The ranges included in this EBA are the Tamrau and Arfak of the Vogelkop peninsula, the Fakfak and Kumawa of the Bomberai peninsula, and the Wandammen of the Wandammen peninsula, which all lie within the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya. The lower limits of the EBA are defined by the 1,000 m contour although some restricted-range birds have been recorded below this, and there may be some overlap with the distributions of the restricted-range species which occur in the West Papuan lowlands (EBA 172).

The vegetation of the region includes lower montane rain forest (up to c.1,500 m) which is dominated by oaks and laurels, giving way to upper montane forest (up to c.2,800 m) which is often heavily mossed and where the southern beech Nothofagus is a conspicuous tree; this merges into high mountain forest (above c.2,400 m) where the trees become stunted and conifers and myrtles predominate, and at the highest altitudes there is alpine shrubbery and grassland (Beehler et al. 1986, WWF/IUCN 1994-1995).

This EBA is a poorly known one ornithologically and has been little explored for any purpose. The Kumawa mountains, for example, are uninhabited, and there was no record of anyone ever having entered there before 1983 (Diamond 1985). The limestone mountains of the Fakfak are also extremely inhospitable and difficult of access, with vertical cliffs, sheer-walled fissures and deep sink-holes (Gibbs 1994).

All of the EBA's restricted-range species occur in forested habitats apart from Lonchura vana which depends on mid-mountain wet grassland and marshland. Forest species can be divided into three groups according to the habitat types with which they largely associate: lower montane forest (below c.1,500 m), lower-upper montane forest (c.1,000-2,000 m) and upper montane-high mountain forest (above c.1,500 m) (see 'Habitat associations' table).

Nearly all the restricted-range species occur in the Arfak mountains. There are various patterns of distribution between the other mountain ranges (see 'Distribution patterns' table), although this may be due to poor data, particularly from the higher altitudes. Several species extend their ranges further east into other montane Papuan EBAs.

The inadequacy of exploration in this EBA is illustrated by the fact that in a recent visit to the Fakfak mountains, several taxa potentially new to science were recorded, including two honeyeaters Ptiloprora sp. and Melipotes sp., a bowerbird Amblyornis sp. (possibly inornatus) and a paradigalla Paradigalla sp. (possibly carunculata) (Gibbs 1994). In 1994 and 1995 Eurostopodus archboldi was recorded from the Arfak mountains for the first time, more than 600 km west of the nearest known records in the Snow mountains (EBA 178) (Gibbs 1996a).

The extensive montane rain forests of this EBA remain relatively undisturbed due to their geographical isolation, and to the the low density and traditional lifestyle of the human inhabitants. Deforestation is, however, occurring in the hills of the Tamrau and Arfak mountain ranges (Sujatnika et al. 1995).

Only one restricted-range species in this EBA, Lonchura vana, is currently classified as threatened. Its mid-mountain wet grassland and marshland habitat is very scarce (it is drained for conversion to agriculture) and there are very few recent records. Several other species are classified as Near Threatened, largely because of their limited ranges and apparent rarity. Other widespread threatened species, all classified as Vulnerable, which occur in this EBA include Salvadori's Teal Salvadorina waigiuensis, New Guinea Harpy Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae and Black Sicklebill Epimachus fastuosus.

Two restricted-range species are assigned to the non-threatened category, Data Deficient. The apparent extreme rarity and patchy distribution of Melanocharis arfakiana (see Status table) suggest either that it may be disappearing, perhaps as a result of competition with ecologically similar congeners, or that it could be an overlooked, canopy-haunting species (Coates 1990). Recent information on the status of Rallina leucospila indicates a very patchy distribution (D. Gibbs in litt. 1996) but this may be no cause for concern as its habitat is probably largely secure.

Two reserves, which include montane forest, are established in this EBA: the isolated Wondiwoi/Wandammen Nature Reserve (730 km²) which covers the complete range of lowland through to montane forests in the Wandammen peninsula, and the Pegunungan Arfak Nature Reserve in the north (683 km²) which covers upper montane forests at altitudes above 1,500 m. As currently gazetted, the latter is considered too small for the maintenance of viable populations of Arfak flora and fauna, and it is proposed that it should be extended to include a greater range of habitats with a change in status to provide indigenous people with the opportunity to continue certain traditional ecologically non-disruptive practices (WWF/IUCN 1994-1995).

In order to have a more comprehensive protected-area network in this EBA, consideration should be given to establishing the well-forested, proposed nature reserves of Pegunungan Tamrau (c.4,415 km²) in the north of the Vogelkop peninsula, and Pegunungan Fakfak (510 km²) and Pegunungan Kumawa (1,180 km²) in the Bomberai peninsula (Sujatnika et al. 1995; see also Diamond 1986).

Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. and Wege, D. C. (1998) Endemic Bird Areas of the World. Priorities for biodiversity conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series 7. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Endemic Bird Area factsheet: West Papuan highlands. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/eba/factsheet/173 on 27/12/2024.