Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
The area is descibed to have rapid settlement, and there is no natural forest except some degraded mangrove.
Although this island has no endemic bird but it has many endemic sub-species, including
Psittacula alexandri perionca (and
Psittacula alexandri major in Banyak Island). From around 23 endemic bird sub-species Dymond (1994) failed to find 8 sub-species. Thiollay (1996b) confirmed record for
Spizaetus nanus stresemanni. Other important species are Large Green-Pigeon
Treron capellei (Dymond in 1994 recorded for the first time), Cinnamon-headed Green-Pigeon
Treron fulvicolis, and endemic sub-species
Gracula religiosa robusta, the favourite in bird market. Other species which might be present are Great-billed Heron
Ardea sumatrana, Malaysian Plover
Charadrius peronii, and Beach Thick-knee
Burhinus giganteus. Probably the remaining forest can not support Nicobar Pigeon
Caloenas nicobarica.
The habitat types of this area are secondary forest, and plantations and paddy fields (Anon 1995)
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Agricultural intensification and infrastructure development.
Protected Area (47959 ha). Proposed as Wildlife Sanctuary (FAO 1982, Anon 1995).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Pulau Nias (Indonesia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/pulau-nias-iba-indonesia on 23/12/2024.
