The Star, Malaysia : Malaysia's Avifauna

Tuesday December 16, 2003

Malaysia's Avifauna - The endangered ones

MALAYSIA’s avifauna is not in good shape. Forty species are globally threatened. This places Malaysia on the 10th spot on the list of Asian countries with the most number of bird species at risk of extinction.

Of the 40 species, three are considered critically endangered, four are endangered and 33 are vulnerable. During the last century, some species have gone extinct, such as the white-winged duck and green peafowl in Peninsular Malaysia and the white-shouldered ibis in Sarawak.

Next in line appears to be the milky stork as wild populations continue to decline while captive breeding has not been very successful.

Fewer than 50 storks remain in the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve in Perak, the only known wild colony left in the country.

The three critically endangered species are the Christmas Island frigatebird, white-rumped vulture, Chinese crested tern and silvery wood pigeon. The four endangered ones are Storm’s stork, Nordmann’s greenshank, Bornean peacock-pheasant and white-winged duck.

Malaysia has important populations of many threatened rainforest birds. These include three species endemic to the peninsula: the mountain peacock-pheasant, Malayan whistling-thrush and the Malaysian Peacock-pheasant. The coastal and inland wetlands host globally threatened resident and migratory waterbirds such as the milky stork, lesser adjutant, storm’s stork, spotted greenshank, spoon-billed sandpiper and Chinese egret.

Only half of Malaysia’s 65 nominated Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are either fully or partially protected. IBA sites such as the Belum-Temenggor forest in Perak is critical for the survival of the globally threatened plain-pouched hornbill. This species has been seen moving in huge flocks, a phenomenon that is unique to the Belum-Temenggor forest.

Other IBAs in Malaysia are Taman Negara, Cameron Highlands Wildlife Reserve (crucial for the mountain peacock pheasant and Malayan whistling thrush), Endau-Rompin State Park, Kinabalu National Park, Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (a habitat for Storm’s stork), Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Gunung Mulu National Park, and Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (habitat for milky stork and lesser adjutant).