A total of 92 individual orange lorikeets [ Trichoglossus capistratus fortis ] that were about to be smuggled out of Sumba Island were thwarted.
The crime was uncovered after receiving information from the ship’s crew at Waingapu Port, East Sumba Regency, NTT, about the existence of a number of birds on a ship that was anchored. Regarding this report, the Waingapu Seaport Security Unit Implementing Sector Police [KP3L], the Kupang Agricultural Quarantine Center for the Waingapu Working Area, and the Matalawa National Park Office moved quickly to secure these protected animals, Tuesday [16/2/2021].
Dozens of crooked beaks packed in 14 plastic boxes will be sent to Surabaya, East Java. Based on information from the Matalawa National Park Office, the birds were placed in the ship’s engine room, in the hope that they would escape the scrutiny of officials. From the operation, the officers did not find out who the owner was. The plan is that before the birds are released into the Matalawa National Park area, their health will be monitored first.
Hunting and Smuggling
Previously, the trend of the hunting and smuggling market on the island of Sumba only targeted songbird species that were not included in the list of protected animals. But now, everything is shifting, targeting protected species as well.
Of the bird smuggling cases that were foiled by the Matalawa National Park, the sea route from Waikelo Harbor in Southwest Sumba to Bima is the smugglers’ main choice. Usually, they use small boats.
In the case of orange lorikeets, trading is also rife through social media, especially on Facebook groups, as well as being sold in traditional Sumba markets. Hobbyists call it the dakun [yellow-breasted] parrot.
Nova’s confession was conveyed when he handed over his 9 pets to the Matalawa TN Office. He also got information on how the bird was caught, from the person who sold it.
“The bird was caught using glue attached to a mango tree. These birds usually come to the community gardens, especially during the mango season. The first time I kept it, its fur fell out due to the glue,” he said.
Endemic subspecies of Sumba Island
The orange lorikeet [ Trichoglossus capistratus ] is a species whose distribution is only found in the East Nusa Tenggara Islands with 3 subspecies. In Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea [2016] wrote, the orange fortis ] lorikeet subspecies is spread across the island of Sumba; capistratus subspecies on Timor Island, Rote; and subspecies flavotectus on Wetar Island, Romang.
The sound of this bird is loud and shrill. In flight, the orange lorikeet is easily recognized by the orange color of the chest and underwings which contrasts with its green body. This striking color makes it quite easy to identify when out in the woods.
The orange lorikeet [ Trichoglossus capistratus fortis ] lives in groups, forming colonies with its habitat in lowland forest areas with an altitude of less than 700 meters above sea level.
Lutfi R Yusuf in the book Birds in the Matalawa National Park [2017] writes, this bird measures 26 cm and is commonly found in all forest areas of the Matalawa National Park on Sumba Island. Apart from eating seeds and fruit, this species also frequently sucks on the flowers of the marra tree [ Tetrameles nudiflora ].
Like other types of hooked beaks that inhabit the island of Sumba, the orange lorikeet occupies a tree hole as a nest. In nature, their behavior is quite aggressive, both in the struggle for nest trees and when looking for food. For information, Sumba Island is one of the endemic bird areas [DBA] in Indonesia.
Internationally, its conservation status is in the Low Risk category [ Least Concern ] according to the IUCN Red List [International Union for Conservation of Nature]. Meanwhile, CITES [ International Conference for Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna ], included the orange lorikeet in the Appendix II category.
Orange Lorikeet, a Crooked Beak who Becomes a Victim of Smuggling in Sumba
A total of 92 individual orange lorikeets [ Trichoglossus capistratus fortis ] that were about to be smuggled out of Sumba Island were thwarted.
The crime was uncovered after receiving information from the ship’s crew at Waingapu Port, East Sumba Regency, NTT, about the existence of a number of birds on a ship that was anchored. Regarding this report, the Waingapu Seaport Security Unit Implementing Sector Police [KP3L], the Kupang Agricultural Quarantine Center for the Waingapu Working Area, and the Matalawa National Park Office moved quickly to secure these protected animals, Tuesday [16/2/2021].
Dozens of crooked beaks packed in 14 plastic boxes will be sent to Surabaya, East Java. Based on information from the Matalawa National Park Office, the birds were placed in the ship’s engine room, in the hope that they would escape the scrutiny of officials. From the operation, the officers did not find out who the owner was. The plan is that before the birds are released into the Matalawa National Park area, their health will be monitored first.
Hunting and Smuggling
Previously, the trend of the hunting and smuggling market on the island of Sumba only targeted songbird species that were not included in the list of protected animals. But now, everything is shifting, targeting protected species as well.
Of the bird smuggling cases that were foiled by the Matalawa National Park, the sea route from Waikelo Harbor in Southwest Sumba to Bima is the smugglers’ main choice. Usually, they use small boats.
In the case of orange lorikeets, trading is also rife through social media, especially on Facebook groups, as well as being sold in traditional Sumba markets. Hobbyists call it the dakun [yellow-breasted] parrot.
Nova’s confession was conveyed when he handed over his 9 pets to the Matalawa TN Office. He also got information on how the bird was caught, from the person who sold it.
“The bird was caught using glue attached to a mango tree. These birds usually come to the community gardens, especially during the mango season. The first time I kept it, its fur fell out due to the glue,” he said.
Endemic subspecies of Sumba Island
The orange lorikeet [ Trichoglossus capistratus ] is a species whose distribution is only found in the East Nusa Tenggara Islands with 3 subspecies. In Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea [2016] wrote, the orange fortis ] lorikeet subspecies is spread across the island of Sumba; capistratus subspecies on Timor Island, Rote; and subspecies flavotectus on Wetar Island, Romang.
The sound of this bird is loud and shrill. In flight, the orange lorikeet is easily recognized by the orange color of the chest and underwings which contrasts with its green body. This striking color makes it quite easy to identify when out in the woods.
The orange lorikeet [ Trichoglossus capistratus fortis ] lives in groups, forming colonies with its habitat in lowland forest areas with an altitude of less than 700 meters above sea level.
Lutfi R Yusuf in the book Birds in the Matalawa National Park [2017] writes, this bird measures 26 cm and is commonly found in all forest areas of the Matalawa National Park on Sumba Island. Apart from eating seeds and fruit, this species also frequently sucks on the flowers of the marra tree [ Tetrameles nudiflora ].
Like other types of hooked beaks that inhabit the island of Sumba, the orange lorikeet occupies a tree hole as a nest. In nature, their behavior is quite aggressive, both in the struggle for nest trees and when looking for food. For information, Sumba Island is one of the endemic bird areas [DBA] in Indonesia.
Internationally, its conservation status is in the Low Risk category [ Least Concern ] according to the IUCN Red List [International Union for Conservation of Nature]. Meanwhile, CITES [ International Conference for Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna ], included the orange lorikeet in the Appendix II category.
Unique Behavior of Seriwang Nusa Tenggara
The uniqueness of the Nusa Tenggara region is not only seen in the landscape with its exotic small islands, but also in its biodiversity. Especially, beautiful and distinctive bird species.
Call it Seriwang, Nusa Tenggara [Terpsiphone Floris ]. This tiny and beautiful bird is endemic to the Nusa Tenggara region. That is, it can only be found on the islands of Sumbawa, Flores, Alor and Sumba.
Previously, this bird was combined with the Asian seriwang species [ Terpsiphone affinis ], but was separated as a different species.
On the island of Sumba, the people of East Sumba call this bird “kanuhu”. According to Marthen, a traditional leader of Wotubokul Preparation Village, Tabundung District, East Sumba Regency, this bird’s magical power radiates in Sumba culture.
“For us, if a kanuhu lands on a tree in the yard of a house or garden, it means there will be good luck for the owner of the house/garden,” he said recently.
Peeping behavior in the nest
The beauty of Seriwang, Nusa Tenggara, is an attraction for birdwatchers to come to Sumba Island.
This type weaves its nest from a mixture of grass and small twigs, round in shape. The tree stalk is used as a support or support for the nest.
After the female lays eggs, the male will take turns with the female guarding and incubating the eggs from predators.
When the incubation is complete, the cohesiveness of males and females is increasingly visible. The newly hatched chicks are fed by both of them all day long. They take turns looking for food for the child, but remain wary of conditions outside the nest.
While the males are foraging, the females are around the nest. And vice versa, the male guards the nest when the female goes looking for food.
The food given to the child is in the form of small insects, larvae, butterflies and even dragonflies.
In about a week, the bodies of the Nusa Tenggara Seriwang puppies begin to grow brown fur, similar to their parents. Both the male and female will continue to feed their children alternately until they are adults, while teaching them to fly.
Nusa Population Trends
Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN], the conservation status of Seriwang Nusa Tenggara is Least Concern or Low Risk with stable population trends.
However, this type which is often called the pocong string bird, cannot be separated from the threat of hunting in nature. Bird hobbyists are rife with keeping and selling this species on the Facebook social media group .
Vincent Nijman et al., in Disentangling the Legal and Illegal Wildlife Trade–Insights from Indonesian Wildlife Market Surveys [2022], wrote that conservationists narrowly focus on whether a species is legally protected. Meanwhile, in most countries there are laws and regulations that guide the trade in wild caught animals.
According to him, one of the factors that causes violations of the law is when trade involving unprotected species often results in a shortage of harvest quotas. Or, trading occurs just above the allocated quota.
It is fitting that endemic birds such as the seriwang, Nusa Tenggara, receive full attention in efforts to preserve Indonesian wildlife.
Monitoring the Sumba hornbill in Matalawa National Park
The morning light of the sun is still faint, when the time shows 06.30 WITA. Together with Denny Nguru, my friend from the Sumba Wildlife Community, we departed from the camp to the nest tree of the Sumba hornbill [ Rhyticeros everetti ].
We have previously surveyed this location, namely in the Wara forest, one of the forest blocks that are part of the Manupeu Tanah Daru and Laiwanggi Wanggameti National Parks [Mathalawa National Park], in the south of Sumba Island.
On our first visit, in October 2020, we monitored the nest trees used by this endemic animal on the island of Sumba.
Our second visit, early December 2020, is to try to understand the breeding behavior of this bird, which has the general characteristic of having a yellowish beak with a blue neck pouch. At the same time confirming predictions, regarding when the female hatches her child, then leaves the nest tree.
We hid behind a thicket, on the north side of the nest tree, while monitoring the bird’s movements in the hole. About an hour of waiting, finally the sound of the wings of a pair of Sumba hornbills was heard, crossing the grove of trees around us, then perched. In silence I rushed to take pictures, trying to capture these rare moments.
We estimate, he was only three weeks old. Because, our last visit was when the female was still in her nest. Happy, the new generation of forest seed sowing birds on Sumba Island is growing.
The nest tree that became our object of observation was a type of marra [ Tetrameles nudiflora ], with a height of about 18 meters. This tree can generally be found in various types of forests on the island of Sumba. But currently, only in the Matalawa National Park forest area is it still in good condition, especially for being used as a nest for the Sumba hornbill.
Past forest fragmentation, leaving little forest cover on Sumba Island. AF Sitompul in Size matters: the effects of forest fragmentation and resource availability on the endemic Sumba Hornbill [2004], wrote that since 1927, forest loss on Sumba has averaged 6,000 ha/year.
For the Sumba hornbill, the natural hollow of the marra tree serves as a temporary home for the female and her newborn cubs, waiting to be able to fly. The male is responsible for providing food when his partner and children are in the nest.
Therefore, if the male dies as a result of being hunted, it will certainly cut off the food supply, endangering the reproductive cycle of the Sumba hornbill pair during the breeding season.
When the child begins to grow feathers, the mother will leave the nest to help her partner find food for their child.
Requirements Feed
The pouch in the neck of the Sumba hornbill functions to store food that will be given to the child. The food served is fruit, mostly from the Moraceae and Meliaceae families such as manera [ Aglia eusiderexylon ] and gondang putih or kapulut [ Ficus variegata ].
The monitoring results that we carried out in the tree nests showed that, apart from fruit, some additional food that was given as food was centipedes [ Chilopoda ] and tree frogs [ Litoria everetti ].
Not to mention, this species has to compete with birds of the parrot family [ Psittacidae ] that inhabit Sumba Island in the struggle for the need for nest trees.
For this reason, it is very important to make the Sumba hornbill the last bastion of conservation efforts, considering its role as a seed sower in the forest.
Based on the global threat criteria from the world conservation agency, the International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN], the Sumba hornbill is Vulnerable / VU. Its population in nature is currently estimated at about 4 thousand mature individuals which are in decline.
In addition, based on the Decree of the Director General of KSDAE Number: SK. 180/IV-KKH/2015 This bird is included in 25 endangered species whose population is prioritized to increase by 10 percent in 2019, according to biological conditions and habitat availability.
