Thursday, December 03, 2009

Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre a popular site for bird watching

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre (KKWC) is one of the city’s most popular sites for bird watching and for a good reason too.

According to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) School of International Tropical Forestry lecturer, Andy Russel Mojiol, a study conducted by the university unveiled that there are some 3,526 birds residing within the mangrove area.

He said to the New Sabah Times that the most common birds found at KKWC are Waders, Herons, Storks, Bitterns, Raptors and Bulbuls.

He added that studies done in 2005 indicated that there were about 135 bird species at KKWC.

“Waders, Herons, Storks and Bitterns, being ‘water birds’ are generally associated with areas that are swampy, mudflats such as mangroves. These includes the Common Greenshank (Tringa Nebularia), Common Sandpiper (Actitis Hypoleucos), Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus Cinnamomeus), Purple Heron (Ardea Purpurea), Little Egret (Egretta Garzetta) and so on, that eat small fishes and crustaceans,” he explained.

Raptors, on the other hand, consist of the Lesser Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga Humilis), Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus), Brahimy Kite (Haliastur Indus). These species of birds thrive near the seaside or river mouth and predates fishes and small mammals.

Continue reading at: Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre a popular site for bird watching
.
.

No comments: