NAT. NAT. HIST. BUL L. SIAM Soc. 45: 119-121 ， 1997

Giant Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea) in Southern Lao PDR

On 19 February 19971 positively identified ， from close dist 佃 ce ，a group of five adult Giant Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea) along the edge of the Houay Kh aliang Stream in the Southem part of the Xe Piane National Biodiversity Pr otected Ar ea (NBCA) in Kh ong District ，Champasak Pr ovince ，Southem Lao PDR (由 e sighting was approximately located at at 1402 'N， 106 03'E). Bruce Jefferies ， from the National Biodiversity Conservation Ar eas Sub-Programme of the Government of Lao PDR-FINNIDA-World Bank- Gl obal Environment Environment Facility Forest Management and Conservation Programme ， also observed the birds birds when we flushed them. The birds were seen in mid-aftemoon while we were walking up Houay Kh aliang from from the confluence of the Houay Chang Nang Stream. The area is approximately 110 metres metres above sea level ， and is close to the Lao border with Siam Pang District ， Stung Treng Treng Province ，Cambodia. 百le Houay Kh aliang originates in Lao PDR and passes into Cambodia before flowing into 出e Ri ver ，a major tributary of the Mekong Ri ver. 百le medium-sized stream of Houay Kh aliang was not flowing when we saw the birds ， but there there was still a considerable amount of stagnant water in stream pools. Water is found in in some of these pools all ye 紅 round. The s回創n's riparian forests are mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp. The riparian habitat habitat is still in relatively good condition ， although some large trees were selectively logged logged from along the edge of 血e Houay Kh aliang prior to the establishment of the Xe Piane Piane NBCA in 1993. Apart Apart from the five Giant Ibis confrrmed ，a sixth Giant Ibis was tentatively identified by me a little downstream from where the five Giant Ib is were seen on the same day. In addition ， foot tracks and holes in the sand believed to have been made by the long n紅 TOW beaks beaks of Giant Ib is were also observed in 出e upper part of the Houay Chang Nang by other other members of the World Wildlife Fund -o rganized biodiversity survey team 白at we were were ap 制 of. We observed the same type of foot and beak signs around where we saw

the the Giant Ibis. Excrement of Giant Ib is found along the Houay Kh ali 佃 g appe 紅 ed to contain contain pi 町田 of pulverized shellfish. Villagers claimed that Giant Ibis feed mainly on earthworms earthworms and shellfish. The site where the Giant Ib is were seen is believed to be identical to where a single Giant Giant Ib is was observed on 3 Febru ぽ Y 1993 by researchers surveying the area 何回机IS & TIMMINS ， 1996). Th ey spelt the name of the s住eam “Houei Kaliang". Other recent sightings sightings of Giant Ibis include two along the Xe Piane Ri ver ，northeast of the Houay Kh aliang ，on 13 March 1993. 百lese 1993 records were the first confirmed sightings for the the species for over 30 ye 紅 S (THEWLIS & TIMM 町 s， 1996). Since Since then ， there has been one confrrmed sighting from the Tonle Sesan Ri ver in Ratanakhiri Ratanakhiri Province ，northeast Cambodia in 1994 ， and in May 1995 two Giant Ibises were sep 紅 ately sighted on the Xe Piane Ri ver within 20 km of where the 1993 Xe Piane River sightings sightings were made (THEWLIS & TlM M 別 s ，1996). On 1 May 1996 ，two Giant Ib is were

Received Received 3 April 1997; accepted 5 June 1997.

119 119 120 120 I. G. BAIRD flushed flushed from Nongsonghong pool in the proposed Dong Kh anthung NBCA in ， (TIMMINS & VONG 阻 AM 田 NG ，1996) ，and villagers living in in the area later reported that a significant number of Giant Ibises occurred in adjacent wetland wetland areas in parts Cambodia bordering with Dong Kh佃 thung (pers. comm. WILLIAM ROBICHAUD ， 1997). The ethnic Lao people living ne 紅白e Houay Kh aliang said that they have two names for for the Giant Ib is: “NokOum La" 叩 d “Nok Oum Loua". Villagers from Ban Phon Visay said said the call of the Giant Ib is sound like “gawk gawk". Villagers claimed 白紙 the calls of of Giant Ibis can be heard mainly in the morning. 1 did ，however ， not hear them. Villagers also also claimed that Giant Ib is 紅 e 冗ommon" year round residents along the Houay Kh aliang. They said that the birds are almost never hunted by local people because Giant Ibis meat is “bad smelling" and “ not delicious". There were no reports of Giant Ibis having been live-captured live-captured for trade in the area. The Giant Ibis is a protected species in Lao PD R. Ap 訂 tfrom the above-mentioned confirrned recent sightings ， Giant Ib is have also been reported reported by local people to be present but rare in the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia (MUNDKURETι. ，1995) ，and local people report 批 species to be present but rare along 出e mainstream Mekong Ri ver in 百lalaborivatt Dis 住ict ， Stung Treng Pr ovince. Lao spe 北 ing villagers villagers living along the Mekong Ri ver in Northeast Cambodia also call the Giant Ibis “Nok Oum La". In the villages of Phum Koh Saneng and Phum Koh Langa ， both situated on islands in the Mekong River south of the Cambodian border with but north of Stung Stung Treng town ，locals estimated that only 10% of the historical population of Giant Ib is remained remained in May 1997. Th is claim could not be verified ， although it is noteworthy that locals locals from two different villages independently made the same estimation (BAIRD ， in prep ふ In March ， 1997 the chief of Siam Pang Dis 凶ct ， Stung Treng Prov 泊ce ，reported 出at Giant Ib ises are also found along Cambodian 紺 e但 ns bordering the Xe Piane NBC A. The ethnic Lao living in Siam Pang also call Giant Ib is “Nok Oum La" 加 d “Nok Oum Loua". Loua". In In April 1997 ， locals living in the Dong Phou Vieng NBCA in Phine District ， ，Lao PDR told me that a small number of Giant Ib ises still occur along along the Xe Bang Hieng Ri ver and its smaller tributaries. Th ey call it “Nok Kh i Kadeuan ぺ or “earthwo ロn bird" ， due to the bird's habit of using its long pointed beak to catch earthworms earthworms in the sand along river shores. DAVID-BEAULIEU (1949-1950) reported two Giant Giant Ibis were sighted along the Xe Bang Hieng Ri ve r. In In that the Giant Ib is believed to have been extirpated from Thailand (LEKAGUL & ROUND ，199 1)， and is classified as a Critically Globally Threatened species (τIMM 町 S& VONGKHAMHENG ，1996) ，it is significant that an apparently resident population of 白is very r紅 e large waterbird still exists in Southern Lao PD R. GIANT IBIS IN SOUTHERN LAO PDR 121

REFERENCES

DAvm-BEAULIEU ， A. 1949-1950. Les oiseaux de la Pr ovince de Savannakhet (Bes-Laos). L'Oiseau R.F.O. 19: 41-84 ， 153-194; 20: 9-50. LE 貼，GUL ，B 刷 D P.D. ROUND. 199 1. A Guide to the Birds 01 Thailand. Saha Karn Bhaet Co. ，Ltd. ，Bangkok. MUNDKUR ，T. ， P. CARR ，SUN HEAN AND CHHIM SOMB 刷. 1995. Surveys for Large Waterbirds in Carnbodia ， March-April 1994. IUCN Species Survival Commission ，Gland ， Switzerland and Carnbridge ，U.K. τ'HE WLIS ，R.M. AND R .J. TIMMINS. 1996. Th e rediscovery of Gi 飢 t Ibis Pseudibis gigantea with a review of previous previous records. Bird Conservation lnternational. 6: 317-324. τIMMINS ，R .J. AND C. VONGKHAMHENG. 1996. A Preliminary Wildlife and Habitat Survey of Dong Kh anthung area ， Charnpasak Pr ovince ，Lao PDR ， Wildlife Conservation Society ，Vientiane.

lan lan G. Baird Lao Community Fisheries and Dolphin Dolphin Pr otection Pr oject P.O. P.O. Box 860 ，Lao PDR