Hunters force birds to fly away from their homes
Hunters force birds to fly away from their homes
By Singgir Kartana
YOGYAKARTA (JP): From a distance, hundreds of birds flocking
at the estuary of Progo river in Yogyakarta every afternoon forms
a magnificent white streak across the blue sky.
With its sand dunes and freshwater fish, the river, which is
located on the border of Bantul and Kulonprogo regency, provides
lavish feeding grounds for the birds, while various plants
growing there make it an ideal place for them to nest.
But it's an old story. Nowadays, a flock of birds is a rare
sight on the estuary.
"The presence of bird hunters around the estuary has
frightened the birds, forcing them to leave the area," said
Wardana, resident of Trisik, a village close to the estuary.
Although their numbers are fewer than before, one can still
find some of the endangered birds in the estuary, which is
located about 35 kilometers south of Yogyakarta.
A 1999 observation by Yayasan Kutilang -- a foundation working
to monitor the bird population -- showed there were 32 bird
species belonging to 10 families, including heron, wild duck,
seagull and some migratory birds.
About a year ago, a Trisik resident came across a white
crested dove wearing a bracelet on one of its legs with
"Australia" written on it.
Some of the most popular residents are large crested sea doves
(Sternabergii) with a colony numbering some 400 inhabitants.
Other birds found in large numbers were a small local variety
of wild duck (Dendrocygna javanica) with some 200 reported.
The presence of the birds has continued to attract visitors to
the estuary.
However, before the issuance of Yogyakarta Governor
Instruction No. 10/1998, which banned bird-hunting on the estuary
and its surrounding vicinity, most local residents were not aware
that the area was an important habitat for various species of
birds.
Decrease
According to local residents, the continued decrease in
population of a local wild duck has been the most obvious. The
duck had been a regular visitor and was easily spotted, due to
their large numbers, but now, only a few of them remain.
Illegal bird hunters not only come from Kulonprogo regency
itself, but also Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas.
"Wild duck is a favorite target as its meat has a delicious
taste and if it is sold in the form of stuffed birds, the price
can reach Rp 100,000 each.
According to bird observer and lecturer at Atma Jaya
University School of Biology in Yogyakarta, Pramana Yudha, the
decreasing population of estuarine birds can not only be blamed
on bird hunters, but also environmental damage caused by man-made
pollution and noise, particularly because the estuary is located
close to a tourist site, Trisik beach.
He said that not all the birds found on the Progo estuary
simply came to prey on fish, rest and nest. Some of them only
came to feed before flying off to another place to nest.
A local species of egret and ibis, for example, only visit the
estuary to find food before nesting in other places.
"One thing that we still cannot find is the location of those
birds' nests," said Yuli Sari Yeni, an activist of Indonesia
Hijau club in Yogyakarta, which is now researching the bird
community in Trisik.