See 'Langka Bird Looks' Who Have Been Given Near Threat Status On South Kalimantan's Curiak Island

A frog beak bird found by ULM researchers on Curiak Island which is the Bekantan Research Station and Wet Land Ecosystem Sutarto Hadi in Barito Kuala/VIA ANTARA Regency

BANJARMASIN - Researcher at Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) found a rare animal in the form of a frog beak bird (Podargidae) on Curiak Island which is the Bekantan Research Station and the Wet Land Ecosystem 'Sutarto Hadi' in Barito Kuala Regency, South Kalimantan. "This unique and rare bird is perched on the branches of a putat tree (Planchonia valida) with a female parent and her child which is quite large," said Amalia Rezeki, the manager of the Bekantan Research Station in Banjarmasin, Antara, Sunday, October 9. He admitted, after five years of research in the research station area, this is the first time he has seen a hornbill with brown or gray fur in color. "I've seen before at the zoo in Australia, but it's bigger in size," he said. Based on morphological observations, said Amel, the Batrachonstomus mixtus bird species. According to literature, birds that are popular with the term "frogmouth" are classified as nocturnal animals or do night activities and are endemic in Kalimantan which live in low forestlands, one of which is mangrove forests. Amel said that most insect-eating birds often carry out activities during the day (diurnal). While insect-eating birds whose activities at night are only two tribes such as cabak birds (Caprimulgidae) and frog beak birds. Meanwhile, Ferry F. Hoesain, a practitioner of Wildlfe Conservation from the Indonesian Center for Biological Diversity Studies and Conservation, said that hornbills are included in the IUCN International Conservation Institute's red list with status < Near Threated" (nearly endangered) because their existence in the wild continues to decline population. Ferry hopes that the presence of frog beak birds in the Bekantan Research Station area can be well maintained considering that this Kalimantan endemic bird is quite rare. Moreover, this scientific journal about birds is very minimal, so further research is needed on the population and behavior of these birds to support their conservation efforts. He also admitted that habitat damage was the main cause of the decline in the population of frog beak birds, making it increasingly difficult to find. For this reason, efforts from the government are needed to protect rare and endemic birds in order to avoid extinction. "The role of the community is also expected to maintain the survival of this bird so that the next generation can see and enjoy its uniqueness in the wild," he said.