KUKILA (E-Journal)

Andrew, Paul

A SABINE'S GULL LARUS SABINI OFF THE COAST OF SUMATRA 
by Paul Andrew 
At 15:30 hrs on the 22nd October 1984 whilst on passage off the west coast of Sumatra, a strikingly 
patterned Land was noticed amongst a large gathering of feeding Seabirds. The predominant 
species were Sterna terns but the flock also included Brown Booby Sula leucogaster and Streaked 
Shearwater Calonectris leucomeles. Gulls are extremely rare in these waters and it was not until the 
bird had been watched for several minutes that it was accepted as an adult winter Sabine's Gull 
Larus sabini. The coast was visible off the port side at an estimated distance of six miles and the 
ship's position approximately 101°30'E, 2°10'S. 
The flock began to disperse when the ship was still several hundred metres away but fortunately 
the gull persisted on a course that brought it to within twenty metres of the observer. It proceeded 
to fly alongside, just off the port bow, for several seconds and finally peeled off towards the 
Sumatran coast. 
The tri-coloured upperwing was conspicuous at a considerable distance. The contrast between the 
white triangle on the secondaries and the black triangle on the outerwing, and the.evenness of the 
pure grey coverts and mantle, were distinct enough to preclude anything but an adult Sabine's Gull 
or Swallow-tailed Gull Larus furcatus." 
The latter possibility was discounted as this gull was no larger than the Bridled Terns Sterna 
anaethetus and few Sooty Tems Sterna fuscata with which it was associating. 
The rump, tail, underparts and underwing were entirely white, and the only marking about the 
head was a well defined, dark half-dollar across the nape. The fork in the tail was slight and only 
noted when  the bird was close to the ship. Despite the long wings, in flight the bird resembled a 
tern more than a gull, and which indeed it was at first assumed to be. 
It is evident that this bird had completed its partial autumnal moult and was in adult non-breeding 
plumage. Sabine's Gull Is a circumpolar breeder but its nearest known wintering area is several 
thousand miles to the west, off southern Africa (Harrison 1983). This is assumed to be the first 
record for Sumatra. 
Reference: 
Harrison, P. 1983 Seabirds: an identification guide. Croom Helm, London. 
Paul Andrew

Jakarta, December 1984.

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English

A Sabine's Gull Larus sabini off the coast of Sumatra

Oesman, H M. Kamil

INTRODUCTION 
Ten years ago Kukila was published for the first time by members of the Indonesian Ornithological 
Society. It was funded by donations from within the Society and its distribution was limited to 
members. The first issue appeared in October 1975 but only three issues were ever published. 
In late 1984, there was a series of meetings between a number of ornithologists within Indonesia, 
the result of which was a strong recommendation that I should resurrect Kukila. As discussed in the 
Editorial, the time is now ripe for an Indonesian ornithological bulletin. 
I am indebted to the Board of Editors of Voice of Nature in agreeing to the insertion of Kukila as a 
quarterly supplement to that Journal. Voice of Nature is a nature conservation magazine published 
monthly by the Green Indonesia Foundation. 
Kukila is the bulletin of the Indonesian Ornithological Society. The first three numbers issued 
earlier constitute Volume One, although these are now out-of-print. The present issue therefore 
becomes Volume Two, Number One. 
I sincerely hope that you will find Kukila a useful addition to your Library. 
H.M. Kamil Oesman 
Chairman 
Indonesian Ornithology Society 
Jakarta. February 1985. 
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Introduction

Salim, Emil

A WORD OF WELCOME 
I welcome the addition of kukila, the bulletin of the Indonesian Ornithological Society, as a 
quarterly supplement to the magazine Voice of Nature. There has been a need for such a publication 
to document Indonesia's rich avifauna and to present field notes and the results of observations 
and research on birds. 
Contributors to Kukila will be compiling checklists of Indonesian birds and this wil not be an 
easy task as there is a much greater variety of birds than of mammals in Indonesia. I hope that such 
checklists and other information on birds of different areas of Indonesia will continue to expand. 
Through kukila knowledge of Indonesian birdlife will be further developed and more widely 
disseminated. 
I therefore share the pleasure of birdlovers, bird conservationists» birdwatchers and 
professional ornithologists in having kukila enrich their knowledge and accompany them on their 
fieldtrips. In addition, there is another and significant meaning to the publication of the bulletin. 
The ancient word for bird, kukila is one of a pentad of concepts to guide us in striving towards 
the best possible quality of our lives. The four other concepts are wisma, or house which, together 
with wanita, or wife, stand for individual security and fulfillment; curiga or weapon signifies our 
position in society and the security that living within a society affords us and this is supported by 
the concept of turangga or horse, representing the ability to move and to communicate freely 
within that society or community. Finally, kukila stands for the joys and pleasures of life in close 
association with nature. 
Such a sense of identification with nature has always been part of our traditional patterns of 
life; patterns that are now imperilled by increasing economic activities and the advances of 
technology, by rapid change and development in general. We can only accomodate such changes 
through the application of patterns of ecodevelopment, a development strategy into which 
environmental considerations are fully integrated. For this is required that we must increase our 
environmental awareness and reinvigoratc the tradition of our close association and identification 
with nature. 
It is in this light that I welcome the rebirth of kukila. 
Jakarta. 19 February 1985 
Minister of State 
for Population and 
Environment, 
Emil Salim 
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Not a member yet

A Sabine's Gull Larus sabini off the coast of Sumatra

Introduction

A word of welcome

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