The island of Borneo, located in southeast Asia at the southern edge of the South China Sea, is home to one endemic bird family, three endemic bird genera and 61 endemic bird species. All but one of the latter are forest dwellers, with most restricted to the spine of hills and mountains running down the middle of the island. The avian endemism has been shaped by the island's geological history. Borneo sits on a continental shelf. During glacial periods, when water levels were lower, Borneo was linked with other islands on the shelf and with the Malay Peninsula in a large landmass known as Sundaland. This allowed bird species to move freely throughout the region until the waters rose again as the glaciers melted. Separated from their relatives by the sea, some of these species evolved over millennia into the endemics now found on the island. BirdLife International has designated the mountainous central spine of the island as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) because of the number of endemic species found there, and has further designated several lowland regions and nearby islands as secondary EBAs. Habitat destruction is a major threat to Borneo's endemic birds, as forests are lost to palm oil plantations and timber harvesting.
Borneo is an island located in southeast Asia, on the continental shelf at the southern edge of the South China Sea. It lies south of the Philippines, west of Sulawesi, north of Java, and east of Peninsular Malaysia. With an area of 748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi), it is the world's third largest island. More than half of the island is lowlands, rising to less than 150 m (490 ft). However, a spine of mountains runs down much of the central portion of the island. These include Mount Kinabalu, which at 4,095 m (13,435 ft) is the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and West Papua. The island is shared by three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. [1] While the lowlands are the most productive habitat in terms of the number of bird species found there, the mountains are the seat of Borneo's endemism. [2] This is in large part due to the island's geological history. [3]
During the Pleistocene, the world's polar caps repeatedly advanced and retreated, alternately locking vast amounts of water into ice, and releasing it back into the world's oceans. This caused the water level in the oceans to repeatedly rise and fall. During glacial periods, when water levels were at their lowest, much of the Sunda Shelf was exposed. This linked what are now discrete islands (including Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and a host of smaller islands) with the Malay Peninsula in one large landmass known as Sundaland. During periods when the shelf was exposed, birds could move freely across the whole landmass. When the waters rose again, these birds were cut off from their relatives, and evolved in isolation on the various islands. Temperatures were cooler overall during glacial periods, so montane birds (those generally restricted to the slopes of mountains) could move lower and spread across larger areas. During interglacial periods, they retreated to higher elevations and were separated again from other populations, including birds in the lowlands. [3] [4] Studies have shown that some endemic montane species are most closely related to species in Borneo's lowlands, while others are more closely related to montane species on other Sundaland islands. [5]
The island is home to a single endemic family: Pityriaseidae, which contains a single endemic genus (Pityriasis) with a single endemic species, the Bornean bristlehead. [6] In addition, the island holds two other endemic genera, both of which are also monotypic: Chlamydochaera (the fruithunter) and Haematortyx (the crimson-headed partridge). [6] Two other monotypic genera formerly considered to be endemic to the island—Chlorocharis and Oculocincta—have since been merged into more widespread genera. Chlorocharis was merged into the large white-eye genus Zosterops after molecular studies showed it nested comfortably within that genus. The same studies showed that Oculocincta was embedded within the smaller white-eye genus Heleia , leading it to be moved as well. [7] [8] [9]
There are 61 endemic bird species on Borneo, according to the taxonomy proposed by the International Ornithologists' Union. [9] Nearly all of these are forest birds; only the dusky munia is not. In all, roughly 10% of Borneo's forest birds are endemic to the island. Of these, 60% are montane species, 30% are found on lower slopes, and 10% are lowland species. [10] However, Borneo's forests are under threat, particularly in the lowlands. Nearly 40% of the island's forests had been completely cleared by 2016, and another 34% had been selectively logged. [11] Some 80% of Kalimantan's forests have been sold to timber concessions. [12] Much of the original lowland forest has been converted to palm oil plantations; these now cover more than 32% of Kalimantan's lowland area. [11] This results in a huge loss of biodiversity. While the original dipterocarp forests are home to more than 220 bird species, for example, palm plantations support only about 14 resident species. [13] Some 80% of Kalimantan's forests have been opened up to timber concessions, even in protected areas. [12] [14] Many highland forests fall into protected areas—including national parks and forest reserves—but such gazetting does not always guarantee true protection, with logging occurring even in those areas. [15]
Birdlife International defines Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) as places where the breeding ranges of two or more range-restricted species—those with breeding ranges of less than 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi)—overlap. In order to qualify, the whole of the breeding range of at least two range-restricted species must fall entirely within the EBA. [17] Borneo has one such area. The Bornean mountains EBA (157) comprises 130,000 km2 (50,000 sq mi) of mountain ranges in Borneo's interior, at an altitude above 500 m (1,600 ft) in elevation. These mountains are found in all three countries which share the island. Two of Borneo's three endemic genera are found here; only the Borneo bristlehead is found at lower elevations. In total, 31 range-restricted species occur within this EBA. [18]
BirdLife International has also designated five Secondary EBAs for Borneo: two smaller island groups and three areas on Borneo itself. Secondary EBAs are those which either include the breeding range of only a single range-restricted species, or those which cover only part of a range-restricted bird's breeding area. [19]
Conservation status | |
---|---|
EX | Extinct (0 species) |
EW | Extinct in the wild (0 species) |
CR | Critically Endangered (0 species) |
EN | Endangered (1 species) |
VU | Vulnerable (5 species) |
NT | Near threatened (13 species) |
LC | Least concern (37 species) |
Other categories | |
DD | Data deficient (2 species) |
NE | Not evaluated (2 species) |
Taxon. order [nb 1] | Common name | Picture | Scientific name | Habitat | IUCN status [nb 2] | Notes | EBA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hose's partridge | Rhizothera dulitensis | Hill and lower montane forest [28] | VU IUCN | Also known as Dulit partridge. [29] | ||
2 | Red-breasted partridge | Arborophila hyperythra | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | Also known as Bornean partridge. [31] | 157 | |
3 | Crimson-headed partridge | Haematortyx sanguiniceps | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
4 | Bulwer's pheasant | Lophura bulweri | Hill and lower montane forest [32] [33] | VU IUCN | |||
5 | Bornean peacock-pheasant | Polyplectron schleiermacher | Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest [33] [34] | EN IUCN | |||
6 | Dulit frogmouth | Batrachostomus harterti | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
7 | Bornean frogmouth | Batrachostomus mixtus | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | |||
8 | Bornean swiftlet | Collocalia dodgei | Upper montane forest [35] [36] | LC IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the cave swiftlet or the glossy swiftlet. [37] | ||
9 | Bornean ground cuckoo | Carpococcyx radiceus | Lowland primary dipterocarp and riverine forest [38] [39] | NT IUCN | |||
10 | Mountain serpent eagle | Spilornis kinabaluensis | Upper montane forest [30] | VU IUCN | 157 | ||
11 | Whitehead's trogon | Harpactes whiteheadi | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
12 | Mountain barbet | Psilopogon monticola | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
13 | Golden-naped barbet | Psilopogon pulcherrimus | Upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
14 | Bornean barbet | Psilopogon eximius | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
15 | Brown barbet | Caloramphus fuliginosus | Lowland dipterocarp forest and lower hill forest, swamp forest and kerangas forest [40] [41] | LC IUCN | Sometimes known as the Bornean brown barbet. [42] | ||
16 | White-fronted falconet | Microhierax latifrons | Lowland dipterocarp forest [43] [44] | NT IUCN | s098 | ||
17 | Hose's broadbill | Calyptomena hosii | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
18 | Whitehead's broadbill | Calyptomena whiteheadi | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
19 | Bornean banded pitta | Hydrornis schwaneri | Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest [45] [46] | LC IUCN | |||
20 | Blue-headed pitta | Hydrornis baudii | Lowland dipterocarp forest [45] [46] | VU IUCN | |||
21 | Black-crowned pitta | Erythropitta ussheri | Lowland dipterocarp forest [45] [47] | NT IUCN | |||
22 | Blue-banded pitta | Erythropitta arquata | Hill and lower montane forest, particularly bamboo groves [45] [47] | LC IUCN | |||
23 | Bornean bristlehead | Pityriasis gymnocephala | Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest [48] [49] | NT IUCN | |||
24 | Bornean whistler | Pachycephala hypoxantha | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
25 | Black oriole | Oriolus hosii | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
26 | Bornean black magpie | Platysmurus aterrimus | Lowland forest and swamp forest | LC IUCN | Formerly considered to be a subspecies of the black magpie; split in 2021. | ||
27 | Bornean green magpie | Cissa jefferyi | Lower forest [48] [50] | LC IUCN | |||
28 | Bornean treepie | Dendrocitta cinerascens | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [48] [50] | LC IUCN | |||
29 | Charlotte's bulbul | Iole charlottae | Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests [51] [52] | NT IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the buff-vented bulbul. [53] | ||
30 | Bornean bulbul | Rubigula montis | Lower and upper montane forest [54] [55] | LC IUCN | |||
31 | Cream-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus pseudosimplex | Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; lower montane forests [56] [57] | LC IUCN | |||
32 | Pale-faced bulbul | Pycnonotus leucops | Upper montane forest [54] [58] | LC IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the flavescent bulbul. [59] | ||
33 | Bornean stubtail | Urosphena whiteheadi | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
34 | Friendly bush-warbler | Locustella accentor | Upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
35 | Chestnut-crested yuhina | Staphida everetti | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
36 | Pygmy white-eye | Heleia squamifrons | Hill dipterocarp forest and lower montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
37 | Mountain blackeye | Zosterops emiliae | Upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
38 | Meratus white-eye | Zosterops meratusensis | Montane forest | LC IUCN | |||
39 | Bare-headed laughingthrush | Melanocichla calva | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
40 | Black-throated wren-babbler | Turdinus atrigularis | Lowland dipterocarp forest [60] [61] | NT IUCN | |||
41 | Black-browed babbler | Malacocincla perspicillata | Probably lowland forest [62] [63] | DD IUCN | Rediscovered in 2020, more than 170 years after the only specimen was collected. [23] | s099 | |
42 | Mountain wren-babbler | Gypsophila crassa | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
43 | Bornean wren-babbler | Ptilocichla leucogrammica | Lowland dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; kerangas forest [60] [64] | VU IUCN | |||
44 | Chestnut-hooded laughingthrush | Pterorhinus treacheri | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forests [65] [66] | LC IUCN | |||
45 | Everett's thrush | Zoothera everetti | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
46 | Fruithunter | Chlamydochaera jefferyi | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
47 | White-crowned shama | Copsychus stricklandii | Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; lower montane forest [67] [68] | LC IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the white-rumped shama. [69] | ||
48 | Dayak blue flycatcher | Cyornis montanus | Montane forest | LC IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the hill blue flycatcher (aka Javan blue flycatcher). | 157 | |
49 | Meratus blue flycatcher | Cyornis kadayangensis | Montane forest | NT IUCN | 157 | ||
50 | Bornean blue flycatcher | Cyornis superbus | Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest [70] [71] | LC IUCN | |||
51 | Crocker jungle flycatcher | Cyornis ruficrissa | Montane forest | Not recognised by IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the Philippine jungle flycatcher. | 157 | |
52 | Eyebrowed jungle flycatcher | Vauriella gularis | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
53 | Bornean forktail | Enicurus borneensis | Streams in lower to upper montane forest [72] [73] | Not recognised by IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the white-crowned forktail. [74] | ||
54 | Bornean whistling thrush | Myophonus borneensis | Lower and upper montane forest [75] [73] | LC IUCN | |||
55 | Bornean leafbird | Chloropsis kinabaluensis | Lower and upper montane forest [76] [77] | LC IUCN | |||
56 | Yellow-rumped flowerpecker | Prionochilus xanthopygius | Lowland, hill and lower montane forest [78] [79] | LC IUCN | |||
57 | Spectacled flowerpecker | Dicaeum dayakorum | Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest [80] [79] | DD IUCN | Described to science in 2019. [81] | ||
58 | Black-sided flowerpecker | Dicaeum monticolum | Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
59 | Bornean spiderhunter | Arachnothera everetti | Lowland, hill, and lower montane forest [82] [83] | LC IUCN | Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of streaky-breasted spiderhunter. [84] | ||
60 | Whitehead's spiderhunter | Arachnothera juliae | Lower and upper montane forest [30] | LC IUCN | 157 | ||
61 | Dusky munia | Lonchura fuscans | Scrub, gardens, grasslands, and rice paddies [85] [86] | LC IUCN |
The bay cat, also known as the Bornean bay cat, is a small wild cat endemic to the island of Borneo that appears to be relatively rare compared to sympatric wild cats, based on the paucity of historical, as well as recent records. Since 2002, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because it is estimated that fewer than 2,500 mature individuals exist, and that the population declined in the past. The bay cat has been recorded as rare and seems to occur at relatively low density, even in pristine habitat.
The Bornean bristlehead, also variously known as the bristled shrike, bald-headed crow or the bald-headed wood-shrike, is the only member of the passerine family Pityriasidae and genus Pityriasis. This enigmatic and vulnerable species is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo, where it lives in small groups in the rainforest canopy.
An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species, which are thereby endemic to them. An EBA is formed where the distributions of two or more such restricted-range species overlap. Using this guideline, 218 EBAs were identified when Birdlife International established their Biodiversity project in 1987. A secondary EBA comprises the range of only one restricted-range species, or an area which is only the partial breeding range of a range-restricted species.
The Bornean ferret badger, also known as Everett's ferret badger or the Kinabalu ferret badger, is a small, nocturnal and omnivorous mammal that is endemic to the island of Borneo. It is a member of the family Mustelidae and is one of six species of the genus Melogale. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its small distribution range, which includes Kinabalu National Park and Crocker Range National Park.
Nepenthes macrovulgaris, or the serpentine pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is a lowland plant that typically grows at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1200 m in sub-montane forest clearings and mossy forest. Its range is restricted to ultramafic habitats, including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambuyukon, the Danum Valley, the Tawai Range, the Meliau Range and Mount Silam, all in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Pitchers grow to around 25 cm high and range in colour from green to brown, with the speckled form being the most common.
Bulwer's pheasant, also known as Bulwer's wattled pheasant, the wattled pheasant or the white-tailed wattled pheasant, is a Southeast Asian bird in the family Phasianidae endemic to the forests of Borneo. It is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Borneo is the third largest island in the world. In prehistoric times it was connected to the Asian mainland due to geological and climate changes. During the recent ice ages of the Pleistocene and the Holocene separation from the mainland caused extinctions and speciation of fauna on the island.
The red-breasted partridge, also known as the Bornean hill-partridge, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is endemic to hill and montane forest in Borneo, preferring bamboos and thickets. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a least-concern species.
The white-fronted falconet, also called the Bornean falconet, is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1879, it is endemic to Borneo, where it is found in Sarawak, Sabah, and extreme northeastern Kalimantan. An extremely small falcon, it is only 14–17 cm (5.5–6.7 in) long and weighs 35–65 g (1.2–2.3 oz), being the smallest species of falconet. It has glossy bluish-black upperparts, black flanks and outer thighs, and a black mask. The belly and vent are pale yellowish-brown, while the throat, cheeks, and breast are white. The species can be told apart from other falconets by the colour of its crown and forehead, which is white in males and reddish-brown in females. It has no subspecies.
The Dulit frogmouth is a little-known species of bird in the frogmouth family, Podargidae, with a patchily recorded distribution in the mountain forests of northern and central Borneo to which it is endemic. The species is monotypic.
The mountain blackeye, sometimes referred to as the olive blackeye or simply black-eye, is a species of passerine bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the highest mountains on the island of Borneo. It is known from both Malaysian states on the island, and four of the five Indonesian provinces, but has never been recorded in Brunei. Typically found at elevations above 1,800 m (5,900 ft), the mountain blackeye sometimes moves to lower altitudes during periods of drought. There are four subspecies, which show clinal variations in size and coloring. Birds in the north are largest, darkest, and proportionately longer-tailed, while those further south are smaller, paler, and proportionately shorter-tailed. Adults are dark olive-green with a sharply-pointed, bright yellow-orange bill and a small dark mask connecting black lores with a black eye-ring. The subspecies show varying amounts of yellow in their plumage, particularly on the face and underparts. Young birds resemble their parents, but have less brightly colored bills.
The black-sided flowerpecker, also known as the Bornean flowerpecker, is a species of bird in the family Dicaeidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is found in the mountains, primarily above 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation. The species is sexually dimorphic. The male has glossy blue-black upperparts, with a scarlet throat and breast, a dark grey upper belly, olive flanks, a white lower belly, and a buffy vent and undertail coverts. The female is olive-green above and greyish below, with buffy flanks and a whitish throat. It inhabits a range of forest habitats, including primary and secondary montane forest, kerangas forest, and scrub, and is also occasionally found in gardens. It feeds primarily on small fruits—particularly mistletoe berries—as well as seeds, nectar, and various invertebrates. It builds a nest of moss, camouflaged on the outside with lichens and lined with the pith of tree ferns. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates it as a species of least concern. Though its numbers have not been quantified, the black-sided flowerpecker is said to be common throughout much of its range, and any declines are not thought to be precipitous. However, destruction of forest for palm plantations may impact it.
The black-browed babbler is a songbird species in the family Pellorneidae. The species is endemic to Borneo. Only a single specimen collected in the nineteenth century was known, until the species was rediscovered in Borneo in 2020.
The blue-headed pitta is a species of bird in the pitta family Pittidae. It is endemic to Borneo.
Whitehead's trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is an uncommon resident in primary mountain forest. One of Borneo's largest trogons at 29 to 33 cm long, it is sexually dimorphic. The male is crimson on the head, nape, and underparts, with a black throat and grey chest; the rest of his upperparts are cinnamon-coloured. The female is similarly patterned, but cinnamon-brown where the male is scarlet. The species was first described for science by Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1888, who named it for British explorer and collector John Whitehead. There are no subspecies.
The Bornean treepie is a passerine bird belonging to the treepies genus, Dendrocitta, of in the crow family, Corvidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the Sumatran treepie.
The Borneo lowland rain forests is an ecoregion, within the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, of the large island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It supports approximately 15,000 plant species, 380 bird species and several mammal species. The Borneo lowland rain forests is diminishing due to logging, hunting and conversion to commercial land use.
Tanjung Puting National Park is a national park in Indonesia located in the southeast part of West Kotawaringin Regency in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan. The nearest main town is the capital of the Regency, Pangkalan Bun. The park is famous for its orangutan conservation.
The Borneo montane rain forests is an ecoregion on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It includes montane tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as a cloud forests. The ecoregion is partly in East Malaysia and Indonesia (Kalimantan).
The Bornean black magpie, also known as the black crested magpie, is a treepie in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.