Protecting a rare black hawk chick

Protecting a rare black hawk chick

Bambang Muryanto, Contributor, Yoygakarta

The news about a pair of black hawks (Ictinaetus malayensis)
rearing a chick in a forest on the slope of Mount Merapi in
Cangkringan, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, finally reached Yayasan
Kutilang Indonesia.

Activists from a bird protection foundation in the city had
every reason to rejoice because the young creature is a new
member of a flock of rare raptors, raising hopes for the
conservation of this species, with only dozens of them left on
the southern hill.

Several bird lovers from Kutilang set out to the location,
trekking three kilometers uphill from Cangkringan, with local
villager Badiman as a guide. As they reached the forest, which is
part of Mount Merapi National Park (TNGM), they were surprised
and delighted to find easy access to the birds' natural abode.

The birds were nesting on a branch in the middle of a dadap
tree (Erithrina variegata) on the lower slope, visible from a
distance of about 20 meters when approached from the nearest
hillside. With no other trees concealing the nest, they could
clearly see, using cameras and binoculars, a young black hawk
chick about a month old. "It's very beautiful," said Gunawan, a
bird-watcher from Muntilan, Central Java.

However, the ease of access poses a dilemma. On the one hand,
"the exposed nest allows us to observe the behavior of black
hawks," said Lim Wen Sin, Kutilang's senior bird-watcher. On the
other hand, the open view means there is a high risk of the chick
being snatched by bird hunters to sell.

Badiman said that in 1999, hawk fledglings nesting near the
present location were stolen by hunters. "The poachers were not
local people but came from Klangon, Klaten," he said, asserting
that natives of Cangkringan had never grabbed any of the chicks
and would even warn those trying to do so. "But control by locals
alone of course is not enough," Badiman added.

In fact, Government Regulation No. 7/1999 on the conservation
of flora and fauna has declared black hawks a protected species.
Globally, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES) has included the species in Appendix II, meaning
that it is not yet threatened by extinction but will soon cease
to exist unless trading in it is strictly regulated.

In their natural habitat, black hawks are slow to reproduce.
Ornithologists believe that a female hawk will lay only one egg
every two years. Hawk chicks usually perish before they can fly.
According to Kutilang's records, three young hawks were stolen
from their nests on the southern slopes since 2000, which
explains the small population. A chick can fetch hundreds of
thousands of rupiah on the market.

With such vulnerability, Badiman regretted the absence of
forest rangers from the Natural Resources Conservation Center
(BKSDA) of Yogyakarta to maintain control. "We shall be keeping
an eye on the area," said Kuspriyadi, head of Yogyakarta's BKSDA,
adding that his field officers might not yet be aware of the
existence of young hawks in Cangkringan.

As the bird-watchers observed the nest, the female parent was
soaring in the sky, with a wingspan of one meter to 1.5 meters.
Its eyes, eight times as sharp as those of humans, were scanning
the area below in search of prey, particularly rats and
squirrels.

"Now is the most dangerous time for the young bird, so
safeguarding it is essential," stressed Badiman. The fledgling,
with its brown and black fluff is strong enough for weaning but
cannot fly yet, making it vulnerable to poachers.

"Jogja Bird Rescue (JBR) should thus redirect its focus here,"
proposed JBR coordinator Lim Wen Sin. JBR is a Kutilang project
for the protection of birds in their habitat, with active public
participation.

Originally, JBR planned to conduct surveillance of another
pair of black hawks building their nest around Turgo hill also
located within TNGM, from morning until evening, while observing
their pattern of behavior.

Ig. Kristanto, director of the Kutilang foundation, said that,
as already done before, this hawk chick would be safeguarded
until it was capable of flying so that hunters would find it hard
to catch it.

In Indonesia, hawks live in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi and
Kalimantan. They live in forests in low-lying and hilly areas up
to an altitude of 1,400 meters. Elsewhere, the birds are found in
India, Southeast Asia and Southeasten China.

In its nest, it was noticed that the young hawk mostly
remained seated in a hatching position, now and again walking
around its fairly big dwelling place while its mother was away.
By instinct, it would discharge droppings outside the clean nest,
because of the high acidity of its excrement.

By noon, one of its parents brought a rat clenched in its
claws. In their research, Sidik Purnomo and Dewi Soleha from
Yayasan Kanopi Indonesia found that during reproduction, the male
hawk had to kill three or four rats for its mate and chicks, as
one of the ecological functions of black hawks is to control the
population of rodents.

Sadly, though, the male was reluctant to return to its nest
"because our presence scared it away," said Lim Wen Sin, even
when the female was also perched on a nearby tree. Then they were
only diving low round the nest, frightening flocks of parrots
(Psittacula alexandri), which also nested in the area. "The
parrots are terrified as sometimes they become the prey of black
hawks," added Lim.

Some time later, as thick fog began to limit the bird-
watchers' view, the hawk pair were still not ready to return
home. "Now we've got to leave. Pity the chick, starving and
waiting for so long," said Lim, packing his equipment.

The bird lovers descended that noon, but starting the
following morning JBR volunteers would be watching over the young
hawk until early evening, to make sure that it grows into a new
adult hawk and thus preserve the species -- at least on Mount.
Merapi.

The bird has been nominated as a symbol of the national park.