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Observing the Yellow-crested Cockatoo in Jampea

In early September 2015, Burung Indonesia made a short visit to Tanah Jampea Island and Kalaotoa Island in South Sulawesi.

Until now, bird observation records in the Tanah Jampea Islands are still very minimal. During the 1900s to 1980s, there were only two recorded visits by ornithologists to the islands, namely V. von Plessen in 1927 and A.H. Everett in 1985. Subsequent visits were conducted by Dutson in 1993 and bird-watching visits of Birdtour Asia in 2011, 2013, and 2014.

In fact, Tanah Jampea and Kalaotoa are Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) because they are habitats for the critically endangered species of the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) and the Endangered White-tipped Monarch (Monarcha Everetti).

Collar dan Marsden (2014) memasukkan kakatua-kecil jambul-kuning (KKJK) di Tanah jampea dalam anak jenis tersendiri yaitu C.s. djampeana. BirdLife International mencatat perjumpaan KKJK di Kepulauan Tanah jampea dari Pulau Kayuadi (September 1927), Tanah jampea (Desember 1895), Kalao (Juli 1927), Madu (Mei 1927), dan Kalaotoa (Mei 1927).

When Burung Indonesia visited in 2015, the Yellow-crested Cockatoo was found both in Jampea and Kalao. "The number of individuals recorded during this visit was 14 individuals in Jampea and three individuals in Kalao," said Hanom Bashari, Biodiversity Conservation Specialist of Burung Indonesia, who conducted the visit. Almost all of these encounters occurred in secondary forest or selective logging forest.

During his two-days visit on 23-24 September 1993, Dutson encountered the Yellow-crested Cockatoo in Tanah Jampea, but none was found in Kalao, Bonerate, and Kalaotoa. However, no discovery of the species on the Birdtour Asia (2011-2014) in Tanah Jampea.

The population of Yellow-crested Cockatoo in nature is shrinking due to rampant hunting for trade. In Indonesia, this species is one of the most hunted cockatoos in nature. Therefore, this finding provides a glimmer of hope for the preservation of this species, especially for the djampeana subspecies.

The endemic bird, White-tipped Monarch, was relatively easy to find in Tanah Jampea. It was all around the gardens, forest edges, and secondary forests. The black and white color of the feathers made this bird easily recognizable. The white pattern on its undertail covert was clearly visible. When the tail was fanned, four strands of white tail feathers were revealed.

Meanwhile, a parrot species that is close to endangered, the Scarlett-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus forsteni), was not found during the observation. According to del Hoyo, there are two sub-species of red-breasted lorikeets in the Tanajampea Islands, namely T.f. djampeanus in Tanah Jampea and T.f. stresemanni in Kalaotoa.

People in Jampea and in Kalao recognized this species as a parrot-like bird with a predominance of green and red on the chest. Some of them even claimed to have shot or seen other people shooting it. This species, according to locals, was still often seen around the forest about ten years ago.

The results of these observations further confirm that there is an urgent need to raise awareness about conservation to the community in small islands. Small islands in the country, especially in the Wallacea area, are habitats for various types of endemic biodiversity, including birds. However, small island ecosystems are vulnerable to change by both natural disasters and human disturbances.

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