JP\/17BMBNG2\/<\/p>\n
Taman Mini urban forest for water birds<\/p>\n
Bambang Parlupi
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) is one of Jakarta's \"urban
\nforests\", with its unique location for water birds.<\/p>\n
The East Jakarta tourist destination offers its lakes and
\nswamps as habitat for these water fowls, which feed on fish and
\nother water biota.<\/p>\n
Visitors can watch the birds singly or in flocks around the
\npools located in the middle and on the fringes of the Taman Mini
\nrecreation center, particularly as they feed in the morning and
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
Taman Burung, the bird park in TMII, is reason behind the
\ncontinued existence of dozens of water bird species in this urban
\nforest. According to Widyabrata, the park's bird collection
\nofficer, in the early 1990s this conservation center released
\nabout 300 birds from its captive breeding program, including
\nkowak malam abu (black-crowned night heron), kuntul kerbau
\n(cattle egret), kuntul kecil (little egret\/Egretta garzetta) and
\npecuk padi (little black cormorant\/Phalacrocorax sulcirostris).<\/p>\n
The birds returned to the wild were able to survive by nesting
\nin tall trees and their populations just kept growing, with a
\nsteep increase noted during 1996 to 1998 by Widyabrata, who has
\nworked at the park for 15 years.<\/p>\n
\"Their numbers once reached more than a thousand. Nearly all
\ntall trees like casuarina and spruce were packed with their
\nnests, covering the ground below with bird feathers, bits of food
\nand droppings,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Populations have been dropping over the last few years,
\nhowever. Widyabrata said that only around 100 were left, with
\nblack-crowned night herons and cattle egrets registering a
\ndrastic decline in numbers.<\/p>\n
\"The birds continue to nest and reproduce on palm, casuarina,
\ncoconut and kepuh trees,\" said Widyabrata.<\/p>\n
According to his observations, the drastic population decline
\nis due first, to the loss of lakes, marshes irrigated paddy
\nfields in Jakarta, especially around TMII, with these former
\nwetlands being converted into settlements, roads and industrial
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"The birds may also be vanishing as a result of hunting
\nactivities for their meat, and also because they are considered
\npests,\" the biology graduate from Jakarta's National University
\nmaintained. The other cause is that the birds may be joining up
\nwith flocks of wild fowl, or migrating to coastal areas.<\/p>\n
When swamps and paddy fields were still found around TMII,
\nTaman Burung's water birds fed there. Now most of these birds
\nhave to fly to Cileungsi, Bogor, at about six in the morning to
\nseek more food and return to their nests in the park.<\/p>\n
Further to this, the park used to provide live fish even for
\nwild birds, while now it can only afford to supply dead fish in
\nreduced quantities. Food can positively affect bird
\nreproduction,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Protected areas
\nOn the other hand, TMII does serve to protect the continued
\nexistence of water birds. The nesting areas of certain species
\nare hard to reach and well guarded, so that hunting and poaching
\nof young birds almost never happens.<\/p>\n
The resemblance of TMII to the birds' natural habitat makes
\nthem feel at home. \"There are marshy areas, nesting woodlands,
\nfood supplies and living organisms in it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Citing another example, Widyabrata referred to the Ragunan Zoo
\nas an urban forest turned tourist destination, where water birds
\nare still present. It would be very appropriate for these areas
\nto become protected zones for endangered wildlife species.<\/p>\n
Several lakes located in the Scout Camping Grounds in Cibubur
\nalso attract lots of water fowl, which usually flock to the pools
\nfor fish rather than for breeding purposes.<\/p>\n
Yet another water bird habitat is the conservation tourism
\nzone in the Bogor Botanical Garden. A six-month research program
\nconducted by Fransisca Noni Tirtaningtyas from the Bio Bird Club
\nin 2004 observed 56 bird species in the area, at least five of
\nwhich were water birds.<\/p>\n
Among the species in Bogor that are protected by the
\ngovernment are the black-crowned night heron, kuntuk besar (great
\negret\/Egretta alba) and cekakak Jawa (Javan kingfisher\/Halcyon
\ncyanoventris).<\/p>\n
Black-crowned night herons have the largest population of
\naround 300, which, according to Noni, a bird watcher and member
\nof Sahabat Buring Indonesia (BirdLife Indonesia), fly in flocks
\nto Jakarta Bay between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., returning to the
\nbotanical garden at 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. The unique presence of these
\nherons has draws thousands of tourists to the area.
\n(The writer is a member of BirdLife Indonesia)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp17bmbng2-1447899208",
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