Some More Birds of the Wallace Line, Vol.2

Most of these birds are endemic to Bali and Jawa Timur (East Java) on the Sunda side of Wallace Line. Many of these bird species face risks from capture for the cage bird trade, hunting/ targeted killing, domesticated animals and habitat destruction and fragmentation due to human activity. Their range and habitats, formerly widespread and common, are now ever contracting or becoming rare and very restricted. The H5 bird flu (avian influenza) has been spreading now for about four years and will impact millions of wild animals worldwide. It will also affect a range of these wild birds.

Bali Myna (Jalak Bali). The mascot of Bali is a critically endangered white starling with black tips to the tail and wings. It has blue facial skin, and long plumes.

Yellow-throated Hanging-Parrot. Near threatened/ Sensitive Species. Tiny short-tailed Psittacidae, green overall with a bright red rump and orange bill.

Javan Kingfisher (Cekakak or Raja Udang). Sensitive Species. Brightly coloured medium-large kingfisher with a large red bill, dark head, brown throat and chest, purple body, turquoise blue wings and tail.

Javan Banded Pitta (Paok Pancawarna). Sensitive Species. A five-coloured groundbird - brown upperparts, black mask, white throat, and yellow eyebrow and barred underparts, bright blue tail and white wing stripes. This male shows its blue bib and tail and black crown.

 Javan Flowerpecker (formerly called Blood-breasted Flowerpecker). Found at the foot of the wingit atmosphere of the high mountain forests of Tabanan. This male shows its glossy dark blue back and bright red chest with a black line running down its white belly.

Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker. Lowland dicaeidae. This is a typical male - unmistakeable bright red head, breast, and back.

Flame-fronted Barbet (Takur Tohtor) from the gardens of Pura Luhur Batukaru. Bright-coloured with green body, yellow-orange forehead, blue nape, and orange crescent on the upper chest. 

Black-banded Barbet. Green overall with large black bill, red throat, black mask and bright yellow crown. Endemic to Java with a moderately large but highly fragmented range.

Yellow-eared Barbet. This small green barbet is from Padang Savana Sadengan. Bright sky-blue patches on face, shoulders, throat and undertail, and a bright yellow patch below each eye.

Crescent-chested Babbler. With a black crescent across its breast, this little Javan endemic is bright rufous above and gray below.

Javan Scimitar-Babbler. A vulnerable and threatened species, of the high tropical montane rainforest. Apparently, it has fierce-eyes yellow and short typical decurved babbler bill, a black head and white throat to mid-belly that contrast with a dark maroon body. They say every birdwatcher with a camera has a photo in them. This should have stayed there.

Javan Whistling-Thrush. Sensitive Species. A dark blue forest bird with dark bill and legs and bright blue nape and shoulders.

Javan Bulbul. Forest bulbul with a long slender bill, olive back and wings, and streaked underparts.

Ruby-throated Bulbul. Vulnerable species. Black headed with a golden-yellow body. Okay. A small crest and blood-red throat. Apparently.

Black-winged Myna. Endemic to Java and Bali but very localised. An endangered species with an estimate of less than 250 individuals left in the wild. White bird with black wings and bare yellow skin around the eyes.

Javan Heleia. Not a typical “white-eye”, this small gray-headed yellow-green bird was foraging in the wooded edge of a lake.

Java Sparrow. Small, plump finch with a very thick pink bill, pink eye ring, black head and white cheek. Roosts communally, and nests under eaves of urban buildings. An endangered lowland species, introduced across the globe including in the Philippines.

Sunda Warbler. Gray back, white underparts with bright white eyerings and green wings. Found along the road between two mountains - Gunung Ranti and Gunung Merapi.

Sunda Minivet. Brightly coloured extensive deep-red underparts and lower back, black crown and long tail. Inhabitant of the higher montane forests in Java and Sumatra (1200-2700 meters).

Sunda Crow. Medium-sized black crow with an iridescent dark blue plumage, and a relatively long, slightly decurved bill. It ranges from the southern Thai-Malay Peninsula and Sumatra to Borneo and Bali.

Javan Plover. Relatively small plain plover, found from Java East through the Lesser Sundas (Indonesia to Timor-Leste). Brown above and white below, with a neat white collar, forehead, and eyebrow. Small populations in decline.

Sunda Collared-Dove. Found on both sides of the Wallace Line, this East Javan Columbidae is pink-brown with bright-red eyes, and a white-trimmed black collar.

Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon. Also on both sides of the Wallace Line. Bird with gray forehead and crown, a thick white bill and bright yellow-green wing feather linings and lime-green goggles. This male from Bali exhibits its maroon back and shoulders.

Small (Cerulean) Blue Kingfisher. Found on both sides of the Wallace Line. Tiny kingfisher with blue upperparts and white underparts, throat, lores and sides of neck. Typically hunts from a perch at the edge of its water habitat.

Javan Black-capped Babbler. Rufous brown babbler with a dark crown, an orange breast, and a bright white throat. long orangish-eyebrow white on the back.

Javan Munia. Plain dark-rumped brown munia with a dark-brown face and a white belly.

Cave Swiftlet. Typical “white-bellied” swiftlet, endemic to Java, Sumatra, and smaller adjacent islands. Dark above, with a gray-brown breast and white belly. Its rapid erratic flight shows its squared-off tail but makes it hard to photograph. Breeds in caves.

Javan Myna. Native to Indonesia and introduced in another five countries. Vulnerable Sturnidae (starling). Dark gray overall with an erect crest and a bright yellowish-orange bill.

Olive-backed Tailorbird. Olive-gray overall, with an orange head and face and long thin bill. Endemic to Java, Bali and Lombok.

Green Junglefowl. Male with bright blue-and pink comb and large red wattle is distinctively darker, with orange and yellow feathers on the back and wings. Female is dull brown with dark spots, black tail and pale pinkish face.

Sunda Cuckooshrike. Chunky, dark gray bird with a dark face.

Sunda Scops-Owl. Small brown owl with large dark eyes and small, soft-looking ear tufts. Dark brown, almost black, eyes separate it from otherwise similar species. Like most other small scops-owls, Sunda is more readily heard than seen.

Sunda Teal. Bebek cokelat or Itik benjut. Small mottled brown duck with ruby-red eyes and rounded forehead with bulge.