Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
Pulau Mantanani consists of three islands namely Pulau Mantanani Besar, Pulau Mantanani Kecil and Pulau Lungisan, a small island just off the western shore of Pulau Mantanani Besar. Pulau Mantanani Besar is about 3 km across and 1.5 km at its widest point. The island is surrounded by sandy, calcareous beaches, except on its northern side. Pulau Mantanani Kecil is a thin island 2.5 km by 0.7 km. The island is composed mostly of limestone bluffs and rocky shores, with little strand or
kerangas vegetation (Sheldon, 1983). Pulau Lungisan is a 40 m high limestone stack covered with low trees and steep slopes close to Pulau Mantanani Besar (Møller, 2002).
The islands are important to pelagic species, wintering migrants and residents although the diversity is not great (28 species). Pelagic species such as the Frigatebirds (Christmas Island, Great and Lesser) have been recorded roosting in great numbers on Pulau Mantanani Kecil and Pulau Lungisan, one of the very few localities in Sabah where these migratory species can be found. These islands are estimated to hold 2,000-3,000 Frigatebirds
Fregata spp. during peak season, with mostly juveniles and sub-adults (Møller, 2002).Other Near Threatened species that has been recorded are the endemic Mantanani Scops-owl
Otus mantananensis, Malaysian Plover
Charadrius peronii, Nicobar Pigeon
Caloenas nicobarica and Blue-naped Parrot
Tanygnathus lucionensis (Boden Kloss, 1930; Møller, 2002; Sheldon, 1983; Smythies, 1981). The Megapode
Megapodius freycinet was found breeding on Pulau Mantanani Besar in March 1982, where eight birds and six active nest mounds were examined (Sheldon, 1983).
Non-bird biodiversity: (I) Globally threatened mammals (IUCN, 2002): VULNERABLE: Dugong Dugong dugon (Elliott, 2003).(II) Globally threatened reptiles (IUCN, 2002): CRITICAL: Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata; ENDANGERED: Green Turtle Chelonia mydas(III) Globally threatened plants (IUCN, 2002): No information.
Most areas on Pulau Mantanani Besar are sandy beaches, accompanied by strand forest composed primarily of
Casuarina equisetifolia, with some
Pandanus odoratissimus, shrubs and grasses. On the northern end of the island, the sandy beaches give way to narrow rocky ones. Limestone bluffs, formed by the sea into a network of caves and cliffs, rise abruptly from this rocky part of the coast to a height of 30 m in some places. A thin band of forest growing on top of the limestone bluffs, where the soil tends to be richer than in other parts of the island, had a number of
Ficus spp. trees. Apart from this one high part of the island, the rest has low relief and sandy, poor soil. Substantial plots of
Cocos nucifera have been planted at the base of the limestone highlands at the island's northern end and at its southeastern corner. The rest of the interior has either thick kerangas forest characterized by the Myrtaceae or open
kerangas scrub with tough shrubs such as
Melastoma. There are no marshes, swamps or mangroves on this island (Sheldon, 1983).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The hunting of the Megapode and decrease in the Nicobar Pigeon population are of concern. The forested area frequented by the Megapode on Pulau Mantanani Besar was found to be heavily set with snares. In addition to that, islanders were reported digging up the nests regularly and taking all the eggs (Sheldon, 1983). The Nicobar Pigeons are preyed upon by domestic cats, ensnarement and a lack of population-boosting immigrants, which have reduced its numbers. Only two were recorded in March 1982 (Sheldon, 1983). Poor enforcement of wildlife laws on the expanding Pulau Mantanani Besar has also contributed to the decline of medium- and larger-sized birds. The breeding population of Edible-nest Swiftlet
Aerodramus fuciphagus has also decline sharply due to over-harvesting. Some new forest clearings have occurred on the ridge of Pulau Mantanani Besar in 2001 (Møller, 2002).
The islands are gazetted as a Bird Sanctuary in 1960 under the Land Ordinance 1960 (amended 1967) and Sabah Cap 68 (Regis, 2001; Smythies, 1999).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mantanani islands (Malaysia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mantanani-islands-iba-malaysia on 23/12/2024.
