From time to time when I am scouring the internet for information on the Java sparrow I come across news that includes our favourite species. This page will hold anything I find that I feel and hope will be of interest to you my website visitors. If you come across any news from across our world please do e-mail me and let me know, news from your own country would be great to hear and share with other Java lovers.

Latest news story I have come across will be at the top of this page but will not necessarily be the latest news by date.

Island Images - Reflecting on the New Year

A Java finch appeared to be looking at its reflection yesterday as it drank from a puddle in the parking lot by the Hilton Lagoon.

Star-Bulletin Photographers, 02 January, 2009 - www.starbulletin.com

Calling All Hawaii Bird Watchers - More eyes needed to tally state birds

Ithaca, NY -Bird watchers in Hawaii are invited to sign up now for the 2008-09 season of Project FeederWatch. More participants are needed from the state to track the numbers and kinds of birds at feeders each week and then send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The information provided becomes part of the world’s largest database on feeder-bird populations.

“Hawaii really does host a unique variety of wild birds from around the world,” says Project FeederWatch leader David Bonter. “We need to hear from more bird watchers in the state to get an accurate picture of how these species are spreading and interacting over time.”

Hawaii FeederWatchers reported 20 species this past season with the Java Sparrow reported in the greatest average numbers.

FeederWatchers across North America submitted more than 115,000 checklists during the 2007-08 season, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter movements, and shifting ranges information scientists use to monitor the health of the birds and of the environment.

“Hawaii is facing real issues with invasive species,” says FeederWatcher Barbara Landau. “It was clear to me after counting birds for four years in Palolo that the Bulbuls, Zebra Doves, Spotted Doves, and Mynahs were becoming far more prevalent than the other birds…I think it's very important to note these trends and use the information to create and sustain habitat that will support a greater diversity of bird populations.”

Project FeederWatch welcomes participants of all ages and skill levels. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call (800) 843-2473 . In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Lab members) participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, a bird-identification poster, a calendar, instructions, and the FeederWatch annual report, Winter Bird Highlights, reporting results.

David Bonter is the Project leader of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Reach him at mailto:dnb23@cornell.edu The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu

David Bonter, 11 November, 2008 - www.hawaiireporter.com

From the ashes of Burrabazar, a story of survival

There couldn't’t have been a happier ending to the Burrabazar inferno which gutted one of Asia’s largest markets over this week. Amidst the horror stories of loss and destruction still unfolding at the Nandaram Market, Wednesday brought a little miracle of survival when a cage with eight birds was rescued by the firemen.

The birds - four Java sparrows and four Australian sparrows - were unharmed, though the entire building was engulfed in fire for the past four days, making it a fruitful day for the Kolkata Fire Service Department which had been toiling here for the past 108 hours. “We were inspecting the rooftop, when a few cages stacked near the watchman’s quarters caught my attention. Inside it were a few birds, some dead and others barely surviving,” said Fire Officer Ayan Ghosh.

“Though both the sparrow species are know to be survivors, the smoke and heat emanating from the blaze must have been too much for even human beings,” said ornithologist Sumit Sen.

Three other birds—two sparrows and a Chandrika - in the cage had died in the blaze. “They were dead by the time we spotted them,” rued Ghosh. “As firemen we are asked to save lives and property. We may not have been successful in saving much of the property this time, but I am glad to have saved some lives,” Ghosh said.

The firemen said the birds used to be reared by Verma, the peon of the Nandaram market who had a small shelter on the rooftop. Though his precious pets have been saved, Verma could not be located till late in the night. His pet rabbit has not yet been found.

Premankur Biswa January 17, 2008 - www.indianexpress.com

No-fly Zone

Officials say the airport's caging program is humane and protects passengers - click here to see the Star Bulletin's story image

Question:
At Honolulu Airport recently, I noticed a bird cage on the ground behind a bench in the koi garden area. The cage, which was chained to a tree, was about 2 feet by 3 feet and maybe a foot tall. There were two Java finches trapped in it frantically trying to free themselves. Several other Java finches kept flying to the cage, in what looked like an effort to free the trapped birds. This continued from about 4 p.m. until I had to leave at 7 p.m. This was very disturbing to me. The man at the information desk, security personnel, maintenance personnel and airport workers - at least 15 people - knew nothing about the birds or seemed to care. I sat on that bench until it became dark, and no one came for the birds. They might have been there all night with no shelter whatsoever. There was a dirty bowl of water and an almost empty bowl of birdseed in the cage. It was heartbreaking to hear their pitiful cries for help. Can someone explain why there was a cage in that garden trapping birds, and why nobody seemed concerned about their inhumane treatment?

Answer:
The birds you saw, Java sparrows, were being trapped for safety reasons under a program required at all state airports by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services is under contract to the state to capture the birds, said Tammy Mori, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation. The program aims to remove birds from airport areas because bird and other "wildlife strikes" can bring down aircraft in flight and injure people, she said. Wildlife strikes, the vast majority involving birds, were reported 68 times at Honolulu Airport in 2007. Five of those strikes resulted in damaged aircraft. The bird capture program is "recognized nationwide as humane," Mori said. However, she did acknowledge that most of the captured birds are euthanized.

The birds used to be relocated and released, but that didn't work because the birds would too often return to the airport, she said. Threatened or endangered birds are still being relocated and released, or taken to the Hawaiian Humane Society if they are in need of medical care. Otherwise, "common" birds, such as Java sparrows, are euthanized according to standards set by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Mori said another reason captured Java sparrows are euthanized is because they are known carriers of the West Nile Virus.

In addition to Java sparrows, other birds trapped at the Honolulu Airport garden areas include spotted doves and zebra doves, and occasionally, red crested cardinals. At Honolulu Airport, there are five cages set out to trap the birds - two in the garden areas and three on the airfield. The cages are said to be checked twice a day, about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., seven days a week.

We asked if small birds, such as sparrows, are involved in very many aircraft strikes and were told that sparrows in general, including house sparrows and Java sparrows, were involved in 10 strikes at Honolulu Airport between January 1990 and June 2008. Although small, they often gather in flocks on the airfield, sometimes numbering more than 10, Mori said. They can cause damage if multiple birds are hit in one incident. But one bird as small as a Java sparrow can cause costly damage to the fan blades of a turbine jet engine if it is sucked into the engine at high velocity.

Indirect damage costs to a carrier can include delays in flights because of a grounded aircraft, unsatisfied customers taking business elsewhere, costs to accommodate customers with hotels or other airlines if the carrier has no other aircraft available, etc., Mori said. "Most importantly, bird strikes with aircraft can lead to human injuries or worse," she said.

According to Bird Strike Committee USA (www.birdstrike.org/birds.htm), more than 195 people have been killed worldwide as a result of bird and other wildlife strikes since 1988. It also says they cause more than $600 million in damage to U.S. civil and military aircraft annually. Pilots are required to report strikes when they occur, but the reality is that "a considerable" number go unreported if no damage is sustained to aircraft, Mori said. Between January 1990 and June 2008, a total of 1,861 birds - plus four cats and one dog - were recorded as wildlife strikes at Hawaii airports, according to the FAA's National Wildlife Strike Database (see wildlife.pr.erau.edu/ database/select_iv.php).

The bird capture program involves a cooperative service agreement in which the federal government pays for the program, then is reimbursed by the state. On Oahu, the program covers the Dillingham and Kalaeloa airfields, as well as Honolulu Airport, and costs $549,000 annually, Mori said. Statewide, the total cost is $1.5 million annually. Meanwhile, airport-goers and employees are asked not to feed birds at the airports.

November 2nd 2008 by June Watanabe - Hawaii's Star Bulletin

Passage of birds

On any given Sunday, the quiet Galiff Street, off Bagbazar, comes alive with twitterings and chirps. Rows of cages containing plumed pets of various shades, both desi and foreign, are lined up on either side of the road.

At one place, a huge billboard pleads with people to free caged birds. But no one pays any attention to it. Though the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972 bans the capture and trading of 1,200 types of indigenous birds, the Galiff Street market flouts most rules in the book, trading in almost all kinds of desi varieties in broad daylight.

Alongside exotic foreign breeds, like the rosella and Java sparrow (buying and sale of which is not illegal), the Galiff Street market teems with banned Indian species, like the hill mynah, rose-ringed parakeet, red munia, Asian koel, pheasants, pigeons and finches (zebra, gouldian and long-tailed varieties).

Pets like rabbits, Guinea pigs, dogs and ornamental fish are also sold in this market, but the bird sale accounts for about half of the Rs 10-lakh business conducted every Sunday. The price range is wide — a finch may fetch around Rs 65, but a macaw will go into lakhs.

“We have buyers coming in from North Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Singapore and Malaysia. This is a huge industry with about 10,000 traders spread across Bengal,” says Pranab Mitra, the secretary of Bird Breeders’ and Lovers’ Association, who admits to the illegal trading of Indian species on Galiff Street.

The forest department, the implementing authority, has been able to do precious little. Forest officials conduct raids every Sunday and confiscate banned birds, only for the plumed pets to be back the next weekend.

“The traders leave their cages and run when they get a whiff of an impending raid,” says Dipak Dutta, a bird breeder. To check the malpractice, the forest department has opened a 24-hour control room (32958798) for people to report sale of banned birds.

“The sale of banned birds has come down drastically in the past three years because of regular raids conducted by the forest department. We have also trained the police in recognising banned varieties,” claims V.K. Yadav, the former deputy chief wildlife warden of the state forest department.

The implementing authority’s haphazard manner of working till sometime back has taken a huge toll on the lawful trade of birds, claims association secretary Mitra.

“The lack of awareness about which birds are banned and which are not has greatly affected our business. Besides, the government is not offering us any facilities to breed birds that are legal. Bengal was once the leading market in aviculture, but now we are lagging behind Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh,” says Mitra.

October 14 2008 by Talat Salahuddin - The Telegraph, Calcutta, India

Birds provide springboard to song composers

Musical intelligence is defined by the ability to produce or understand melody and rhythm, the ability to sing on-key, keep tempo and create musical expressions. Writes Maneka Gandhi for the Bihar Times

Is this unique to humans ( heavy metal rockers and rap artists don’t count ! ) or do animals and birds have it as well? According to biomusicologists not only are the sounds of animals and birds pleasing, but they are also composed with the same musical language that humans use. There is a field of study called Zoomusicology , which is the study of the musical aspects of sound produced and received by animals.

Mozart was so affected by birdsong that he rewrote a passage from the last movement of his Piano Concerto in G Major to match the song of his starling whom he deemed as a musical companion. Mozart’s notebooks record a passage and the same passage as the starling revised it changing the sharps to flats. "Das war schon"--That was beautiful!,--reads Mozart’s comment. In his next composition, an odd sextet for strings and two horns, known as "A Musical Joke," Mozart included starlinglike bits as intertwined tunes and an abrupt ending.

Starlings have a two-part syrinx, or voice organ and can belt out two songs at the same time. On starling has been recorded mimicking two birds--a grey fantail and a kelp gull--with the two sides of its syrinx.

Beethoven may also have plagiarized a motif from a feathered composer.The opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony which is one of the most recognizable phrases in Western music: "Ba-ba-ba baaahm" come from a white-breasted wood wren..

In another research, British musician David Hindley slowed bird song down and discovered parallels between the woodlark's complex song and Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues.

One early example of a composition that imitates birdsong is Janequin's "Le Chant Des Oiseaux", written in the 16th century. Other composers who have used birdsong as a compositional springboard include Biber (Sonata Representativa), Wagner (Siegfried) and the jazz musicians Paul Winter (Flyway) and Jeff Silverbush (Grandma Mickey). The twentieth-century French composer Olivier Messiaen composed with birdsong extensively. His Catalogue d'Oiseaux is a seven-book set of solo piano pieces based upon birdsong. His orchestral piece Réveil des Oiseaux is composed almost entirely of birdsong. The Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, with his The Pines of Rome (1923–1924), may have been the first to compose a piece of music that calls for pre-recorded birdsong. The Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara in 1972 wrote an orchestral piece of music called Cantus Arcticus , Concerto for Birds and Orchestra making extensive use of pre-recorded birdsongs from the Arctic regions. American Forrest Larson composed in 2007 a piece for a wind ensemble entitled Seabird Fantasy, which uses the pre-recorded birdsong of seabirds.. The American jazz musician Eric Dolphy the flautist incorporated bird song into his music . My favourite is a wonderful CD I bought 15 years ago called Gorillas in the Mix which is music synthesized from bird songs and animal drumbeats.

Java sparrows can not only distinguish between Bach and Schoenberg, the melodies of Antonio Vivaldi and the modern atonal strains of Elliott Carter, but Shigeru Watanabe at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, found that they could then apply what they had learned about the differences between classical and modern music. Watanabe’s Java sparrows also engaged with the music, showing clear preferences for the more harmonious excerpts.

Birds are not just a source of inspiration to musicians but are musicians in themselves as they follow rhythmic patterns and pitches as those found in human compositions.

Wood thrushes can conform to the familiar Western diatonic scale; canyon wrens come close to the more complex chromatic scale, and hermit thrushes sing with the pentatonic scale of traditional Asian music. Some species even compose in sonata form. A song sparrow, for example, belts out one of its themes, equivalent to a sonata's opening exposition, then fiddles with it a bit here and there much the way a nonfeathered composer develops a theme. The sparrow eventually burbles the original theme again, a version of a sonata's final recapitulation. Nightingales organize the elements of their songs into hierarchies and follow rules of how the songs are constructed, similar to the way humans use syntax. In addition, each individual bird invents its own song phrases, which can be used to identify the individual bird. The songs sung by magpies are skillfully embellished with mimicked sequences and phrases, which we call cadenzas in music. Some recorded magpie songs can be described in musical terms—the bird’s voice moves across four octaves, varies its phrasing between staccato and legato, and embellishes the sequence with vibrato, trills, or deep overtones. Moreover, when a song is complete, an individual bird will end the song with its own closing phrase. It sings this signature phrase in much the same way that painters put their names or initials on completed paintings. The hermit thrush, considered one of the lushest of avian vocalists, sings in the so- called pentatonic scale, which is the basis for a lot of rock 'n' roll music today, in which the octaves are divided into five notes. The California marsh wren sings in the chromatic scale as many as 120 themes in a given jam session, with each theme matched by its immediate neighbor in what is known among musicians as the call-response pattern.

Songbirds arrange and rearrange specific sets of notes into phrases and larger themes similar to our melodies. Some also vary rhythm, as well as pitch, in the same ways we do. Even their voice modulations are similar : a accelerando in the wood warbler's windup, a swelling crescendo from the Heuglin's robin-chat, a fading diminuendo from the Swainson's thrush.

Musical phenomena as the borrowing of melodies, singing in duets or duels, and passing down songs through families from generation to generation also show up in birds . Wood and hermit thrushes, two of the species with especially beautiful songs, appear to have "rules" for the ordering of their songs, including how often one should be repeated.

African shrikes are famous for their musical, repetitive duets, sounding something between a bell and a horn. The two birds are so well synchronized in their duetting; you would think it was one bird singing. Magpie larks sing a duet. One bird utters a loud metallic "tee-hee" that is immediately followed by the other's "pee-o-wee, pee-o-wit". The pair is so co-ordinated that the whole thing sounds like one song. Whooper and Bewick's swans perform a notable love due every day in a mutual greeting ceremony. Both partners join in a resonant duet that rings across the lake. They swim to face each other and with beaks raised and wings uplifted launch into a wild clangor, the female replying to the honking of the male with repeated notes half a tone lower.

The white-crested laughing thrushes sing a group chorus. Each individual has its own phrase to contribute to the song: the result is like one bird singing. White-browed sparrow weavers sing group choruses too. Remarkably, each bird is an expert sound mixer. It can also produce the whole chorus on its own.

The choruses of wrens are extraordinarily precise and well coordinated. The males and females contribute different parts. The song consists of a series of four repeated phrases that follow the pattern ABCDABCD. Males sing A and C, while females sing B and D.. Both males and females hit their notes right on cue so that the ABCD phrasing flows along as though only one bird were singing.

Many bird species keep reinventing their song. New syllables and phrases or even whole new songs may be produced in each successive season by nightingales and canaries. The brown thrasher holds the record, with close to 2,000 songs, and never the same one twice . Birds give the impression of singing in long bursts without catching their breath. But they do this by taking a series of shallow mini-breaths, synchronized with each syllable they sing.

In the 1920s, the British cellist Beatrice Harrison moved to Surrey and began practicing outdoors in spring. Nightingales began to join along with her, and she heard them matching her arpeggios with carefully timed trills. They would burst into song whenever she began to play. In 1924 she convinced Lord Reith, director general of the BBC, that a performance of cello together with wild nightingales would be the perfect subject for the first outdoor radio broadcast in world history. It took two truckloads of equipment and engineers a whole day to set up. She started to play , the nightingale began to sing. The BBC received fifty thousand letters of appreciation and Beatrice Harrison became one of the most sought-after cellists of her time. The cello-nightingale duet was repeated live each year on the BBC for twelve years!

Many critics argue that birds sing only to fulfill biological functions such as alarm calls , territory defense or to attract mates and don’t confirm to the definition of creativity , of music for music’s sake. Not true. Research by Gisela Kaplan’s on the Australian magpie has found that some of the most beautiful songs come when the bird is alone and self-expression is at its peak.

I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. My house resonates with their music all day long. Why not plant a few trees outside your house and leave food and water for them. You can create your orchestra too.

September 23rd 2008 by Maneka Gandhi - The Bihar Times

Customs Roadshow On Laws And Taxes in Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan - Customs enforcement, collection of import and excise duty taxes, facilitation of commercial provider, excise and customs orders, tax exemption regulations and specialised allocations were the focus of a roadshow by the Royal Brunei Customs and Excise Department. Guess which of our friends gets a mention?

Present at the ceremony at its headquarters in JIn Menteri Besar was Awg Hj Mohammad Abdoh, Acting Controller of Customs and Excise Department. The roadshow, which was attended by senior government officials, also highlighted the implementation of import and excise duty tax payment involving government departments, orders and regulations of prohibited goods and its particular relation to the issuance of licence and permits involving government departments as well as the implementation of the e-customs programme.

The roadshow is part of the department's efforts to disseminate information and enhance awareness on the roles and functions of the
department as well as customs orders and regulations. Besides highlighting laws that have been implemented such as the Customs Order 2006, the Excise Order 2006, Customs Import Duty Order 2007 and Excise Duty Order 2007, there were other related regulations, which were also highlighted that are associated with the department such as the Emergency Order (halal meat) 1998, the Broadcasting Act and intellectual property rights.

During the roadshow, explanations were given on the items included under the Excise Tax, which were alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco products as well as vehicles. Under the Customs Import Duty Order 2007 and the Excise Duty Order 2007, ministries or government departments are no longer exempted from customs and excise taxes as of January 1, 2008.

The talk also touched on prohibited and controlled products, which are illegal to bring in or import such as opium, Java sparrows, undesirable publications, pigs and double banger firecrackers. Also revealed were prohibited and controlled products that requires a licence and approval prior to bringing in or importing such as plants, livestock, rice, sugar, salt, chicken eggs, cigarettes and alcohol. Prohibited and controlled goods that are refrained from export include gravel and stone, rice, sugar, salt, petrol and cigarettes.

An explanation and update on the e-customs project was also given. Its objective is to provide an effective and efficient integrated system for better administrative and management excellence that is aligned with international best practices.

The project scope involves the development of a new customs information system (e-customs) in line with its business processes. These include re-engineering major business processes associated with the system requirements, change management and infrastructure upgrading. - Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

August 2008 by Azlan Othman - Brudirect.com News

How the Japanese keep warm

Here's an excerpt from a lengthy piece on "Learning the Oriental traditions of heat retention and Western applications, including floor heaters, haoris, kotatsu" by Carole Woods that gives an insight into Japanese life and also includes our favourite the Java sparrow.

..........................A kotatsu is a heater that's placed on the floor with a low table over it. A special quilt called-what else?-a kotatsu kakebuton is draped over the top of the table and ,a second top rests on the quilt. That's the way poor people do it anyway. Wealthier folks frequently have a special space for their legs recessed into the floor under the table and a second-smaller and deeper-hole for the heater located in the center of the first one.

However it's constructed, the kotatsu is the center of a Japanese family's activities during cold weather. When we lived in Japan, we spent most of our time in the winter closely grouped around our little (about three feet by three feet) square table playing footsie in the kotatsu and being careful not to lift the accompanying kakebuton so as to let a draft of cold air underneath.

Such a life requires compatibility, to say the least. And the Japanese do have a remarkable ability to remain pleasant in crowded conditions that would drive many Occidentals completely berserk. Think about it: It's too cold to go anywhere. So you spend every afternoon snuggled up with your whole household (which typically includes Java sparrows perched on your head and shoulders), doing your homework while everyone else is doing his or her thing all on the same three-foot-square table. It's obvious, under the circumstances, that you either become an extremely close-knit family or you go nuts or freeze. I think every family needs a kotatsu.

The heater for such a "warmth pit" can be either electrically or charcoal fired. The latter is still very common in Japan and the most common of all kotatsu charcoal burners is the hibachi. Not the squat, black barbecue that goes by the same name here in America. A real kotatsu hibachi more closely resembles a huge vase or flowerpot made, I suppose, of fired and kiln-glazed clay. They're quite beautiful.

These hibachis are fueled with charcoal dust and a small ring of the dust burns slowly-without flame-in the heater's middle. Various grates or tripods can be put over the fire, so that food may be cooked or water boiled on the hibachi. For the most part, a kettle of water is kept simmering on the unit to humidify the room.......................... Click here to read the full article.

January / February 1976 - www.motherearthnews.com

Sanctuary's animals and birds die in blaze

Fire ripped through an animal sanctuary leaving nearly 30 creatures dead and a family homeless. The wildlife haven outside Ellon was wrecked after flames gutted the building. It will be around four months before the house is habitable.

But members of the stricken family have vowed to camp in the burnt-out shell to care for their remaining 418 animals. Keith Marley, 50, runs New Arc (North East Welfare Animal Rescue Sanctuary) with fiance Pauline Martin at Nether Auquhadlie farm.

He said: "This place is our life. We can't believe this has happened. I feel like we've let the animals down. "The terrapins need heat and we can't get water because the well is run by electricity. We can't go to a B &B or anything because we have to be here for the animals."

The family looks after everything from exotic birds to abandoned, neglected or injured horses and have released more than 1,000 creatures into the wild since they opened 18 months ago. Pauline, who has teenage children Aaron and April, arrived at the office yesterday morning to find it filled with thick, black smoke.

Within minutes the blaze spread and couple managed to get two kittens, two dogs and a cat out of the house. But they were unable to rescue more than 20 birds, including parrots, parakeets, cockatoos and Java sparrows, from the front room. Chipmunks and chinchillas were also killed. And popular Ollie the cockatoo was one of the victims.

The cause is being investigated by Grampian Fire and Rescue Service. A total of 14 firefighters tackled the blaze.

19 December 2007 - www.thisisaberdeen.co.uk

Birds can distinguish languages: Study proves

Pet birds can not only imitate sounds, they can distinguish between languages, potentially offering new clues on how the brain recognises speech, Japanese researchers say. It has already been confirmed that monkeys, mice and other mammals can recognise different languages but this is the first time that birds have been found to possess the ability, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported.

A research team exposed Java Sparrows to English and Japanese translations recorded by exchange students of two well-known Japanese novels, The Tale of Genji and Natsume Soseki's I Am a Cat.

Paddy birds like the Java Sparrow and parakeets, which are skilled vocally, learn sounds unique to their species after becoming adults, suggesting that they have a high ability to distinguish between sounds. A bird sitting on a perch first listened to the English version and was only allowed to eat afterward. Then the researchers played English and Chinese recordings randomly and only allowed the bird to eat after hopping onto the perch with the English.

The birds correctly identified the English recording 75 per cent of the time. The same results were achieved with another two birds that were permitted to eat only when Chinese was played.

"Humans are able to distinguish between languages, even ones they don't know, from the intonation and pronunciation, and it seems that paddy birds have the same ability," said Keio University experimental psychology professor Shigeru Watanabe, who led the research.

"If we study common traits in brain structure, this may shed light on the mechanisms of speech recognition," Watanabe was quoted as saying by the Mainichi Shimbun.

Watanabe said paddy birds like the Java Sparrow and parakeets, which are skilled vocally, learn sounds unique to their species after becoming adults, suggesting that they have a high ability to distinguish between sounds.

The researcher did not use Japanese because it was the language the birds normally listened to, the newspaper said.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - Hindustan Times India

Our Honolulu ~ Wildlife in concrete jungle

Almost every time I write about kolea, somebody calls and says, "Run a picture of that bird so we know what it looks like." Here's a better idea.

The Hawai'i Audubon Society has just published a guide to Hawai'i's birds and it's a zinger. There are enough birds in the book to fill Noah's ark. It's the biggest little Hawai'i bird book the Audubon Society has ever put out, with sparrows to fairy terns in full color. Page 52 features two excellent pictures of kolea, a male and a female, with good information filling the rest of the page. You can buy the guide in bookstores.

Birds are all around you in Our Honolulu. Each has a distinct personality. They're all in the book. Mynah birds, for example, strut around as if they were members of the Legislature. But they don't have the panache of kolea. Mynah birds waddle. Kolea skitter. Kolea whistle musically. Mynah birds sound out of tune. A dispute between mynahs is a barroom brawl. A dispute between kolea is a hula.

Cardinals are the dapper dans of Our Honolulu with their red crests and gray vests. They are also among the most talkative. You hear a bird singing in a tree and it will most likely be a cardinal. They have a lot of different calls. One of them sounds like a wolf whistle. Some people like to feed pigeons and ducks. It's probably for the same reason that people like dogs. They come running when you have food. It's an ego trip. I prefer birds with a little more shame who view humans with suspicion.

Now, take the Java sparrow. There's a classy little bird, well dressed in a smoky gray morning coat with a jet black cap and white cheeks. But the Java sparrow is nervous. He chitters while he's pecking for bugs in the grass, and flies up when you come close. The bully on the block is the red-vented bulbul, dark, aggressive, with a peaked black cap.

You don't have to drive to a bird sanctuary to see wild creatures in Honolulu. Just walk in a park or down the street. When I'm bored on my morning walk, I see how many different species of birds I can count right in the middle of town. I usually get up to a dozen. It's only the tip of the iceberg. Once I began paying attention, I saw birds I never knew existed. Like the waxbill, a tiny brown streak of energy who wears a red mask. Flocks of them land on the grass or in a bush. You walk by and they fly up like a hand grenade explosion.

Elegant birds like the night heron are special, of course. They are poetry when they fly. Every now and then, soaring way up high in the sky, you'll see a giant frigatebird, or 'iwa, the thief, with its forked tail and swept wings, a black marauder. All you have to do to see them is go outside and look.

Sunday, September 11, 2005 - The Honolulu Advertiser

How's your luck today? Ask Nyai Salmah's bird

TEGAL, Central Java (JP):

It drizzled in the morning and the earth was slightly wet. But this did not stop the people crowding the traditional market.

A middle-aged woman stepped from a public transport vehicle and walked purposefully along the rows of shops as if looking for something particular. A happy look came to her face upon seeing a woman with a bird cage walking towards her. "I want to know about my luck," she said while extending her arm to shake hands. The woman carrying the birdcage is Nyai (Mrs.) Salmah, 52, who lives in a village in Bumiayu, Brebes regency, some 80 kilometers south of Tegal.

She is a fortune teller who uses a bird (paddy birds - Java sparrows) in her telling, locally called tukang ogan.

"Last night I had a terrible dream. I want to know what will happen to me," said her customer. Mrs. Salmah gave her predictions and the customer was relieved to learn that nothing bad would happen to her. "You will receive something unexpected. I myself don't know, but in a short time you will receive a surprise, just wait," said the fortune teller.

Happily, the woman left after handing over several Rp 1,000 banknotes to the fortune teller as an expression of her gratitude.

Regardless of the accuracy of the forecast, many people visit Nyai Salmah, the mother of eight children. They come from different walks of life - even village chief candidates have reportedly asked her to forecast whether they would win or lose in the election for village head.

Nyai Salmah said that sometimes she is confused by her customers' demands. She admitted that she does not know anything, because she only translates what is done by the pair of gelatik (paddy birds - Java sparrows) she carries with her. "These two birds tell the future, I am only their operator," said the woman with a smile.

"Therefore, these two birds are quite essential. If I lost these birds, I could no longer do this business. Fortunately these birds are well trained, so they can't possibly become lost," she said.

To forecast someone's luck, Nyai Salmah just asks one of the two birds in the bird cage to get out. Before opening the cage, she prepares dozens of colored sheets of paper with different drawings on them. The bird then choose one sheet. It is this sheet of paper that is then translated as the fate of her client.

For example, if there is a drawing of a sword on the paper, she would tell her client to be careful because there might be danger ahead. On the other hand, a drawing of rice or cotton means prosperity. Whether the forecast is correct or not, only Nyai Salmah's clients know. But one thing is sure, there has never been any complaint. And her customer base is growing.

From the work inherited from her parents, who were also fortune tellers, Nyai Salmah admitted she earns a fairly good living. She refused to mention the amount of her daily income, but, "I can support my family," she said.

Gin Kurniawan

Sunday, December 17, 2000 - Features News - Copyright 2007 The Jakarta Post

45 bird species may disappear - The New Strait Times - Malaysia

The country stands to lose 45 species of birds, according to a survey conducted by an international bird conservation partnership last month.

Five of the species are critically endangered, five are endangered and the rest have been classified as vulnerable by BirdLife International, a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats, and global biodiversity.

Four of these are commonly found in Penang -- the Chinese Egret, the Spot- Billed Pelican, the Lesser Adjutant and the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper. Except for one -- the Java Sparrow -- which is an introduced species from Indonesia, the rest are either resident or migratory species.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Penang branch chairman D. Kanda Kumar blamed the situation on rapid development which has resulted in the lose of bird habitats. He said many of the species may disappear within the next five to 10 years if steps were not taken now.

Kanda Kumar said there was a need for more viable protected areas and the introduction of breeding programmes for species in the critical category. "It is sad. Many of the birds have been around for more than 50 years while some, as recently as 10 years," he said, adding that some of the 45 species were no longer seen these days.

The birds in the critical category are the Silvery Wood Pigeon, Chinese Crested Tern, White-Rumped Vulture, Slender-Billed Vulture and Christmas Island Frigatebird. Those in the endangered category include the Bornean Peacock-Pheasant, Green Peafowl, White-Winged Duck, Nordmann's Greenshank and Storm's Stork.

Birds in the vulnerable category include the Black Wood Partridge, Crestless Fireback, Bulwer's Pheasant, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant, Malaysian Peacock-Pheasant, Crested Argus, Plain-Pouched Hornbill, Blue-Banded Kingfisher, Short-Toed Coucal, White-Fronted Scops Owl, Sunda Nightjar, Pale- Capped Pigeon, Large-Green Pigeon and Grey Imperial Pigeon.

George Town

Thursday, October 18, 2007 Copyright 2007 The New Strait Times Malaysia

Prambanan lures rare birds - Jakarta Post Features News

Hardly spotted in its natural habitat now, some rare gelatik (Java sparrows) have picked an unusual site, the beautiful Prambanan temple, as their last resort in search of a permanent home.

Situated on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, the birds can be spotted flying around and on top of this 1145-year-old Hindu temple. Visitors can also see the birds resting in corners of the temple before flying off to the nearby rice fields.
Identifying the bird is not difficult. Gelatik, or the Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora), is a small 17-cm-long bird. Although it is not known for having a beautiful call, the bird has beautiful colors, one of the many reasons why people love to keep them.

An adult gelatik is usually gray with a pink breast, and a black tail with a touch of white on the tip. The bird's head is usually black with white spot on both cheeks, and it has a red beak. There is no precise estimate of the number of birds still in existence. However, they are now increasingly difficult to locate in their natural habitat, such as rice fields. According to Actual Bird Information Vol. 3, No. I of April 1997, based on the reports of bird watchers in Baluran National Park in East Java and West Bali National Park in Bali, the bird was very difficult to encounter. An observation conducted by the Yogyakarta-based Atmajaya University's biology study club in 1999 only found about 125 gelatik birds in 21 of the 73 locations surveyed. The survey covered Bantul, Sleman, Kulon Progo, Gunung Kidul and Yogyakarta. All of the birds seen were found in Sleman and Gunung Kidul. In Sleman, gelatik were only encountered at Prambanan temple and Song Sewu in Gunung Kidul. "Gelatik have become a rare species because they are being poached and sold in the city," said Ign. Pramana Yuda, Atmajaya's lecturer.

The use of pesticides is also blamed for the declining population of birds in the wild. The lecturer said that after eating pesticide-contaminated rice grain, gelatik eggs became easily broken. However, the gelatik have not yet been declared as an endangered species by the Indonesian government, according to Gebyar, a member of Yogyakarta's Nature Conservation. But the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has declared the bird a protected species.

A native species of Java, Madura and Bali, this bird has several different names. Javanese people in Central and East Java know it as gelatik, while Sundanese people in West Java call it as galatik. Balinese call it jelantik, while it's known as ghalte in Madura. For rice farmers, this species was considered a pest because the birds love to "steal" rice grain during harvesting time, forcing some farmers to hunt them. At the markets, the bird was once priced between Rp 1,000 and Rp 2,000 for a couple, though the current rate is between Rp 17,500 and Rp 60,000. Still, the number of birds on sale are limited. In Ngasem bird market in Yogyakarta, there were two vendors selling about 20 gelatik birds.

Not safe
Despite their obvious affection for the Prambanan temple, the site is not an appropriate home for the birds because their presence endangers the structure's preservation. At the temple, there were about 20 gelatik spotted nesting on the temple's old stones. "Their acid feces, in the long run, will destroy the stones," said Hartono, chief of Yogyakarta's Kutilang Bird-Watching group. Rice grain taken by the birds to their nests might also destroy the stones, he said, adding that the grains could fall and then grow, fracturing the stones in the process. The temple management has no choice but to clean the birds' nests away in order to protect and preserve the old temple. "When we clean up the temple once a month, we also have to take their nests," said Rita Margareta who is in charge of the temple's cleanliness. She added that the officials have no choice, although some eggs are broken on the process.

In search of a win-win solution, Hartono suggested that the Prambanan management build special place for the birds. The place, he added, could be simple, like a traditional bird trap made out of bamboo. "It's better if the shape is in line with Prambanan's architecture," Hartono said. Rita said that the temple's management has no problem with the idea. "We would like to cooperate to protect the gelatik birds," she said.

Once the plan becomes reality, it will mean another attraction for the tourist site.

Tuesday, August 28, 2001 Copyright 2007 The Jakarta Post

Trisha Sertori, Yogyakarta.................. Greed, vanity leads to horror stories for wildlife.

On any day, a walk through Central Java's bird markets will net you dozens of Indonesia's endangered bird, reptile and mammalian species.

The auburn-coated orangutans from Kalimantan, Sumatran tiger cubs that are bordering on extinction, baby sea eagles, the almost extinct white cockatoo from Papua, a veritable barrel of Sumatran gibbons, and a Sun Bear or two thrown in for good measure can all be had for the asking. These animals are destined for the backyards of the wealthy, chained to dead tree limbs and shown off when guests visit. Or in the case of Sun Bears, these honey-loving bears from Kalimantan will have their paws cut off, their livers cut out and their blood bottled to make traditional Chinese medicines.

These are the animals that the Yogyakarta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (PPSJ) -- a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to animal rescue, rehabilitation and release, and education on conservation for the public -- searches out in the bird markets, in back alleys, caged behind shop fronts or dumped in garbage piles. And there are those delivered to the center by disgruntled owners who are no longer enamored with their now adult gibbons, so unlike the cute and cuddly babies they once were.

Trapping, selling and buying Indonesia's endangered wildlife is illegal, says zoologist Sugihartono, who heads the PPSJ, but the money to be made, the ease of passage from the archipelago's outer islands to Central Java's bird markets and a failure to enforce the laws protecting the nation's wildlife wealth means it's open slaughter. "There are laws protecting these animals. According to Law 5, 1990, people caught dealing in protected species face five years in prison or a Rp 100 million fine. But it is not enforced," said Sugihartono.

"For example, two years ago we caught a guy selling eight Kalimantan orangutans in Semarang. He went to court but got off with a month's warning not to be caught dealing in protected wildlife. If caught within that month, he'd face the fine," he said, with evident bitterness at the leniency of the punishment. He adds that the orangutans also disappeared following the trial.

"We demonstrated every day of that trial, but to no avail. I feel very angry and very sad because I see that the process of law is not applied and it seems the police and the courts do not know about conservation," he said. "They need to learn the importance of Indonesia's natural heritage that is fast being lost." And when it is understood that for eight orangutans to be in a Semarang market has cost the lives of 40 other orangutans, the horror grows.

"We need to understand that for one orangutan to make it to market means three mothers were killed trapping three young. Two of the young die in transit, so for every one orangutan found in the market, five have died," Sugihartono explained. "It's tragic, and when that is coupled with loss of habitat through illegal logging and fires, you can see extinction written on the walls." Rehabilitating these animals for release back into the wild is a long, slow and costly process, he continued, but highly worthwhile.

He recalled one orangutan found bound hand and foot in a sack, then thrown onto a burning rubbish heap. "We rescued that orangutan and when it was healthy enough to travel, it was sent to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Kalimantan. We work with several rescue and rehab centers throughout the country," he said But the story of Sumatran gibbons rescued and now living at the PPSJ has no happy ending. According to Sugihartono, these magnificently arboreal primates can be rehabilitated, but never sent home to the jungles of Sumatra. "There is no longer a home for them to go to," he said, stroking the human-like hand of one of the dozens of gibbons now trapped in no man's land. "We can't send them back to Sumatra. Their forests are disappearing too fast and the minute we released them, they'd be shot. Sending them home is a death sentence," said Sugihartono, acknowledging that he is watching extinction of Sumatran gibbons in action.

To prevent this inevitable extinction and offer the PPSJ gibbons a home, what is desperately needed is the creation of a gibbon sanctuary in Sumatra, he said, but to date no one has stepped up to the plate with the land or funds needed. The news is better for the six Sun Bears discovered caged at the back of a Chinese herbalist's shop on Yogyakarta's Jl. Malioboro. The Sun Bears from Kalimantan had been bought at a Central Java bird market and were destined to be killed for their paws, a highly valued but possibly useless ingredient in some traditional Chinese medicines.

"We found them in cages at the back of the shop. Fortunately, we were able to save them all. Rehabilitation and release is successful with Sun Bears. We have sent five Sun Bears home in the past and these will also be returned to the wild," said Sugihartono, spraying water to cool down one happy Sun Bear that looks cute -- until she roars and flashes her 10-centimeter claws in warning.

As well as mammals, bird life is also under threat across Indonesia, said Sugihartono, citing the six white cockatoos left in the wild in Papua, the 200,000 migratory birds trapped annually and cooked for sale in Indramayu, West Java, and the rare Java Sparrow that has made its home in Prambanan Temple, Central Java.

"The greatest population of Java Sparrows in Java is just 40 birds. They breed at Prambanan Temple, but the management there cleans out the nests and eggs every year, so we are losing them also. We tried to convince the management that the birds are endangered and need protection, but the nests are still being swept away," said Sugihartono.

The short-sightedness of aiding the endangerment or extinction of a species through trapping or outright shooting is staggering, according to Sugihartono.

He tells farmers the value of raptors, the birds of prey so often captured and sold as status symbols without recognition of the role these birds play in the health of rice fields. "Every day one raptor will kill five rats. That's 1,825 rats a year. And that does not take into account that those dead 1,825 rats won't be breeding. The figure then is exponential," he said "When the raptor is removed those rats have less predators and thrive on the rice fields, costing the farmers much of their harvest," said Sugihartono, adding that the rehabilitation and release of raptors was often very successful. "We have rehabilitated and released many raptors. Rehabilitation takes at least a year as the birds relearn how to live in the wild.

"It's crazy, these birds sell for around Rp 100,000 in the bird markets. The cost just to release them back into the wild is as much as Rp 20 million. It would be far better if there was greater enforcement of the laws protecting these species and education on their importance," said Sugihartono. And education is another arm of PPSJ's conservation work, with PPSJ staff and volunteers visiting schools weekly to teach the younger generation about their natural heritage and how to protect it. But at the rate of habitat and species loss across Indonesia, these kids may never have the opportunity to put their conservation knowledge into practice. 'Adopt an Animal' program Funding the rescue, rehabilitation and release of Indonesia's illegally captured wildlife is an expensive exercise

Feeding, housing and preparing just one sea eagle for eventual release into a national park costs Rp 81,000 per month Rehabilitating and releasing an orangutan costs Rp 191,000, and a cassowary Rp 258,000 per month. Over the past year, the Yogyakarta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (PPSJ) has housed, fed and rehabilitated almost 600 animals at a cost of around Rp 450 million.

To help in its fund-raising efforts, the center has started an animal adoption program through which the public can "adopt" an animal at the center. Adoptive parents can choose the animal they wish to sponsor through the rehabilitation and release process.

For more information on the program, contact the PPSJ at (0274) 7493977 or email maskutilang@yahoo.com. Indonesia's wildlife disappearing act Indonesia's reputation for loss of species is growing legendary. In 2003, the IUCN-The World Conservation Union identified in Indonesia that: - 147 mammal species were on the verge of extinction - 114 bird species were on the verge of extinction - 91 fish species were on the verge of extinction - 28 reptile species were on the verge of extinction - 28 invertebrate species were on the verge of extinction Four years later, it is reasonable to believe the numbers of species under threat of extinction has grown, and that some of these species have already been lost forever

Tuesday April 17th 2007 Copyright 2007 The Jakarta Post

Suchetana Haldar ............. Bird lovers seek licence to export exotic cage varieties.

'If exotic fishes in aquariums can be recognised as an industry, why can't the same be true for exotic foreign birds?’
Kolkata, January 27: The Bird Breeder' and Lovers' Association of Kolkata demanded industrial status for local breeding, sale and export of exotic cage birds in the country. In a two-day bird show held at the YMCA ground, the Association cautioned that one must bear in mind the thin line that separates illegal trade of wild Indian birds from the breeding and sale of endangered exotic birds. "Do not keep Indian birds. Keep exotic cage birds," they said.

The exotic cage birds like Cockatiel, Love Birds, Java Sparrows and Budgerigars are domesticated varieties who are capable of completing their entire life cycle in captivity. These are mostly foreign species which have been used to life in captivity since generations together. With their numbers dwindling, releasing these birds in wilderness will only kill them. "Once people become aware of this fact they will stop buying birds of local varieties like parrots and myna and putting them into cages," said Dipak Mitra, president of the Bird Breeder' and Lovers' Association. "For instance, The love birds can breed even in small enclosures," he added.

"If exotic fishes in aquariums can be recognised as an industry, why can't the same be true for exotic foreign birds?," said Mitra. The members also pointed out that West Bengal possessed tremendous potential in the fields of breeding and sale of exotic birds. The industrial status is given by the state animal husbandry department.

The bird show drew around 65 participants who brought along rare and exotic varieties of birds. The best entries were adjudged on the basis of four parameters like the shape, size, colour distribution and general fitness of the entries. The association also held a discussion where bird lovers posed questions to experts on the dais.

Thursday 1st February2007 Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd

Conservationists applaud EU decision to ban permanently wild bird trade

The EU Commission has announced that the ban on imports of birds caught in the wild is to be made permanent throughout the European Union later this year. The move comes after a temporary ban was imposed within the EU in October 2005, after birds in a UK quarantine centre were found to have avian influenza.

“We fully applaud the decision made by the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.” said Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Head of European Division at BirdLife International. “Banning the imports of birds caught in the wild is great news for bird conservation, even though the ruling has been made to limit the spread of disease, and not to conserve species. Only if laws are made on the basis of conservation can we have more confidence in protecting those species that are threatened by trade.” The ban is to take effect from the 1 July 2007. “We fully applaud the decision made by the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.” —Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Head of European Division, BirdLife International.

The EU’s decision will heavily impact the illegal or unsustainable trade in wild birds that has decimated many species across the world.

Trapping for the international bird trade has been identified as a contributory factor in the threat status of one in twenty threatened and near-threatened bird species, with parrot species being particularly affected. Some are close to extinction as a result, such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea of East Timor and Indonesia; others are already Extinct in the Wild such as the Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii of Brazil. Examples of species which continue to be threatened by legal and illegal exploitation for the bird trade include the Red Siskin Carduelis cucullata in northern South America, Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora of Indonesia) and the African Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus.

The news has been applauded by BirdLife Partners across Europe, many of whom have been campaigning against trade in wild birds for up to 20 years.

Wednesday, January 12th 2007 www.birdlife.org

Hawaii's Environment ............. Fed wild animals pose risk By Jan TenBruggencate

Across the state, people feed wild animals, giving themselves the satisfaction that they are helping the creatures and getting to see them up close. But in many cases they may be endangering the animals — and in some cases having other unexpected consequences.

In Koke'e, on Kaua'i, fed nene geese have tended to take up residence in parking lots, where they are are risk of being killed in traffic. At Hanauma Bay on O'ahu, authorities believed that the feeding of fish caused the increase in numbers of the fish that took the food, at the expense of those that didn't. And the expanded fish populations tended to overgraze the reefs when the fish food wasn't present.

In various parts of the state, residents have engaged in feeding birds, feral cats, monk seals and other species. It's not just a Hawai'i problem. Australian authorities worry about feeding of kangaroos. In Minnesota, there are problems with fed foxes. In some Asian countries, it's fed monkeys.

The reasons not to do it are numerous, wildlife officials say. Some reasons are clear — like the problem of fed bears becoming aggressive — and some are less obvious. The National Park Service's Denali National Park in Alaska, at its website at www.nps.gov/dena/naturescience/keepwildlifewild.htm, cites a range of species with which feeding problems exist and reasons why they shouldn't be fed. The park service says feedings can be unhealthy for animals with specialized diets. Feeding also can change animals' behavior, causing them to lose their fear of humans. It can unnaturally increase populations of animals in specific locations, creating a range of issues. Risks include disease from animal waste, problems with animals that no longer fear humans and cars, and the effects of the larger populations on the neighborhood, such as the fish at Hanauma and a fed flock of birds pillaging a neighbor's garden.

Another issue is that the targeted fed animals aren't always the only animal fed. For instance, a rat might finish up the cat food after the cats are gone — and go off to produce more rats. A flock of mynah birds might come by for a meal left by a feral dog. Chickens and doves might flock around grain left for a cute flock of mannikins and Java sparrows.In the example of pigeons, fed pigeons become large flocks of pigeons. Flocks of pigeons make messes and anger the neighbors. And soon there are programs to cull the pigeon population. Fed pigeons, thus, can become dead pigeons.

Monday, December 4, 2006 www.honoluluadvertiser.com

Ocean Watch ............. Fireworks put birds dead in the water

As if Hawaii's birds haven't had a hard enough time surviving alongside humans in the 20th century, they had to suffer trial by fire to make it into the 21st.

A couple of days after New Year's fireworks displays, hundreds of birds were found dead on Kailua Beach. Most of the birds were mynahs and Java sparrows. These aren't endangered species, but these perky little birds make our island cheerful and lively. That same weekend, a biologist friend of mine went kayaking off Kailua and found several dead land birds and one dead ruddy turnstone. Ruddy turnstones are one of Hawaii's common migratory shorebirds that spends summers in the Arctic and winters in Hawaii.

Finding so many dead birds in and near the ocean is so unusual that biologists believe the deaths were the result of the excessive amount of holiday fireworks ignited this year. As to why the birds died, bird experts can only guess. One speculation is that the noise of the blasts frightened the birds out to sea where they got tired, lost or confused, and then drowned. Another possibility is that the smoke drove them from their nighttime roosts and they died either from smoke inhalation or drowning when they became exhausted over the water.

Whatever the cause, the dead land birds are a sad commentary on how over-the-top fireworks have become in Hawaii. But the dead turnstone is another story. It could be a sign that our shorebirds are in trouble. During about nine months of the year, from August to April, Hawaii hosts four species of migratory shorebirds: ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, wandering tattlers and our much-loved golden plovers. (Other species also come but these four are the most numerous.)

Federal and state laws now protect these birds because in the 19th and early 20th centuries they were hunted to excess. In Hawaii, hunters were allowed to shoot 15 plovers a day each, but this number was often exceeded. Shorebird hunting was banned in 1941.

Although shorebirds are now protected in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, they are still trapped and killed extensively in Asia. Besides being hunted, habitat loss and human disturbance have caused a major decline in most species. Shorebirds are familiar winter visitors to Hawaii residents. The birds spend their days probing for invertebrates along our shorelines, on grassy lawns and in our beach parks. I have seen large flocks of the lovely, multicolored ruddy turnstones in several beach parks on Oahu, often in the company of sanderlings. Sanderlings are the white birds that run back and forth on the beach with the waves, looking like little wind-up toys.

Wandering tattlers and golden plovers are usually loners. Each has a distinct stop-and-go pace that makes them easy to spot. At night, some shorebirds roost in trees and on rooftops. Others spend their nights on beaches, rocky points, hillsides and parking lots. It's easy to imagine the panic these creatures experienced upon hearing the fireworks blasts and breathing the smoke.

We know some were killed. No one knows how many were lost or how much long-term damage the fireworks caused the birds' respiratory and auditory systems. We have to wait until next year when they come back -- or not. But we shouldn't wait until a disaster happens to do something positive for our struggling wildlife. You can help Hawaii's birds by urging your legislator to ban fireworks on Oahu.

Without birds, our island would be a lonely place indeed.

Monday, January 17, 2000 www.susanscott.net

• Red-vented and red whiskered bulbul bird
• Chestnut mannikin bird
• Ring-necked parakeet
• Java sparrow
• Frogs
• Jackson's chameleon
• Tokay gecko and day gecko
• Green iguana
• Anole lizard
• Red-eared slider turtle

Birding ....... A Note On Birding In Assam

Assam, the land of mystique blue hills and valleys interspersed by hundreds of rivers and wetlands serve as a rare refuge for diverse life forms. The rare biological diversity of this beautiful province of the Indian subcontinent results from the unique conjunction of four different Biomes (Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest, Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest, Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest and Indo-Gangetic Plain) in one place - Assam. This means that it harbours numerous endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna, which has made this little known area a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

Assam is home to more than half of about 1200 varieties of avifauna recorded in the Indian subcontinent and also provides shelter to 3107 species of flowering plants, 192 species orchids, 185 species of reptiles, 190 species of mammals and hundreds of species of insects & butterflies. Besides its widely visited protected areas, Bird life International has notified about 20 different Important Bird Areas in Assam and several others have already added to the proposed list.

Being associated with the GREEN GUARD (a non government organisation working in Assam for nature and natural resource conservation for more than a decade) I personally had the privilege to study birds in poorly known, and at times less-explored, areas of Assam. One such area is Deobali Jalah, (Jalah in Assamese stands for Wetland) which is a proposed Important Bird Area covering an area of around 15sq. km., and which lies between Latitude 26o15` N and longitude 92o32` E Nagaon district of Central Assam.

Studies undertaken so far in this particular area has enabled us to list as many as 109 species of birds including 10 types of Red Data Book species such as Asian Open bill Stork Anastomus oscitans, Lesser Adjutant Stork Leptotilos javanicus, Greater Adjutant Stork Leptotilos dubious, White Eyed or Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyroca, Baer`s Pochard Aythya baeri, Red-necked or Red headed Falcon Falco chicquera, Swamp Francolin or Swamp Partridge Francolinus gularis, Manipur Bush Quail Perdicula manipurensis, Jerdon`s Bushchat Saxicola jerdoni, Bristled Grass Warbler Chaetornis straitus. Fairly recently, Java Munia or Java Sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora) previously unrecorded from the Northeastern region of India, also has been sighted in the Deobali area.

Publishing date unknown www.fatbirder.com

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