Eagle was found following food supplies in nature, so that area was very suitable for the breeding process of endemic birds in Java’s Island. In 2016, one young Javan Hawk-Eagle was released in this area. In 2017 and 2018, a young Javan Hawk-Eagle and 1 adult Javan Hawk-Eagle were found. Then at the end of 2019, they released one adult Javan Hawk-Eagle at location A, so there have been four adult Javan Hawk-Eagle. Observations lasted until 2020 in that area with the same result as in 2019. Observations made in that conservation area in February - March 2020 show that the Javan Hawk-Eagle conservation continues to increase, marked by the presence of young individuals.

Eradication of a highly invasive bird, the Common Myna Acridotheres tristis, facilitates the establishment of insurance populations of island endemic birds

Summary Common Myna Acridotheres tristis is considered to be among the world’s most damaging invasive species through disturbance, predation, competition pathogen introduction to native birds and other taxa. Claimed impacts on native birds have often been based on anecdotal reports. More substantive evidence of interference with small-island endemic birds has been reported, but impacts have rarely been quantified or subjected to experimental manipulation. On Denis Island (Seychelles), up to 10% of Seychelles Warblers Acrocephalus sechellensis, and small numbers of Seychelles Fodies Foudia sechellesis and Seychelles Paradise Flycatchers Terpsiphone corvina had head injuries following myna attacks, stimulating an eradication of the mynas. Populations of four species of Seychelles’ endemic birds, introduced to the island to establish insurance populations, were estimated before, during and after the completion of the eradication, permitting assessment of the impact of myna removal on populations of the endemics. Numbers of all four endemics increased following introduction, but increases in the numbers of Seychelles Magpie Robins Copsychus sechellensis and Seychelles Paradise Flycatchers accelerated after >90% of the mynas had been removed. All endemic populations continued to increase during and after completion of the eradication in 2015, and injuries to Seychelles Warblers, Seychelles Fodies, and Seychelles Paradise Flycatchers ceased. Habitat management within a designated conservation zone on the island, into which the endemics were released and subsequently spread to occupy most of the island, also contributed to the endemic birds’ global populations and to their improved conservation status. This study confirms that mynas negatively impact small island populations of endemic birds and suggests that their potential impact has been underestimated. Myna eradication should be considered vital before endangered endemic birds and other taxa susceptible to their negative impacts are translocated to small islands for conservation reasons.

Integrating issues of biodiversity and climate change to achieve sustainable forest management: A case of Mbeliling landscape, Flores

Biodiversity and climate change are interrelated, so a coordinated approach is needed to cover it by focusing on how landscapes provide many benefits. The Mbeliling landscape, Flores is the smallest management unit in an ecological perspective, essential for the conservation and preservation of biodiversity, especially for the endemic birds of Flores. Efforts to preserve biodiversity are also expected to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The study aims to produce data and information on biodiversity and potential carbon stocks at the land cover of the Mbeliling landscape. Desk study and field survey were used to answer research questions. The Mbeliling landscape has eight types of tree vegetation land cover that can serve as carbon sinks and the habitat for four species of Flores endemic birds. Approximately 139 species of vegetation with the total carbon stocks could potentially absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of ± 103.63 Mt CO2-e. The type of land cover significantly influences carbon stocks. The land cover with forest category in the Mbeliling landscape has the most extensive carbon stock among other land cover types. This result can be used as a reference in managing the Mbeliling landscape in integrating efforts to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change through the REDD+ scheme.

Seabirds of the Benguela Ecosystem: Utilisation, Long-Term Changes and Challenges

The Benguela Current is used by c. 82 seabird species, of which seven are endemic to it. Eggs and guano of formerly abundant seabirds were heavily harvested in the 19th and 20th centuries but decreases in seabird populations led to cessation of these industries at islands. Guano is still scraped from platforms. Seabird ecotourism has grown. There were large recent decreases in numbers of African Penguins Spheniscus demersus, Cape Gannets Morus capensis and Cape Phalacrocorax capensis and Bank P. neglectus Cormorants and redistributions of these other species away from the centre of the Benguela ecosystem towards its northern or eastern boundaries. In 2020, seabirds endemic to the Benguela ecosystem and albatrosses and petrels migrating into it had high proportions of globally Near Threatened or Threatened species. The primary threat to four Endangered endemic birds was scarcity of forage resources. A Vulnerable endemic damara tern was susceptible to habitat degradation and disturbance. The principal threat to visiting albatrosses and petrels was by-catch mortality. Identification and effective protection of Important Bird Area breeding and marine foraging and aggregation sites, and a suite of complementary measures, are needed to conserve the seabirds and ensure continuation of their economic and ecosystem benefits into the future.

Preliminary survey of avifauna of the Estação Ecológica do Cuniã in Porto Velho, northern Brazil

We present a preliminary list of the avifauna found at the Estação Ecológica do Cuniã (ESEC Cuniã) in Porto Velho, northern Rondônia, Brazil. This inventory is based on systematic records obtained by mist-netting and camera trapping and non-systematic visual and audio records collected within the study area in 2017 and 2019. The combined dataset includes 135 bird species representing 37 families. Among these species are endemic birds and migratory birds. Four of the species are described in the last decade, and the records represent expansions of these species’ known ranges to the state of Rondônia. Overall, the data show that the ESEC Cuniã has a considerable diversity of bird species and is important for the conservation of the fauna of the floodplains of the Amazon basin.

THE DIVERSITY OF BIRDS AND ATTRACTIVE BIRDS AS AVITOURISM OBJECTS IN GUNUNG BROMO UNIVERSITY FOREST, KARANGANYAR, CENTRAL JAVA

The Gunung Bromo University Forest is a former tourism area which must be revitalized, one of them is to be an avitourism object. However, the information of birds diversity is still lacking. The research aimed to determine bird diversity and attractive birds as avitourism object in Gunung Bromo University Forest. The bird observation was con-ducted using the encounter rates method in six line transects. The quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis was used to describe bird diversity and attractive birds as avitourism objects. The research resulted 44 species of birds belong to 26 families were found in the area. The diversity of birds belongs to moderate category with Shannon-Wiener Index of 2.75. The relative abundance of birds were categorized into one species of abundant, seven species of common, eight species of frequent, and 28 species of uncommon. Attractive birds in Gunung Bromo University Forest as avitourism object were three species of raptor, six species of endemic birds, five species of high conservation value birds, and other attractive birds such as colorful birds and songbirds. The bird community in Gunung Bromo University Forest has the potential as an object of avitourism with some opportunities and obstacles.

Vulnerability of Elevation-Restricted Endemic Birds of the Cordillera de Talamanca (Costa Rica and Panama) to Climate Change

ABSTRACTAnimals endemic to tropical mountains are known to be especially vulnerable to climate change. The Cordillera de Talamanca (Costa Rica and Panama) is a geographically isolated mountain chain and global biodiversity hotspot, home to more than 50 endemic bird species. We used eBird community science observations to predict the distributions of a suite of 48 of these endemic birds in 2006-2015, and in 2070, under four climate change scenarios. Species distributions were predicted using program Maxent, incorporating elevation, satellite derived habitat data, and WorldClim climate variables. Model fit, as assessed by Area under the Receiver Operator Curve (AUC) was very high for most species, ranging from 0.877 to 0.992 (mean of 0.94). We found that most species are predicted to undergo range contractions by 2070, with a mean of 15% under modest climate change (RCP 2.6) up to a mean of 40% under more severe climate change (RCP 8.5). Most of the current ranges of these species are within existing protected areas (average of 59% in 2006-2015), and with prospective range contractions, the importance of these protected areas is forecast to increase. We suggest that these predicted range declines should elevate conservation concerns for this suite of species, and vigilance, in the form of better population monitoring, is urgently needed.