Bird-watching on Timor a rewarding experience<\/p>\n
Neville Kemp, Contributor, kemp@telkom.net<\/p>\n
Brown. Bare. Dry. A fire-scorched and sun-baked island. These
\nwere the words that formed in my head as I flew into Kupang,
\nTimor at the height of the dry season.<\/p>\n
As a keen forest bird-watcher accustomed to the lush greenery
\nof Papua, Sumatra, and Java, it was a shock to be greeted by such
\ncontrast, and little to inspire confidence for seeing and
\nphotographing the birds of Timor.<\/p>\n
However, that was of little consequence, I thought, as I am
\nhere to work as an intern and `birding' is, after all, just a
\nhobby.<\/p>\n
My assignment took me to the highland town of Soe, 110
\nkilometers up a winding road. On the way we pass several
\nstretches of monsoon forest which start to instill hope. The
\nforest, although sparse, actually looks much better from the
\nground.<\/p>\n
After several weeks of work, I head off to the field on my
\nfirst possible opportunity. In Paul Jepson's book Birdwatching in
\nIndonesia, the section on Timor written by Richard Noske tells of
\nan abundance of endemic species (bird species confined to
\nrestricted areas) at Buat, a site five kilometers from Soe. Even
\nthough it's blowing a gale I need to get out. I hope that my
\nimpressions upon arrival will be proved wrong.<\/p>\n
A borrow a motorbike and 15 minutes later start my birding on
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
Three common species are instantly recorded then quail run
\nacross the path, a group of 11, and a species I have not
\nencountered before. Up to the crest of the hill and I am standing
\non a magnificent three-kilometer-long escarpment.<\/p>\n
Incredible! This must be one of the most spectacular places
\nfor bird-watching. The trees start from way below the drop-off
\nand their canopy is just below my feet, and the view into it is
\ngreat.<\/p>\n
My first Timor endemic, the Yellow-eared Honeyeater -- are
\nprobably the most abundant species here and can be seen and heard
\nall around. A descending whistled scale is easy to mimic and I
\npull out a Plain Fairy-Warbler, in the canopy of a tall tree ...
\nbut just three metres away, another Timor island endemic species
\nis seen.<\/p>\n
To my surprise Buat is remarkable rich. In all, after several
\nvisits, I recorded over 50 species including 20-odd Timor endemic
\nspecies or subspecies.<\/p>\n
Orange-banded thrush still persist, although much less common
\nthan Richard observed 13 years ago. Unfortunately, this species
\nis trapped and sold as a cage-bird, and now headed for extinction
\nin many parts of Timor. It certainly has a beautiful song and is
\na joy to hear in the forest, so when I encountered this bird in
\nKupang and Soe, trapped in cages, my heart sank.<\/p>\n
In over three months working on Timor I had the opportunity to
\ndiscover many such great bird-watching sites; at Bipolo -- a
\nremnant of lowland evergreen forest rarely found on Timor, and
\nunusually rich in birdlife, especially pigeons; Taman Hutan Raya
\nnear Amarasi -- where I saw many of the islands endemic and
\nenigmatic birds; and Mount Mutis -- the tallest peak on Timor and
\ncovered with eucalyptus forests, a similar scene to that in
\nAustralia. A four hours hike up Mutis revealed many beautiful
\nbirds such as Iris Lorikeet, Olive-shouldered Parrot and Timor
\nImperial Pigeon -- all found nowhere in the world except the
\nTimor group of Islands.<\/p>\n
Thus, upon leaving Timor, my first impressions of the island
\nlay shattered. Birdwatching in Timor is excellent!<\/p>\n
Bird photography was particularly successful and I managed to
\ncapture many of Timor's specialties on film, including the first
\never photograph of a Timor Black-Pigeon in the wild. Also, bird-
\nwatching would not have been so enjoyable on Timor if it were not
\nfor the hospitality and warmth of the local people. Tradition is
\nstill strong and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in all villages in
\nwhich I stayed.<\/p>\n
Everyone shared their knowledge, customs and stories, and were
\nalso keen to discover the uniqueness of Timor's birdlife, which
\notherwise to them seems ordinary. It was a joy to see local
\npeople caring for their wildlife and wishing to safeguard it
\nafter learning of Timor's uniqueness.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, conservation organizations seem to have ignored
\nTimor. WWF has a program around Mount Mutis, but activities were
\nnot evident in the field during my stay. Illegal logging
\ncontinues apace, as is now the unsavory norm in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Hopes for conservation of Timor's birds and the forest in
\nwhich they dwell are now in the hands of the people. Education
\nand awareness are the keys to success. In general, most Timorese
\ncommunities remain ignorant of the uniqueness of Timor, having a
\nlack of information and nothing to compare it with.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, it should be the responsibility of NGOs and
\ngovernment alike to inform the people so they can make informed
\nchoices for the future. Hopefully, for the sake of birdlife,
\nforests and ecologically stability, there will be enough who
\nchoose conservation.<\/p>",
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