The conservation status of the restricted-range lowland birds of Buru, Indonesia

Abstract

The island of Buru in Maluku province, Indonesia was visited in November and December 1989. Using a point count method, we assessed the conservation status of the island's restricted-range lowland birds by examining their abundance and habitat associations. Thirteen of Buru's 19 lowland restricted-range species were recorded during the fieldwork. Of these we assign nine (White-eyed Imperial Pigeon Ducula perspicillata, Moluccan Red Lory Eos bornea, Buru Racquet-tail Prioniturus mada, Black-tipped Monarch Monarcha loricatus, White-naped Monarch Monarcha pileatus, Dark-grey Flycatcher Myiagra galeata, Flame-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrothorax, Buru Yellow White-eye Zosterops buruensis and Black-faced Friarbird Philemon moluccensis) to IUCN's Safe/Low risk category of threat, on the basis of their large populations, widespread occurrence on Buru and association with non-pristine habitats. We recommend that the remaining six of the recorded species remain Data-deficient but some of these (e.g. Blue-fronted Lorikeet Charmosyna toxopei and Buru Cuckoo-shrike Coracina fortis) may be Vulnerable. While data on the birds which we did not record are obviously needed, we suggest that the amount of forest remaining, the abundance of many species and their tolerance of selectively logged forests bodes well for the immediate future of the bulk of Buru's lowland avifauna.