TALAUDThe best birding is on the largest island, Karakelang, using the capital Beo as a base. Catch the ferry direct to Beo; if travelling on the PELNI ferry to Lirung, catch a connecting boat or bus, otherwise the ferries all call in at Beo. On arrival, contact the Beo PHPA officers who guard the 22,000 ha hunting reserve in the centre of the island; the office is a short walk from Beo harbour. The officers will arrange accommodation in a local house, whilst food and other supplies are available at Beo market. Almost all of Talaud's best birds can be seen in the plantations and forest to the south of Beo: simply follow the road. To enter the reserve and enjoy some excellent forest birding negotiate with the PHPA. Recommended sites include Lobo, Awit and Rae: trek inland for a day from these villages and set up camp. Away from the forest, migrant waders and other shorebirds are often seen around the coast and seabirds are seasonally numerous offshore.
Birds
Philippine Scrubfowl Megapodius cumingii and Red-bellied Pitta are very common in all forest and secondary areas, a good site for the former species being the tiny Sara islands between Karakelang and Salibabu. Rarer forest-floor species on Karakelang include the newly described Talaud Bush-hen Amaurornis magnirostris (local name: tambing-tambing), the Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica and the rarely seen Malayan Night Heron Gorsachius melanolophus.
Rails are heard regularly in marshy areas, a good site is just south of Beo; Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis, Plain Bush-hen Amaurornis olivacea, White-breasted Waterhen A. phoenicurus and Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio have been observed, but perhaps most interesting is the newly described Talaud Rail Gymnocrex talaudensis (local name: tu-a). This species can be seen from the road, but all although the most fortunate observers will need much time and patience to see this very shy bird. Three species of swiftlet are believed resident on Talaud: Moluccan and Glossy Swiftlet are common and there are unconfirmed records of Uniform Swiftlet Aerodramus vanikorensis.
Elegant
Sunbird
(Jon Ekstrom)
Of the five kingfisher species, Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis is found along rivers and in coastal areas; Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda occurs in forest and plantations, especially in winter; Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sancta is a regular migrant visitor; and Collared Kingfisher T. chloris is common in coastal habitats and plantations. Of most interest to the visiting birder will be the intriguing endemic Talaud Kingfisher T. enigma (local name: sieeta hutan) which can be found easily in forested areas. Often seen along rivers or perched in the mid-storey, it differs from the very similar Collared Kingfisher not only in its choice of habitat, but also by its smaller size and shorter bill and tail.
Karakelang now supports the only viable population of the Red-and-blue Lory (local names: sampiri/luring) which is still common on the island, especially in the north, but is threatened by habitat loss and trapping. Other parrots are common in forest, but occur in plantations too, including Golden-mantled Racquet-tail Prioniturus platurus, the endangered Blue-naped Parrot Tanygnathus lucionensis, Azure-rumped Parrot and Great-billed Parrot: Talaud is the only place in the world where three Tanygnathus parrot species co-exist.
Four species of Ducula pigeon can be seen: Green Imperial Pigeon D. aenea and Blue-tailed Imperial Pigeon are very common in forest; the threatened small-island specialist, Grey Imperial Pigeon D. pickeringii is uncommon, but most records have come from secondary forest south of Beo; the fourth species, Pied Imperial Pigeon, is rare.
Common species in both plantations and forest include the following, all represented by endemic subspecies: Sulawesi Cicadabird, Rufous Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone cinnamomea, Grey-sided Flowerpecker, Black Sunbird, Everett's White-eye Zosterops everetti, Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis and Black-naped Oriole. Another small island specialist, the Island Monarch Monarcha cinerascens seems to be restricted to forest, where pairs and small groups are noisy and conspicuous.
Along coasts Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra, Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii and White-bellied Sea Eagle are all resident, whilst Lesser Sand Plover C. mongolus and Greater Sand Plover C. leschenaultii are both regular in winter; in all, nineteen species of wader have been recorded. Other winter visitors to the islands include von Schrenck's Bittern Ixobrychus eurhythmus, Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus, Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus, Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius, Gray's Warbler Locustella fasciolata, Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis and Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta.
Many passage migrants pass through Talaud and noteworthy species recorded to date include Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus, Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi and Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus. The waters around the islands can produce interesting seabird records, with Wilson's Petrel Oceanites oceanicus, Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus, Brown Noddy Anous stolidus and Black Noddy A. minutus seen in recent years.
Sangihe
Scops Owls
(Jon Riley)
Conservation
As members of Action Sampiri, the Sangihe and Talaud conservation project, the authors have been involved in developing conservation awareness amongst communities on Sangihe and Talaud. Visiting birdwatchers can make a positive contribution to these initiatives. For example, trying to explain to local people that you have travelled to the islands especially to see the unique and special birds found there may encourage people to protect birds for the next visitors. We would encourage birdwatchers to employ local guides or porters and pay good daily rates; Action Sampiri pay at least US$5 per day. In this way some economic benefit is noticed by villagers on the island. All sites, particularly Gunung Sahengbalira, are very sensitive to disturbance. On Sahengbalira please keep to the existing trails, avoid clearing vegetation or lighting fires in the forest, and remove all rubbish.Opportunities to make further discoveries about the islands' birds still remain. The authors will be working on Sangihe and Talaud through 1999 and early 2000 and would be happy to advise or assist any visitors to the islands, and grateful for any records sent to the address below.
Anyone wishing to see some of Indonesia's rarest species and enjoy a unique birding experience in a dramatic setting is well advised to head for the enigmatic islands of Sangihe and Talaud.
Bibliography
- Coates, B. J. & Bishop K. D. (1997) A guide to the birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Queensland, Australia: Dove Publications.
- Lambert, F. R. (1997) Field assessment of the conservation status of Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio in Indonesia. Bangkok, Thailand: IUCN.
- Lambert, F. R. (1998) A new species of Gymnocrex from the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. Forktail 13: 1-6.
- Lambert, F. R. (1998) A new species of Amaurornis from the Talaud Islands, Indonesia, and a review of taxonomy of bush hens occurring from the Philippines to Australasia. Bull. B.O.C. 118: 67-82.
- Lambert, F. R. & Rasmussen, P. C. (1998) A new Scops Owl from Sangihe Island, Indonesia. Bull. B.O.C. 118: 204-217.
- Riley, J. (1997a) Conservation on the Sangihe and Talaud islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia. OBC Bull. 25: 19-23.
- Riley, J. (1997b) Biological surveys and conservation priorities on the Sangihe and Talaud islands, Indonesia. Cambridge, UK: CSB Publications.
- Riley, J. (1997c) The birds of Sangihe and Talaud islands, North Sulawesi. Kukila 9: 3-36.
- Riley, J., Hicks, D. & Wardill, J. C. (1998) The taxonomic status of Halcyon enigma on the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. Bull B.O.C. 118: 113-117.
- Wardill, J. C. & Hunowu, I. (1998) First observations of the endemic subspecies of Black-fronted White-eye on Sangihe, North Sulawesi. OBC Bull. 27: 48-49.
- White, C. M. N. & Bruce M. D. (1986) The birds of Wallacea (Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda islands). BOU Checklist No. 7. London: BOU.
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