Java, Indonesia

31st October – 7th November 2012

Leader: Frank Lambert

Participant: Ron Huffman

Javan Cochoa, Mt Gede © Sumaraja / Birdtour Asia

A total of 143 species were recorded including 17 heard only on this successful week-long custom tour of West

Java. The main intention of this trip was to see Javan Trogon, and in so doing, to complete Ron’s list of the world’s trogons.

Just prior to dawn on our first morning found us at the small but very important coastal reserve of Muara Angke, just 30 minutes drive from Jakarta international airport (traffic permitting!). The boardwalk, new in about 2007, and sinking even then, is amazingly still in one piece, and provides fantastic views of birds in the

variety of habitats through which it passes, including mangrove, swamps and open water. Our main target, Javan Coucal, didn’t take too long to locate. Another even rarer species, Black-winged Myna also provided us with a number of good views – having had its populations devastated by the bird-trade, this is probably one of the few sites left where one can still see this Critically Endangered species (confined to Java and Bali). From the boardwalk we enjoyed views of many confiding species such as Sunda Teal, Black-backed Swamphen, Ruddy Crake, Black Bittern, White-browed Crake, Small Blue Kingfisher, Sunda Collared Dove, Clamorous Reed

Warbler, ‘proper’ Javan Myna (now rare on their native Java), Sunda Woodpecker and Bar-winged Prinia. We also saw several flocks of migrant Purple-backed Starlings.

Around 8am, when it was getting too hot to bird in the open, we headed out into Jakarta Bay in search of

frigatebirds – and after a lot of zipping out in Jakarta Bay we arrived in an area where there were at least 50 Christmas Island Frigatebirds, a new bird for Ron, sitting on posts and providing excellent views of various plumages. There were also a few Lesser Frigatebirds present, and on the way plenty of terns to study at close range (mostly perched), including Lesser Crested and Crested Terns side by side. Arriving back at Muara Angke mid-morning, we headed southwest to the lowland forests near Carita.

Arriving mid afternoon we were soon greeted by heavy monsoon rains and our short excursion into the forest produced only a couple of wet, bedraggled Black-capped Babblers and poor views of a few other species, including the highly localized endemic Black-banded Barbet. Next morning however, we were back pre-dawn

and soon looking up at the diminutive Javan Frogmouth (formerly lumped with birds on mainland sout-east Asia that are now usually treated as a separate species, Blyth’s Frogmouth), which was Ron’s 8,000th bird and first mistaken for a leaf! His next bird was also a great one, and not confusable with any leaf – a superb, close Javan Banded Pitta. During the morning we had excellent views of a few other species of note, including the endemic Javan Tit Babbler and Olive-backed Tailorbirds, better looks of Black-banded Barbets and wonderful views of a dazzling male Javan Sunbird. More widespread species included Abbot’s Babbler, Grey-cheeked Bulbul and Black-naped Fruit Dove also put in a showing.

Christmas Island Frigatebird and Javan Trogon © Sumaraja

After a very long drive north, east, south and finally west, we finally arrived at Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park well after dark, and in the rain which we now realized would probably dominate all of our afternoons. Our accommodation here, though basic, was very pleasant, in the middle of magnificent forest – indeed, the best example of forest in Java at this elevation. Bright and sunny the next morning, we were soon looking at a close male Pale Blue Flycatcher singing from a

low perch in the wonderful forest that extends along the road passing through the park. Birding along this road produced many good birds on our first day, such as Spotted Crocias, White-breasted Babblers, Flame-fronted

Barbets, Javan Whistling Thrush, Sunda Forktail, Sunda Minivet, both Trilling and Pied Shrike Babblers, Blue-winged Leafbird (mooted as a possible split), and more widespread species such as Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Blue Nuthatch, Pygmy Cupwing and Chestnut-breasted Malkoha, but not our main target, the rare and inconspicuous Javan Trogon.

During the afternoon we concentrated on birding along a forest trail, finding a few more endemics such as Crescent-chested Babbler and species such as Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon, as well as Orange-breasted Trogon. Late afternoon and evening rain again ruined any chance of seeing nightbirds at this site. We birded the trail again the following morning, and before long found Orange-breasted Trogon, then half an hour later, as a bird flock crossed our path, we finally saw a pair of Javan Trogon. Ron, of course, was over the moon – his last trogon, and giving prolonged, fairly close views! Along the trail later we were fortunate to have

the rare Javan Hawk-Eagle floating just above us over the canopy. Rain ruined our final afternoon, again, but on our last morning it was clear again and we birded along the road before it was time to leave. This produced a couple of last minute endemics –the rather rare White-bellied Fantail and a close Chestnut-bellied Partridge.

Mammals are often a feature of Gunung Halimun and this visit was no exception. We found a very obliging Javan Small-toothed Palm Civet feeding on fruits around the accommodation on one evening (during a lull in the rain!), a species unknown in the wild since 1939 until we found it at this very spot on our 2008 tour – and still only one of two sites known, and in the forest we saw three endemic primates - Grizzled and Ebony

Langurs and the endangered Javan Gibbon. As always our last destination, the slopes of Gunung Gede above Cibodas, where the vast majority of the Javan

endemics can be seen, proved to be a fantastic place to bird. The mountain is usually packed full of noisy local tourists and students but fortunately our stay was relatively quiet, and getting into the forest pre-dawn also helped avoid the crowds. With just over two-full days at our disposal we knew time was short, but hard-work and a little bit of good luck provided us some spectacular sightings. Our success started predawn after leaving our hotel at 2:30am, as a Javan Scops Owl suddenly responded to

playback of its call, so close that we all jumped! It sat on a perch, no further than 2m from us, and at about eye-level. To have such a spectacular view of such a seldom seen endemic was an unforgettable experience! A considerable number of the reported sightings of Javan Scops Owl are in fact misidentified Sunda Scops Owl from lower down, a species we caught up with on our final morning. Whilst we stood on the trail in the area where we had seen the owl we had Dusky Woodcocks roding over the forest nearby, and although they must have passed within visible distance on more than one occasion we never managed to see them in the dark night

sky.

Pale Blue Flycatcher and White-browed Shortwing As we slowly made our way further up the mountain and it got light, we started to first hear a lot of birds, and finally to see a few. Just before it was light, however, we had spectacular views of the strange looking Javan Stink Badger shuffling along the side of the trail. Our first visible bird was the vocally distinct endemic subspecies of White-browed Shortwing, which indeed should soon be recognized as an endemic species in its own right. Javan Whistling Thrushes and Eye-browed Wren Babblers hopped along the trail edge, and

examination of the occasional feeding flocks we encountered revealed such species as the delightful Blue

Nuthatch, Mountain Leaf Warblers, the endemic Rufous-tailed Fantail and Indigo Flycatcher. Higher up we came across the vocally-distinct montanus subspecies of Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler as well as a pair of Javan Bulbuls. Javan Tesia’s gave us the runaround, just as they had at Halimun, but we eventually got excellent views of these engaging little birds.

As we reached the first “camp site” at 2,100m Frank could hear what sounded like a distant cochoa, but as it turned out it was very close, and we obtained incredible prolonged views of a pair of this endemic species, Javan Cochoa, the parks most prized possession. After celebrating with a beer, kindly carried up for us, we headed back down the long rocky trail towards our hotel. On the way down we picked up more new species, including the not so spectacular Javan Dark-eye, some confiding Javan Blue Robins (another imminent split, which is currently considered conspecific with the Sumatran taxon, as Sunda Blue Robin) and obliging Orange-spotted Bulbuls.

On our second day, before the afternoon of rain, we concentrated our efforts in the scenic Cibodas Botanical Garden, a huge complex of exotic flowers and magnificent trees that smothers the lower reaches of Mount Gede a few minutes’ drive from our hotel. We didn’t have to wait long to see small groups of the highly distinctive endemic Yellow-throated Hanging Parrots whizzing past and perching in a nearby tree. Blood-breasted

Flowerpeckers were also common in this area, and the endemic White-flanked Sunbird was common, but it took us a lot of effort to find another of the specialties of the botanic garden, the diminutive Pygmy Tit, a small flock of which remarkably still inhabits the exact same small area of the garden that Frank had found them in in

1998! Other birds commonly encountered in the garden included significant numbers of Javan Dark-eyes, here much lower than in the forest proper and hence giving us good views. Before we returned to the hotel we spent a short time on the “interpretation trail” that starts near the base of the summit trail, and had a look at the aerial walkway. Just as we approached the walkway we flushed another Javan Trogon. On our final morning we had a few outstanding targets to search for, including Salvadori’s Nightjar and Sunda

Scops Owl. Hence we were on the main summit trail well before light, looking for these nocturnal species in the cool calm of the early morning. Whilst we heard a very distant Salvadori’s Nightjar, none called close by. We also thought we had failed to see the otus, since it was getting light, and we started walking up the trail as the dawn chorus kicked in – suddenly, however, a Sunda Scops Owl gave a single call, and this bird miraculously came in immediately to playback, giving us nice views just as it was getting light. Not much further up the trail we managed to find another of the outstanding target birds – a small flock of nicely-patterned White-bibbed

Babblers. These put on an excellent show before disappearing again into the dense understory that they seem

to prefer. Reaching the area near the waterfall we then spent a couple of hours trying to obtain views of our last endemic barbet – Brown-headed Barbet. These were calling intermittently, mostly well away from the trail, and although one flew over our heads and provided us with the briefest of views we never managed to pin one down in the canopy before we had to leave. Nevertheless, one never usually sees everything on a trip of this kind, especially during the wet season, and we were very happy to have found the exciting set of Javan endemics that we had seen on this tour.

Systematic List

PELECANIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae

Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

PELECANIFORMES: Anhingidae Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster

PELECANIFORMES: Fregatidae

Christmas Island Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel

CICONIIFORMES: Ardeidae

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Eastern Great Egret Ardea [alba] modestus Little Egret Egretta garzetta Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus Striated Heron Butorides striata Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Black Bittern Dupeter flavicollis

ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae

Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica Sunda Teal Anas gibberifrons

FALCONIFORMES: Accipitridae

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus White-bellied Sea Eagle Ichthyophaga leucogaster Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela Javan Hawk Eagle Nisaetus bartelsi Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis

GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae Chestnut-bellied Partridge Arborophila javanica

GRUIFORMES: Rallidae

White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio indicus

CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae

Dusky Woodcock Scolopax saturata Heard only

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

CHARADRIIFORMES: Sternidae

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica affinis Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis Common Tern Sterna hirundo longipennis Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus

COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae

Sunda Collared Dove Streptopelia bitorquata Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Barred Cuckoo Dove Macropygia unchall Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans Sumatran Green Pigeon Treron oxyura Pink-headed Fruit Dove Ptilinopus porphyreus Heard only

Black-naped Fruit Dove Ptilinopus melanospila Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon Ducula lacernulata lacernulata

PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae

Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot Loriculus pusillus

CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae

Sunda Cuckoo Cuculus lepidus Heard only

Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii Heard only

Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus Heard only

Rusty-breasted Cuckoo Cacomantis sepulcralis Heard only

Asian Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris lugubris Heard only

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris Javan Coucal Centropus nigrorufus

STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae

Javan Scops Owl Otus angelinae Sunda Scops Owl Otus lempiji Javan Owlet Glaucidium castanopterum Heard only

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Podargidae

Javan Frogmouth Batrachostomus javensis

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae

Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus Salvadori's Nightjar Caprimulgus pulchellus Heard only

APODIFORMES: Apodidae

Cave Swiftlet Collocalia linchi Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus

APODIFORMES: Hemiprocnidae

Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis

TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae

Javan Trogon Harpactes reinwardtii Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios

CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae

Small Blue Kingfisher Alcedo coerulescens Collared Kingfisher Todirhamphus chloris

PICIFORMES: Capitonidae

Fire-tufted Barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus Heard only

Brown-throated Barbet Megalaima corvina Heard only

Black-banded Barbet Megalaima javensis Flame-fronted Barbet Megalaima armillaris

PICIFORMES: Picidae

Rufous Piculet Sasia abnormis Sunda Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis Checker-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus Heard only

PASSERIFORMES: Eurylaimidae

Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus

PASSERIFORMES: Pittidae

Javan Banded Pitta Pitta guajana

PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae

Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata

PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae

Sunda Minivet Pericrocotus miniatus Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus hirundinaceus

PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae

Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus bimaculatus Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex Grey-cheeked Bulbul Alophoixus bres Javan [Sunda] Bulbul Ixos [virescens] virescens

PASSERIFORMES: Chloropseidae

Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis nigricollis

PASSERIFORMES: Aegithinidae

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia

PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae

Javan Whistling Thrush Myophonus glaucinus Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana montana

PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae

Bar-winged Prinia Prinia familiaris

PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae

Javan Tesia Tesia superciliaris Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus lentecaptus Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cuculatus Olive-backed Tailorbird Orthotomus sepium Mountain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus trivirgatus trivirgatus Sunda Warbler Seicercus grammiceps

PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae

Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni Indigo Flycatcher Eumyias indigo Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor harterti Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis Sunda Blue Robin Cinclidium diana diana Sunda Forktail Enicurus velatus Javan Cochoa Cochoa azurea

PASSERIFORMES: Rhipiduridae

Rufous-tailed Fantail Rhipidura phoenicura White-bellied Fantail Rhipidura euryura Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica

PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi

PASSERIFORMES: Pachycephalidae

Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola Heard only

PASSERIFORMES: Timaliidae

Horsfield's Babbler Malacocincla sepiarium Black-capped Babbler Pellorneum capistratum Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus montanus montanus Eye-browed Wren Babbler Napothera epilepidota Pygmy Cupwing Pnoepyga pusilla White-breasted Babbler Stachyris grammiceps White-bibbed Babbler Stachyris thoracica Crescent-chested Babbler Stachyris melanothorax Javan Tit Babbler Macronous flavicollis Pied Shrike Babbler Pteruthius flaviscaops Trilling Shrike Babbler Pteruthius aenobarbus Javan Fulvetta Alcippe pyrrhoptera Spotted Crocias Crocias albonotatus

PASSERIFORMES: Aegithalidae

Pygmy Tit Psaltria exilis

PASSERIFORMES: Acanthizidae

Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea

PASSERIFORMES: Paridae

Cinerous Tit Parus cinereus

PASSERIFORMES: Sittidae

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis Blue Nuthatch Sitta azurea nigriventer

PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae

White-flanked Sunbird Aethopyga eximia Javan Sunbird Aethopyga mystacalis Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra

PASSERIFORMES: Dicaeidae

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma Blood-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum s. sanguinolentum

PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus buxtoni

Zosterops palpebrosus melanurus

Javan Dark-eye Lophozosterops javanicus

PASSERIFORMES: Oriolidae

Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis maculatus Heard only

PASSERIFORMES: Prionopidae

Large Woodshrike Tephrodornis gularis

PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae

Sunda [Ashy] Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus leucophaeus Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer

PASSERIFORMES: Artamidae

White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus

PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae

Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus Black-winged Myna Acridotheres melanopterus

PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae

Javan Munia Lonchura leucogastroides

PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

MAMMALS

Black Giant Squirrel Ratufa bicolor Black-striped Squirrel Callosciurus nigrovittatus Plantain Squirrel Callosciurus notatus Three-striped Ground Squirrel Lariscus insignis Javan Palm Civet Arctogalidia [trivirgata] trilineata Javan Stink Badger Mydaus javanensis Grizzled Leaf Monkey Presbytis chrysomeias Ebony Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus auratus Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis Javan Gibbon Hylobates moloch Eurasian Wild Pig Sus scrofa

143 species recorded including 14 heard only

Celebrating Javan Cochoa with a beer! Mount Gede, Java