Birds of paradise, perhaps widely known by most Indonesian people from the illustration of 1995’s banknote Rp 20.000 or 1971’s coins Rp 50. The legendary model, which is called Cendrawasih in Bahasa Indonesia, has extensively been studied of its species diversity and distribution. However, its behavior in the wilds had never been recorded and studied, neither by domestic nor foreign researchers. Until eight years ago—the adventure of this determined mission has been begun.
Became the First Revealing Secret
Two fellow explorers, Tim Laman, a Harvard ornithologist, and Edwin Scholes, a Cornell evolutionary biologist. They have been through 8 years of research, 18 expeditions, 544 days in the field, 109 natural blinds, captured nearly 40,000 thousand of photos, to give a broader perspective of the 39 species of birds of paradise. This almost-a-decade research reveals numerous secrets of birds of paradise’s behavior that previously was still undiscovered.
Birds of paradise has drawn the attention of world’s researchers since 100 years ago, when a naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace found the birds in “The Spice Islands”, which is now Aru Islands, on Wallacea Expedition. Researches then continued for decades to examined the diversity of species and distribution, some of its body structure and anatomy subject, yet barely about its behavior. Previous studies were generally collected samples of birds of paradise by shooting the birds, preserving the skin and put artificial skeleton into it. Laman and Scholes did have the main goal to be the first to document in detail the natural behavior of all 39 species of bird of paradise in the wilds.
“There’s so many expeditions which shoot them to display their skin in museums. You’ll find the skin at museum in Bogor, New York, London. They have all 39 species collection. Earlier version of biodiversity research is to collecting. Start from Wallacea expedition, a hundred year ago. What we do now is a kind of modern version. I was the first who photographing them, videotaping them and record their voice while they alive in the wild,” explained Laman, alone without Scholes’ presence, when interviewed by Ekuatorial on his research presentation of Birds of Paradise Project at @america Pacific Place, South Jakarta (22/8).
The project’s objective in visual documentary seems not too grandiose due to Laman’s background as a nature photographer at National Geographic Magazine and International League of Conservation Photographers. Moreover, Scholes has more than a decade experience of being a digital video expert and also a video curator for Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The undeniable shots and footage that they have captured always managed to make the audience gasped, shook head, and amazed for the sharpness of those shots and footage that exhibit various stunning behaviors of birds of paradise from various angles.
Laman and Scholes documentation results generally shows behaviors of birds of paradise in courtship ritual—displaying behavior in attracting the attention of a potential mate, usually performed by males through dancing and such a way. Birds of paradise represents an extreme example of Charles Darwin’s theory of Sexual Selection: Females choose mates based on certain characteristics of interest, thereby increasing the likelihood of (attractive) traits inherited to their offspring. Their habitat in Papua, where they can find abundant food and least predators, allows their offspring to develop a very attractive appearance, in this case refers to males, to get early self-advertise to females.
Laman and Scholes documentation took a lot of angles, including the females’ perspective. Thereby, it succeeded to reveal such untold secrets of courtship ritual that has been questioned all this time. For example, on the species of Western Parotia, that was previously never been known why its male has black body feathers—that is considered unattractive—and bright yellow collar feathers. Logically, when the male lifts his feathers that resemble a hovering ballerina’s tutu, it would apparently look like a black circle for the female who watches from her twig “stage” above the male. Besides, his striking neck feathers also would be useless to draw attention of the female because it might be unnoticed from above. Nevertheless, a video taken by Laman and Scholes shows that from the female’s point of view, the male seemed amusing and attractive because it looked like a black flying object with yellow flashed every once in a while. It turned out that the male was occasionally fluterring its neck feathers. So, as for them, angle is the key. That is only one of many amazing behaviors they captured.
There still many more ways of birds of paradise males to attract females. For example, Black Sicklebill species changed their shape by lifting up their feathers to bear a resemblance like a half dome or umbrella that shelters the female. “They changed themselves until it doesn’t looks like a bird at all,” Laman said. There was also Lesser Bird-of-Paradise that gallantly lifted their wings while perching to strike a pose before the female and Greater Bird-of-Paradise that rose wings and flicked its tail feathers. A particular species shook his head rapidly as he flapping wings so the movement made such turquoise shimmer that radiated from its green-blue neck feathers. Other cases with Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise which had 12 single feathers on its tail to caress the female, King Bird-of-Paradise with striking colors and bizarre tail feathers, King-of-Saxony Bird-of-Paradise with longhorn-alike feather on its head which can be lifted or lowered, and a particular species that diligently cleaned his residence everyday from dry leaves and twigs to attract females into his nature. Those are only a few examples of many that Laman displayed in presentation that confirms about birds of paradise feathers of seduction. Then it is a true statement at the opening of his presentation: “For birds of paradise, attracting a mate is a performing art.”
Remote habitat, from trekking to helicopter riding
Family of birds of paradise, Paradisaeidae, consists of 15 genera and 39 species, according to Laman and Scholes research as presented in the following table:
Birds of paradise habitats are quite remote and difficult to reach. Generally located in upland rainforest at an altitude of 5.000-11.500 m, depend on its species, only a few species are found in the lowlands, swamps, and small islands. “They are in a very remote area, it is really hard to get to,” said Laman. He said at many times of expedition, the team needed to take small boat, helicopter, or trekking for days.
Birds of paradise are only found in Papua Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and there are only four in Australia: three Riflebirds and Trumpet Manucode. From total of 39 species of birds of paradise, there are 27 species found only in Papua Indonesia. In mainland of Papua, birds of paradise distributed throughout Halmahera Islands, Raja Ampat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, Manokwari Regency, Yapen Island in Teluk Cendrawasih Regency, Jayapura Regency, Jayawijaya Regency, Asmat Regency, and Aru Islands Regency.
“The hardest one to find is the Bronze Parotia, which found in Papua, in the Foja Mountains. Because of its smallest range, smallest distribution. They’re only found in a particular mountain range, in Mamberamo area of the Nothern Papua. And it’s extremely remote, there’s no villagers nearby, villagers in the mountain is only around base of the mountain. And so the only way we went there was by a helicopter. It’s only found on the mountain tops in a high mountain of a small mountain range. It’s difficult to access,” explained Laman when he got asked what the most difficult bird to find.
Threat to worry about is not hunting!
Erst, in the period before Wallace, indigenous tribes had been hunting birds of paradise to take its beautiful feathers for accessories and decoration. They cut off the wings and legs to facilitate the collection of feathers then set aside the bird’s body. When finally the bodies of the Greater Bird-of-Paradise (Paradisaea apoda) specimens were brought to Europe as prototypes for new species identification by members of a trade expedition in Papua, they were surprised by the absence of legs and wings of the bird. They wondering, ‘Maybe the bird was not able to fly high because of the absence of the wings and always hovering because of its body feather plus never landed because it did not have legs.’ This always-hovering nature makes the bird like being in heaven. Since then it is called the birds of paradise. Withal, apoda in Latin means no legs.
It has been known since long time ago that birds of paradise’s beautiful feathers had been wanted and hunted, both for custom clothing Papua tribes, or overseas export commodity, as well their whole feathers to make decorations. Papuan indigenous tribes used it as headdresses, nose ornaments, and clothing ornamentation. Some believe that the use of birds of paradise feathers in tribal rituals are sacred symbols, some believe it is a prestige symbol of fighters or leaders, and some believe it is a symbol of celebration and joy. Rampant hunting happened in the late 19th and early 20th century, when the feathers started to be famous and in great demand for women’s hats in Europe. The hunt was led to reduction in the number of birds in some species and habitat damage. Conservation discourse then emerged from outside Dutch East Indies countries and pressed the Dutch colonial government. At that time an amateur entomologist M.C. Piepers proposed protection measures of birds of paradise. The louder the pressure eventually led to The Legislation of Wild Mammals and Wild Birds Protection that released in 1910.
The regulation of birds of paradise protection then updated to The Law of Wildlife Protection in 1931. After Indonesia’s independence, the government issued Law No. 5 year 1990 concerning Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems, and all kinds of birds of paradise listed in the list of protected animals in government regulation PP No.7 year 1999 (appendix). Hunting is only allowed for tribal rituals of the local tribes.
When got asked what is the main threat of birds of paradise, Laman answered, “The most important problem is not hunting, but forest loss (as its habitat). That’s the biggest challenge in the future.” Laman also said, “Only in three islands, small islands, in Raja Ampat that a species of the birds live, for example. Now there’s much, you know, rapid development going on there. If they don’t develop plan carefully then the habitat of the species which is found only on Indonesia, found on those 3 islands, it could easily be destroyed.”
Dealing with the habitat loss of birds of paradise, data from agency of natural resources conservation or BKSDA in 2012 also supports Laman concerns. The data shows a population decline of 80% on each one square meter at a location in Papua. Declining in the population of the birds, mainly due to the expansion of new districts, the construction of access roads, settlements, and logging.
In line with that data, Laman said that birds of paradise’s population was getting close to the population’s declining. But he stated that overall birds of paradise population is still in good condition, not so much endangered. Birds of paradise’s status is generally considered as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, but seven species of them are Near Threatened (Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise, Long-tailed Paradigalla, Pale-billed Sicklebill, Goldie’s Bird-of-Paradise, Emperor Bird-of -Paradise, and Red Bird-of-Paradise). Moreover, there are three species which are Vulnerable (Wahnes’s Parotia, Blue Bird-of-Paradise, and Black Sicklebill). Laman stated the hunting that they saw was limited to some small number of species like Greater and Lesser Bird-of-Paradise.
However, it appears that we still need to take hunting into consideration, since the trade of its feathers still goes on illegally. The hunt is done not only for the tribal rituals alone. It seems not all Papuans has understood, then respect for the prominence of birds of paradise which actually has become the iconic figure the island. For example, BKSDA said that in 2012 in Bonggo, Sarmi Regency, they discover a member of national army or TNI keeping dozens of birds of paradise in a cage. Hunters, fences, and sellers of the birds in Papua are varied, ranging from individuals who sell on the rural streets and remote districts to the trade in traditional markets.
Laman also uttered, “I ever heard that the price is 200.000 rupiahs, something like that, you know, it’s not so much. Yeah you can still see the trade there, in Aru, and Jayapura, you can still see the birds for sale. But I think it’s not the main income, I think it’s not. It’s like of extra, you know, additional source of income when they have the opportunity.”
No wonder some communities in Papua, in fact since 2012, sue the local government to regulate a legislation of birds of paradise protection because they consider the central government regulation is still not enough. As reported in a Papuan local media, tabloidjubi.com (5/11/12), chairman of Papua Tour Guides Community, Andre Liem said, “I think there should be a law to protect these birds. Because, they are only exist in Papua and they’re unique. It is important to understand these birds are protected.”
Ecotourism is a good idea
At the end of the interview, Laman expressed his hope in the future of birds of paradise. “They are potential to be a charismatic flightship species, key species that people can relate to. I think birds of paradise can be the flightship so people say ‘oh yes we want to conserve this habitat for the birds of paradise’ then the others plan to protect it. So, it’s useful to have this kind of species that people can get really more relating about, because they are so beautiful,” he said.
Furthermore, Laman was not worried about the idea of tourism, he instead felt precisely that it was a good thing to make people more familiar with and more concerned about the birds of paradise. “It’s not about the tourism can endanger the birds of paradise, I don’t think so at all, I’m not worry about that. Because if the people going to watch the birds in the forest, it’s not gonna disturb the birds too much. You know, it’s a good way, and there’s some places in Papua that already had the villagers build small guesthouse and trying to get the tourist to come, and they take them to see the birds, they know where the birds displaying on the tree, that’s kind of the small scale tourism, I don’t think that it’s going to have the negative impact of the birds at all. I think it would provide additional income for the local people compare to selling their forest, you know,” explained Laman lengthy. Ratih Rimayanti