15-022 FR Ann10b Birding Asia Timor Leste

8/4/2019 15-022 FR Ann10b Birding Asia Timor Leste

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COUNTRY SPECIAL: TIMOR-LESTE

Birds, birding and conservation in Timor-LesteCOLIN R. TRAINOR, FERNANDO SANTANA, PEDRO PINTO, ALMEIDA F. XAVIER, ROGER SAFFORD & RICHARD GRIMMETT

IntroductionThe eastern half of Timor island, at the south-eastern limit of the Oriental region, has not featuredon birders itineraries for many years, if ever. Afterdecades more or less out-of-bounds, it has openedup again as a newly independent country, Timor-Leste (East Timor), actively encouraging tourismand having declared its first national park. Recentsurveys have revealed natural riches far greaterthan most could have expected or indeed hopedfor. This article introduces Timor-Leste today,summarises the results of those surveys, and, wehope, provides a strong case for visitors to go tosee this friendly, beautiful and bird-rich countryfor themselves.

GeographyTimor and the Lesser SundasTimor island is the largest of the Lesser Sundaislands, an archipelago of hundreds of oceanicislands spanning about 1,700 km between theSunda shelf (of the Eurasian continental plate) to

the west and the Sahul shelf (of the Indo-Australianplate) to the east at 810S 119123E (Fig. 1).The Sahul shelf connects Australia, Papua and theAru islands. The Sunda shelf unites Sumatra, Java,Borneo and Bali with continental Malaysia andThailand. The Lesser Sundas are divided betweentwo groups or arcs: the Inner Banda Arc islandsinclude the mostly volcanic islands of Lombok,Sumbawa and Flores, through to Alor, Wetar andthe Banda Islands, and the Outer Arc islands includeTimor, Roti and Semau through to Tanimbar.Sumba is considered a continental fragment.

Timor and associated islandsTimor island is 474 km long and up to 95 km wide(c. 30,700 km2). It comprises parts of the nation ofTimor-Leste (main block is 260 km long and up to80 km wide; 14,874 km2) including the Oecussienclave plus the islands of Jaco and Atauro, andpart of the Indonesian province of East NusaTenggara; the Indonesian part is commonly referredto as West Timor (15,850 km2). The arc-shapedTimor island is aligned east-west and is broadesttowards the centre and west. The distance fromTimor to Australia is 450 km. The main islandsneighbouring Timor are: Semau (261km2, 2.7kmfrom Timor), Roti (1,263km2, 12km from Timor),Atauro (148km2, 24km from Timor), Jaco (12km2,0.7km from Timor), Wetar (2,684km2, 49km fromTimor) and Alor (2,125km2, 40km from Timor).Timor, Semau and Jaco would frequently have beenconnected over the last 250,000 years, but Roti,Atauro, Wetar and Alor would have remained isolatedby about 10, 20, 35 and 35km (respectively).

Origins and geology of Timor and associated islandsIt is generally accepted that all the major continentalislands of South-East Asia, including Timor, werepart of the Gondwana supercontinent. The originof Timor and the other Outer Banda Arc islands iscomplex and controversial, but it is agreed to havebeen formed by continent-continent collision. TheAustralian continental shelf is moving north. Timorprobably emerged after the low-density continentalmargin of Australia began sinking (i.e. wassubducted) below the Eurasian Plate about 4 millionyears ago. Timor is composed mostly of sedimentary

Figure 1. Map showing some of the main islands of the Lesser Sundas region.

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rocks (limestone, clays, shales and gravels) withsome igneous rocks and crystalline schists (Glover1986). The island was uplifted rapidly about 2million years ago and has risen about 700 m duringthe past 200,000 years. Of the two other islandsthat are part of the state of Timor-Leste (see below),Jacooff the eastern tip of Timoris low corallinelimestone, while Atauro, 33.5 million years old, ispart of the Inner Volcanic Arc, and consists of highlyeroded volcanic remnants of marine origin.

ClimateTimor has a highly seasonal dry tropical(monsoonal) climate that is geographically variabledepending on elevation and aspect. North coast townssuch as Manatuto and Vermasse with mean annualrainfall of 600 mm/yr (over a 46 month wet season)are among the driest in South-East Asia. There aretwo wet-season peaks along the south coast, and inthe mountains, with a total of 79 months of rain(1,5004,000 mm/year). The dry season (July to

October) has little rain and low humidity. This isgenerally the best time for field visits. Lowland andcoastal towns such as Dili are typically hot duringthe day (3133C) and warm at night (2025C),but daytime temperatures decrease by about 45Cwith each 1,000 m of elevation.

Timor-LesteTimor-Leste (in full, the Democratic Republic ofTimor-Leste) is the official name of the countrythat now occupies the former Portuguese Timor;the name, perhaps unfamiliar to many, resultssimply from the adoption of Portuguese as theofficial language, Leste meaning East. While itremains commonly known as East Timor (and wasreferred to in BirdLife International [2001] as TimorLoro Sae), the country, which includes the easternpart of Timor island, Oecussi enclave and offshoreislands Atauro and Jaco is hereafter referred to asTimor-Leste, and occasionally as the East. Theremainder of Timor is referred to as West Timor,or the the West.

History and peopleEarly colonisation and languagesArcheological evidence shows that Timor was firstinhabited by prehistoric hunter-gatherers about30,00040,000 years ago (OConnor et al. 2002),

who lived in rock shelters with a diet includingPleistocene fauna (giant rats, birds andreptiles). Evidence from agriculture suggests thatabout 3,000 years ago Austronesian seafarersarrived on the island. About 40 languages nowoccur on Timor, andwith the exception of very

Figure 2. Map of Timor island, showing international frontiers, and distribution of systematic bird sampling (solid circles) in Timor-

Leste (highlighting the intensity of effort in Lautem district) and West Timor. Main towns are marked with open circles.

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recent additionsthese belong to either theAustronesian language family or the trans-NewGuinea phylum.

The Dutch and Portuguese on Timor

In 1566, the Portuguese established colonies in EastTimor, mainly for Sandalwood Santalum album(source of an aromatic oil). They fought regularlywith local tribes and the Dutch (based in Kupang,West Timor); these conflicts resulted in Portugueseretention of the Oecussi enclave on the north coastof (then) Dutch western Timor, as well as Atauroisland, and hence their inclusion to this day in themodern state of Timor-Leste rather than Indonesia;the borders of Timor-Leste are exactly those of theformer Portuguese Timor (Fig. 2). In the latenineteenth century, Timor was visited by the greatnaturalist-explorer Alfred Russel Wallace, whoconducted his pioneering research into evolutionin this part of Asia in the nineteenth century; henoted that the Timorese fight continuallyamongst themselves, and take every opportunityof kidnapping unprotected people of other tribesfor slaves (Wallace 1869). Relations among thelocal polities changed continually, with regularseasonal raiding into territories, ritual headhunting,and migration of clans in search of land and water(Fox 2003). The Portuguese mounted about 60

expeditions between 1847 and 1913 to control theTimorese, but the island was never colonised likeother parts of the East Indiesthe Portuguesesimply claimed to have pacified their territory by1912 and the Dutch (West Timor) by 1915. In 1860,the Portuguese Governor of Timor, Affonso deCastro, described the situation: Our empire on thisisland is nothing but a fiction (Fox 2003).Following Portuguese withdrawal in 1975, easternTimor was occupied by Indonesia until 1999, whena United Nations Transitional Administration inEast Timor (UNTAET) was set up. The countrygained independence in 2002.

Main historical land usesDuring the past few millennia the dominant landuses on Timor have been agriculture (shifting orswidden agriculture), use of timber and non-timberforest products for house construction, grazing bygoats, sheep, cattle, buffalo and horses, and morerecently, agricultural crops such as rice, coffee,vegetables, particularly maize, fruit and agro-forestry. The populous north coast of Timor-Leste

is dry, but many rivers bring regular water foragriculture (Fox 2003). The rugged topography ofthe mountains has hindered the build-up of largepopulations, with communities generally living insmall and scattered villages. As the Sandalwoodtrade dwindled in the nineteenth century, coffee was

introduced and planted widely in the upland areasthroughout Timor.

In the 1960s the Portuguese initiated agriculturalprogrammes on the south coast to entice apopulation shift, which was continued from 1977

by the Indonesian government which controlledTimor-Leste from 1975 to 1979, after Portugueserule ceased. Fighting between the Indonesianmilitary and Falantil (the armed wing of theindependence movement) reinforced thismovement from mountains to coast in 19751980(Fox 2003). Since Timor-Lestes independence in2002, the slow pace of economic development andlack of jobs saw major population shifts towardsthe towns of Dili and Baucau, with a major exodusfrom Dili during 20062007 because of communaland political conflict. Timor-Leste has a populationof some 1.01 million people (2005; Ministry ofPlanning and Finance: www.dne.mopf.gov.tp; adensity of 68 perkm-2): population densities arelower than West Timor (1.59 million people at anaverage population density of 97 perkm -2) and farlower than in much of neighbouring Indonesia.

Birds of Timor, and specifically of Timor-LesteSpecies and status

At least 262 bird species are known from Timor;169 are considered resident, 76 regular migrants

and 17 vagrants (Trainor et al. 2007b). Of the 49birds added to the island list since the publicationofThe birds of Wallacea (White & Bruce 1986),just one was a native passerine bird (Pale-headedMunia Lonchura pallida). Two introduced birds(Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigasterandEurasian House SparrowPasser domesticus) havebecome well established on Timor since 19971999;but almost all of the additions have been seabirdsand waterbirds. Several species reported withoutdetail and so needing confirmation includeSchrenks BitternIxobrychus eurhythmus , BaillonsCrake Porzana pusilla, Dunlin Calidris alpina,Eastern Grass Owl Tyto longimembris and Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca. Finally Sunda CuckooCuculus lepidus has been split from the migrantOriental Cuckoo C. saturatus whereas the twospecies are lumped in the field guide.

EndemismTimor island lies in a biogeographic region knownas Wallacea, named after Wallace in honour of hisunique travels and studies among the thousands

of oceanic islands in the seas between the Eurasianand Australasian continental plates. These islandshave been colonised by animals and plants fromboth Asia and Australasia, but through longisolation have developed exceptionally high levelsof endemism.

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Timor and its associated islands of Wetar,Sawu, Roti and Semau have been defined byBirdLife International as the Timor and WetarEndemic Bird Area (EBA) (Stattersfield et al.1998) on the basis of an analysis of the distributions

of restricted-range bird species, defined as those

with a total range size of less than 50,000km2.Among the 126 resident land birds, Stattersfieldet al. (1998) listed 35 restricted-range species asoccurring in the Timor and Wetar EBA; 31 arefound on Timor island (all of which have been

recorded in Timor-Leste: see Table 1), including

Table 1. Threatened and restricted-range species recorded in Timor-Leste.

AltitudeEnglish name Scientific name IUCN1 EBA2 (m)3 Habitat

Christmas Island Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi CR Sea-level MarineBeach Thick-knee Esacus giganteus NT Lowlands BeachesMalaysian Plover Charadrius peronii NT Lowlands BeachesAsian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus NT Lowlands WetlandsBlack-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa NT Lowlands WetlandsDusky Cuckoo Dove Macropygia magna RR 0800 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forest

Slaty Cuckoo Dove Turacoena modesta NT RR 01,300 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forestWetar Ground Dove Gallicolumba hoedtii EN RR 0800 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forestTimor Green Pigeon Treron psittaceus EN RR 0600 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forestPink-headed Imperial Pigeon Ducula rosacea NT RR 01,000 Forest, coastal scrubTimor Imperial Pigeon Ducula cineracea EN RR 4002,200 Tropical montane forest; plantationYellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea CR 01,000 Tropical dry forest, woodland,

plantationsOlive-headed Lorikeet Trichoglossus euteles RR 02,300 Forest, woodland, agricultural landIris Lorikeet Psitteuteles iris NT RR 01,500 Closed forest, woodland, plantationsOlive-shouldered Parrot Aprosmictus jonquillaceus NT RR 02,600 Tropical dry forest, savanna,

plantations

Timor Coucal Centropus mui ne RR 0500 Tropical forests (edges), woodlandCinnamon-banded Kingfisher Todiramphus australasia NT RR 01,500 Evergreen forest, tropical dry forestStreaky-breasted Honeyeater Meliphaga reticulata RR 01,200 Tropical dry forest, villagesPlain Friarbird Philemon inornatus RR 02,200 Tropical dry forestYellow-eared Honeyeater Lichmera flavicans RR 02,000 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forest,

Eucalyptus woodlandRed-rumped Myzomela Myzomela vulnerata RR 01,200 Tropical dry forest; villagePlain Gerygone Gerygone inornata RR 01,500 Tropical dry forest, scrub; villageFawn-breasted Whistler Pachycephala orpheus RR 01,500 Tropical dry forestTimor Figbird Sphecotheres viridis RR 01,000 Tropical dry forest, scrubOlive-brown Oriole Oriolus melanotis RR 01,600 Tropical dry forestBuff-banded Grassbird Buettikoferella bivittata RR 0700 Tropical dry forest

Timor Stubtail Urosphena subulata RR 01,900 Tropical dry forest, scrubTimor Bush Warbler Bradypterus timorensis NT RR c.1800 Montane forest; ?montane scrubTimor Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus presbytes RR 02,300 All forest typesSpot-breasted White-eye Heleia muelleri NT RR 01,460 Evergreen forest; Tropical dry forestChestnut-backed Thrush Zoothera dohertyi NT RR 6002,300 Hill and montane forestOrange-banded Thrush Zoothera peronii NT RR 01,600 Closed canopy forest, plantationsWhite-bellied Bushchat Saxicola gutturalis NT RR 01,200 Tropical dry forest, woodlandBlack-banded Flycatcher Ficedula timorensis NT RR 01,200 Evergreen forest, tropical dry forestTimor Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hyacinthinus RR 02,000 Tropical dry forest, plantationsRed-chested Flowerpecker Dicaeum maugei RR 01,200 Open forest; villagesFlame-breasted Sunbird Nectarinia solaris RR 01,000 Tropical dry forest, scrub; villages

Tricoloured Parrotfinch Erythrura tricolor RR 01,200 Tropical dry forest, thicketsTimor Sparrow Padda fuscata NT RR 01,250 Woodland, grassland, agricultural land

Notes1IUCN Red List category2EBA: species marked RR are restricted-range species found only in the Timor and Wetar Endemic Bird Area3Some elevation limits changed with respect to Trainor et al. (2007b), based on more recent work



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20 of the species confined to the EBA (the otherthree are endemic to Wetar Island). Eight areendemic to Timor, 23 to the Timor and WetarEndemic Bird Area (Timor, Wetar, Sawu, Roti andSemau), 32 to the Lesser Sundas and 41 to Wallacea.

AffinitiesTimors resident land bird fauna is most similar tothe neighbouring islands of Wetar, Roti and Alor,with high levels of similarity to other large islands(Flores, Sumba, Sumbawa and Lombok). About31% of Timors birds are Australian and morethan half are derived from Asia. Previous authorshave suggested that 4963% of Timors birds areAustralian (Mayr 1944, Noske 1997, Clode &OBrien 2001) but these were either based on anoutdated phylogeny or on a small sample ofWallaces bird specimens. A large proportion ofTimors birds are dependent on tropical forests orsavannas, but there are very few grassland,mangrove and open-country species (Noske 1997).

East and West TimorSince all major habitats exist on both sides of theborder, all birds listed for Timor island could beexpected to occur in Timor-Leste (and vice versa),but this may not be true. Two resident West Timorlandbirds remain unknown from the East: Elegant

Pitta Pitta elegans and Timor Bush WarblerBradypterus timorensis ; the pitta appears genuinelyabsent from the East, but can be locally abundantin the West (Trainor 2005), while the lost warbler(see below) may yet be rediscovered either side.Two species known only from the East are Orange-footed MegapodeMegapodius reinwardt(presenton Atauro and Jaco islands as a breeding resident,and a visitor to the extreme eastern tip of theeastern mainland) and Pheasant (Timor) CoucalCentropus (mui)phasianinus, which is apparentlyrestricted to Lautem district in the extreme east.

Turning to abundance, Dusky Cuckoo DoveMacropygia magna , Slaty Cuckoo Dove Turacoenamodesta, Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatuasulphurea, Marigold Lorikeet Trichoglossuscapistratus, Olive-shouldered Parrot Aprosmictusjonquillaceus, Cinnamon-banded KingfisherTodiramphus australasia, Yellow-eared Honeyeater Lichmera flavicans, Chestnut-backed ThrushZoothera dohertyi and Orange-banded Thrush Z.peronii all appear much commoner in the East,whereas only Buff-banded GrassbirdBuettikoferella

bivittata is commoner (and much morewidespread) in the West. Among various reasonsthat could be proposed, it seems clear that thegreatly reduced hunting pressures in the East areof particular benefit to forest pigeons, parrots, andprobably thrushes.

Plate 1. Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, KomodoIsland, Lesser Sundas, September 1998.

STEFANBEHRENS

Plate 2. Olive-shouldered ParrotAprosmictus jonquillaceus,Bipolo, West Timor, May 2005.

JAMESEATON

Plate 3. Yellow-eared Honeyeater Lichmera flavicans, Mt Mutis,West Timor, August 2004.

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Montane and lowland TimorTimor island has extensive land above 1,000 mbut little intact montane forest. While attention isnormally focused on threatened and endemicspecies, the remaining landbirds hold much interest,

particularly in relation to these montane forests.Several of the restricted-range species are strictlymontane, especially Timor Imperial PigeonDuculacineracea, Timor Bush Warbler and Chestnut-backedThrushZoothera dohertyi (Table 1), but so also aresome non-endemics: Yellow-breasted WarblerSeicercus montis (1,1002,300 m+), Pygmy WrenBabbler Pnoepyga pusilla (1,1002,000 m+),Mountain White-eye Zosterops montanus (5002,600 m), Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus(1,1002,600 m), Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryxleucophrys (1,1002,100 m+), Snowy-browedFlycatcherFicedula hyperythra (1,1002,200 m+)and Blood-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeumsanguinolentum (9201,200 m+). Many of theseare Asian montane species. Others are unexpectedlyfound in lowlands, when elsewhere in Asia theyare typically montane birds: Sunda Bush WarblerCettia vulcania and Little Pied FlycatcherFicedulawestermanni (Noske 1997). Relatives of the TimorStubtail Urosphena subulata and Timor BlueFlycatcher Cyornis hyacinthinus are montane, butboth occur widely on Timor (Noske 1997). On

Flores the Timor Leaf Warbler Phylloscopuspresbytes is found only in the mountains, but onTimor it occurs from the lowlands to the mountains.

TaxonomyNaming conventions here follow BirdLifeInternational (2008) with the following exceptions:the distinctive capistratus race of Rainbow LorikeetTrichoglossus haematodus is recognised as a fullspecies, Marigold Lorikeet T. capistratus, and thedistinctive Timor race of Pheasant Coucal isrecognised as a full species, Timor CoucalCentropus mui.

The recently published Systematics andtaxonomy of Australian birds (Christidis & Boles2008) briefly mentions some (Australian) birdsoccurring in the Timor region that need furthertaxonomic study. These include: Barred DoveGeopelia maugeus, Emerald Dove Chalcophapsindica, Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus spp., LittleBronze Cuckoo complex Chrysococcyx spp., BrushCuckoo complex Cacomantis spp., SouthernBoobook Ninox spp., White-shouldered Triller

Lalage spp., fantails Rhipidura spp., and ZebraFinch Taeniopygia spp. Christidis & Boles (2008)have also split a number of Australian forms ofwide-ranging taxa, and for some of these it is notclear whether the Australian or Asian/Europeanform occurs on Timor (e.g. Osprey Pandion

Plate 4. Timor Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hyacinthinus, TahuraForest Park, Amarasi, West Timor, August 2004.

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Plate 5. Male Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra,mountains of Timor-Leste, April 2008.

Plate 6. Chestnut-backed ThrushZoothera dohertii, April 2008.



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haliaetus, Great Egret Casmerodius albus, Barn OwlTyto alba and Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus ) and whether these splitswill find general international support. TheAustralian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae is

present and not the Oriental Darter A.melanogaster. Among taxonomic uncertaintiesconcerning Asian species (Collar 2003, Rheindt &Hutchinson 2007) some of the most interesting ofthese on Timor are montane birds (or typicallymontane birds, as above).

Habitats and their characteristic birdsTimor is hilly or mountainous, with little flat land.A central mountain chain forms the islands spine,with many peaks above 2,000 m, Mount Tatamailau(or Ramelau) in Timor-Leste being the highest at2,963 m; Gunung Mutis at 2,400 m is the highestpeak in West Timor. Rivers are short and broad,and flow towards the north or south coasts, rapidlybut for short periods. A narrow plain (310 km wide)along much of the south coast is characterised byseasonally inundated swamp forest, swamps andtall grasslands. Hills dominate much of the northcoastal region with little coastal plain development.In Timor-Leste there are three major plateaus aroundMaliana, Baucau and Lospalos.

Much of Timor supports woody vegetation,

mainly in the form of woodlands and savannas,but primary closed-canopy forest is locallydistributed. In the 1860s, Wallace (1869) noted thatthere is one important exception in the island ofTimor , in which there is absolutely no forestsuch as exists in the other islands. Mayr (1944)conveyed observations by Stein in 1931: muchwas expected from the previously unexplored highmountains of eastern Timor, but the result wasdisappointing. Villages occur up to an altitude of2,300 metres, and the forests have, therefore,entirely disappeared from the mountains..

Tropical forests (closed-canopy forests)Despite many threats, a wide range of tropicalforests persists in Timor-Leste, mostly as smallpatches including montane forest (above about1,000 m), tall evergreen forest (trees growing to40 m), semi-deciduous, tropical dry forest, andthorn forest (trees to 1020 m with many deciduousspecies). Evergreen swamp forests occur on thesouth coast, with unique inland patches aroundLake Iralalaro. The largest block of tropical forest

on Timor island occurs in the Lore, Muapitine,Mehara and Tutuala village areas of Lautem district,in the recently declared Nino Konis SantanaNational Park. These forests are particularly richin fleshy fruits and host many frugivorous birds.Most of the globally threatened and restricted-range

birds rely on this habitat, although there are varyingpatterns of habitat use. The Cinnamon-bandedKingfisher and Black-banded Flycatcher Ficedulatimorensis prefer evergreen forests, whereas TimorFigbird Sphecotheres viridis, White-bellied Bushchat

Saxicola gutturalis and Flame-breasted SunbirdNectarinia solaris prefer tropical dry forests.

Woodland and savannaWoodlands and savannas are extensive along thenorth coast including Eucalyptus alba woodland,palm and acacia savanna, and E. urophylla openforest in the hills. Much of this vegetation waspresumably formed by the historical conversion oftropical forest to agriculture, but some occursnaturally in areas of low rainfall and on ridges andparticular geologies. There are few specialisedbirds, but the White-bellied Bushchat and TimorSparrow Padda fuscata are often abundant.Nectarivores such as Iris Lorikeet Psitteuteles irisand Olive-headed Lorikeet Trichoglossus euteles areseasonally abundant when eucalypts flower.Australasian LarkMirafra javanica and HelmetedFriarbirdPhilemon buceroides are common birdsof lowland savannas. The Yellow-eared HoneyeaterLichmera flavicans is a dominant bird above about500 m.

Coffee plantationsCoffee plantations shaded by the overstorey treeSengon Paraserianthes falcataria are widespreadabove 600 m in Bobonaro, Ermera, Liquica andSame districts. These plantations are poorer in birdsthan natural tropical forests, but a wide range offorest birds are present including Yellow-crestedCockatoo, Iris Lorikeet, Olive-shouldered ParrotAprosmictus jonquillaceus, Orange-banded Thrushand Timor Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hyacinthinus.

Agricultural landSwidden agriculture with small-scale grain andvegetable crops is the main form of agriculture inTimor-Leste. Open-country species such as BarredDove, Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos,White-shouldered Triller Lalage sueurii and PiedBushchat Saxicola caprata are often common inthis habitat. Resident Greater Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis and many migrant wadersand other waterbirds use different stages of irrigatedricefields (e.g. at Laclo, Secal, Laleia and Laivairivers); Timor Sparrow is frequently common in

these same river valleys.

GrasslandGrasslands are extensive on degraded lands and onplateaus near Lospalos and Maliana. Quail Coturnixspp., Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis,



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Plate 7. Important areas of montane forest survive in a few places in Timor-Leste, including Mount Mundo Perdido.

Plate 8. Montane forest also survives as small patches onMount Legumau.

Plate 9. Eucalyptus alba savanna woodland is widespread in dryareas of Timor-Leste, including Atauro island (shown here).

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Plate 10. Dry deciduous forest is found in drier areas with strong dry seasons, seen here on limestone hills at Tilomar .

Plate 11. Timor-Leste has some of the most important freshwater wetlands in the Lesser Sunda region; Lake Modo Mahut has someof the most intact wetland ecosystems.

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Plate 14. Coastal evergreen forest and dry forest extends down to the undisturbed beach in the Vero River area in the extreme south-east of Timor-Leste.

Plate 12. The Irasequiro River flows out of Lake Iralalaro; this is aunique region of grassland and wetland largely surrounded byforest.

Plate 13. Near Lore, the coastal forest extends up to themountains in the Mount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro range. Thisarea and the Lore region are part of the magnificent Nino KonisSantana National Park.

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cisticolas Cisticola spp., Australasian Lark, migrantYellow WagtailMotacilla flava, Australasian PipitAnthus richardi and estrildid finches are oftencommon in this habitat. Along the rainshadowregions of the north coast, grazed short-grass habitat

provides feeding opportunities for migrant OrientalPlover Charadrius veredus, Australian PratincoleStiltia isabella and Oriental Pratincole Glareolamaldivarum. TallerImperata grasslands along thesouth coast provide extensive but poorly surveyedhabitat for rails Rallidae, (presumed) SwinhoesSnipe Gallinagomegala and quail.

WetlandWetlands are extremely limited in Timor-Leste, butthere is a wide variety of types including freshwaterlakes, saline lakes, rivers, swamps and marshes,wet grasslands, river estuaries, intertidal sand- andmudflats, sandy and rocky beaches, mangrove andexposed coral reefs (Trainor 2005). Lake Iralalaro(55 waterbird species) and Lake Modo Mahut areinternationally significant wetland complexes.Mangrove is extensive in the Hera-Metinaro area,1235 km east of Dili, but is poor in birds. Near-threatened species using wetlands in Timor-Lesteinclude Asian Dowitcher Limnodromussemipalmatus and Black-tailed Godwit Limosalimosa, as well as terns, pelican, cormorants, ducks

and rails.

Coastlines, especially beachTimor-Leste is fringed by beaches and rockycoastline, with occasional estuaries and coastallagoons. Much of the original littoral vegetationhas been converted through agriculture, but beachforest and coastal strand habitats are still presentin parts of Lautem district. Near-threatened beach-dwellers such as Malaysian Plover Charadriusperonii,Great-billed HeronArdea sumatrana andBeach Thick-kneeEsacus giganteus occur in smallnumbers along the coast, together with migrantshorebirds, herons, terns and other seabirds.

VillagesVillage land offers simplified habitat with coconutpalms, medium-sized fruit trees and numerousflowering plants. These are often poor in species,but include nectarivores such as Streaky-breastedHoneyeater Meliphaga reticulata, BrownHoneyeaterLichmera indistincta and Red-rumpedMyzomela Myzomela vulnerata; and small

insectivores such as Ashy-bellied White-eyeZosterops citrinella and Pied Bushchat.

Ocean/pelagicOpen ocean surrounds Timor-Leste, providinghabitat for many seabirds including boobies Sulidae;

petrels and shearwaters Procellariidae, storm-petrelsHydrobatidae, frigatebirds Fregatidae and ternsSternidae. The migrant Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus appears to winter in significantnumbers in waters between Dili and Atauro Island,

and perhaps elsewhere around Timor-Leste. Thestatus of all seabirds is poorly known in the region,and would make an interesting study.

History of ornithological explorationUp to 1980, 24 ornithological surveys or reportsare listed for Timor (White & Bruce 1986),beginning with William Dampier in 1699. Majorcollections and surveys include those of Muller(18281829), A. R. Wallace (18561861), D. S.Hoedt (18631866), H. O. Forbes (1882), C. B.Haniel (1911) (Hellmayr 1914), G. H. W. Stein(19311932) (Mayr 1944), and McKean and Mason(19731974). Georg Stein spent almost five monthsin West and East Timor, collecting 1,300 specimensduring visits to Lelogama, Mount Mutis (WestTimor), and Mount Ramelan (Ramelau) in EastTimor. The Portuguese literature is patchy. Sousa(1883) and Themido (1938) briefly listed specimenscollected by F. B. de Carvalho and R. das Dores.Bacelar (1958) provided a useful list of collectionsmade by F. B. de Carvalho, and Mesquitela (1989)produced a summary of collections including those

noted by Themido, Bacelar and Stein and Mayr.McKean et al. (1975) collected 97 species (281specimens) in East Timor, which were depositedat the Australian National Wildlife Collection inCanberra. They described a new race of PheasantCoucal (Mason et al. 1984) and published their newTimor records (McKean et al. 1975), some of whichwere not quite new (Mees 1976). Recent studiesby Richard Noske (Noske 1994, 1996, 1997, Noske& Saleh 1996) and visiting birdwatchers (mostnotably Andrew 1986) added many new birds tothe list. Contemporary observations in Timor-Lesteby CRT and others have added a further 20 birdsto the list for Timor, almost all being migrantwaders, seabirds or rails (Mauro 2003, Trainor2004, 2005, Trainor & Soares 2004, Trainor & Leito2007, Trainor et al. 2007b). Extensive tropicalforests in Lautem district have been the prime targetof recent fieldwork (Fig. 2).

Mammals, reptiles, frogs and freshwater fishof TimorThe non-bird land fauna of Timor is poorly known;

recent surveys have revealed new species of bats,frogs, geckos and skinks. The mammal, frog andreptile faunas are dominated by Asian families andspecies. At least 52 mammals occur on Timor withabout one-third introduced. Remarkably, only twonative terrestrial mammals have been recorded



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Timor Shrew Crocidura tenuis and Timor RatRattustimoriensiswith the remaining native mammalsbeing bats (at least 33 species). There are at leastsix introduced rats and mice and several introducedshrews. Timor once had a rich native rat fauna

including giant rats, but these may have becomeextinct after the introduction of mammalsassociated with human settlement during the last1,0007,000 years (Glover 1986), including:Common Spotted CuscusPhalanger orientalis (theonly Australo-Papuan marsupial on Timor), Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis (the onlyprimate), Common Palm Civet Paradoxurushermaphroditus, Eurasian Wild Pig Sus scrofa, RusaDeer Cervus timorensis, rats and mice.

There are moderate to high levels of endemismespecially for frogs (about 50% Timor-endemic),skinks (25%) and geckos (25%). There are about1520 frog species and 40 or more reptiles includingsix geckos, two monitor lizards, about 10 skinks,at least one blind snake, three pythons, one viper,about eight colubrid snakes, one file snake, at leastfour primitive sea snakes, the Estuarine CrocodileCrocodylus porosus, one recently discoveredChelodina freshwater turtle (Kuchling et al. 2007)and four sea turtles. Oceanic islands such as Timorare generally poor in freshwater fish, and thosespecies present are typically derived from marine

ancestors. At least 50 freshwater and estuarine fishhave been recorded. Two endemics occur on Timor:the Rice-fish Oryzias timorensis and a newlydescribed hardyhead fish Craterocephalus laisapifrom Lospalos, representing a genus knownotherwise only from Australia and southern NewGuinea (Larson et al. 2005). As for birds (above),a few differences have been found between Timor-Leste and West Timor: the single native rat isknown only from the West, and the endemic turtleand hardyhead fish from the East.

Threatened birdsFour globally threatened and 14 near threatenedbirds occur in Timor-Leste (Table 1); in addition,the critically endangered Christmas FrigatebirdFregata andrewsi has been recorded apparently asa vagrant (BirdLife International 2008). Leaving thelatter aside, all the threatened birds depend ontropical forest habitat for their survival, and theremaining forests of Timor-Leste and neighbouringIndonesia (perhaps especially Wetar) are criticalfor these species. Hunting is a particular threat in

addition to habitat lossthree of the fourthreatened birds are fruit-eating pigeons, large-bodied species much sought after by hunters.Threat status has not been evaluated by BirdLifeInternational for two species recognised here,Marigold Lorikeet and Timor Coucal, because they

are not recognised as species by BirdLife; weprovide a tentative category for each.

Slaty Cuckoo Dove Turacoena modesta(Near Threatened)The Slaty Cuckoo Dove is generally uncommon ina wide range of tropical forests including openEucalyptus forest along watercourses. Occasionallyin tropical evergreen forest it can be a dominantpigeon, with many individuals calling throughoutthe day, with its characteristic and far-reachingdescending hoo-wook call. Known only from Timor,Roti, Jaco, Atauro and Wetar islands.

Wetar Ground Dove Gallicolumba hoedtii(Endangered)The Wetar Ground Dove is one of the rarest pigeonsin the world (Timor and Wetar) and may havespecialised habitat requirements. In Timor-Leste,it was found in 2005 in spring forest at Foho Lulik,

on the south coast near the Indonesian border(Lambert et al. 2006). No other regular sites areknown anywhere, but traders in Dili indicated thatcaptured birds were obtained from the Natarboraarea, which includes a wild area of swamp forests,secondary forests and wetlands in the Sungai Clere

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Plate 15. Slaty Cuckoo Dove Turacoena modesta, Tahura ForestPark, Amarasi, West Timor, August 2004.



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region of Manufahi (Same) and Manatuto districts.Birds seen appeared to have a strong associationwith the spring habitat, but more survey work isneeded on the broad coastal plain on Timor-Lestessouth coast. It is believed to be absent from Nino

Konis Santana National Park in the far east.

Timor Green Pigeon Treron psittaceus(Endangered)Local villagers suggest that pigeon hunting forPortuguese-era and local celebrations, and by theIndonesian military, has devastated populations ofthe Timor Green Pigeon. The bird is regarded asdeaf: when one member of a flock is shot, otherbirds sit in the trees until they too are shot, withthe result that a large proportion of a flock mightbe killed in a short period. They are generally highlylocal, but in the Vero river valley of Nino KonisSantana National Park, flocks of 3050 birds areoccasionally observed. Flocks presumably moveover a large area to obtainFicus fruit. Timor GreenPigeon is relatively common in the Lore coastalevergreen forest. One huge flock of 130 birds wasobserved feeding in a village fruit tree at Wairoke(Wairoce). As a result of its naive behaviour, theTimor Green Pigeon is likely to remain threatenedunless air-rifles are effectively banned. This pigeonoccurs only on Timor and Roti, and perhaps Atauro

based on information from local villagers.

Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon Ducula rosacea(Near Threatened)Generally the most common forest pigeon in Timor-Leste, often replaced above about 1,200 m by TimorImperial Pigeon. Typically observed in small flocksof fewer than 10 birds, but up to 100 birds havebeen seen in the Lore area feeding on Canariumtrees. A prime target for local hunters.

Timor Imperial Pigeon Ducula cineracea(Endangered)This large montane pigeon is restricted to Timorand Wetar. It is locally abundant in tropicalevergreen forest above 1,200m, and is regularlyfound in scattered Ficus trees amongst coffeeplantations near Dili (Railako). More surveys ofmountain areas are needed to understand its statusbetter, but it does appear to be commoner in Timor-Leste than in West Timor (see above), whererecently it has only been recorded from the GunungMutis area.

Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea(Critically Endangered)The Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphureaoccurred widely in Wallacea until intensive tradebegan in the late 1970s. Worldwide fewer than

5,000 birds are thought to remain in the wild, withperhaps up to 500 in Timor-Leste. This is certainlythe best population after Sumba island (with itsdistinctive race citrinocristata) and Komodo island.Generally highly local, with populations of 2040

birds at several sites including Lake Modo Mahut(Mauro 2003), Lore IBA and Mount Cablaque. Thisbird is frequently seen in small groups throughoutmuch of Nino Konis Santana National Park, wherea total of 100 birds may persist. Poorly surveyedareas around Ermera and Railako, dominated bycoffee plantation and Eucalyptus forest, are saidby local people to hold a few hundred birds; thisremains unconfirmed although birds are certainlypresent. Low-level trapping of young birdscontinues, but at much lower rates than during theIndonesian period. Apart from being a valuablecommodity, the Yellow-crested Cockatoo is said tobe a pest of corn crops. Population levels may nowbe increasing.

Marigold Lorikeet Trichoglossus capistratus(perhaps Near Threatened)The Marigold Lorikeet occurs on Timor, Wetar,Roti, Atauro and Sumba, and is part of the RainbowLorikeet T. haematodus complex. In Timor-Leste,this lorikeet is dominant in lowland tropical forest,while Iris Lorikeet and Olive-headed Lorikeet T.

euteles replace it inEucalyptus-dominated savannasand woodlands. All three species may co-occur intropical montane forest at 1,0001,500 m. Tradeappears to be at a low level, although MarigoldLorikeet is a common cagebird in Dili.

Iris Lorikeet Psitteuteles iris (Near Threatened)This and the Olive-headed Lorikeet Trichoglossuseuteles are among the most localised andunpredictable of the restricted-range birds. Itappears to be entirely absent from Nino KonisSantana National Park, but can be locally abundantin coffee plantations and Eucalyptus open forest(at 5001,200m) south of Dili (Aileu, Railako andGleno).

Olive-shouldered ParrotAprosmictus jonquillaceus(Near Threatened)This parrot occurs over a wide range of mostlylowland habitats, and appears to be commonest inEucalyptus woodlands and open forests such assouth of Dili. Small numbers are captured andtraded locally. Observed in small family parties of

37 birds.

Timor Coucal Centropus mui(perhaps Vulnerable)This species was described by Mason et al. (1984)following collection of a bird at Lake Iralalaro.Recent observations have found that it is absent



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COLINTRAINOR

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STEFANBEHRENS

ANDYRHODES

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Plate 16. Wetar Ground Dove Gallicolumba hoedtii, Dili, Timor-Leste, September 2004.

Plate 17. Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon Ducula rosacea, Bipolo,West Timor, July 2006.

Plate 18. Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, Komodoisland, Lesser Sundas, September 1998.

Plate 19. Iris Lorikeet Trichoglossus iris,Mt Mutis, West Timor,August 2004.

Plate 20. Olive-shouldered ParrotAprosmictus jonquillaceus,Buat, West Timor, September 2004.



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from the interior of evergreen and tropical dryforest, but is often common at forest edges,particularly in association with swampy grasslands,marshes and shrubs. It is widespread in Lautemdistrict, but to date there have been no confirmed

sightings elsewhere. It is more vocal and easier toobserve in the wet season.

Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher Todiramphusaustralasia (Near Threatened)

This is a generally common bird of tropicalevergreen forest, including secondary forest, inpairs and small groups, but generally absent fromtropical dry forest. Kingfishers often call briefly atdawn and dusk and are therefore easy to overlook,but at some sites it calls throughout the day, andmay be among the most frequently recorded birds.

Timor Bush Warbler Bradypterus timorensis(Near Threatened)There are no Timor-Leste records; the lastconfirmed record was in 1931, at c.1,800m onGunung Mutis in West Timor (Mayr 1944,Dickinson et al. 2000). Timor-Leste has moreextensive montane habitat than the West, andextensive intact montane thickets on steep andinaccessible slopes. These (e.g. Mount Matebianand Mount Cablaque) should be targeted to search

for this bird.

Spot-breasted White-eye Heleia muelleri(Near Threatened)The staccato rattle of groups of 34 Spot-breastedWhite-eyes is a feature of the tropical evergreenforests of Timor-Leste, but they are generally absentfrom tropical dry forest. They are inconspicuousunless calling, and so are likely to be unrecorded.They occur widely in Timor-Leste, and are underno threat of extinction so long as tropical evergreenforests survive.

Chestnut-backed ThrushZoothera dohertyi(Near Threatened)An elusive but common bird in montane forestgenerally above about 1,100m, where itoccasionally co-occurs with Orange-banded Thrush.There is no trade in this bird in Timor-Leste. During19982001 (and 20042005), hundreds tothousands of Chestnut-backed Thrush and Orange-sided Thrush were trapped in the West and sold atmarkets in Kupang (CRT unpubl. obs) (and also

Mataram, Lombok), but there is no more recentinformation. Small numbers of Chestnut-backedThrush were sold as far afield as Medan, northSumatra in 19992001 (Shepherd 2005), but mostof the surviving birds probably reach markets onJava.CR

IAGROBSON/BIRDQ

UEST

RICHARDNOSKE

PAUL

PEARSON

Plate 21. Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher Todiramphusaustralasia, Bipolo, West Timor, July 2006.

Plate 22. Spot-breasted White-eye Heleia muelleri, Timor, June1993.

Plate 23. Orange-banded ThrushZoothera peronii, Bipolo, WestTimor, August 2007.



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Orange-banded ThrushZoothera peronii(Near Threatened)This thrush occurs in a wide variety of forest types,including secondary forests and occasionallyregenerating swidden fields. There is currently

no capture for trade in Timor-Leste (although itwas captured in the Indonesian period) and itcontinues to be one of the most frequently heardforest birds.

White-bellied Bushchat Saxicola gutturalis(Near Threatened)This bird is entirely absent from tropical evergreenforest in Timor-Leste, but is one of the commonestbirds of tropical dry forest and savannas, whichare extensive (especially savannas) along the northcoast. Concerns that it might be threatened aroselargely because its preferred habitat was rarelyvisited by ornithologists.

Black-banded Flycatcher Ficedula timorensis(Near Threatened)This stunning bird is never abundant but pairs areregularly heard, but less regularly seen, in a widerange of tropical forests, secondary forests, andeven teak plantations in tropical forest mosaics.

Timor Sparrow Padda fuscata (Near Threatened)Specific surveys for Timor Sparrow have never beenundertaken, but recent observations have foundsubstantial populations in dry degraded savanna-woodland landscapes (especially river valleys

associated with irrigated ricefields) along the northcoast of Timor-Leste, where flocks of 3050 birdsare readily observed. Seasonally, local people reportthat flocks can comprise thousands of birds aboutricefields. In contrast to neighbouring West Timor,there is no trade in Timor-Leste.

MigrantsTimor is used by small numbers of up to 30shorebird species during the Palearctic winter, andsmall numbers of shorebirds use Timor-Leste forstaging (feeding and resting) while en route to andfrom feeding grounds in Australia. Some key sitesfor migrants are listed in the Where to watchsection below. Most notable among the briefshorebird transients is Oriental Pratincole, oneflock of which at Lake Iralalaro consisted of 3,000birds (Trainor 2005). The Oriental Plover isanother spectacular passage migrant: it spendsdays or weeks in Timor-Leste in flocks of up to 70birds.

Plate 24. White-bellied Bushchat Saxicola gutturalis, female, Timor,June 1993.

RICHARDNOSKE

RICHARDNOSKE

RICHARDNOSKE

CRIAGROBSON/BIRDQ

UEST

Plate 25. White-bellied Bushchat Saxicola gutturalis, male, Timor,June 1993.

Plate 26. Black-banded Flycatcher Ficedula timorensis, Timor, June1993.

Plate 27. Timor Sparrow Padda fuscata, Bipolo, West Timor,August 2007.



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Little is known of migration or migrant ecologyin the region, and very few landbird migrants arriveon Timor; these include Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus, Chinese Goshawk Accipitersoloensis, Japanese GoshawkA. gularis, Oriental

Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus, Arctic WarblerPhylloscopus borealis and Yellow WagtailMotacillaflava. SeveralLocustella warblers may be regularmigrants but are probably overlooked. Largenumbers of migrant accipiters pass over Java andBali to enter west Nusa Tenggara, and presumablyvisit Timor each year. A few Australian birdsmigrate to Timor-Leste, including thousands ofAustralian Pratincole, Black-faced CuckooshrikeCoracina novaehollandiae and several cuckoospecies during May to December. These migrationsare not always annual: Australian Pratincole andBlack-faced Cuckooshrike appear to be absent insome years. The Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythropsnovaehollandiae visits Timor regularly fromSeptember to January each year. Possibly it breedsin Timor-Leste, but this remains unconfirmed. TheMagpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca was considered anEast Timor resident (McKean et al. 1975) but onlya single bird has been seen since the 1970s.

Conservation in Timor-LesteDespite the pressures for rapid economic

development, the government and people of Timor-Leste have shown an exceptional (and exemplary)commitment to maintaining their natural andcultural riches. Protection of the environment,preservation of natural resources and safeguardingof sustainable livelihoods are guaranteed under theConstitution, and backed by strong regulationssuch as a total ban on commercial logging since theyear 2000. This has been very much needed, as thecountry has opened up to the possibility of large-scale exploitation by external investors. In 2000, aconsortium attempted to build a casino complex inthe biologically richest part of the island, on Jacoisland in the extreme east. A protected area law wasquickly developed and passed by UNTAET, coveringeight sites that had been identified under Indonesianauthority, plus another seven. This served itspurpose well. However, with independence in 2002,the Timorese government is now taking theopportunity to develop permanent protected areasand a comprehensive package of policy andlegislation to support it; the area proposed for thecasino has instead been included in the area declared

as the countrys first national park (see below).Many communities have traditionally subsisted

through slash-and-burn agriculture. This is notsustainable at current rates of land clearance andpopulation densities, and the need to develop moreappropriate livelihoods is recognised by all. To

safeguard the fragmented and fragile network ofsites of conservation importance in Timor-Leste,there is strong consensus in Timor and beyond thata protected area network, carefully established soas to bring benefits to local communities, is an

essential component of the management of thecountrys resources. The needs are large andcomplex, and a continuing lack of human resourcesand capacity is a problem in one of Asias poorestcountries, but fortunately Timor-Leste is beginningto receive the help it needs.

At the end of 2007, BirdLife Internationalpublished Important Bird Areas of Timor-Leste,which identifies 16 of the most extensive and least-disturbed forests and wetlands on Timor island. TheIBA research represented joint work by BirdLife andTimor-Lestes Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries(MAF) since 2002, and the Minister of Agriculturehas welcomed it as providing important baselineinformation for the creation of a protected areasnetwork. The World Bank recently financed theproduction of the field guide to The birds of Timor-Leste (Trainor et al. 2007b) inPortuguese, Indonesian andEnglish, based on the existingGuide to the birds of Wallacea(Coates & Bishop 1997), andpublished by BirdLife

International and DovePublications (and shortlyavailable to purchase fromDove Publications). Studiesof other fauna and flora arealso underway, to ensurethat the conservation andprotected areas systemtruly represents and conserves the uniquebiodiversity of Timor-Leste.

Important Bird AreasSixteen IBAs have been identified in Timor-Leste:14 on the mainland and two on offshore islands(Table 2). They have a total area of 1,852km2, justunder 12.5% of the land area of Timor-Leste. Fivepossible additional IBAs have been identified,where insufficient biological information iscurrently available to confirm whether they qualifyunder the IBA criteria. Further ornithologicalsurveys are required to help develop the IBAnetwork, and to improve understanding of thestatus of the threatened and restricted-range birds.

All 16 IBAs support populations of some of therestricted-range birds of the Timor and Wetar EBA,and 10 of them are known to support populationsof globally threatened bird species. Of thethreatened species, Yellow-crested Cockatoo isknown from eight of the IBAs, Timor Green Pigeon



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Figure 3. Location of Important Bird Areas (numbered as in Table 2) in Timor-Leste. Base map taken from Trainor et al. (2007).

Table 2. Designated and candidate Important Bird Areas in Timor-Leste. The areas of candidate IBAs are not defined (ND

below), pending further study.

Area AltitudeSite name (and number: Fig. 3) (km2) (m) Description/habitats

Confirmed IBAs1. Tilomar 227 01,000 Tropical dry forest; evergreen forest2. Tata Mailau 303.7 6002,972 Eucalyptus woodland; montane shrubland3. Fatumasin 136.2 8001,369 Tropical dry forest4. Atauro Island-Manucoco 141.2 0995 Montane forest; Eucalyptus woodland; tropical dry forest5. Sungai Clere 422.6 0100 Evergreen swamp forest; swamps; wet grassland6. Lore 109 0500 Evergreen coastal forest; coastal strand; tropical dry forest

7. Mount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro 557.9 0960 Evergreen and dry forests; lake and seasonally inundatedsedge and grasslands

8. Jaco Island 11 0100 Tropical dry forest9. Mount Diatuto 344.5 6001,770 Eucalyptus forest; montane forest10. Be Malae Atabae 278.5 0100 Tropical dry forest; woodland; beach and shallow saline lake11. Maubara 52.9 0500 Shallow saline lake; tropical dry forest12. Mount Mak Fahik & Mount Sarim 29.6 4001,000 Eucalyptus forest; montane forest13. Tasitolu 15.4 0403 Shallow saline lake; open woodland14. Areia Branca beach and hinterland 29.9 0500 Beaches and mangrove; Eucalyptus woodland15. Mount Curi 200.8 01,320 Eucalyptus forest & woodland; montane forest16. Irabere estuary & Iliomar forest 165.5 0500 Tropical dry forest; coastal mosaic at estuary

Candidate IBAs17. Saboria mountain (above 2,000 m) ND ? Eucalyptus woodland; montane shrubland18. Talobu/Laumeta mountain (above 2,000 m) ND ? Eucalyptus woodland; montane shrubland19. Mount Mundo Perdido ND Montane forest; Eucalyptus forest; grassland20. Mount Matebian (above 2,000 m) ND Eucalyptus forest; Montane forest; montane shrubland21. Mount Cablaque ND Eucalyptus forest; Montane forest; montane shrubland


1

2

5

12

9

16

6

8

7

10

113

13 1415

4

0 100 km


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from six, Timor Imperial Pigeon from two, andWetar Ground Dove from a single IBA. The IBAnetwork covers all major terrestrial habitats foundin Timor-Leste, including extensive areas of lowlandmonsoon forest, tall evergreen forest and montane

forest. Several IBAs retain small areas of coastalforest and strand vegetation. There are nationallyimportant wetlands in eight IBAs, includingfreshwater and saline lakes, intertidal mudflats,swamps, mangroves, rivers and streams. Otherhabitats present in the IBAs are savanna woodland,shrubland, grassland and agricultural land.

Nino Konis Santana National ParkThe history of protected area establishment inTimor-Leste is brief, but priority sites have beenidentified and the first park was declared in 2007.In 1967 two forest reserves were established bythe Portuguese colonial government: at Tilomar(Suai district) and Lore (Lospalos), with the aimof protecting Sandalwood (FAO/UNDP 1982). In1982, eight East Timor sites (with nine in WestTimor), including Tilomar and Lore, were identifiedas key representative natural areas as part of theIndonesian-wideNational Conservation Plan; two(Lore-Iralalaro and Gunung Tatamailau) were listedamong the nine major areas of conservation interest

for the entire Nusa Tenggara region (FAO/UNDP1982).

The LoreMonte PaitchauIralalaro area wasagain identified during the period of Indonesianadministration as one of the highest site priorities

in the IndonesianBiodiversity Action Plan includingfreshwater lakes, swamps and tropical forest(National Development Planning Agency 1993).The 15 sites included under the UNTAET protectedarea law passed in 2000 (see above) included allthe previously identified sites, covering at least1,868 km2, or about 13% of the nations land area,but boundaries were not defined and the sites arenot recognised in land-use planning (Trainor et al.2007a).

Therefore, at the beginning of 2007 no protectedareas with clear boundaries had been formallydeclared in Timor-Leste. Sixteen conservation areashave been declared in West Timor covering1,533km2 (Departemen Kehutanan 2007) or 9.6%of the land, although boundaries have not beenestablished and there is little to no management.Therefore the need for protected area establishmentto safeguard the birds and other biodiversity ofTimor was urgent.

As the map of IBAs (Fig. 3) shows, and as everysite-prioritisation exercise carried out has also

Figure 4.Map of the terrestrial part of Nino Konis Santana National Park, and names of villages in Lautem district. Based onGovernment of Timor-Leste (2007). The park also extends into the marine zone on all coasts.



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found, there is a concentration of rich sites forwildlife in the extreme east of Timor-Leste. In 2007,the government declared this area as Nino KonisSantana National Park, covering 123,600 hectares(Fig. 4), and linking three IBAs: Lore, Mount

Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro, and Jaco Island. Thisis the countrys first national park, and is awonderful place to visit even while the parkinfrastructure is non-existent. Visitors can find anunbroken succession of habitat from coastal tosmall areas of montane forest; such a continuumrare now anywhere in the world. Several foresttypes are present, together with the impressive andwildlife-rich Lake Iralalaro, the largest in the LesserSundas. Even the beaches are so undisturbed as tohold Great-billed Heron, Malaysian Plover andBeach Thick-Knee. The park boundary extends intothe marine area, which holds magnificent coralreefs characteristic of the Coral Triangle.

Where-to-watch sitesSome key sites (with districts in brackets) forwatching birds, and the typical birds observed atthe sites, are listed below. Those that are also IBAsare mapped on Fig. 3; others are easily found onfreely available maps of Timor-Leste. RoadsideEucalyptus woodland, secondary forests andricefields often allow satisfying observations. All

IBAs offer excellent birdwatching opportunities,and the directory of IBAs (Trainor et al. 2007a)includes suggestions on access to all sites. Thedistribution of the major forest types and theirdominant food resources is a major influence onthe broad distribution of fruit-eating pigeons andother frugivores, and nectarivorous lorikeets. Themost extensive areas of fruit-rich primary andsecondary tropical forests, covering about1,000km2, occur in Lautem district. Flower-richEucalyptus forests and savannas are mostly foundin the western districts of Manatuto, Dili, Aileu,Same, Bobonaro and Ermera.

Dili (Dili): Pied Bushchat, introduced Sooty-headedBulbulPycnonotus aurigasterand Eurasian TreeSparrowPasser montanus, Ashy-bellied White-eye, Red-rumped Myzomela, Red-chestedFlowerpeckerDicaeum maugei and Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata are some of the commonbirds found in Dili.

Tasitolu IBA (Dili): The lakes, mudflat andsurrounding woodland host a large number of

waterbirds (60 species) and savanna birds (60species), including migrant waders atappropriate seasons (notably Oriental Plover),breeding Red-capped Plover Charadriusruficapillus and Timor Sparrow. Tasitolutogether with Lake Laga and other north-coast

sites are important stopover sites for migrantbirds.

Comoro (Dili): The gravel-bed estuary hosts smallnumbers of migrant waders and MalaysianPlover (34 pairs are resident) and inshore

waters periodically host seabirds including Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus,frigatebirds and terns.

Areia Branca beach and hinterland IBA (CristoRei) (Dili): The savannas east of CapeFatucama are rich in open-country birdsincluding Barred Dove, Australasian Lark,Streaky-breasted Honeyeater and BrownHoneyeater. Shorebirds, including MalaysianPlover, are present on the beaches.

Offshore waters of Atauro and Oecussi: Pelagicseabirds and cetaceans (dolphins and whales)are frequent between Dili and Atauro Island orOecussi; regular ferries serve these routes.

Hera-Metinaro (Dili): Mangrove-backed mudflatshost migrant waders, including occasionalAsian Dowitcher and Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis.

Atauro IslandManucocco IBA (Dili): This steepand patchily forested mountain on AtauroIsland hosts Banded Fruit Dove Ptilinopuscinctus, Olive-headed Lorikeet, Orange-

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Plate 28. Olive-headed Lorikeet Trichoglossus euteles,Bipolo,

West Timor, August 2004.



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banded Thrush, Sunda Thrush Zootheraandromedae and a small range of typical forestbirds.

Tibar (Liquica): Mangroves and mudflat host arange of waders such as Common Redshank

Tringa totanus, Terek SandpiperXenus cinereusand Grey-tailed TattlerHeteroscelus brevipes.Maubara IBA (Liquica): Provides habitat for

several waterbirds and small numbers ofmigrants. Slaty Cuckoo Dove is regularly seenaround the lake. Forest south of the lake hasnot yet been investigated.

Dare to Aileu (Aileu): Secondary forest,Eucalyptusurophylla woodland and coffee plantations at4001,200m along the road to Aileu host IrisLorikeet, Olive-shouldered Parrot andWallacean DrongoDicrurus densus.

Railako (Ermera): Coffee plantation and secondaryforest hosts many forest and woodland birdsincluding Timor Imperial Pigeon, Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Iris Lorikeet and Timor BlueFlycatcher.

Manatuto fishponds (Manatuto): Regularly hostssmall numbers of migrant waders and otherwaterbirds.

Lake Laga or Fatuk Masin (Baucau): This shallowsaline lake hosts migrant waders and openwoodland birds, most notably staging Oriental

Plover in OctoberNovemberLake Eraulu (Ermera):This montane marsh hosts

Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus,Wandering Whistling-duck Dendrocygnaarcuata, Common CootFulica atra, SwinhoesSnipe and Australasian Grebe Tachybaptusnovaehollandiae.

Nitibe (Oecussi): Extensive tropical dry forest onsteep slopes and patches of montane forest wererecently surveyed by the Department ofNational Parks and Protected Areas. They hada sight record of Wetar Ground Dove, andobservations of small numbers of Yellow-crested Cockatoo, together with a rich forestbird fauna.

Malahara (Lautem): Part of the Mount Paitchauand Lake Iralalaro IBA, and of Nino KonisSantana National Park. Extensive tropicalevergreen forest hosts most of Timors lowlandforest birds including Timor Green Pigeon,Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cinnamon-bandedKingfisher, Spot-breasted White-eye and Black-banded Flycatcher.

Tutuala and Jaco Island (Lautem): Part of theMount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro IBA, andof Nino Konis Santana National Park. Dryforests host Slaty Cuckoo Dove and White-bellied Bushchat, and a wide range oflowland birds. Coastal habitats are also rich

in coastal birds and sometimes seabirds.Swifts and swiftlets nest along coastal cliffs.

Lake Iralalaro (Lautem): Part of the MountPaitchau and Lake Iralalaro IBA, and of NinoKonis Santana National Park. Typically hosts a

wide variety of waterbirds includingcormorants, darter, egrets, night herons, ducks,jacana, and rails. Long-toed Stint Calidrissubminuta and Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareolaand several other migrant waders winter at thelake. Staging Oriental Pratincole are present inOctoberDecember each year.

Lore IBA (Lautem): Evergreen coastal forest andcoast, part of Nino Konis Santana National Park;hosts most lowland birds including Timor GreenPigeon and Yellow-crested Cockatoo, whileintact coastal habitats host Great-billed Heron,Beach Thick-knee andMalaysian Plover.

Birding etiquette: where to stay, tips and hintsTimor-Leste can be reached by air from Darwin,Australia (Airnorth www.airnorth.com.au), andDenpasar (Bali), Indonesia (www.merpati.co.id).It is also possible to travel overland (810 hrs) onminibuses between Dili and Kupang, West Timor,for about $20 each way. General tourist informationcan be found in the East Timor Lonely Planet guide(Wheeler 2004), and on websites such as Discover

Dili http://www.discoverdili.com and the Timor-Leste Government Tourist Office http://www.turismotimorleste.com. Tourism is in itsinfancy in Timor-Leste, but there are traveloperators (www.timormegatours.com) and vehiclehire. Information on hotel accommodation can befound in the Lonely Planet guide or those websites.It is best to plan your trip and travel arrangementsbefore arriving in Timor-Leste. The main languagesused are Indonesian and the indigenous Tetum(Portuguese, one of the official languages, is notwidely spoken in rural areas), and for travel outsideDili you will almost certainly need a translator-guide if you cant speak one of these languages.

As in most of Asia, local knowledge andpermissions (formal or informal) are important.Visitors intending to go to rural areas that see fewvisitors are advised to meet Timorese governmentworkers in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries,in particular the National Directorate of Forestry,which contains the Department of National Parksand Protected Areas (essential if visiting protectedareas or forests), and/or the Tourism Department,

and discuss planned activities. Government staffmay be able to give phone contacts of key localpeople (such as village chiefs) and suggestions onlogistics/safety for your trip. For more formalactivities such as bird tour groups or research,permission would be needed at higher level in the



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relevant government ministries, and contacts mademore formally at district or sub-district and villagelevels.

Local contacts in rural areas are very important;this is true in any region with little history of

accommodating visitors from abroad, and is perhapsmade more so in Timor-Leste by the occasionallyvolatile political situation. All land falls withinvillages, and local communities will generally wantto know who is visiting their lands, and for whatpurpose. As in much of neighbouring Indonesia, itis expected that visitors as a minimum will meetwith the village head, but this may be unnecessaryif your guide or local contact originates from thatvillage, or is well known to the village. Disputes areusually caused by unclear financial arrangements(payment to local guides for example), and perhapsby trespass (according to local villagers). These arebest avoided by being respectful, having reliablelocal contacts, employing a translator-guide ifneeded (to ensure that communications are clear),and being willing to meet and spend some time withlocal villagers. Remember that there may be specialplaces or certain times, such as during traditionalceremonies, when local communities may not wishto receive visitors. It is also often customary thatvisitors are accompanied by a local counterpart whomay act as a guide. Daily payments for local guides

may be about $5 per person (plus food and drinks).If they apply a combination of common sense,courtesy and attention to travel advice, visitingbirders are most unlikely to encounter anyproblems.

Knowledge of the birds of Timor-Leste is still inits infancy, and every visiting birder is likely to addnew information. Who will rediscover the TimorBush Warbler, recently split as an endemic speciesbut unrecorded since 1931, when it was capturedat about 1,800m in West Timor? It would be verymuch appreciated if visitors could send their recordsto the first author or to BirdLife International, whichwill ensure that the government can use them toinform its protected areas programme.

AcknowledgementsThis article draws on fieldwork carried out by ColinR. Trainor, Fernando Santana and colleagues, andon the programme of the Government to Timor-Lesteto establish a new system of protected areas. Thisprogramme has been carried out with the supportof BirdLife International, and, through BirdLife, the

Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, DarwinInitiative (UK Government Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs) andVogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLifeNetherlands). Colin Trainor was supported for muchof the fieldwork by a Postgraduate Research

Scholarship from Charles Darwin University (CDU),with additional financial support from theCooperative Research Centre for Tropical Savannasat CDU, and from the UK Parrot Society. Work inTimor-Leste would have been impossible without

the assistance and approval of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries, in particular theDepartment of National Parks and Protected Areas,in the National Directorate of Forestry: Manuel daSilva, Manuel Mendes, Adelino Rogario and CathyMolnar (Protected Area Network Advisor); also theNational Directorate for Environmental Services andthe Lautem District Administration. In the field, workby all the authors was assisted by many people,particularly Alcantra F. Xavier, Joo dos Santos,Loureno dos Santos, Filomeno Soares Ferreira,Constantino Hornay and Flaminio Xavier. Frank

Lambert, Pedro Leito and Iwein Mauro collectednew information on the birds of Timor and some oftheir information is summarised here. Thanks toKyle Armstrong and Jane Edwards for preparingsome maps. IBA mapping (including Fig. 3) wasassisted by the Agriculture and LanduseGeographical Information System, and Rudyanto.We gratefully acknowledge the photographerswhose work is included in this article.

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Colin R. TrainorSchool of Environmental and Life Sciences, Charles

Darwin University 0909, Northern Territory, AustraliaEmail: [email protected]

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Cambridge, CB3 0NA, UK



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ANDREWD

UFF

ANDYRHODES

COLINTRAINORANDP

EDROPINTO

COLINTRAINORANDP

EDROPINTO

JAMESEATON

COLINTRAINOR

Plate 29. Southern BoobookNinox novaeseelandiae fusca, CristoRei, Timor-Leste, April 2008.

Plate 30. Fawn-breasted Whistler Pachycephala orpheus,Camplong, West Timor, May 2005.

Plate 31. Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis, male, Timormountains, April 2008.

Plate 32. Timor Figbird Sphecotheres viridis,Bipolo, West Timor,September 2006.

Plate 33. Olive-brown Oriole Oriolus melanotis, male, Camplong,West Timor, July 2006.

Plate 34. Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons, Timor, April 2008.



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Timor island bird checklist

Key to habitat use, abundance, conservation status and distibution

English name Scientific Habitat Abundance Status Distrib

Orange-footed Megapode Megapodius reinwardt TF, WL lcr >Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora WL, GR, AG cr >Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis GR, AG lcr < >Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus TF, WL, PL cr Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah WE v >Green Pygmy-goose Nettapus pulchellus WE lav >

Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa WE, BE cr >Sunda Teal Anas gibberifrons WE, BE cr Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas OC nv < >

Habitat use

TF = tropical forestWL = woodlandPL = plantationAG = agricultural landGR = grasslandWE = wetlandVI = villageBE = beach/coastalOC = ocean/pelagic

Abundance

aw = common austral winter migrantcr = common residentcw = common winter visitorcwp = common winter visitor and passage migrantlav = locally common austral visitorlci = locally common introducedlcp = locally common passage migrantlcr = locally common residentnaw = not common austral migrantnp = not common passage migrantnr = not common residentnv = not common visitor

nw = not common winter visitornwp = not common winter visitor and passage migrantv = vagrant

Conservation status

CR = Critically EndangeredEN = EndangeredVU = VulnerableNT = Near Threatenedrr = restricted-range (and regional endemic)

Distribution

> = also occurs west or north of Wallacea(Insular and continental South-East Asia)

< = also occurs east or south of Wallacea(New Guinea and Australia)

E = endemic

Note: of the resident landbirds only Elegant Pitta Pitta elegans andTimor Bush Warbler Bradypterus timorensis have not yet beenrecorded in Timor-Leste

RICHARDNOSKE

RICHARDNOSKE

Plate 35. Buff-banded Grassbird Buettikoferella bivittata, Timor,June 1993.

Plate 36. Buff-banded Grassbird Buettikoferella bivittata, Timor,June 1993.



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Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus OC nv < >Bulwers Petrel Bulweria bulwerii OC nv < >White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina OC v < >Matsudairas Storm-petrel Oceanodroma matsudairae OC nv >Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis WE cr < >Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae WE nr < >Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana BE nr < >Australian Sacred Ibis Threskiornis molucca WE v >Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus WE nv < >Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia WE, BE lav >

Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis WE lcr < >Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus WE, AG lcr Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax WE lcr Striated Heron Butorides striata WE, BE lcr < >Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis WE, AG cr < >Purple Heron Ardea purpurea BE, WE nr Great Egret Casmerodius albus WE, BE lcr < >Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia WE nr < >

White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae WE, AG cr >Little Egret Egretta garzetta WE cr < >Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra BE cr < >White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus OC v < >Greater Frigatebird Fregata minor OC, BE nv < >Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel OC, BE nv < >Christmas Island Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi BE, OC v CR Masked Booby Sula dactylatra OC lcr < >Red-footed Booby Sula sula OC cr < >Brown Booby Sula leucogaster OC cr < >Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos WE, BE lcr >

Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris WE, BE lcr >Australian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae WE, BE nr NT >Spotted Kestrel Falco moluccensis WL, PL, GR, AG cr

RICHARDNOSKE

COLINTRAINORANDPEDROP

INTO

Plate 37. Timor Stubtail Urosphena subulata, Timor, June 1993. Plate 38. Timor Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hyacinthinus, male,Timor mountains, April 2008.



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Osprey Pandion haliaetus BE nr < >Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata TF, WL, AG nr >Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus TF, WL nw White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster BE lcr < >Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus TF, WL, AG nr Chinese Goshawk Accipiter soloensis TF, WL nw Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis TF, WL nw Beach Thick-knee Esacus giganteus BE nr NT < >Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus WE, AG lcr < >Masked lapwing Vanellus miles WE, AG nv >Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva WE,GR, AG cwp < >Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola WE,GR, AG cwp < >Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius WE nw < >Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus WE nw Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii BE nr NT Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii WE, BE cwp < >Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus WE,GR, AG lcp < >Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis WE, AG nr Swinhoes Snipe Gallinago megala WE, GR cw < >

Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus WE, BE nw NT < >Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa WE, BE nwp NT < >Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica WE, BE nwp < >Little Curlew Numenius minutus WE np < >Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus WE, BE cwp < >Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata WE v Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus WE v Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis WE cw < >Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia WE, BE cwp < >

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola WE, BE, AG cw < >Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus WE, BE nwp < >Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos WE, BE cw < >Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes WE, BE cw < >Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres WE, BE lcp < >Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris WE, BE nwp < >



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Red Knot Calidris canutus WE v < >Sanderling Calidris alba WE, BE nw < >Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis WE cw < >Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta WE, AG nw < >Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotus WE v Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea WE np < >Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus WE nw < >Ruff Philomachus pugnax WE nw < >Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus OC cw < >Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella WE,GR aw >Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum WE,GR lcp < >Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica WE,BE nv < >Caspian Tern Sterna caspia BE naw < >Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis OC, BE nv < >

Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii WE, BE, OC cr < >Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana OC lcr < >Common Tern Sterna hirundo WE,BE nw < >Little Tern Sterna albifrons WE,BE lcr < >Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus OC nv < >Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida WE, BE cr < >White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus WE,BE nw < >Brown Noddy Anous stolidus BE, OC nr < >Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus BE, OC v < >Rock Pigeon Columba livia VI cr < >White-throated Pigeon Columba vitiensis TF, WL lcr < >Island Collared Dove Streptopelia bitorquata WL nr Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea TF, WL, PL nr CR EBlue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata TF v >Marigold Lorikeet Trichoglossus capistratus TF, WL, PL, BE lcr >Olive-headed Lorikeet Trichoglossus euteles TF, WL, PL lcr EIris Lorikeet Psitteuteles iris TF, WL, PL lcr NT,rr ERed-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi TF, WL, PL cr >Great-billed Parrot Tanygnathus megalorynchos TF, WL nr

Sunda Cuckoo Cuculus lepidus TF cr Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus WL, PL cr >Goulds Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx russatus TF, WL, PL, AG cr < >Shining Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus WL naw >Horsfields Bronze Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis WL naw < >


Documents

15-022 FR Ann10b Birding Asia Timor Leste