Night Sky Predator Expert on Way Kambas Way Kambas night- National Park Mostly, ”Way Kambas National Park, Sumatra, is the bird- best Asian night-birding”, is a quote that written by watchings L ampung Janos Olah & Attila Simay in Birding Asia magazine, on are best 2007. Not only the great variety of the otherwise scarce I ndonesia practice in and hard to-come-by species is what makes this the national park world-famous, but also the relative ease morning. in finding them. No other place in Sumatera that has 4 Since the species of , and Tips of Night-Birding beginning also the Bonaparte’s of the first Nightjar (Caprimulgus In Way Kambas sunlight, many are already starting their concretus). In KUKILA activities. bulletin, volume 8, 1996, it To meet special bird with their special behavior, As the sun rising higher on the top of canopies, larger was mention that the require special information and extra preparations. sized of bird start to fly across. In the morning, Eagles, record of Bonaparte’s Bellow some tips to increasing the night bird Hornbills, or Storks, seen only having a short slide and Nightjar in Way Kambas encounter probability in Way Kambas NP. : flying from tree to tree. As the air warmed by the sun, as the first record of this • Most of the night bird can be encountered on the their feathers become dry, and the hot air stream species after the last main jeep track from Plang Ijo to Way Kanan. become some record of this species in • Dusk and Dawn are the best time for observing kind of surf - Sumatera, on 1916. the nightjars board that A compilation by Sherry Parrot & Paul Andrew, in and scops- helps the bird KUKILA bulletin, volume 8, 1996, listed the WKNP owls. large body to night bird, as below: • On 10 pm up rise and fly Owls: to 4.30 am, is high. They Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius), Reddish Scopsowl the best time are then, so (Otus rufescens), Barred Eagle-Owl (Bubo sumatranus), for called as Buffy Fish-Owl (Ketupa ketupu), Brown Wood-Owl ‘master of (Strix leptogrammica), Collared Scopsowl (Otus lempiji), and Oriental the sky’. Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata). Bay Owl. But as the sunset down on the west, light out and the Frogmouths: • It’s better to air getting colder, it’s turn for the “flying night- ( auritus), bring a flash predator” to takes over. The limited species number of Gould’s Frogmouth (Bataraachostomus stellatus), Javan light/torch and the night bird and their nocturnal behavior makes Frogmouth turn it on only them as rare and mysterious creatures. Their ability to (Brathachostomus on the right hunt in the dark, their odd body shape and sound, javensis), Sunda time (keep a many times has halt back people step. In Indonesia, Frogmouth minimum they are called as “Burung Hantu”, means the ghost (Brathachostomus disturbance for bird. Scary thoughts are that entire crossing for those cornutus). the bird). A night bird recorded sound and a mini who don’t know how wonderful they are actually. Nightjars : loud speaker can be used to attract the bird to Bonaparte’s Nightjar get near. (Caprimulgus concretus), Well than, please make sure that any time during Malaysian Eared Nightjar your visit to Way Kambas NP, spare some of your (Eurostopodus time to have a sensational night-birding experience, temminckii), Large-Tailed as our way to appreciate our passion for the Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus), Savannah Nightjar biodiversity of Indonesia. (Caprimulgus affinis). • The Best

INFORMATION: SAHABAT BURUNG WAY KAMBAS Supported by Asian Night Address: Taman Nasional Way Kambas, Jl. Raya Labuhan Ratu, Lampung Timur, Lampung 34196. Contact: Dicky ([email protected]), Marcellus ([email protected]), Isnan ([email protected]). Birding Large Frogmouth C R E D I T All photos by Dicky T. (Batrachostomus auritus) Sutanto, except Buffy Fish Way Kambas National Park’s Night Bird Size: Very large (40 cm) Owl by Marcellus Adi CTR. Text by Dicky T. Sutanto and Voice: Loud wheezy call. design by Marcellus Adi CTR Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica) Range: Malay Peninsula, – for ALeRT 2011. Sumatra, Natunas and References and drawing: Size: Medium-sized (27 cm). Size: Large (47 cm). From The Book A Field Voice: a soft hoot and ringing Voice: Distinctive deep boo-boo, Borneo. Guide to the Birds of Distribution and status: An Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and hooh-weeyoo, also mournful or four-syllable goke-galoo, huhu- Bali by John Mackinnon and musical whistles kwankwit- hooo and others. uncommon bird of lowland Karen Phillipps. kwankwit-kwankwit-kek-kek-kek. Range: South India, China, SE forests. Asia, Borneo, Belitung, Mentawai, Bonaparte’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus concretus) Range: India, South China, South Gould’s Frogmouth (Batrachostomus stellatus) East Asia, Philippines, Borneo, Nias W & C Java. Size: Smallish (22 cm). Size: Smallish (25 cm). Sumatera, Belitung, Java and Bali. Distribution and status: In Voice: Deep ’tiger like’ Voice: Male call is two clear Distribution and status: A rare forest bird, up to Borneo and Sumatra an sound. Range: Endemic notes, higher on second note, 1500 m. uncommon bird of lowlands, In to Sumatra and Borneo. Java this is a rare montane bird. with wavering tremolo Distribution and status: Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox connecting notes, given at 7- Few record from Sumatra; recorded in lowland scutulata) Collared Scopsowl (Otus lempiji) second intervals. forest of mainland and Belitung. On Borneo a rare Range: Malay Peninsula, Size: Medium-sized (30 cm). Size: Small (20 cm). but widely distributed bird of open lowland forest, Sumatra, N. Natunas, and Voice: Mellow, rising falsetto Voice: Male gives a soft hoot including heath forests up to 500 m. Borneo. whistle pung-ok, the second woop, inflected upwards;also a Distribution and status: An Malaysian Eared note short with rising inflection, steady series of gruff notes at one second intervals. Female call is occasional bird below 500 m. Nightjar (Eurostopodus repeated every one or two temminck) seconds, sometimes for long higher-pitched, quavering, (Batrachostomus javensis) inflected downward wheoo or Size: Large (42 cm). periods, usually at dawn and Size: Smallish (25 cm). pwok, about five times a minute; Voice: Clear 3- note call. dusk. Range: India, E Asia, SE Voice: Hoarse cackling also a gentle twitter. Pairs often The first starts low, followed by two longer notes, Asia, Philippines, Sulawesi, gwaa notes, descending in call in duet. Range: SE Asia, each rising then dipping and broken in the middle, Borneo, Sumatra and W Java. pitch; barks; trills, and a Philippines, Borneo, Bangka, tap-ti bau. Stress in on first and lat notes. Range: Distribution and status: Both resident and winter wheezy, rising, plaintive Belitung, Java and Bali. Distribution and status: A quite Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Distribution migrant races are found. All are uncommon at low to whistle. common owl up to 1600 m, including tree-lined and status: A common bird of forest edge and moderate altitudes up to 1500 m. The species is more Range: SE Asia, Palawan, suburban streets of large towns. heath forests below 1200 m. common on Borneo and Sumatra. and Greater Sundas. Large Tail Nightjar Barred Eagle-Owl (Bubo Distribution and status: Reddish Scops Owl (Otus rufescens) (Caprimulgus macrurus) sumatranus). Size: Small (19 cm). Status on Sumatra Size: Largish (30 cm). Voice: Hollow, high-pitched uncertain; one specimen Size: Large (45 cm). Voice: Rich, deep tchoink whistle hooee, repeated at from Bintang (Riau Voice: In flight, loud deep whoo or like two stones being regular interval. Range: Archipelago) and one specimen from lowland N hooa-who, ending in a deep groan. struck together, given at steady rate of about 3 per Malay Peninsula, Philippines, Sumatra in 1884. On Borneo recorded in lowlands Range: Malay Peninsula, Borneo, second following a purring warm up; also low Borneo, Sumatera, Bangka from most parts, and on Java it is an occasional bird Sumatra, Bangka, Java and Bali. growling. Range: India, SE Asia, Philippines, and Java. Distribution and of the wetter lowland and hill forests. Distribution and status: An Indonesia to New Guinea and Australia. status: An uncommon occasional, though rarely seen, Sunda Frogmouth (Batrachostomus cornutus) Distribution and status: A local but common bird of lowland bird, probably absent bird of lowland forest, up to 1000 m, and higher. Size: Medium-sized (28 forest edge and wooded country, including from East Java. cm). Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa Ketupu) mangrove up to 1200 m. Voice: A descending Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Savannah Nightjar Size: Large (45 cm). series of gwaa notes, all Size: Unmistakable large (34 Voice: Various loud shrill calls starting on the same (Caprimulgus affinis) cm). kootookookootook, a ringing pitch. Size: Smallish (22 cm). Voice: Harsh, hoarse, high- pof-pof-pof, ,and also hie-ee-ee- Range: Endemic to the Voice: Penetrating, pitched screech wheech or se- eek-heek. Greater Sundas. plaintive chweep uttered rak; also a high ke ke ke ke ke call. Range: SE Asia, Borneo, Distribution and status: constantly for 30 min at dusk and dawn, on the wing. Range: Cosmopolitan. Sumatera with eastern islands, Recorded from East Range: India, S China, SE Asia, Sulawesi, Distribution and status: An and Nias, Java, and Bali. Sumatra (including Philippines, Sundas. uncommon bird in the lowlands Distribution and status: Not Bangka and Belitung), Borneo, and Kangean. It is an Distribution and status: This is the common of Sumatera, Java, and Bali, up uncommon in lowland forests uncommon bird of lowland and coastal area. nightjar of lowlands, in dry open coastal areas up to 1100 m. to 800 m. including large cities.