Bali Barat National Park

Aside from the Bali Starling, the northwest of Bali was a really enjoyable place to be. It was packed full of decent birds - with Javan Banded Pitta commonly calling in riverside forest for example. However, just for the wow factor and the colours you never see on a bird in the UK/WP, Rufous-backed Kingfisher stole the show for me in this habitat. And that's saying something as any bird finds it hard to top a Pitta!

Rufous-backed Kingfisher

Bumbrun, again within the confines of the national park, was stacked full of birds. From the start, a roosting Savannah Nightjar posed well in the early morning light and then, while looking for the endangered Black-winged Starling (which I managed to see), there were quite a few Java Sparrows buzzing around - this species is a common site unfortunately in captivity, and Bali is apparently the stronghold for this species compared to Java these days. Though the birds breed in dry scrub/monsoon forest, when they're not breeding they head to the rice fields where they can easily be mist netted.

Savannah Nightjar

Java Sparrow

Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters were actually quite common, and one posed really well while I was looking out into Gilimanuk Bay - nice to see some Beach Thick-knees again (three of them) as they were one of my favourite species when I was in Oz. Also visited some a site for Green Junglefowl and ended the day at Banyuwedang where I got some cracking views of Javan Plover as well as a couple of flighty Sunda Teal. Apparently this site will be long gone in the future - plans to build an airport in this unspoilt part of the island will open it up for more mass tourism...

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Green Junglefowl - looks good enough to eat?

Javan Plover

The only species I was keen to see that I didn't in northwest was Great-billed Heron. The tide was in at Bumbrun, where there's meant to be one that favours the mangroves. Then I drew a blank at Gilimanuk. Having dipped this species on the Daintree River in Queensland in 2003, hopefully I may finally put this species to rest tomorrow at Serangan... we'll see!

In search of Bali Starling

A couple of months ago, when planning the Bali stretch of this trip, there is only really one bird that you can say is synonymous with the island - Bali Starling, Rothschild's Myna or whatever you want to call that species that is so near extinction it's criminal that it has got to this stage. Bali is a big island, or at least it feels like it is, with the rather slow road network. These days, the Bali Starling is restricted to the extreme northwest of the island in the Bali Barat National Park. It's a 4 hour drive from the popular south and southeast coast that's frequented by tourists.

The 'real' Bali seems to still exist in this lovely corner of the world and, prior to my trip, I'd made contact with Hery Kusumanegara who is the senior ranger at Bali Barat National Park. A genuinely lovely guy, and with what seems extremely limited resources, tirelessly observes and tracks down the last few remaining Bali Starlings (unfortunately it seems as though it's down to 5 genuinely wild birds left now, at 3 locations within the national park). We got a boat from the jetty at Labuhan Lalang and headed the few km to Bumbrun, the site where Bali Starlings are reintroduced into the wild and where a couple of wild birds (told by their lack of rings) still exist.

one of four reintroduced Bali Starlings seen 'in the wild' on Bumbrun

There were four reintroduced birds – all ringed – showing rather well and typically vocal that were hanging around ‘in the wild’ around the release centre. However, there was no sign of the 1-2 wild, unringed Bali Starlings that still persist in the area. A real shame to have come all this way, to not see a genuinely wild Bali Starling. However, the habitat at Bumbrun is relatively dense coastal dry forest. I’d not known of anyone seeing this species away from this site in recent years either.

However, Hery suggested that we bust a move and head back to Labuhan Lalang as he thought we may have a better chance at another site. Just on the outskirts of Gilimanuk, in some pretty marginal habitat where cows were grazing, Hery had discovered a single Bali Starling some 5 months ago. Perhaps it’s a straggler from the nearby monsoon forest? Ever since, one of his volunteers has been helping out and making sure that this bird doesn’t become victim to another bird trapper. For obvious reasons, they try to keep a low profile with local residents while doing their duty.

Bali Starling habitat near Gilimanuk

Anyway, we got to the site and ditched our motorbike. We took a stroll in the midday sun but there was no sign. Hery’s mate arrived and we had a good look around – plenty of usual suspects such as White-shouldered Trillers, Collared Kingfishers and the like. But then, suddenly, appeared a white blob perched in a distant tree. Bins up, and there is was – a truly wild Bali Starling. Brilliant for me to see, but a bit of a double-edged sword; this lone individual being alone, without a mate, and one of only a handful of this species left that is presumably, within my lifetime, destined for extinction. Compared to the reintroduced birds on Bumbrun, this was a truly wild, skittish bird...

the real deal - one of only a handful of wild Bali Starlings left