Rare bird found in hotel garden

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