(MY) tourism with birds

[Guest guest]

Home is where the jar is- New Straits Times

30 Mar 2007

 

 

KUALA TERENGGANU: This unused earthen jar (picture, below) has become

the nesting site of an Oriental Pied hornbill.

 

Its beak is visible and keeping a watchful eye is Muda Mamat, 60, the

bird's guardian.

 

Since 2002, the jar, which is in the backyard of Muda's house in

Kampung Tok Jiring, Kuala Terengganu, has been the nesting spot for

the bird, which may be the same one that has returned for the sixth

time.

 

" With me here, no one dares to disturb it. Anyone coming to see it

must stand a few metres away from the jar. "

 

The hornbill, or burung kelingking, as it is commonly known, lays an

average of two eggs a year, between January and March.

 

The bird, which normally returns to its original nest, can grow up to

70cm and is found in plantations, at the edge of forests and beaches.

Malaysian Nature Society committee member Anuar Abdullah McAfee said

that hornbills traditionally nest high up in a tree.

 

" So for it to nest in a ceramic jar, just 1.4m above the ground is

really unique, " Anuar said.

 

For Muda, his winged guest has made him a popular figure in his village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tourism can soar with birds - New Straits Times

30 Mar 2007

Sean Augustin

 

KUALA TERENGGANU: It's time the tourism industry cast an eagle eye on

the northern frontier to promote bird-watching.

 

While Taman Negara, Pahang, and Fraser's Hill are popular havens for

bird watchers, several spots in the northern states have equally good

potential for such activities.

 

These places include Ulu Muda, Pedu and Langkawi, all in Kedah, Kenyir

in Terengganu, the Belum-Temenggor forest complex in Perak, and the

Kuala Muda-Teluk Air Tawar coast near Butterworth.

 

Malaysian Nature Society senior science officer Yeap Chin Aik said

birding was one of the most important income-generators for Fraser's

Hill.

 

A lot of tourists, especially foreigners, focus their efforts both on

Fraser's Hill and Taman Negara.

 

" But this does not mean that the northern states have no prospects.

 

" In fact, these places have quite a good range of birds, some of which

are unique to the areas.

 

" These include the plain-pouched hornbill found in the Belum-Temmengor

area, " he said.

 

Yeap said the hornbill, which is a globally threatened species, has

been seen flying in large numbers during certain periods of the year,

similar to the raptors that flew by Tanjung Tuan, Malacca, on the way

to North Asia from Sumatra earlier this month.

 

He suggested that the tourism industry follow the example of the

Zululand Birding Route, a birding project in South Africa, which

focuses on conserving birds and their habitats by promoting and

developing birding tourism in the region.

 

The route is currently managed by the Birdlife SA Rio Tinto Avitourism

programme.

 

To date, the birding route has trained more than 30 local guides,

marketed the area nationally and internationally and was named as the

finalist for the Smithsonian Institute's sustainable tourism awards in

2003.

 

Irshad Mobarak, director of the Natural History Expedition, an

eco-tourism company based in Langkawi, shared the same sentiment.

 

He said the company planned to bring more Japanese and European

tourists to the northern areas.

 

Irshad said there were easily over 200 species around the Kenyir Lake here.

 

On a recent two-day excursion, he managed to spot 88 species.

 

He said on average, a 10-day bird watching trip at Fraser's Hill, the

Kuala Selangor Nature Park or Taman Negara would allow tourists to see

about 250 types of birds.

 

" It is easy to observe birds, especially hornbills, in places like Kenyir.

 

" I brought a travel agent from the United Kingdom with me on my last

trip. He was impressed with what the northern states had to offer.

 

" I hope the state governments realise the potential they have in their

own backyard and do something about it, " Irshad said.

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