Based on their extinction status, 179 types of birds in Indonesia have been put on the list of birds under threat of extinction globally.
Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA) - At least 179 species of birds in Indonesia are under the threat of extinction, according to flora and fauna conservation organization, Burung Indonesia.

"Based on their extinction status, 179 types of birds in Indonesia have been put on the list of birds under threat of extinction globally," biodiversity conservation officer for Indonesian birds with Burung Indonesia, Achmad Ridha Junaid, said in a press statement issued on Wednesday.

In addition, 31 species of birds have been placed under the critical category, and are one notch away from extinction, he disclosed. Meanwhile, 52 species of birds have been declared endangered (EN) and 96 others as vulnerable to extinction (VU), he added.

This data signals that the challenges to conserving the diverse bird species in the country have continued to increase, he said.

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Although many conservation efforts have been made, the population of several species of birds has declined, he added.

Besides deforestation, bird hunting and trapping have been primarily responsible for the declining population of birds, he said.

The impact of bird hunting and trapping is apparent from nine species of birds being deemed at risk of extinction in 2021. Some species that have felt the real impact of such activities include perkici dada-merah (Trichoglossus forsteni), empuloh janggut (Alophoixus bres), empuloh pipi-kelabu (Alophoixus tephrogenys), cucak aceh (Pycnonotus snouckaerti), and anis kembang (Geokichla interpres).

In fact, the population of Empuluh janggut is predicted to decline by up to 50 percent in Java and Bali (BirdLife International, 2020a; Eaton et al., 2015).

This highlights the importance of more serious efforts to reduce the impact of bird hunting and trapping, said Junaid.



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Translator: Suriani Mappong/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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