Study says NTT has 398 bird species

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT): The province of NTT has 35 native bird species and 363 other bird species, Deputy Governor Piter Alexander Tallo said yesterday.

Tallo was quoting the results of a recent survey by the Bird Life International Indonesia Program in cooperation with the provincial forestry ministry.

Timor island has 20 of the native bird species, Sumba island has nine and the others are spread unevenly around the province.

The local government has banned poaching and selling of protected birds.

Tallo said the government had to control logging which is threatening the provinces' environment.

Officially, 1.8 million hectares of the 4.7 million-hectare province are forested. Over 1 million hectares of these forests have been reserved. (yac)