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Bali Starling Thriving In Nusa Penida Sanctuary

Editor — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:03:16 +0000

The Bali Starling is Bali’s provincial emblem and is quite a pretty little thing. It is a white bird with a vivid blue mask, so it is rather easy to identify, even for inexperienced birders. Unfortunately it is not always so easy to spot – not because it is elusive, but rather because it is critically endangered in its natural habitat.

Unfortunately on mainland Bali, the Bali Starling has been actively poached and also suffered a decline in numbers due to loss of habitat. Numbers have shrunk so much that conservation officials started to get truly worried about the likelihood of this species’ continued survival. The Begawan Giri and Friends of the National Parks Foundations subsequently decided to breed and release 65 Bali Starlings on Nusa Penida, a small island situated just off the coast of Bali. Though the island does not form a part of the bird’s natural habitat, it does seem to be a safe haven for these struggling little creatures. Now it seems that doing so, they may well have taken the first steps to ensuring the bird’s survival in the wild. Since their release on the island in 2006, 45 of the 65 starlings have hatched offspring.

Bayu Wirayudha, a Bali Starling breeder and veterinarian working with the Friends of the National Parks Foundation, attributes the success of the birds’ survival on the island to traditional laws. Apparently the traditional laws protecting the birds and animals of the island are still in place on Nusa Penida. Despite the fact that birds should be protected in the West Bali National Park, the same sort of traditional law just does not seem to exist in West Bali where the bird originally hails from. Of course, moving the birds to Nusa Penida has drawn some fire from certain concerned organizations, but it seems that the recent count of 45 birds born on the island would show that the plan is working. Further, it seems that the new batch of hatchlings may well help to bring wild Bali Starling populations back from the brink of extinction. The concept of creating new colonies for endangered birds is not new and has been successful on more than one occasion in the past. Let’s hope that these conservation efforts continue to move ahead successfully and so prevent yet another one of our beautiful bird species from dying out.

Everglades BirdFest

Editor — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:59:19 +0000

Attention all bird lovers! An event that you cannot afford to miss! The Everglades BirdFest is a birding and ecology event taking place over three stimulating days at the Everglades National Park every year in January.

The Everglades BirdFest provides its many visitors with guides that have an environmental and biological background. This means that any questions or background information wanted by keen bird watchers and enthusiasts will be well supplied by their informative guides. You can be assured that you will walk away with newly acquired information and the latest facts on all the species of bird found here at the Everglades National Park.

The guided bird watching tour takes you through the Shark and Main Valley parts of the park where you are sure to see the beautiful and colourful birds found in these parts of the country. Apart from the actual tours visitors to the Everglades BirdFest will be given full use of any of the facilities contained within the park. You will also be able to attend informative seminars in the evening, exhibitions and information covering topics like natural history, conservation and habitats of all the birds here.

The Everglades National Park is a well-known park and has in recent years been recognized as a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve renowned for its international importance as a wetland. Here you will be blown away by the beauty and variety of birds and animals contained in this park in the United States.

The whole Everglades BirdFest incorporates two nights at the comfortable Flamingo Lodge where you will be given first class treatment. All your transport needs will be looked after by luxury coaches so there is no need to worry yourself about how to get to all the trails and sites within the Park. All your meals during the BirdFest are well catered for ensuring that there are no rumbles to interrupt the beautiful sounds of the birds around you.

When you have a little spare time you can take advantage of boating, biking, canoeing and kayaking facilities here. If you enjoy fishing there are beautiful places around the park that provide stunning options for fishing. If you are more of a hiking person that is available as well.

Costa Rica: A perfect bird-watching holiday

Editor — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:51:31 +0000

Many bird-watchers see their first tropical birds in Costa Rica. More than 850 species of birds inhabit Costa Rica’s rainforests, mountains, and tropical islands.

Costa Rica is famous for its park system. Tourists enjoy excellent national parks, hiking trails, organized tours, and lodging. The lodging ranges from very cheap hostels, to classy 4-star jungle resorts. Ecotourism is big business in Costa Rica, and tourist dollars help preserve the parks and all the birds living there.

The bird most Costa Rican bird-watchers hope to spot is the Resplendent Quetzal. This dramatic bird has jewel-green feathers and a spectacular long tail plume. It lives in misty, high-elevation tropical forests called “cloud forests”. Many tourists travel to Monteverde, a Costa Rican cloud forest preserve, to look for quetzals.

Bird-watchers also head for Manuel Antonio National Park. This park has lovely white-sand beaches, rainforests filled with birds, and islands where seabirds such as Blue-footed Boobies nest.

Even people unfamiliar with birds can’t help but notice Costa Rica’s colorful bird-life. Over 50 species of hummingbirds live here, and many lodges put up feeders so that visiting tourists can get a close look. Hire a guide for a day, and he or she can also point exciting forest birds like toucans or the colorful Scarlet Macaw.