Buru Island, Maluku, Indonesia
05.08 – 20.08.2006

I tried to get to the island of Buru twice before this trip but could not for different
reasons, the first attempt was just after an earthquake which hit the island and foreigners weren’t allowed to travel to the island, the second time I just was not able to get a plane ticket. This time I was determined to get to the island by any means possible.
The reason why I decided to visit the Island was to find out more about 2 species, the Blue-fronted Lorikeet (Charmosyna toxopei) and the Black-lored Parrot (Tanygnathus gramineus). Even though Buru Island is not rich in species it still holds some of the rarest and less known species on the planet.

Introduction to Buru:
The islands of Maluku known as the Spice Islands are part of Wallacea thus the fauna and flora is a mix of Asian and Australasian species. Ambon is the capital city and the centre of this region, the perfect place to use as the base for exploring the surrounding islands. There are still many islands not birded properly and one of them is Buru.
Buru is a large mountainous island (8 613 square km), the highest point at 2428 m is Gunung Kelapamada, found in the northwest of the island. It was proposed as a protected Game Reserve as it is an important area with some of the remaining undisturbed forest on the island.
There are still patches of pristine forests present on the island especially in the west though most of the lowlands have now been cleared by slash and burn agriculture.
There is more information on the island fauna and flora on the National Geographic Society website (http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial_aa.html).

Bara village:
Most of the inhabitants of the villages on the south side of the island are Christian and on the north Muslims. Bara is a Muslim village in the north-west part of the island.
When I asked the locals in Bara if it was common to get foreign visitors any foreigners, I was informed of two groups, one from Germany and one Dutch in 1994 and in 1996, that had come to collect butterflies, insects and lizards.

Logistics:

By air:
It’s not difficult to get to Ambon from all major cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar or Manado.
Merpati Nusantara operates Twin Otters from Ambon to nearly all the islands in Maluku. Service to Namlea is every Sunday - not always reliable as it’s almost always fully booked 2 weeks in advance. With luck and if the sea is calm one may find available seats because then the locals travel by boat instead.
Merpati office in Ambon is found on Jl. A.Yani, No.19, phone: (0911) 342488, fax: (0911) 52572.
After landing in Buru’s capital Namlea one should book return ticket to Ambon straight away to avoid getting stuck in Buru.

By sea:
There is a daily fast ferry (Kapal Cepat) from Ambon to Namlea; it takes about 4 to 5 hours depending on the weather and the waves. The price is 155.000rp (around 12 euros).
There is another ferry that runs between Ambon and Leksula on the South of the island twice a week.
There is also the big Pelni ferry, but this one covers this distance once a month or so on its way to Sulawesi and it’s highly unreliable and slow. I didn’t bother to get information about it.
One can charter a small speed boat to get to Buru Island if money and time are not a problem.
On the north side of the island there is a road connecting most major villages such as Sawa, Waeputih and Wasamparo ending at Airbuaya, after the latter all traffic is done by motorcycles or big trucks. There are many river crossings which can be dangerous during the wet season. There are some dirt roads connecting the villages on the south otherwise all transportation is done by small boats.

Report in brief:
The taxi from the airport in Ambon to the city is not cheap (150.000rp). I checked in at Wisma Grace hotel at the back of hotel Amans. The hotel is in the centre of the city, close to market and the harbour. Wisma Grace is a cheap alternative, very clean and good service (170.000rp for a d-room with AC and TV, breakfast included). There is also a good and cheap restaurant on the top floor.

After a lunch of tuna steak and rice I went to the Merpati office to book a ticket. The two next flights to Namlea were fully booked, I put my name on the waiting list for the first flight and left for the harbour. I asked around about the boat or ferry to Namlea and there was a fast ferry at Sudarso station. Yes, there was a fast ferry which leaves Ambon for Buru at 14.30 daily, this information I got from the ticket office at Sudarso station.
The next day I was in the harbour in time, many people waiting with all kinds of baggage
from chicken to fridges and TV sets - and everything was loaded on board.

We left Ambon according to the time table and after a rough journey which lasted 4 and a half hours we arrived in Namlea at sunset. Many motorcycles were waiting for customers to drive to the city.
I chartered one and asked to be taken to a clean hotel.
Hotel Grand Sarah is up on a hill overlooking the city; it’s where the president of Indonesia stays when visiting the island. The prices weren’t that bad, 200.000rp (22 USD) for a standard room with AC, TV and warm water.
I chartered a taxi for the next day to take me to the N-West region on the island, as far as the road goes. If I could get to Bara village or further I will be pleased. According to the taxi driver it shouldn’t be a problem. I decided that we’ll leave at 05.00, no time to waste.
That same evening I went to the police station to announce my arrival and my intentions. It was decided that a policeman will travel with me to where I’ll be staying the next couple of days and makes sure that everything is in order.
We left the hotel at 05.10, it was still pitch dark and I was hoping for some owls and nightjars along the road. We stopped a few times when we heard owls and saw nightjars flying in front of the car.
The road to Airbuaya (108 km) was fairly good with some patches of dirt. We were informed at the police station in Airbuaya that it was impossible to continue to Bara village by car due to the bad state of the road and the presence of many difficult river-crossings (no bridges). By motorcycles we should be able to cover the rest of the journey.
I chartered 3 motorcycles, one for the policeman, one for me and the last one for my baggage. It’s 38 km to our destination from Airbuaya, quite rough at places. There are many small river crossings and it is impossible to cross without the help of locals who earn money by taking people and transports to the other side on a wooden platform that serves as a ferry.

Birding in Bara:
We arrived at Bara around 15.30. we stopped at the house of the head of village (kepala desa) and I asked him if it was possible for me to stay in his village for a week or so. There was no problem there and he even offered me a room in his house.
Nobody speaks English in Bara so my knowledge in the Indonesian language is one reason why I can travel to any part of the country without problems. You can get very close to the locals if you can talk to them in their own language.
I was curious about the birds in this region so I decided to head for the forest close by; I was joined by 2 local guys who knew where the nearest trails were but they knew nothing about the birds.
We didn’t walk very far to see many bird species such as Flame-breasted Flowerpecker, Superb Fruit-Dove, Black-faced Friarbird, a flock of Claret-breasted Fruit-Doves, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Red-cheeked and Great-billed Parrots, Olive-backed and Black Sunbirds……

The birding during the next 6 days is done in 3 different places, about 8 km east and 9 km west of the village and on the sea shore.

Around Bara:
The steep hills and mid-mountains start directly south of the logging road about 1 to 1,5km south of the village, the best trails to higher grounds run along the river-beds in the dry season, during the rainy season the rivers are flooded otherwise it is very difficult to find suitable trails to the mountain forests.
Some good grassland and monsoon forest are found east of the village.
The gardens close to the sea are good places for watching the parrot species especially the Red-cheeked the Great-billed and the Eclectus.
The best birding is, as anywhere else, very early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Some bird species can be encountered at any time such as birds of prey, wood-swallows, bee-eaters, kingfishers…..
The steep hills and mid-mountains start directly south of the logging road, the best trail higher up is along with the river-bed in the dry season, during the rainy season the rivers are flooded.
Some good grassland and monsoon forest are found east of the village.

Birding Namlea City:
The last 2 days in Buru Island were spent birding the surroundings of Namlea city; there is a good trail close to the harbour, easily reached with a motorcycle for 5 to 10.000rp. No forest just gardens.
There is some lowland forest in this region but the huge tall trees are long gone. Major logging companies have built a 6 meters wide road to facilitate the transportation of wood to the coast where a huge wood mill takes care of the rest.
The slash and burn method is used by the farmers to clear the land for cultivation of crops such as Cacao. I talked to a farmer about their earnings. One Cacao tree produces about 5 kg of Cacao beans, when dried they are sold in the Sanana in the Sulas and sold for 10.000rp/ kg.
This is the reason why the forest is cleared rapidly; the farmers need to plant many Cacao trees if they’re going to make a living from the crops. Besides farming fishing is important for earning a living. Fish are sold to the Japanese ships that make many stops in the region.

Species list
Moluccan Megapode - Eulipoa wallacei                                               
Orange-footed Megapode - Megapodius reinwardt reinwardt                 
Spotted  Whistling Duck - Dendrocygna guttata                                                 
Radjah Shelduck - Tadorna radjah radjah                     
Yellow Bittern - Ixobrychus sinensis                                               
Rufous Night Heron - Nycticorax caledonicus hilli                         
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis coromandus            
Great Egret - Ardea alba modesta                  
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta nigripes                   
Pacific Reef Egret - Egretta sacra sacra                      
Great Frigatebird - Fregata minor minor                      
Lesser Frigatebird - Fregata ariel ariel                        
Little Pied Cormorant - Phalacrocorax melanoleucos melanoleucos          
Little Black Cormorant - Phalacrocorax sulcirostris                                           
Darter - Anhinga melanogaster melanogaster           
Spotted Kestrel - Falco moluccensis moluccensis            
Oriental Hobby - Falco severus papuanus                
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus cristatus                  
Pacific Baza - Aviceda subcristata stresemanni            
Black Kite - Milvus migrans affinis                      
Brahminy Kite - Haliastur indus girrenera                  
White-bellied Sea Eagle - Haliaeetus leucogaster                                          
Variable Goshawk - Accipiter novaehollandiae pallidiceps               
Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk - Accipiter erythrauchen ceramensis             
Buff-banded Rail - Gallirallus philippensis mellori, philippensis           
Purple Swamphen - Porphyrio porphyrio melanopterus           
Dusky Moorhen - Gallinula tenebrosa frontata                   
Common Coot - Fulica atra lugubris                   
Beach Thick-knee - Esacus neglectus                                         
Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva                                                    
Greater Sand Plover - Charadrius leschenaultii leschenaultii            
Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus variegatus                
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola                                               
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos                                          
Lesser Crested Tern - Sterna bengalensis torresii                    
Greater Crested Tern - Sterna bergii cristata                   
Black-naped Tern - Sterna sumatrana sumatrana               
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo longipennis              
Little Tern - Sterna albifrons sinensis                  
Rock Dove - Columba livia                                                     
White-throated Pigeon - Columba vitiensis halmaheira              
Spotted-necked Dove - Streptopelia chinensis tigrina                     
Brown Cuckoo-Dove - Macropygia amboinensis amboinensis            
Great Cuckoo-Dove - Reinwardtoena  reinwardtii reinwardtii                
Emerald Dove - Chalcophaps indica indica                      
Pompadour Green Pigeon - Treron pompadora aromaticus              
Superb Fruit Dove - Ptilinopus superbus superbus                 
White-bibbed Fruit Dove - Ptilinopus rivoli prasinorrhous           
Claret-breasted Fruit Dove - Ptilinopus viridis viridis                      
White-eyed Imperial Pigeon - Ducula perspicillata perspicillata             
Blue-tailed Imperial Pigeon - Ducula concinna                                              
Pied Imperial Pigeon – Ducula bicolor bicolor                     
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot - Micropsitta bruijnii pileata                     
Red Lory - Eos rubra cyanonotha             
Rainbow Lorikeet - Trichoglossus haematodus haematodus            
Blue-fronted Lorikeet - Charmosyna  toxopei  Endemic
Red-cheeked Parrot - Geoffroyus geoffroyi rhodops                   
Buru Racquet-tail - Prioniturus mada Endemic
Great-billed Parrot - Tanygnathus megalorynchos affinis                      
Eclectus Parrot - Eclectus roratus roratus                    
Moluccan King Parrot - Alisterus amboinensis buruensis 
Oriental Cuckoo - Cuculus saturatus saturatus
Rusty-breasted Cuckoo – Cacomantis sepulcralis aeroginosus
Common Koel - Eudynamys scolopaceus orientalis                 
Channel-billed Cuckoo - Scythrops novaehollandiae novaehollandiae       
Lesser Coucal - Centropus bengalensis medius                    
Lesser Masked Owl - Tyto sororcula cayelii                     
Moluccan Scops Owl - Otus magicus magicus                  
Large-tailed Nightjar - Caprimulgus macrurus schlegelii                 
Glossy Swiftlet - Collocalia esculenta esculenta                
Moluccan Swiftlet - Aerodramus infuscatus ceramensis             
Uniform Swiftlet - Aerodramus vanikorensis moluccarum            
Fork-tailed Swift – Apus pacificus pacificus                 
Moustached Treeswift - Hemiprocne mystacea  confirmata               
Dollarbird - Eurystomus orientalis pacificus                 
Collared Kingfisher - Todiramphus chloris chloris                     
Sacred Kingfisher - Todiramphus sanctus sanctus                   
Common Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis bengalensis             
Rainbow Bee-eater - Merops ornatus                                                
Red-bellied Pitta - Pitta erythrogaster rubrinucha               
Black-faced Friarbird - Philemon moluccensis moluccensis            
Buru Honeyeater - Lichmera deningeri Endemic
White-breasted Woodswallow - Artamus leucorynchus leucopygialis           
Buru Cuckoo-shrike - Coracina fortis Endemic
Cicadabird - Coracina tenuirostris amboinensis            
Pale Cuckoo-shrike - Coracina  ceramensis ceramensis             
Drab Whistler - Pachycephala griseonota examinata               
Spangled Drongo - Dicrurus bracteatus buruensis                
Willie-wagtail - Rhipidura leucophrys melaleuca               
Northern Fantail - Rhipidura rufiventris bouruensis              
Island Monarch - Monarcha cinerascens cinerascens             
Black-tipped Monarch - Monarcha loricatus Endemic
Moluccan Flycatcher - Myiagra galeata buruensis                
Slender-billed Crow - Corvus enca violaceus                 
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica gutturalis                 
Pacific Swallow - Hirundo tahitica javanica                   
Golden-headed Cisticola - Cisticola exilis rusticus                   
Golden Bulbul - Thapsinillas affinis mystacalis              
Chestnut-backed Bush Warbler - Bradypterus castaneus disturbans               
Clamorous Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus stentoreus sumbae                   
Buru White-eye - Zosterops buruensis Endemic
Shining Starling - Aplonis metallica metallica                 
Moluccan Starling - Aplonis mysolensis mysolensis              
Flame-breasted Flowerpecker - Dicaeum erythrothorax erythrothorax           
Black Sunbird - Leptocoma sericea proserpina               
Olive-backed Sunbird - Cinnyris jugularis buruensis                
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Passer montanus malaccensis            
Black-faced Munia - Lonchura molucca                                           

Yellow-vented Bulbul can be seen in Namlea city. I saw this species in Ambon too (escapees)
A small flock of Pale-headed Munias (Lonchura pallida) encountered in the grassland close to a village called Tanjung Karang.
When asked about if there have been sighting of Blyth’s Hornbill in the island the locals said that they have seen them in numerous occasions but I didn’t see any in the region I birded. They may have confused flying foxes with the hornbills……..                    

Conclusion:
Because of health problems I couldn’t get the best out of the trip. I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted to and couldn’t visit different places and just focused on one.
In general I’m very satisfied with my experience on the island and I did manage to see and record the sound of what I believe is Charmosyna toxopei. I also managed too see the Lesser Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula cayelii), which I understand is the first sighting of this species in recent years. Both species were seen in Bara. I know where I can find them and the next trip will be to get photographs.

References:
Birds of Indonesia by Morten strange
Birds of Wallacea by Brian J. Coates, K. David Bishop
The birds of Wallacea, B.O.U Check-list no. 7, British ornithologists' Union by C.M.N. White, Murray D. Bruce