Tag Archives: Kingfisher

28Apr/25

Freshwater Fish and Critically Endangered Kingfisher: Safeguarding River Life Together

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by Imam Taufiqurrahman

Mr. Irwan lead group discussion on freshwater fish in Mendolo

Efforts to conserve the blue-banded kingfisher cannot be separated from efforts to preserve the river as its habitat. On that basis, we are SwaraOwa together with the Mendolo Young Farmers Association (PPM) held a River Workshop and Discussion in Sawahan Hamlet, Mendolo Village, Lebakbarang District, April 19-20, 2025.

The two-day workshop and discussion were part of a program supported by the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) and the Oriental Bird Club (OBC). The activity was attended by a total of 13 members of PPM Mendolo.

Themed ” Fish Monitoring, Protecting the Habitat of the Blue-banded Kingfisher”, this activity presented Susilo Irwanjasmoro. Mr. Irwan, as he is familiarly called, is a local fish researcher and river observer. One of the initiators of the Wild Water Indonesia community organization, he began the discussion by sharing his activities. Efforts to preserve rivers and local freshwater fish are actively carried out through movements against illegal fishing and saving local fish species.

Together with the participants, Mr. Irwan tried to unravel the practices related to rivers and fish that have been running in Sawahan Hamlet. What the Sawahan residents did for the Wisnu River felt close and in line with the theme of the movement that Mr. Irwan has been carrying all this time.

The Sawahan residents have a history that they do not want to repeat because it has an impact on the loss of fish in the Wisnu River. In the past, there was a kind of ‘tradition’ of poisoning river or what is commonly called ngobat. A kind of celebration, residents went down to the river in droves to harvest fish and shrimp.

In fact, “We even skipped school,” Rohim recalled, greeted by laughter from other participants.

The prohibited activity was routinely carried out during the dry season, when the river water level receded. Until then, residents realized that the practice was damaging, resulting in the loss of local fishes ragalan or tombro . The loss of ragalan then encouraged them to do re-stocking, the seeds of which were taken from the Sengkarang River.

The success of restoring the ragalan population, made the practice of uncontrolled harvesting happen again. Ragalan almost disappeared for the second time. From that, they, especially the youth, then agreed to make a ban on taking in Kedung Bengang river. The informal ban has now even become an agreement in the community meeting, which is stated in the Hamlet Regulation on fish protection (read: Protection of fish, birds, and primates in Sawahan Hamlet: a new milestone in efforts to preserve wildlife in Mendolo Village https://swaraowa.blogspot.com/2025/03/perlindungan-ikan-burung-dan-primata-di.html).

As for a species of large freshwater shrimp, known to residents as urang sempu, it has really not returned. Mr. Irwan suspects that the species is giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

However, the disappearance of this species of large shrimp must also be seen in a wider scope, considering its unique life cycle. Its living space spans a wide area, from the estuary to the upper reaches of the river. It will spawn in brackish water and will move upstream to grow into adulthood. And so on as a cycle throughout its life.

So, when its existence disappeared from the Wisnu River due to the practice of ngobat, there is actually a natural possibility that the urang sempu will come back. However, when looking at the expanse of the Wisnu River, there is a stretch of flow of more than 24 km to its estuary in the Java Sea. There have been so many obstacles or barriers that have been able to break the migration cycle of this shrimp, both in physical and chemical forms.

The presence of pollution downstream, for example. That is a chemical barrier. Physically, the existence of a dam that is not designed to have a fishway will cause the movement of giant prawns to stop. They will not be able to pass through it, resulting in the urang sempu never returning.

fish monitoring at wisnu river, on 20 April 2025

Fish monitoring

The establishment of a fish sanctuary like that carried out by Sawahan residents for Wisnu river, including the existence of its protection regulations, is an appreciation in itself. However, this process must then be accompanied by routine monitoring.

Awareness and efforts to maintain the possibility of threats from the entry of foreign species need to be a continuous concern. Consideration and the principle of caution regarding the preservation of local fish diversity must be the main consideration. Do not let the practice of enriching fish species occur, but deplete local fish.

From the discussion, it was revealed, for example, the encounter of ragalan in the upper flow. Previously, it had never been found there. The participants suspected that its presence also came from release, not natural factors.

Concerns also arose because its presence could potentially threaten smaller lunjar (Rasbora sp). When the lunjar that is the food for the blue-banded kingfisher disappears, the existence of this endangered bird has the potential to disappear. “What should be done when the practice of releasing fish has been carried out and there is a possibility of impacting the existence of other fish?” asked Cashudi, the head of PPM Mendolo. An expression of concern over the existence of ragalan in the upper stream.

Mr. Irwan suggested that efforts to observe and monitor fish could be focused on the existence of ragalan and lunjar. Routine monitoring will be able to anticipate adverse impacts on the sustainability of the river. If necessary, control and even prevent the population from growing further.

The presence of non-native species of fishes has a real impact. Renny Kurnia Hadiaty in “Diversity and loss of fish species in the lakes of the Cisadane River”, revealed the loss of more than 70% of fish species in the various lakes of the large river. A paper published in 2011 in the Indonesian Journal of Ichthyology, mentions the existence of a total of 86 types of fish.

The species are collected from various previous research in the span of 1920-2000. In every 10 years throughout the period, the rate of loss of existing types is seen. Finally, in the research conducted by Renny, only 24 species were successfully found. Even so, eight of them are non-native species.

Reflecting on that, including the fate of local fish in various other rivers in Java, monitoring efforts have become imperative. Monitoring can also touch many aspects, starting from the river’s physical, biotic, and abiotic aspects. So, early prevention can be done before damage to the river or loss of local fish occurs.

Species documentation

Data collection of local fish is one of the fundamental things to do and should be owned as a basis. A documentation workshop on the species of fish that live in Kali Wisnu was also conducted after the presentation.

According to the participants, there are at least nine species of fishes in Kali Wisnu. Seven of them are local species, namely wader pari or lunjar (Rasbora sp), tombro or ragalan (Tor tambra), bokol (Barbodes binotatus), bogo or kutuk (Channa limbata), kékél (Glypthotorax platypogon), sili (Macrognathus maculatus), and uceng (Nemacheilus sp).

Documenting the species of fish at night and during the day, 19-20 April 2025

Sili (Macrognathus maculatus) Doc. Alex Rifa’i, April 19, 2025.

kékél (Glypthotorax platypogon). Dokumentasi Alex Rifa’i, 19 April 2025

While guppy (Poecilioides reticulatus) and mélem (Osteochilus vittatus) are known as non-native species that were not previously found in Kali Wisnu. There is also tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) which is invasive, but is not found in the river. That species appears in fish ponds near the river and must be careful not to enter the Kali Vishnu.

Mélem (Osteochilus vittatus), one of the foreign species. Doc. of Restu Wijaya, 20 April 2025.

Documentation begins with sampling. Seven species, namely ragalan, sili, lunjar, are obtained through fishing techniques during the day until the afternoon. After getting permission from Mr. Kasnadi as the Head of RT, who was also present in the meeting, at night they did nyénér ( catching fishs with scoop net) and got kekél from the tributaries, including shrimp and crab. An attempt to catch the uceng was made the next day, but was unsuccessful.

Nyénér and some fishes obtained, April 19, 2025

Ibnu shows the sili fish obtained by fishing rod, April 19, 2025

Mr. Irwan suggested that documentation efforts are not limited only through photography. The richness in local terminology and nomenclature is also important to document, which may very well be different from other regions. Various techniques for taking fish, there are nyénér for example for taking using seser (scoop net or hand held dip net). There is also nggogoh, which is done without using a tool, just by touching the part of the river bed.

There is a name on the fish. Kutuk baby fish, for example, when they are very small are called lenthis and when they are the size of a thumb they are called licing. While ragalan baby fish, known as kemprung. The same is true of the stories or myths that many Sawahan residents have. Its existence needs documentation because of its nature which is still in the form of speech from generation to generation.

Fish watching

The existence of protection for fish and the river that has been running in Kali Wisnu, plus the wealth of local fish species has great potential to develop fish watching. When you usually see fish in the river only from above the surface, fish watching offers the sensation of seeing fish while swimming. It’s like snorkeling, but done in a shallow river.

Ragalan ( Tor tambra) in Kedung Kali Bengang, Wisnu River

Mr. Irwan shared his experience in developing the fish watching tour in the Oyo River. Participants are provided with modules of various species  of fishes that can be baited, then together they search and observe them equipped with snorkeling goggles. A different way in an effort to introduce the diversity of local fishes, while also inviting people to care more about its sustainability.

Planning is very necessary and should be the main concern in developing this special interest ecotourism. Various stages as prerequisites need to be studied in depth, tested. Starting from preparing locations, lanes, which should prioritize security and safety. The existence of supporting facilities and infrastructure, visitation systems, institution management, packages,  standards operational procedure, and much more.

This river workshop open up insight into the existence of the river as a complex living system. Even from a discussion about the existence of fish and shrimp, the conversation spanned from the headwaters of the Wisnu River to its flow in the estuary.

The existence of fish and rivers are inseparable from the surrounding environment. It is also closely related to human activities that live around. So, its existence needs to be maintained, as a space that many living beings, including humans, depend on it.

10Jul/22

Citizen scientists seeking the Javan Blue-banded kingfisher

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Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher by Siswanto, 2022

More than 50 people are involved in our ongoing survey of the Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher (Alcedo euryzona). Divided into several teams, they have to date looked for the critically endangered bird along five rivers in the Pekalongan area, making numerous observations about the habitat in the process and recording other bird species present. This SwaraOwa project, supported by the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) and the Oriental Bird Club (OBC), shows us what the citizen science movement can achieve.

Before we started on the survey, we held workshops on bird identification and survey techniques for residents from seven villages around the Petungkriyono, Doro and Lebakbarang forests. The event started in Mendolo Village on 11-12 March, and was subsequently repeated in Pungangan Village (25 April), Kayupuring Village (27 April) and Sidoharjo Village (26 May).

Our workshop at Pungangan, 25 April 2022

During the workshops, we taught villagers how to identify the Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher and distinguish it from other species of kingfisher. In terms of survey techniques, we introduced participants to Google Earth to help them find their way to the observation points. Along each of the rivers we covered, participants surveyed consecutive 1 km-long segments that contained five monitoring points 200 m apart from each other. Stationed at each of these points were two team members, who conducted observations simultaneously for one hour.

In addition to confirming the presence of the Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher, observers were asked to record the condition of the local habitat, other bird species observed and any human activity encountered. All this information was entered onto a data sheet.

Trial survey at Mendolo, 11-12 March 2022

As of early June, we have covered 29 of a total of about 37 km of river sections. This figure consists of 10 km on the Welo River, 6 km on the Pakuluran River, 5 km on the Blimbing River (including the Siranda River), 2 km on the Sengkarang River (including the Kumenep River), and 6 km on the Wisnu River.

The survey has produced very satisfactory results so far. We found Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher along two rivers, namely Welo and Wisnu. The kingfishers were found at an elevation of 308-715 m on the Welo River, and at 638-776 m on the Wisnu River. These sightings have extended the known distribution of the species.

Survey sites at Welo, June 2022

The encounter on the westernmost Wisnu River was quite impressive. The Wisnu team, Mendolo villagers who are part of the Mendolo Young Farmers Association, had previously covered 4 km along the river on three visits, which did not turn up a single Javan Blue-banded Kingfisher. It was only on 24 April that the team encountered two individuals, one male and one female.

Deserving of special mention is Siswanto Abimanyu, a resident of Mendolo Kulon Hamlet, whose quick reflexes got us an excellent photograph of the female bird. Sis, as he is known, was at a monitoring point with his colleague M. Risqi Ridholah. It was more than half an hour into their wait when suddenly the female flew in from downstream and landed only about 3 m away from them. A few seconds later she was off again, flying further upstream, but luckily that was enough for Siswanto to snap a picture of her.

Getting photographic evidence to prove the kingfishers were there was one major achievement of the survey. Not only that, the discussion sessions after each round of observation have revealed a total of more than 90 bird species in the area. These include several important and endangered species, such as the Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi), the Wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus) and the Sangkar white-eye (Zosterops melanurus). Some of this data was logged into the Burungnesia app as a contribution by the Pekalongan community to science and bird conservation.

Written by : Imam Taufiqurrahman, translated by T T. Chan

03Jan/22

Protecting the Javan blue-banded kingfisher

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The sighting of a Javan blue-banded kingfisher in Petungkriyono in October 2018 (report in Chan & Setiawan 2019) gives us renewed hope that this globally very rare bird may still be clinging on to existence in undersurveyed areas. However, trying to conserve the bird at that particular site in the western part of the Dieng Mountains also presents us with some challenges.

Prior to the Petungkriyono sighting, this endemic to Java was only reported from two national parks in West Java in recent years: Halimun Salak and Gede Pangrango. It had also been recorded from six other locations by naturalists and researchers during the colonial era, namely Jasinga, Cimarinjung, Pelabuhanratu, and Cikahuripan (West Java), Rampoa (Central Java), and Kali Sanen (East Java), but seems to have vanished from these sites.

riverine habitat of  Javan bluebanded Kingfisher

Even at sites it is known to inhabit, the Javan blue-banded kingfisher, whose scientific name is Alcedo euryzona, is rarely encountered. Nowhere is it common, and it can only be found in lowland rainforests where there is an abundance of clean water, rocky streams and rivers. This bird is therefore known as a river-dependent species.

In Java, there are not many sites left which fulfil these specific habitat criteria. Those that still exist are likely to be protected or in reserves. This is indeed the case for the Petungkriyono forest, which is a protected forest area managed by Perhutani, the state-owned enterprise overseeing the use of forest resources. In recognition of its importance to both humans and wildlife, the Petungkriyono forest has now been classified as an Essential Ecosystem Area to be managed collaboratively by different stakeholders.

While protected status is a good first step, it falls short of ensuring that the area is fully safe from encroachment. Various communities have long inhabited the area around the Petungkriyono forest, for which reason the forest is important not only to its flora and fauna, but also as a source of livelihood to local people. We therefore expect the development of the local economy, including that of tourist attractions, to continue apace. Faced with this considerable challenge, all parties who have a stake in the Petungkriyono forest need to be actively involved in protecting the Javan blue-banded kingfisher if the bird is to be guranteed a future.

Another challenge that must be overcome stems from how little we know about this kingfisher. Can it be found along all rivers in the forest? What exactly are the conditions it needs to survive? We have yet to find answers to even these basic questions, not to mention those details about the bird’s behaviour, diet, population size, breeding patterns, and so on.

Conducting such a baseline study is of the utmost importance because the total Javan blue-banded kingfisher population worldwide is estimated to number less than 250 individuals. In other words, this is a Critically Endangered species by IUCN Red List standards, only one level removed from extinction in the wild.

The SwaraOwa is firmly committed to protecting the Javan blue-banded kingfisher. A group of young people who previously  started initiation of community development and conservation for Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) and Mentawai Gibbon ( Hylobates klosii), now have been try to enhance biodiversity value within the gibbons habitat of this region. We are actively involved in efforts to encourage the collaborative management of the Petungkriyono forest area. We are also working closely with the local community to collect field data and find out more about the bioecology of this kingfisher. With the support of the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) and the Oriental Bird Club (OBC), we hope to make the conservation of the Javan blue-banded kingfisher a reality.

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Written in bahasa  by : Imam Taufiqurrahman, e-mail : [email protected], and translation by TT Chan