Balibirds

INDONESIA SCOUTING TRIP REPORT

SITE DESCRIPTIONS, METHODS, AND BIRD LIST for Bali

July 1, 2014

Weather: Mostly fair with heavy showers in Kuta Beach before 0700 hrs. Air Temperature: 70 to 85F; Wind 2-10 mph ESE.. Outgoing tide 1200-1430 hrs.; seas choppy; surf 2-4 ft.

Time: 0715- 1600 hrs.

Observers: Yoel Jimenez and I.

Areas Covered: 1) Bali Botanical Garden (BG: 0730-1100 hrs.): Located about 1.5 hrs. by car north of Kuta Beach, the Bali Botanical Garden includes several acres of native rainforest, lawns, gardens, temples and ornamental plantings. We walked pathways and roadways through the area, surveying a sample of available habitats for birds (0730-1100 hrs.). I used a 10x40 binocular and DSLR camera; Yoel had a binocular and DSLR video/still camera and tripod. Birdlife was relatively abundant in the forest canopy and edge (see my Bali travel journal notes).

2) Bunai Mangrove Preserve, South Kuta (BM: 1200-1430 hrs.): Located in the South Kuta area adjacent to a new causeway, this area comprises a large mangrove preserve of about 200 acres, accessible by a system of dilapidated boardwalks. We surveyed all of the mangrove from the boardwalks, including open water across from the new automobile causeway. Increasing numbers of visitors were present during our survey; most appeared to have little or no interest in the natural history of the mangrove. The boardwalk was nearly impassable in places due to rotten and/or missing wooden planks. Locals collected a small entrance fee ($5 per person) at the parking lot entrance. Birdlife was relatively uniformly distributed throughout, though often difficult to observe within the dense foliage. The tide was outgoing during our survey, carrying mangrove debri and trash to the sea.

3) Nusa Dua coastline, South Kuta (ND: 1530-1630 hrs.). Located in the South Kuta area next to a large vacation resort, the Nusa Dua coastal area has open ocean,reef, beach and coastal scrub habitat within walking distance of the main parking area. We spent about twenty minutes scanning the area from the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Birdlife was relatively scarce throughout this area, though we found an immature Christmas Island Frigatebird, which was new for both of our Indonesian bird lists.

BIRDS NOTED (Taxonomy follows Clements, 2004; regional endemics are capitalized).

PELICANIFORMES

Pacific Reef Egret (Egretta sacra) 2 foraging on the reef; flying over the shore, ND.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) 1 foraging on the reef, ND.

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucus) 1 flying low over open water, BM.

Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) immature (separated from F. minor by the extensive white underparts and large black breast band), 1 flying over the cliffs toward the sea (photo).

Christmas Island Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi) immature, Nusa Dua Bali, 1 July 2014

CHARADRIIFORMES

Tern (Sterna sp. ) 2 flying and dipping into the surface about 0.25 mi offshore, ND.

GRUIFORMES

White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) 1 (YF) on lawn of resort, ND.

COLUMBIFORMES

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) vocal, ubiquitous.

Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon (Treron grisiecauda) 10 foraging together in the canopy of an emergent fruiting tree, BG.

CUCULIFORMES

Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) 2 calling repeatedly, BG.

APODIFORMES

Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta) 8 flying low over lawns and gardens, BG.

CORACIIFORMES

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) 1 vocal and conspicuous, BG; 1 on reef, ND..

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) 1 perched in mangrove, BM (photo).

Small Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo coerulescens) 1 sallying from low perches to water in replanted area, BM (photo).

Small Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo coerulescens) Bunai Mangrove Bali 1 July 2014

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) 2 flying over mangrove canopy, BM.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops phillippinus) 1 flying over mangrove canopy, BM.

PICIFORMES

Sunda Woodpecker (Picoides moluccensis) 1 drumming; foraging on upright mangrove tree trunk at the edge of clearing, BM.

PASSERIFORMES

INDONESIAN HONEYEATER (Lichmera limbata ) 2 vocal and active in flowering bottlebrush plantings, BG (photo)

Indonesian Honeyeater (Lichmera limbata ) Bali Botanical Garden, 1 July 2014

Malaysian Cuckoo-Shrike (Coracina javensis) 1 perched in the canopy of a tall emergent tree, BG.

White-shouldered Triller (Lalage sueurii) vocal and active in the canopy of dense mangrove, BG.

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis) 1 vocal in tall trees BG.

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia) 1 active in subcanopy of mangrove, BM.

Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica) 1 active in the subcanopy in a mixed species flock, BM.

Fulvous Jungle-Flycatcher (Rhinomyias olivacea) 1 sallying from low branch to lawn, BG.

Sooty-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster) 2 flying high over an open area, BG.

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) vocal, ubiquitous in modified habitats (photo).

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) entrance to Bunai Mangrove Bali 1 July 2014

Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) 1 flying over mangrove, BM.

JAVAN GRAY-THROATED WHITE-EYE (Lophozosterops javanicus ) 20 active; loose flocks in canopy of rainforest, BM.

Javan Gray-throated White-Eye (Lophozosterops javanicus) Bali Botanical Garden 1 July 2014

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) ubiquitous in villages and towns, LB.