Gunung Gede and Jakarta September 2015

Transcription

1 Gunung Gede and Jakarta September 2015 Endemic hunting during a short trip Javan Trogon, Gunung Gede, 23 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek) Gerjon Gelling, Vincent van der Spek (report) & Roland Wantia

2 Introduction After a trip to Sulawesi, Gerjon Gelling, Roland Wantia and I spent three full days on Java in order to search for the island s endemics. Despite the short stay we saw no less than 28 species unique to Java and Bali, supported by a great cast of Sundaic endemics. In all 130 species were observed. This report contains logistics, site descriptions, maps, gps co-ordinates of both the visited areas and the good birds and an annotated bird list. Because we only had two full days on Gunung Gede, we decided to skip the summit area and focussed on the mountain s forests. This proved to be a successful strategy: we saw all forest specialties except Sunda Thrush and Rufous Woodcock. If you really want to make it to the top in order to find Volcano Swiftlet and some other goodies, you ll need an extra day. On our final day we visited two areas along Jakarta s coast, where we enjoyed great views of Javan Plover and Sunda Coucal. Though we hired a guide and driver for this trip, I ve added as much information for the independent traveller as possible. Figure 1. Javan Frogmouth, Gunung Gede, 22 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek). We saw two frogmouths and heard at least four others. With no less than six call types heard, we probably witnessed their entire vocal repertoire. The night birding is good at Gede: we also observed three owls and a nightjar. Highlights 28 birds endemic to Java/Bali (Clements taxonomy), including Javan Hawk-eagle (3), Javan Scops-owl (5 heard and 1 seen), Javan Trogon (6 at 3 different places, incl. a male feeding a chick on the nest), Sunda Coucal, Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush ( seen and several more heard), Spotted Crocias (3+3 seen and a 3 rd party heard only) and Javan Cochoa (male). Other good birds included Javan Plover (11), Sunda Scops Owl (1 seen + 3 heard), Javan Frogmouth (6; 2 seen very well) and Scaly ( Horsfield s ) Thrush. Not bad for three days of birding! Endemics heard only Javan Barred Owlet, Brown-throated Barbet.

3 Possible good birds missed Rufous Woodcock, Pink-headed Fruit-dove, Sunda Thrush, Black-winged Starling. Saddest bird of the trip A Sumatran Laughingthrush in a cage in Cibodas, which turned out to be bought on a bird market for 1.5 million rupiah. Highlights mammals The endemic primates Silvery Gibbon (2 seen + 2 troops heard), West Javan Ebony Langur (3+3 seen), Javan Surili (>10 in 3 troops). Miscellaneous Specklebelly Keelback, Ailanthus Silk Moth Figure 2. Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush, Gunung Gede, 23 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek). These highly priced birds both by birders and illegal bird trappers were heard once and seen twice in two days. Logistics Visa Purchased on arrival at the airport. Free for Dutch citizens. Health There s no malaria on Java. Guiding Contact details Jakarta Birder Facebook: jakartabirder@ymail.com (responds within a few days)

4 Since we had little time, we hired a guide and driver for this trip. The Jakarta Birder, run by the Yordan brothers, is probably the best option you have on Java. Boas takes care of the logistics and is your contact, Khaleb is the guide. Khaleb has stake-outs, knows virtually all birds calls, has very good eyes and ears and is extremely focussed. I have relatively little experience with bird guides, but when it comes to birding, Khaleb is one of the best I ve seen. This is all the more amazing since Khaleb 23 at the time only started birding at age 17. None of us is half-blind or half-deaf and we all have quite some experience in Asia, but he hardly left any goodies for us to find! Oh the joy when I found the only Javan Cochoa of the trip! Very early starts and very late returns are no problem at all. Khaleb was also good in arranging the ground logistics. He altered the initial program on our request (more time in Jakarta so we could look for Javan Plover) and he even managed to find a couple of (hard to find since a new law on alcohol was enforced) beers for us. So if you look for someone to arrange the logistics and show you the good stuff, Khaleb and Boas are your guys. For three days we paid 455,- each. This included everything we didn t spend another rupiah during the trip. Literature, bird calls and equipment There was only one field guide available : MacKinnon, J & K Phillipps, A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali. Oxford University Press. A major book at the time, but now it s somewhat outdated. In general it s just not up to scale with the high quality of modern field guides. So for the endemics we also used information and plates from HBW Alive (print screens). A new field guide for Indonesia has been announced for 2016! Trip reports were downloaded from and bird calls were downloaded from The Lowlands rule when it comes to global birding! Both Gerjon and I used a scope. Though it s extra weight to carry, it was very useful on the mountain and for the non-passerines in the Jakarta area. Photography was hard at Gede. Birds are often quite confiding, but light conditions were hard (either very dark or very light when the sun comes through). Itinerary 22 September Arrival at Jakarta around noon; picked up by Khaleb and moved on to Gede at 13:00; birded the botanical gardens in the rain between and Night birding after diner ( ). Hotel in Cibodas. 23 September Long, long day at Gede. Breakfast 4.15, on the trail at Highest point reached: Air Panas. Returned to the hotel at Everybody too tired to even think about diner. Effectively, two night birding sessions during one long haul. Dry all day. Hotel in Cibodas. 24 September Breakfast at Clean-up session at the lower part of the mountain; botanical gardens late in the afternoon. After diner: night birding between and Dry all day. Hotel in Cibodas. 25 September 4.30 breakfast, left Cibodas just after Arrived at Metro Marina, Jakarta around Birded the area until 8.15 and Muara Angke from 8.45 till 16.00

5 Gunung Gede (excluding lunch break in town). Dry and very hot all day. Evening flight home. Gede is probably the most famous birding destination on Java. This volcanic mountain hosts a great deal of the Javan/ Balinese endemics and many Sundaic region endemics can also be found. According to other trip reports, this place is best avoided during weekends. Key birds at Gede are the (near) threatened endemics Javan Hawk-eagle (endangered), Javan Woodcock (near threatened), Javan Scops-owl (vulnerable), Volcano Swiftlet (near threatened), Yellow-throated Hanging-parrot (near threatened), Javan Trogon (vulnerable), Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush (endangered), Spotted Crocias (near threatened) and Javan Cochoa (vulnerable). Figure 3. Javan Whistling-thrush, adult male, Gunung Gede, 23 September 2015 (Gerjon Geling) Directions Gede can be found southeast of Bogor. From the airport it took us three hours by car to get to Cibodas, the entrance village. With so much degraded habitat on the island, Gede is a relief: during the ride we saw no interesting habitat anywhere along the road. Mind that the ride can take up to 4,5 hours when traffic is worse. Jakarta is famous for its traffic jams, but we had the worst jam around Bogor. We travelled back to Jakarta during an Islamic celebration. With no traffic at all, it only took us little over an hour and a half to reach the Jakarta coast. See map 1 for general directions.

6 Map 1. Road from Jakarta airport to Gunung Gede (GoogleMaps) The botanical gardens Entrance: gps , Not in the park proper, but this is a nice birding area if you have an hour or two to spend. It s probably the best place to see the endemics Yellow-throated Hanging-parrot (fly-by s only), Pygmy Tit, Olive-backed Tailorbird and White-flanked Sunbird. We saw all these birds on the mountain as well (and the tailorbird is easy in the Jakarta area), but certainly not as good as here. The area is quite open, with (huge) planted trees from other places on earth, scrub at the edges and several bamboo patches throughout the area. The trails are paved. Birds seen here but not on the mountain were Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, Grey-headed Canaryflycatcher and Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike. Other good birds included Lesser Shortwing, Orangespotted Bulbul, Javan Fulvetta and Blood-breasted Flowerpecker. Nice reptiles: Buch s Forest Dragon and an immature Specklebelly Keelback that allowed prolonged views. The grasses around the huge planted redwoods sometimes have Tawny-breasted Parrot-finch.

7 Map 2. Cibogas Gede area. 1 = road between Cibodas and the entrance // 2= Botanical Gardens // 3= entrance Gunung Gede NP Area between the entrance and Blue Lake Entrance: gps , Blue Lake: gps , (you can see the lake on GoogleMaps, though it s a bit hidden in the forest) There s only one (main) trail in the park so you can t really miss it and you can t get lost. The trail is entirely paved with rocks. This prevents people from slipping during wetter periods, but it also makes it harder to walk long distances. The distance from the entrance to Blue Lake (about 1575 m a.s.l.) is about 1,5 km. This stretch is very good for night birding, with Javan Frogmouth and Sunda Scops Owl. A Barred Eagle Owl was photographed here a few days after our trip. In all we saw two frogmouths and heard at least another four, while we saw one scops owl and heard two more. The lake is on your left, the first of several brick shelters along the trail is right on the opposite side of the trail. Gerjon found our only Javan Kingfisher of the trip in a tree at the lake s edge. This is about the upper limit for the species. They are quite shy, so beat the crowds if you wanna see it. Other good birds in this area were Spotted Crocias (heard only; I think they are usually seen a bit higher up, where we indeed found a small flock twice), a confiding male Sunda Robin and Javan Tesia (at the edge of the lake; more common higher up). The fantastic endemic primates Silvery Gibbon, West Javan Ebony Langur and Javan Surili were all seen well. Black Giant Squirrel was seen at the entrance. Area between Blue Lake and trail to waterfall Junction between main trail and trail to waterfall: gps , Boardwalk through open area: , (visible on GoogleMaps) The waterfall trail is dealt with separately. The junction between the main trail and the trail to the waterfall is at about 1625 m a.s.l. and is 2,3 km from the entrance. On the way up, there s a long boardwalk through an open area. The whole area was excellent for birds like Chestnut-bellied Partridge (several flocks encountered, incl. one with downy chicks), Lesser Shortwing, Javan

8 Whistling-thrush (often on the trail), Crescent-chested, White-bibbed and Eye-browed Wrenbabblers, mixed flocks with Trilling and White-browed Shrike-babblers, Javan Fulvetta, Sunda Warbler, Mountain Tailorbid, Javan Grey-throated White-eye, Blue Nuthatch, the occasional (gorgeous!) Rufous Fantail and a single Pygmy Tit. This is by far the best area for Javan Tesia and Flame-throated Barbet is regular. Real goodies were Spotted Crocias (3) and a surprise Scaly (Horsfield s) Thrush on the trail that allowed great views (they are usually seen higher up the mountain if seen at all). The boardwalk runs through a more open area (and is a relief to walk on after climbing up on all the stones!). It s an excellent place for raptor watching. We saw no less than three Javan Hawk-eagles here: two in what seemed like a territorial dispute and a juvenile. One of the adults perched in a tree twice and allowed good scope views. Other raptors seen were both Black Eagle and Crested Serpent-eagle. Next to the shelter at the junction between the main trail and the trail to the waterfalls, a juvenile male Javan Trogon showed very well. Just like the singing Mountain Leaf-warbler in the same area, this was the lowest place on the mountain where we ve seen one. Figure 4. The Spotted Crocias Choir Singers, Gunung Gede, 23 September 2015 (Gerjon Gelling). Noisy birds, singing side by side! Outside the office hours we saw Salvadori s Nightjar just before dawn (heard very well; nice flight views; responded to tape) and we heard Asian Barred Owlet at dawn along this stretch. It was close, but refused to pop into view, though I made some nice recordings. Ailanthus Silk Moth is apparently an introduced species in Indonesia, but it was beautiful and impressive nonetheless! A giant worm (>40 cm) was also seen. Salvadori s Nightjar: gps , Spotted Crocias: gps , Javan Hawk-eagles: gps , (you can see the boardwalk and the open area on GoogleMaps)

9 The waterfall trail (Cibeureum) Trail to waterfall: gps , The short side trail to the waterfalls and the area around the three waterfalls (Cibeureum; the triple waterfalls ) are good for birding. Make sure you get there early, as it gets crowned during the day. Both White-crowned and Sunda Forktail occur in the small stream along the trail. We had great views of the latter (a pair). At the waterfalls Spotted Kestrel was nesting on a cliff, a male Sunda Robin showed well and a Black Eagle passed by. A birder we met saw Sunda Thrush on this trail the day before: a mysterious bird which song is unknown and tha s usually only seen in the half-light at dawn or dusk: after sunset, they seem to vanish from the earth. We had a go at it the next day, but we arrived a bit too late: too much distraction on the way up! Area between the junction and Air Panas Air Panas: gps , In trip reports Air Panas at 2150 m are often referred to as the hot springs. You can t miss it, as you have to cross the hot, steaming water if you want to go higher up. Ropes provide some safety on the slippery rocks. As most regular visitors won t go further than the waterfalls, you ll see less people along this stretch. After you climb further up along the main trail (after the junction to the waterfalls), the bird life slowly starts to change. This is the best area for Javan Trogon: we saw a male feeding a chick on the nest (which apparently is undescribed; Khaleb is working on an article he told us) and a family group of three birds just below Air Panas. The flocks hold the same species as described earlier, except that Mountain Leaf Warbler becomes more common. Roland found a nice Banded Broadbill in one of them. Pygmy Cupwing also occurs lower down, but Eye-browed Wren-babbler was no longer seen. White-browed Shortwing replaces Lesser. Suddenly we saw a couple of Indigo Flycatchers. Javan Tesia is still there, but seemed to be less common. At the lower part of this stretch we had a great mixed flock with e.g. Spotted Crocias (3) next to one of the shelters (forgot the name of it, but see gps). Waterfall Swiftlet was missed at the waterfall, but in this area we found out that their alternative name Giant Swiftlet is appropriate: 2 birds showed well. We couldn t get Brown-throated Barbet into view, but we heard it twice. Occasionally we ran into Chestnut-bellied Partridge and Javan Whistling-thrush. At 2150 m a.s.l., Air Panas was the highest point we reached. If you want to make it all the way to the crater, you re half way now Air Panas is Javan Cochoa area. After a long search during the afternoon, I finally found a male high up in a tree right next to Air Panas resting area. Good scope views. Apparently they are easier in the morning. After some effort, Chestnutbacked Scimitar-babbler (2) also showed well. We waited until dusk and then walked back. This is a very good area for Javan Scops Owl. We heard at least 6 (good recordings), but despite a lot of effort we only got flight views. A calling Javan Barred Owlet refused to pop into view once again. This is also the best area for Javan Woodcock, though we did not hear (let alone see) one. Mammals: 2 Red and 1 Black Giant Squirrel and 2 Javan Surili troops. Javan Cochoa: gps , Javan Trogon and Spotted Crocias: gps ,

10 Figure 5. Pygmy Cupwing (Wren-babbler), Gunung Gede, 24 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek) Jakarta area Jakarta is a huge city. Don t expect beautiful habitat, but yet, in the remaining reasonable patches there are some good birds to be found. Since we had no traffic jams on the way from Gede to Jakarta, we had a full day to spend. This is actually a bit too much for the sites we visited, but after an intensive trip to Sulawesi and long days at Gede it was good to slow things down on our last day. We birded two (or three, if you count the airport) areas, which are described below. Map 3 indicates the locations of these areas. Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport On our way to Sulawesi, we had a 3.5 hour stop-over in Jakarta. We birded around the domestic airport for an hour and a half. There are quite some trees around here, but no bushes. Not many species were found, but it was fun nonetheless. We even found two Javan endemics: 5 Javan Mynas (introduced elsewhere in Asia, but only genuine here and on Bali) and 4 Scarlet-headed Flowerpeckers. Surprisingly, we saw our only male of the latter species right here, with only one more female seen at the next site. Other notable species were a female Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, plenty of Cave Swiftlets, 3 Long-tailed Shrikes and 2 Javan Munias (Indonesian/ Sundaic endemic).

11 Map 3: Northwest Jakarta. 1= Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport // 2= Metro Marina // 3= Muara Angke (Hutan Bakau PIK) Jakarta: Metro Marina (24 september 2015) Entrance: gps , Good site when you have a an hour or two to spend in Jakarta. In theory we could have done this site during our stop-over on the way to Sulawesi, but mind that the traffic can be bad. You don t want to end up in a traffic jam when you have a plane to catch! This place along the coast is found along the road Jl. Taman Marina. It doesn t look like much, but it s a reliable site for Javan Plover. According to Khaleb, White-capped Munia though rarely has also been reported here during the rainy season, when the grasses are taller. There s small marshy site (gps , ), bordered by bird rich scrub (Plaintive Cuckoo; Small Minivet). The marsh was good for small numbers of waders and herons. We counted 11 Javan Plovers. Other birds seen: White-breasted Woodswallow, Whimbrel, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser and Greater Crested Tern and Little Black Cormorant (the latter three at sea). An hour and a half is enough to cover this site at a relaxed pace. When in a hurry, you can twitch the plovers within half an hour, or even less. This very much looks like a site where development will take place eventually (hopefully it s too wet!). In the area around Metro Marina, there are quite a few gardens that attract birds. At this site (gps , ) we observed Plaintive Cuckoo (heard only), Coppersmith Barbet (of the distinct roseus ssp.), a female Scarletheaded Flowerpecker and, best of all, five Red-breasted Parakeets (near-threatened). Fortunately for Gerjon and me we saw the latter species, as for some reason Roland couldn t stop talking about it in the weeks before the trip.

12 Map 4. Metro Marina. Note the sandy trail into the area. The obviously wetter places are good for Javan Plover. Figure 6. Javan Plovers, Metro Marina, Jakarta, 24 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek)

13 Muara Angke (24 september 2015) Entrance: gps , Great site when you have a longer stop-over in Jakarta. This is a well-known, fairly large and protected site with mangroves and marshes along the (busy) Jakartan coast, with a surprising number of birds. The key species are Sunda Coucal (endemic to Java; vulnerable) and Black-winged Starling (Java and Bali endemic; ssp. endemic to West Java; critically endangered). The latter birds are of unknown origin, but the ssp. is right, and so is the habitat. The entrance can be found along the busy road Jl. Pantai Inda Utara 2. For a stake out for Sunda Coucal, do not enter Muara Angke but head east for 180 m from the entrance (measured in GoogleMaps). There s an opening in the line of trees next to the canal where you have a clear view on some fairly large bushes in the reeds. Despite the heat was already out, it took us only 15 minutes before one of them climbed out of the bushes that allowed great views. Small Blue Kingfisher was a very nice bonus bird. Mind that there are also Lesser Coucals in Muara Angke. Map 5. Muara Anke: 1 = entrance // 2= spot for Sunda Coucal A board walk runs through the area, but I must emphasize that you watch your step: it s very bad in places. First it passes through the mangroves (Sunda Pygmy and Freckle-breasted Woodpecker; Ruddy Crake) and then you enter the marshy area, with Black Bittern in the reeds and loads of birds at the edge of the lake. The birds are mainly on the other side of the shore, so a scope is very handy. There were large numbers of Wandering Whistling Ducks, a small flock of Lesser Whistling Ducks, dozens of White-browed Crakes and hundreds of Wood Sandpipers. A White-bellied Eagle flew by. Bar-winged Prinia (endemic to Sumatra, Java and Bali) can be found in the scrub in the reed beds. We unfortunately missed the starlings, which hadn t been seen in the area for several months. Apparently they were further upstream at a site that can only be reached by boat. I believe there are more Sunda Coucals there, too. About three hours seems to be enough to cover this area. Sunda Coucal (viewpoint, not the bird itself): gps ,

14 Trip lists Status e = endemic to Indonesia E = endemic to Java (and Bali) NT= near threathened VU= vulnerable EN= endangered Recorded p= photographed s= sound recorded v= videoed nr Species Status Recorded Notes 1 Lesser Whistling-duck p A flock of 8 at Muara Angke, not mingled with the following species. 2 Wandering Whistling-duck p A few dozen at Muara Angke. 3 Little Black Cormorant Several at sea at Metro Marina. 4 Oriental Darter One in flight at Metro Marina and up to 15 at Muara Angke. 5 Black Bittern Three sightings in Muara Angke's reedbeds. 6 Purple Heron Regular at Muara Angke. 7 Great Egret One at Muara Angke. 8 Intermediate Egret p Several in the Jakarta area. 9 (Eastern) Cattle Egret p Regular in the Jakarta area. 10 Javan Pond-Heron Common in the Jakarta area. 11 Striated Heron Common in the mangroves at Muara Angke en several at Metro Marina. 12 Black-crowned Night-Heron An adult and a juvenile in the mangroves, Muara Angke. 13 Crested Serpent-eagle p Two sightings at Gunung Gede. 14 Javan Hawk-eagle E, EN p, v Three along the trail to the waterfalls, Gunung Gede. Good scope views, both in flight and perched. See report for details. 15 Black Eagle p Two at the same spot as the previous species, and a sighting at the waterfalls. 16 White-bellied Sea-eagle p An older immature passed by at Muara Angke. 17 Chestnut-bellied Partridge E p, s Five small flocks, incl. one with downy chicks, encountered on Gunung Gede between the board walk and just above the junction to the waterfall. They were very vocal and several birds were seen on the trail. 18 Ruddy-breasted Crake One in the mangrove forest at Muara Angke allowed great scope views. 19 White-browed Crake p, v Very common at Muara Angke, mainly on lilies. 20 Black-backed Swamphen p Up to 30 at the Muara Angke marsh. 21 Common Moorhen 3 among the previous species. 22 White-breasted Waterhen One at Metro Marina and common at Muara Angke, especially in the mangroves. 23 Pied Stilt (when lumped: Blackwinged One at Muara Angke. Stilt) 24 Pacific Golden Plover 5 at Metro Marina. 25 Javan Plover e, NT p, s 11 at Metro Marina. Great views, and I even

15 managed to record some calls. 26 Common Sandpiper p Up to 10 at Metro Marina. 27 Wood Sandpiper Abundant at the Muara Angke marsh, with over a 150 birds seen. 28 Whimbrel One at Metro Marina. 29 Common Tern Several at sea at Metro Marina. 30 Lesser Crested Tern Several at sea at Metro Marina. 31 Great Crested Tern 1 at sea at Metro Marina. 32 Spotted Dove p Common in urban areas. 33 Zebra Dove Common in urban areas. 34 Pink-necked (Green) Pigeon 1 or 2 at Muara Angke. 35 Plaintive Cuckoo p One seen at Metro Marina and one heard in a nearby garden and one heard from our hotel in Cibodas. 36 Chestnut-breasted Malkoha One in the botanical gardens at Gunung Gede, near the park entrance. 37 Sunda Coucal E, VU p, v One seen very well at Muara Angke. Javan endemic (do not occur on Bali). See report for details. 38 Javan (Barred) Owlet E s Heard at two places at Gede: near the board walk and near Air Panas. 39 Javan Scops-owl E, VU s Up to 6 heard between Air Panas and the junction to the waterfall; only seen in flight. 40 Sunda Scops-owl s One seen very well and two more heard at the first stretch of the trail at Gunung Gede. 41 Javan ( Horsfield's") Frogmouth p, s Up to 6 at the first stretch of the trail at Gunung Gede. 2 seen very well and no less than six call types heard, of which I recorded three. 42 Salvadori s Nightjar e, NT s 1 between Blue Lake and the waterfall trail at Gede, both seen and heard. See report for gps. 43 Waterfall Swiftlet NT 2 just above the junction to the waterfall trail. 44 Edible Nest-swiftlet p Several at Metro Marina. 45 Cave (or: Linchi) Swiftlet e p Common around Jakarta. 46 House Swift 1 at Metro Marina was only seen by Khaleb and Gerjon. 47 Javan Trogon E, VU p, v, s 6 seen between the waterfall trail and Air Panas: a young male, an adult male attending a nest with a chick (remains of plucked female found), and a family group of three below Air Panas. 48 Common Kingfisher 2 at Muara Angke. 49 Small Blue (or: Cerulean) Kingfisher e 1 seen and heard by me and Khaleb near the spot for Sunda Coucal and 1 seen by Gerjon at the ranger's office, Muara Angke. 50 Javan Kingfisher E p 1 found by Gerjon at Blue Lake, Gunung Gede. Short but good scope views; shy bird. 51 Collared Kingfisher Several in the botanical gardens, Gunung Gede and several in the Jakarta area. 52 Sacred Kingfisher p 1 at Muara Angke, next to the ranger's office. 53 Blue-tailed Bee-eater p Regular in the Jakarta area.

16 54 Orange-fronted (or: Flamethroated) Barbet E p, s Regular at Gede. Mostly heard, but several seen well. 55 Brown-throated Barbet E 2 heard only at Gede. 56 Coppersmith Barbet p 1 seen very well in a garden near Metro Marina. 57 Freckle-breasted Woodpecker p 1 female at the airport and 4 in Muara Angke's mangroves. 58 Sunda (Pygmy) Woodpecker p 4 in Muara Angke's mangroves. 59 Spotted Kestrel e p Pair nesting next to the waterfalls at Gunung Gede. This or another pair soaring higher up. 60 Banded Broadbill p Great find by Roland in a mixed species flock at Gede. It had been 6 years since I last saw one! 61 Red-breasted Parakeet NT p 10 in a garden near Metro Marina. See report for gps. 62 Yellow-throated Hanging-parrot E, NT Up to 8 seen and/or heard (2 on the mountain, 6 in the botanical gardens) in the Gede area, but it took quite some time before we had a good flight view. 63 Golden-bellied Gerygone Regularly heard in the Jakarta area. 64 Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike p 2 in the botanical gardens, Gunung Gede. 65 Common Iora p 2 in the mangroves at Muara Angke. 66 Small Minivet p A nice small flock at Metro Marina. 67 Sunda Minivet e p We encountered several flocks (once > 20) at Gunung Gede, all at the lower parts of the mountain. 68 White-breasted Wood-swallow Several in the Jakarta area. 69 Long-tailed Shrike p Several in the Jakarta area, including the airport. 70 Pied Shrike-babbler E P Common in mixed species flocks at Gede at various altitudes. 71 Trilling Shrike-babbler E p Fairly common in mixed species flocks at Gede at various altitudes. 72 Lesser Cuckoo-shrike 2 at the higher parts (but still way below Air Panas) at Gunung Gede. 73 Black-naped Oriole Several at Muara Angke. 74 Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo p Regular in mixed species flocks at Gede. Flock leader. 75 Ashy Drongo 2 at the mountain and 1 in the botanical gardens, Gunung Gede. 76 (Malaysian) Pied Fantail p A pair next to the ranger's office, Muara Angke. 77 Rufous-tailed Fantail E p, s Pairs in mixed species flocks at Gunung Gede, but not seen in all of them. 78 Racket-tailed Treepie 2 at Muara Angke. 79 Barn Swallow Several in the Jakarta area and Cibodas. 80 Pacific Swallow Common. 81 Striated Swallow Several at Cibodas. 82 Cinereous Tit 1 at Gunung Gede, below Air Panas seen by Gerjon. 83 Pygmy (Bush) Tit E p, s Regular in the botanical gardens at Gede and one in a mixed species flock at the lower stretch of the mountain.

17 84 Blue Nuthatch p Common in mixed species flocks; once a flock of was seen. 85 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch p 1 or 2 in the mangroves, Muara Angke. 86 Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher 1 in the botanical gardens, Gunung Gede. Surprisingly little seen given the habitat. 87 Sooty-headed Bulbul Regular in the Jakarta area and several around Gede. 88 Yellow-vented Bulbul Small numbers in the Jakarta area. 89 Orange-spotted Bulbul e p Small numbers seen in the botanical gardens and at the mountain, Gunung Gede. 90 Sunda Bulbul e Small numbers in mixed species flocks; certainly not in all flocks on Gunung Gede 91 Pygmy Cupwing (formerly: Pygmy Wren-babbler) p, s Common at Gunung Gede, especially at the higher parts. Several seen really well. 92 Javan Tesia E p, s Regular at Gunung Gede. The lowest one was right next to Blue Lake. Sometimes very confiding; one approached me within 1 m (without taping)! 93 Mountain Tailorbird s Common at Gunung Gede. 94 Mountain Leaf-warbler Small numbers at the higher parts at Gunung Gede. Some in mixed species flocks and others singing. 95 Sunda Warbler e p Common in mixed species flocks at Gede. 96 Oriental Reed-warbler p 1 seen well at Muara Angke. Identified as Clamorous by Khaleb, but pics obviously show Oriental. 97 Zitting Cisticola 1 at Metro Marina. 98 Olive-backed Tailorbird E Several at the botanical gardens and one on the mountain itself, Gunung Gede and several in the Jakarta area. 99 Bar-winged Prinia e In all 2 heard and 1 seen at Muara Angke. 100 Javan Grey-throated E p Regular in mixed species flocks at Gunung Gede. White-eye 101 Oriental White-eye Regular in mixed species flocks at Gunung Gede, mainly at the higher parts but also a few in the botanical gardens. 102 Crescent-chested Babbler E p, s Both in homogeneous and in mixed species flocks. 103 Chestnut-backed Scimitarbabbler p, s 2 seen well in a mixed species flock near Air Panas, where a probable 3rd (a skulker) was seen in another flock. 104 White-bibbed Babbler E s Less common than Crescent-chested, but still regularly recorded. Stays lower to the ground than Crescent-chested. One of my favourite birds of the trip! 105 Eyebrowed Wren-babbler p, s Several pairs on Gunung Gede, all between Blue Lake and the trail to the waterfall. Great looking birds that can be seen well. 106 Horsfield s Babbler p, s Common on Gunung Gede. 107 Javan Fulvetta E p, s In most mixed species flocks at Gunung Gede. 108 Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush E p, s One of the highlights of the trip. 1 flock heard only, 7-8 seen in a flock not associating with other

18 birds, and 2 birds seen and more heard in a mixed species flock. Site obscured for illegal bird trappers (they are known to read trip reports). 109 Spotted Crocias E p, s In all 3 flocks encountered: 1 choir heard only below the Blue Lake, a flock of three seen right after the boardwalk and a flock of three just above the junction to the waterfall. Seen and heard very well. Great birds. See gps in the report. 110 Indigo Flycatcher p Several single birds seen at the higher parts of Gunung Gede. 111 Little Pied Flycatcher p Small numbers at Gunung Gede. 112 Snowy-browed Flycatcher p Small numbers at Gunung Gede. 113 Lesser Shortwing s Regular at the lower stretches of Gunung Gede, including the botanical gardens. 114 White-browed Shortwing p, s Regular at the higher stretches of Gunung Gede. 115 Javan Whistling-thrush E p Over 15 sightings at Gunung Gede. The lowest record was just above Blue Lake. 116 Sunda Forktail e p A pair seen well in the stream along the trail to the waterfalls, Gunung Gede. Forktails are usually shy, so arrive before the crowds do! 117 Sunda (Blue) Robin e p In all 3 males and a female seen between the entrance and the waterfall. Maximum variation in males seen: 1 with no white on the forehead, 1 with a little and 1 with a lot. 118 Scaly ("Horsfield's") Thrush p A great surprise. A bird feeding on the trail just after the boardwalk at Gunung Gede. Most sightings are much higher up the mountain, above Air Panas. 119 Javan Cochoa E, VU After quite some effort I found a male in the canopy right next to Air Panas, Gunung Gede. 120 Javan (or White-vented) Myna E Regular in the Jakarta area. Introduced at several places on the planet, but only genuine on Java and Bali. 121 Blood-breasted Flowerpecker E Regular in the botanical gardens and several on the mountain as well, Gunung Gede. Smart flowerpeckers! 122 Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker E p Four at the airport included a splendid male and 1 female in a garden near Metro Marina. 123 Little Spiderhunter Only one at Gunung Gede. 124 Olive-backed Sunbird Common in the Jakarta area. 125 White-flanked Sunbird E Only a few seen, both in the botanical gardens and on the mountain, Gunung Gede. 126 Eastern Yellow Wagtail One at Metro Marina. 127 Grey Wagtail p Regular at Gunung Gede. 128 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Common in urban areas. 129 Nutmeg (or: Scaly-breasted) Common at Metro Marina. Munia 130 Javan Munia e Seen in small numbers at the airport, Metro Marina, Jakarta and in the botanical gardens at Gunung Gede.

19 Mammals Red Giant Flying Squirrel Black Giant Flying Squirrel Black-striped Squirrel Three-striped Ground Squirrel Javan Treeshrew Crab-eating (or: Long-tailed) Macaque Javan Surili West Javan Ebony Langur Sivery Gibbon One near Air Panas during some night birding and one in a tree hole right after the junction to the waterfalls. One above the shelter at the junction to the waterfall. Common at Gede. Several seen at Gede. A few seen at Gede. A group at the entrance at Muara Angke above the junction at Gede. 3 at the entrace gate at Gede and 3 a little higher up. 2 groups heard between the entrance and the waterfall trail on the 22nd, where two were seen on the 23rd. Miscellaneous Kuhl's Angle-headed Lizard (Buch s Forest Dragon) (Gonocephalus kuhlii) Specklebelly Keelback (Rabdophis chrysargos) frog spec. Ailanthus Silk Moth (Samia cynthia) Sumatran Laughingthrush 1 in the botanical gardens, Gunung Gede. An immature in the botanical gardens At leat two different species: one in the Blue Lake at Gede and one species in the Muara Angke mangroves. Indigenous populations of this spectacular species occur in China and Korea, but this moth has been widely introduced elsewhere to produce silk fabric. A caged bird in Cibodas didn't put a smile on our faces.

20 Figure 7. Chestnut-bellied Partridge (Gerjon Gelling) Figure 8. Javan Tesia (Vincent van der Spek) Figure 9. Scaly (Horsefield s) Thrush (Gerjon Gelling) Figure 10. Banded Broadbill (Gerjon Gelling) Figure 11. Silvery Gibbon (Vincent van der Spek) Figure 12. Sunda Coucal (Gerjon Gelling) Figure 13. Ailanthus Silk Moth (Vincent van der Spek) Figure 14. Specklebelly Keelback (Vincent van der Spek)

21 Figure 15. Javan Trogon nestling with katydid, Gunung Gede, 22 September 2015 (Gerjon Gelling). Apparently the nest is still undescribed. Figure 16. Daddy Trogon just before feeding its chick, Gunung Gede, 22 September 2015 (Vincent van der Spek). We found a plucked female near the nest. I collected some feathers for whoever is interested in DNA-analyses. Epilogue During this short trip we saw nearly three-quarters of all Java s and Bali s endemic birds, and quite a few Sundaic region endemics. Despite considerable experience in Southeast Asia, I still managed to see 52 lifers. Not bad for three days of birding! Khaleb of course played a key role: without him we surely would have needed much more time to find the good birds, and we probably also would have missed a few. Given the time we had, skipping the summit area was a good decision. It s just another swift anyway ;-) More ever this short extension to our holiday was an eye opener: I ll certainly try to squeeze in short stop-overs more often in the future. Another one on Java is certainly an option. Maybe I ll make it to Gede s summit someday, or maybe I ll go to Halimun or Carita next time. If you have any questions or remarks, don t hesitate to send me an v.vanderspek@gmail.com