Indonesia's birds species 'dying out'

Indonesia's birds species 'dying out'

Karishma Vyas, Reuters/Bangkok

Rampant illegal logging and the demands of a rapidly expanding
population and economy in Indonesia are killing many of Asia's
most exotic and rare birds, conservationists said on Thursday.

Birdlife Asia estimates that the sprawling southeast Asian
archipelago is home to more than a third of Asia's endangered
avian species, the highest concentration in the region.

"Bird species across the Asian region are in serious trouble,"
said Richard Grimmett, the head of Birdlife Asia. "Of the 332
species of birds that are endangered in Asia, Indonesia alone has
some 117 species."

Speaking at a press briefing during the IUCN World
Conservation Congress in Bangkok, Grimmett said the world could
not afford to lose Indonesia's unique ecosystem.

Conservationists estimate that species like the sky-blue
Caerulean Paradise-flycatcher and the Sangihe Shrike-thrush, are
unique to the tropical islands of southeast Asia and cannot be
found anywhere else on the planet.

Grimmett said that while few ordinary people would lament the
passing of the Sangihe Shrike-thrush, the decline of even the
smallest of bird species suggested the wider environment is in
trouble.

"Like amphibians, birds are excellent indicators of wider
biodiversity loss. When they're in danger, you can be sure that
the environment as a whole is suffering," he said.

Grimmet blamed shrinking forests in Indonesia's Sumatra island
for the rapid species decline.

"At the turn of the last century 90 percent of Sumatra was
covered in forest. Now it's down to 35 percent, and if you look
just at the lowland forests, that habitat has now almost
completely disappeared," Grimmett told Reuters.

"This is pretty dramatic loss of habitat over a relatively
short period of time," he said.

A new report by Birdlife warns that one in eight of the
region's 2,700 bird species are threatened, particularly in the
Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and India.

The Important Bird Areas in Asia survey showed that only 43
percent of the continent's almost 2,300 important bird sites were
fully protected.

The outlook is equally grim for Thailand where vibrant
wetlands and forests are coming under pressure from the demands
of a booming economy.

Environmentalists warn that the Inner Gulf of Thailand,
renowned for its rich wildlife, also faces severe degradation
with the planned construction of a huge road bridge.

The kingdom has 62 Important Bird Areas (IBA) of which 22 are
protected or partially protected.