The Birds of Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, Maluku, Indonesia
Colin R. Trainor & Philippe Verbelen 272 Bull. B.O.C. 2013 133(4) New distributional records from forgoten Banda Sea islands: the birds of Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, Maluku, Indonesia by Colin R. Trainor & Philippe Verbelen Received 5 July 2011; fnal revision accepted 10 September 2013 Summary.—Many of the Banda Sea islands, including Babar, Romang, Sermata and Leti, were last surveyed more than 100 years ago. In October–November 2010, birds were surveyed on Romang (14 days), Sermata (eight days), Leti (fve days) and Kisar (seven days), and on Babar in August 2009 (ten days) and August 2011 (11 days). Limited unpublished observations from Damar, Moa, Masela (of Babar) and Nyata (of Romang) are also included here. A total of 128 bird species was recorded (85 resident landbirds), with 104 new island records, among them fve, 12, 20, four and three additional resident landbirds for Babar, Romang, Sermata, Leti and Kisar, respectively. The high proportion of newly recorded and apparently overlooked resident landbirds on Sermata is puzzling but partly relates to limited historical collecting. Signifcant records include Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca (Romang), Red-legged Crake Rallina fasciata (Sermata), Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata renschi (Romang), Elegant Pita Pita elegans vigorsii (Babar, Romang, Sermata), Timor Stubtail Urosphena subulata (Babar, Romang), the frst sound-recordings of Kai Cicadabird Coracina dispar (Babar?, Romang) and endemic subspecies of Southern Boobook Ninox boobook cinnamomina (Babar) and N. b. moae (Romang, Sermata?). The frst ecological notes were collected for Green Oriole Oriolus favocinctus migrator on Romang, the lowland-dwelling Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra audacis on Babar, the endemic subspecies of Yellow- throated (Banda) Whistler Pachycephala macrorhyncha par on Romang, and Grey Friarbird Philemon kisserensis on Kisar and Leti.
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