If you think it is entirely fanciful to go bird watching in Jakarta, outside the dismal bird markets such as Barito and Kelapa Gading, that is, at first sight you might be right. But, wait a moment, all is not lost.

Take Pulau Rambut, otherwise known as Pulau Burung, a small coral atoll off the Tangerang shore in the Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu) group in Jakarta Bay. This is one of the two viable remaining water bird breeding grounds in West Java/Banten, the other being Pulau Dua.

The thick primary forest that amazingly survives on the island is a sanctuary to big, noisy roosts of egrets, herons, darters and cormorants as well as a large colony of flying foxes, which favour the tree species stercula foetida. Vulnerable species such as the Milky Stork, Lesser Adjutant, a huge, rather ugly stork variety, Masked Finfoot, a shy bird of mangrove underbrush and the magnificent Christmas Island Frigatebird are all to be found. More common species such as Bee-eaters and White-breasted wood swallows can also be spotted.

The traffic of water birds to and from their feeding grounds on the Java north shore, now endangered by the Jakarta city government’s proposed reclamation project, provides a tremendous spectacle throughout the day. The plodding Great Herons labouring into the wind, the long-necked Oriental Darters, aptly named, the snowy white Great Egrets, all put on a show in rain or shine.

Hoist on the wind, the Christmas Island Frigatebirds soar above the water, prospecting for fish, their sentinel eyes missing little. If you are on neighbouring Pulau Untung Jawa (Lucky Java island) and up before dawn you might spot these birds sailing eerily on the wind in the glow of the moon like prehistoric apparitions; a fantastic sensation.

Take every opportunity to see this species for it is listed as critically endangered. Out on Christmas Island its nesting habitat is under severe threat from introduced African Yellow Crazy Ants.

Shorebirds such as sandpipers may be spotted, quicksilvering sight in the way of all waders.

On and around the fishing stakes that protrude from the shallows various species of terns, those elegant seabirds we call ‘sea swallows’, can be seen plunging for fish.

The highlight of a trip to Pulau Rambut may well be climbing to the top of the viewing tower to get, well, a bird’s eye view of the garrulous, squabbling nesting colonies of cormorants, herons and egrets. If your luck is in the Milky Storks may be almost to hand. The tower is located in the center of the island and stands some thirty feet tall.

Watch out also for Monitor Lizards in the undergrowth, but do not believe the island’s warden when he tells you these are Komodo Dragons!

Getting there
Local ferries, small, canopied affairs that carry around 30 people, leave for Pulau Untung Jawa from Tanjung Pasir beach in Tangerang mayoralty, west of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Fare Rp3,000 one way. You can get to Tanjung Pasir by public transport, but this requires several changes. Best to organize a group and take a public bus to Kalideres terminal from where you can hire a taxi (c. Rp 50,000 mungkin). Coming back, take a bemo to Kampung Melayu (not the Jakarta district of the same name) and ask for another in the direction of Kalideres.

Literature
"Birding Indonesia" (Periplus Editions)

Websites
www.camacdonald.com/birding/asiaindonesia.htm

Ed Colline’s Indonesia Bird Site

Gallery of Indonesian Birds by john Cooke and Tony Tilford