Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
Gunung Sibela (2110 m) has narrow and long ridges from west to north. There are 10 villages around Gunung Sibela which spread on the coastal area. The land around of Gunung Sibela is fertile for plantation or dry land farming. Most people work as dry land farmer and fisherman. Main comodity for plantation are coconut, cacao and coffee.
There are some restricted-range bird species which need to be reconfirmed from this area, i.e. Moluccan Woodcock
Scolopax rochussenii the threatened bird species (Lambert 1994, BirdLife International 2001). Other bird species which probably exist i.e. Giant Coucal
Centropus goliath, Blue-and-White Kingfisher
Halcyon diops, Ivory-breasted Pitta
Pitta maxima, Dusky Friarbird
Philemon fuscicapillus, Paradise Crow
Lycocorax pyrrhopterus, Purple Dollarbird
Eurystomus azureus (Lambert 1994).
Non-bird biodiversity: This area is supports a large group of Macaca nigra. Bacan Island is the only place in Maluku for this species. The other important fauna is Cervus timorensis moluccensis and Hydrosaurus amboinensis (MacKinnon & Artha 1981, Purmiasa 1993, Hitipeuw & Tuhumury 1999.obs.pri.).
The habitat type is evergreen rain forest with few moist deciduous forest in the northern part (Monk.
et.al.1997). The northern part of the lowland rainforest is covered by high trees up to 60 m. At altitude between 500-1500 m there is mountain rainforest with lower trees and lower vegetation, and there is subalpin forest above of 1500 m with lower trees (Smiet
et.al.1981). The area is important watercatchment area for Labuha valley. Bababang is an important area for agriculture in Bacan Island (MacKinnon & Artha 1981).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Natural habitat alteration for plantation and parrot catching for trade by local communities.
23024 ha has been declared as Nature Reserve based on SK Menteri Kehutanan Nomor 326/Kpts-II/1987 on 15 October 1987 (Departemen Kehutanan 2000).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gunung Sibela (Indonesia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gunung-sibela-iba-indonesia on 15/12/2024.
