Birding Backyard: Birdwatching in Andalas University

Abstract

Andalas University campus comples in Limau Manis area is renowned for its beautiful scenery and close-to-nature environment due to its attachment to the forest of Bukit Barisan mountainous chain in Sumatera. Here in this paper, we descriptively discuss the ornithological aspects of the Andalas University campus complex in its relation for being a birdwatching destination. It combined the literature study on previous ornithological publications made from this area with recent observation exhaustively conducted in some strategic birding sites in the campus complex. In overall, we recorded 160 bird species from surrounding of Andalas University with possibility for more increasing new species sighted in given time; they belong to 44 families and 14 orders. Included in species inventory 1 species with Appendix I and 15 species Appendix II of CITES; 31 species protected by Indonesian Law; 1 species with Critically Endangered status, 2 species with Vulnerable status, 20 species with Near Threatened status of IUCN Red List; 16 migrant species from North and 6 migrant species from south hemisphere. There are five major bird habitats in this area; ponds, rivers or tributaries, green spaces, secondary and primary forests. We also identified direct and indirect threats for bird diversity in this area, such as illegal logging, illegal hunting and poaching, introduced predators, as well as animal abusing. Further attention needs to be paid for protecting bird species and their habitats in Andalas University campus complex through the enforcement of campus conservation policy.