Adhaputra, Chairunas

Hikmatullah, Desy

Iqbal, Muhammad

Kamsi, Mistar

English

KUKILA

22 Short Communication Kukila 17 (1) 2013   First Confirmed Breeding Records of Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger in Sumatra MUHAMMAD IQBAL1, CHAIRUNAS ADHAPUTRA2, MISTAR KAMSI3 AND DESY HIKMATULLAH2   1KPB-SOS, Jalan Tanjung api-api km 9 Komplek P & K Blok E 1 Palembang  30152, Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia. Email: kpbsos26@yahoo.com; 2Biopalas, Departemen Biologi, Universitas Sumatera Utara; 3Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program, Jl. Wahid Hasyim no 51/74, Kelurahan Babura, Medan 20154, Sumatera Utara. Ringkasan: Hanya sedikit sekali catatan mengenai Pecuk-padi Kecil di Sumatera dan tidak pernah ada catatan sebelumnya mengenai informasi berbiak jenis ini di Sumatera. Minimnya informasi perjumpaan dan tidak adanya info berbiak sebelumnya, maka membuat jenis ini dianggap sebagai jenis pengunjung di Sumatera. Penemuan terkini dua lokasi berbiak jenis ini di Sumatera Utara dan Sumatera Selatan menunjukkan bahwa jenis ini sudah termasuk jenis penetap di Sumatera. Introduction and Methods The Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger is widely distributed throughout the Indian sub-continent, Southwest China and Southeast Asia (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005; Robson 2008; Oorta 1992). In Indonesia, it is resident in Java (MacKinnon & Phillipps 1993), where it has been recorded breeding at several sites, including Pulau Dua (Milton & Marhadi 1985). However, the presence and status of this species on the neighbouring island of Sumatra has until now remained unclear. Based on the few records, mostly of small numbers, Marle & Voous (1988) and Holmes (1996) presumed the Little Cormorant to be a non-breeding visitor. Here we present the first published evidence of this species breeding on the island of Sumatra. The authors conducted waterbird surveys at two wetlands: on 17 June 2008, MI surveyed Kumpai Lake, South Sumatra Province, by boat and small canoe; while CAP and DH surveyed the vicinity of Tanjung Rejo village, North Sumatra Province (3°44’N, 98°46’E), including fishponds and coastal mangrove forest on foot during 1-4 March and 25 April 2012. We counted the number of individuals and nests, and noted the characteristics of nests. We were aware that great care should be taken in differentiating Little Cormorant from Little Black Cormorant P. sulcirostris, which also occurs in Sumatra (Marle & Voous 1988; Holmes 1996). Consequently we obtained several photographs of the breeding birds and detailed descriptions of these birds. Little Cormorants were identified by several characters: its relatively small size (compared to Little Black Cormorant); wholly black, rounded head; silvery white streaks on the crown; short-necked appearance; and shortish, blackish, tapering, hook-tipped bill; and black legs (Plate 1). These characters conform well with illustrations of adult breeding Little Cormorant shown in various references (Orta 1992; MacKinnon & Phillipps 1993; Sonobe & Usui 1993; Pizzey & Knight 2007; Robson 2008).At the Tanjung Rejo site we noted that some adult Little Kukila 17 (1) 2013 Short Communication 23 Cormorants exhibited a pale yellowish tip to the bill (Plate 1). Photographs of adult Little Cormorant in breeding plumage on the OBC Image Data-base (www.orientalbirdimages.org) also show this character. We suggest this may be a useful diagnostic means of identification for this species in breeding plumage.   Plate 1: Adult Little Cormorant on its nest at Tanjung Rejo, North Sumatra Plate 2: Heronry where Little Cormorant nested on 17 June 2008 in Kumpai lake, South Sumatra province. Results Two breeding locations of Little Cormorant were found during 2008 and 2012 in Sumatra, all of them on the east coast of Sumatra. South Sumatra Province On 17 June 2008, a heronry comprising c. 300 egrets of three species (Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Intermediate Egret E. intermedia and Great Egret E. alba) was found at Lake Kumpai (2°26’02”S; 105°34’53”E), Tanjung Selokan (Selokan Bay), Ogan Komering Ilir district, South Sumatra. Most were in breeding plumage. The heronry was located in an open mangrove back swamp of c. 15 ha, some 6-7 km from the coast, with nests in mangrove trees, 2-10 m above the water (Plate 2). When the area was visited, the area was flooded to a depth of 10-30 cm. The mangrove trees supporting the nests were identified as an Avicennia species. Within the egret nesting colony we found at least three nests belonging to Little Cormorant, judged by the presence of adults on the nests. One chick was observed with an adult on its nest, and based on descriptions by Jumilawaty (2002), it was c.15 days old.  This indicates that the egg(s) in this nest were laid in May. The bulky nest platform, composed of small, dry twigs, was situated among leafy branches in the canopy of a mangrove tree, possibly Avicennia sp, c. 10-15 m from the ground.  North Sumatra Province During March-April 2012, CAP and DH observed a breeding colony of Little Cormorants  in mangrove forest near a village fish pond at Tanjung Rejo village (3°44'N, 98°46'E), Percut Sei Tuan subdistrict. Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra province. On 1 March 2012, we observed a loose cluster of seven nests, one of which contained two eggs and the other, four eggs. Over the next three weeks we found a further 11 nests, bringing the total number of active nests to 22. The nests were built in mangrove trees Excoecaria agallocha (locally called Buta-buta) 4-9 m CHAIRUNAS ADHA PUTRA MUHAMMAD IQBAL 24 Short Communication Kukila 17 (1) 2013   above the ground. On 25 April we were able to inspect two nests, both of which contained two chicks (Plate 3). On 17 May 2012 MK observed just one remaining fledging perched near its nest. In addition to the above observations, a total of 20-30 cormorants were observed during a waterbird survey on the east coast of Lampung province on 29 November 2009. Unfortunately, these birds could not be identified to species because of the great distance between the boat and the coast. However, during February 2012 David Bishop (in litt.) photographed a Little Cormorant up river within Way Kambas National Park, providing further confirmation of the presence of this species both in north and south Sumatra.   Plate 3: Chicks of Little Cormorant on their nest at Tanjung Rejo, North Sumatra Discussion There are few confirmed records of Little Cormorant in Sumatra, and no previous reports of it breeding there (see Marle & Voous 1988;Holmes 1996). Our observations of active and successful nests of Little Cormorant in North and South Sumatra confirm that this species breeds on Sumatra. On Pulau Rambut, the species breeds from early January to the end of May (Mardiastuti 2002), while in Southeast Asia, they reportedly breed from October to June (Robson 2008). Therefore, oour observations of nesting during March-April and May in North Sumatra and South Sumatra, respectively,  coincide with the latter half or end of the breeding season in Java.  Although still supporting good habitat for breeding waterbirds, Pulau Rambut is seriously threatened by the deteriorating environmental condition of Jakarta Bay, the decreasing size of potential feeding grounds, disturbance by local people and visitors, and possibly disturbance from the large Jakarta airport (Mardiastuti 2002). This may also apply to the Pulau Dua breeding colony. The presence of breeding populations of Little Cormorant on the east coast of Sumatra may to some degree offset this decline on Java.  CHAIRUNAS ADHA PUTRA Kukila 17 (1) 2013 Short Communication 25 Acknowledgments The first author’s visit to Kumpai lake was supported by Rufford Small Grant (RSG), WCS RFP (Wildlife Conservation Society Research Felowship PrIogramme) and Idea Wild for which he thanks them. The second and third authors also thank Biopalas FMIPA USU for their support. We thank David Bakewell, Lim Kim Seng and Yeap Chin Aik for sharing their knowledge about Little Cormorants in Malaysia. We are also very grateful to David Bishop and Richard Noske for reviewing and improving earlier drafts of this manuscript.  References Holmes, D.A. 1996. Sumatra bird report. Kukila 8: 9-56. Holmes, D.A. & Y.R. Noor. 1995. Discovery of waterbird colonies in North Lampung, Sumatra. Kukila 8: 121-128. Jumilawaty, E. 2002. Morfometri dan kompetisi interspesifik antara Pecuk hitam (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) dan Pecuk kecil (Phalacrocorax niger) di koloni utara dan barat Suaka Margasatwa Pulau Rambut. Thesis, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor. Lambert, F.R. & P. Erfteimeijer. 1989. The waterbirds of Pulau Rambut, Java. Kukila 4(3-4): 109-118. MacKinnon, J. & K. Phillipps. 1993. A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Mann, C. 2008. The Birds of Borneo. BOU Checklist No. 23. British Ornithologists’ Union, London. Mardiastuti, A. 2002. Ecology of avian community of Pulau Rambut: population, nest site, distribution and foraging sites. Department of Forest Resources Conservation of Faculty of Forestry Bogor Agricultural University and Nagao Natural University and Nagao Natural Environment Foundation, Bogor. Marle, J.G. van & K.H. Voous. 1988. The Birds of Sumatra: An Annotated Checklist. BOU Checklist No. 10. Tring, UK.  Milton, R. & A. Marhadi. 1985. The bird life of the nature reserve Pulau Dua. Kukila 2: 32-41. Milton, R. & A. Marhadi. 1985. The bird life of the nature reserve Pulau Dua. Kukila 2: 32-41. Myers, S. 2009. A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo. New Holland Publishers, London.  Orta, J. 1992. Family Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants). Pp. 326-353 in del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.  Pizzey, G. & F. Knight. 2007. The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Harper Collins, Sydney. Rasmussen, P.C. & J.C. Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volume 1. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions, Washington DC and Barcelona. Robson, C. 2008. Birds of South-east Asia. New Holland Publishers, London.  Seng, L.K. 2009. The avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society, Singapore. Sonobe, K. & S. Usui. (eds). 1993. A Field Guide to the Waterbirds of Asia. Wild Bird Society of Japan, Tokyo. Wells, D.R. 1999. The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Volume 1. Academic Press, San Diego and London.    

First Confirmed Breeding Records of Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger in Sumatra

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First Confirmed Breeding Records of Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger in Sumatra

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