Sabah to work with birdwatchers association in protecting endangered bird species

 

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew (centre) during the Asian Bird Fair 2023 press conference at the ministry's office at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens here.- NSTP/Olivia Miwil

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is working with the Sabah Birdwatchers association to identify bird species that require protection, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew.  

"We want the association to identify certain species we fear may go extinct and write a report to the minister on the details of the species and what we can do to protect them.   

"Our ministry, through the Sabah wildlife department, will submit the report to the government, to pass laws to protect them as protected species just like how we protect other wildlife such as elephants and orang utan.  

"For now there are no measures specific to birds, but we have to protect them," Liew said, adding she was informed that there were birds that were being hunted.  

She said this at the Asian Bird Fair at the Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens here. Present were Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman, Sabah Birdwatchers Association president Ron Pudin and Asian Bird Fair organising chairman Roger Rajah. 

Ron said for the past one year, the Bornean peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron schleiermacheri) had been spotted in Telupid, Sabah.  

"Borneon Peacock pheasants used to be found in Balikpapan, Indonesia.  

"We thought this bird was extinct in Sabah, but in 2015 and 2016, we have records of the bird from camera traps placed in the heart of our forests by our non-governmental organisations and the Forestry Department.  

"Previously, birders went to Balikpapan, but now they have come to Sabah. This is the impact when new or rare birds are sighted," he said.  

In Sabah, there are eight species of birds that cannot be found elsewhere in the world.  

The species are the friendly bush warbler (Locustella accentor), black-crowned pitta (Erythropitta ussheri), white-fronted falconet (Microhierax latifrons), Sabah Partridge ( Tropicoperdix graydoni); Black-capped Babbler (Pellorneum capistratum morrelli); white-crowned shama (Copsychus stricklandii); Rufous Backed Kingfisher and Grey Hooded Babbler.  

The association, which was established last year, is also hoping to offer ornithology courses by local universities for the younger generation to gain better insight into the local bird species.

The Asian Bird Fair, in its 12th edition and touted to be the largest birdwatching fair in Asia, will run from Oct 13 to 17 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here.

Rajah said he hoped the event would serve as a platform to foster knowledge exchange, promote conservation efforts and celebrate the incredible avian diversity that Sabah has to offer.

-nst online.