KUKILA (E-Journal)
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Ongoing illicit trade of Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor: one-year market monitoring in Medan, North Sumatra
Full text linkMany Indonesian birds are severely threatened or already at the brink of extinction due to the flourishing illicit bird trade. One such species is the Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor, endemic to Sumatra. From March 2015 to February 2016 we assessed the extent of trade of Sumatran Laughingthrushes by recording monthly turnovers from the six most prominent bird vendors in Medan’s Jalan Bintang market. In total, 2610 wild-caught individuals were traded, despite a considerable decline in market supply over the year. Total market mortality reached 16%. Mortality varied significantly during the year but was not dependent on the number of traded individuals each month. Monitoring revealed that the most frequently harvested localities were located in Aceh, North and West Sumatra and Riau province. Since the current estimate of the maximum population size of the species in the wild is 10,000 mature individuals, the level of trade is clearly unsustainable, and if not stopped, could lead to its extinction in near future
A second breeding record of Chestnut-naped Forktails Enicurus ruficapillus in Sumatra, and observations suggesting females alone incubate
Full text linkRepeated aerial diving, and aerial ingestion of small schooling fish, probably Bilih Mystacoleucus padangensis, by Brahminy Kite
Full text linkMany papers have been published on the food and feeding behaviour of the Brahminy Kite Halistur indus. At Singkarak Lake, West Sumatra, a Brahminy Kite was observed repeatedly diving from 10-15 m in the air to snatch small fish from the surface of the water, and eating them in the air. The prey was probably Bilih Mystacoleucos padangensis, a fish species endemic to the lake. Only one fish was taken on each dive, so it was undoubtedly more energy-efficient to eat the prey on the wing than to take it to a perch after each capture, though potential kleptoparasitism by other raptors may have also selected for this feeding behaviour
Preliminary observations of the home range size and behaviour of the Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor
Full text linkIndonesia ranks second to Brazil in the number of globally threatened bird species. The Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor was formerly abundant but has suffered population declines due to trapping for the pet trade, and now considered endangered. Despite knowledge gained from in-situ and ex-situ captive rearing programs, little is known about the biology and ecology of the species. Our study sought to redress this by undertaking a field study of its home range size and behaviour. One group of five individuals was located in North Sumatra province and observed from strategically positioned hides over three weeks to estimate the size of its home range using Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP). In total, we collected 70 GPS points representing either sight or call records. The inhabited area covered 1.07 km2 with the most remote edge points being 1.9 km apart. The group occasionally joined mixed species feeding flocks which included Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush Rhinocichla mitrata and Black Laughingthrush Melanocichla lugubris
Nest cycle and nestling development of a pair of Changeable Hawk-Eagles Nisaetus cirrhatus in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park, West Java
Full text linkWe monitored nesting of a pair of Changeable Hawk-Eagles Nisaetus cirrhatus at Gunung Halimun–Salak National Park, West Java, in two consecutive years (2012 and 2013). The single egg was laid in July in the first year, and June in the second. This is consistent with data from the early 20th Century which suggests these are the peak laying months for Java. Contrary to the literature, both sexes took part in incubation, though the female incubated more frequently. The incubation and nestling periods were estimated to be c.50 days and 62 days, respectively, but as neither laying nor hatching was observed directly, it is possible that the first period is over-estimated, and the second, under-estimated. The combined period (112 days) is consistent with the minimum estimate of 108 days in the literature. The body length (including tail) of the 2013 eaglet grew at an average rate of c. 6 cm per week. Of 21 prey items brought to the nest by the adults, 13 (62%) were reptiles, and only three were mammals
The illegal trade of Indonesian raptors through social media
Full text linkThe use of social media in Indonesia is changing traditional trading methods in the country, and this extends to the sale of protected wildlife such as raptors. Between January and December 2015 the authors monitored 38 Facebook groups and recorded 2,471 individuals from 21 diurnal raptor species being offered for sale. Most were juveniles, and the Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus was the most frequently offered species. The peak of raptor trading was in July and August, coincident with the breeding season of most raptors as many birds are taken as nestlings. Regular scrutiny of social media sites and increased punitive action by law enforcement agencies, and public awareness campaigns by governments and NGOs, are desperately needed to eliminate this audacious market for illegal trade
Nesting cycle and nest tree characteristics of the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil, compared to the Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulatus, in Sumatran lowland rainforest
Full text linkHornbills provide a seed dispersal service for rainforest trees, but the persistence of hornbill populations depends on the availability of old trees that provide cavities for their nests. The Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil is Critically Endangered, due to both forest destruction and an inhumane illegal trade in their bill casques, yet little is known about its nests and breeding biology. Here we describe the nest tree and external nest characteristics of a pair of Helmeted Hornbills in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Lampung, Sumatra, and compare them with observations of two nests of the Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulatus less than 1 km away. As in a previous study, the Helmeted Hornbill (HH) nest was in a large dipterocarp, and possessed a stump next to the entrance that the male used as a perch when feeding the female or chick. The nest entrance dimensions and bole diameter of the nest tree were much larger than those of the two Wreathed Hornbill (W1 and W2) nests. Egg laying in HH took place in February, while in W1 and W2, eggs were laid much later, between late May and July. The maximum nesting cycle of the Helmeted Hornbill was an astonishing 137 days (4.5 months), close to the minimum period (range, 138-151) for a nest of the species in Peninsular Malaysia. This may be longer than the nesting cycle of the Wreathed Hornbill, but additional data are needed
