Majestic creatures: The great hornbill and (left) plain-pouched hornbills. — Photos courtesy of Ecomy
IPOH: The Royal Belum State Park has remained a “hornbill capital” for the past decade, says the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy).
Ecomy president and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian explained that Royal Belum, known as one of the oldest rainforests in the world, is the only place where 10 hornbill species coexist.
Nine hornbill species live in Royal Belum year-round, while plain-pouched hornbills are the sole migratory visitors.
According to a conservation group that conducts expeditions to the Royal Belum-Temengor forest complex in Gerik, the area still records an exceptional diversity of hornbills across its landscape.
“Nowhere else in the world can all 10 species be seen in one forest complex. This is what makes this place so extraordinary,” said Sebastian.
“It’s the reason why I first called it the hornbill capital of the world about 10 or 11 years ago, and it remains true till today, as together they form a diversity found nowhere else.”
Plain-pouched Hornbills. —Photos provided by Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy)
For comparison, Sebastian said Sarawak has around eight species across the huge area of the Borneo rainforest.
The 10 species in Royal Belum are the oriental pied hornbill, black hornbill, bushy crested hornbill, white-crowned hornbill, rhinoceros hornbill, great hornbill, plain-pouched hornbill, helmeted hornbill, wrinkled hornbill and wreathed hornbill.
Sebastian said the population of the nine resident species remains stable, adding that these birds were found in areas where they were documented last year.
However, he cautioned that the migratory population of the plain-pouched hornbills is on the decline.
“The 1980s recorded huge flocks of over 3,000 birds, but the numbers have dropped sharply,
“Now we estimate between 300 and 1,000 birds. With the significant decline, we require a proper long-term study to understand exactly why,” he said.
He explained that the species, which migrates from Thailand into the Royal Belum area every year between late July and mid-October, now appears in much smaller flocks than before.
“Early observations point to several possible threats including logging, cross-border poaching, trapping, and land use changes along the migratory route.”
As for the helmeted hornbill, he said it is critically endangered.
“It is a prized game for poachers, so we must stay vigilant, because it has demands with high price in the black market.
“This will entice poachers to target it as our birds in Royal Belum are doing fairly well.
“Sightings indicate about 20 birds in commonly surveyed areas, though the total number could be higher,” he said.
He added that a photograph taken by a local guide previously showed around 20 helmeted hornbills perched on a single tree, a rare and valuable observation.
He noted that a team would carry out surveys every August.
Despite the valuable data gathered each year, he said the three-day survey only covers a fraction of the forest.
The team focuses on six sites along the lake area of the state park, accessible only by boat.
“We cover maybe 10% of the lake area. A full-blown expedition would take at least a month, and we simply don’t have those resources.
“The state park itself spans over 117,000ha while the entire Belum-Temengor complex is even larger, making comprehensive fieldwork a major challenge.
“Despite the limitations, the annual hornbill count has continued without fail every August for years,” he said, adding that the idea is to keep the momentum going and to be vigilant about the bird population.
