Rare bird found in hotel garden

YOGYAKARTA: A rare species of bird known locally as a gelatik Jawa (Java sparrow) was reportedly discovered in the garden of five-star Melia Purosani hotel on Jl. Suryotomo during a recent bird-watching session in the hotel's surroundings.

"It's amazing to find such a rare bird species, right in the middle of the city," said team coordinator Lim Wen Sin of Kutilang Indonesia for Bird Conservation.

Lim said the bird was last found at a location near the Prambanan temple, some 15 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, and at another place in Gunungkidul regency, some 40 kilometers southeast of here.

Lim also reported that his team had also found eight other species of bird considered rare, in the Melia gardens, close to the hotel's shaded swimming pool.

They were: the bondol Jawa (Javan munia), bondol Haji (white- headed Munia), bondol Peking (scaly-breasted Munia), cucak kutilang (sooty-headed bulbul), merbah cerukcuk (yellow-vented bulbul), madu sriganti (olive-backed sunbird), Eurasian tree sparrow, and the cinenen pisang (common tailorbird).

"We are happy that people have still been able to find the rare Java sparrow here at the Melia. It also means that the Green Globe project activities that we have been engaged in have produced a positive result," the head of the Melia Green Globe Team said. -- JP