"This August (2011), several local residents spotted the rare birds. There were hundreds of them. They perched on tall trees," Surya Adnan, a local prominent figure at Tanjung Rhu, Rupat Sub District, said on Friday.
Migratory birds perch on trees in Rupat Isle forests every year during the transitional season from drought to rainy season which usually in September 2011.
The birds are believed to have come from Siberia and China, and they stop on Rupat Isle to get food before proceeding their journey to the South towards other islands including in Australia.
"We don`t know until when the migratory birds will continue to make transit here, because large part of natural forest in Rupat has been converted into oil-palm plantation. Might be in the near future, the land conversion to reach the forest area where migratory birds usually come," he said.
Bengkalis District Head Herliyan Saleh said he has been informed by a number of people that they saw many migratory birds on Rupat Isle.
(SYS/F001/O001)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
