Tiger Island Sumatra

 The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a rare tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2008 as the population was estimated at 441 to 679 individuals, with no subpopulation larger than 50 individuals and a declining trend.

The Sumatran tiger is the only surviving member of the Sunda Islands group of tigers that included the now extinct Bali tiger and Javan tiger. Sequences from complete mitochondrial genes of 34 tigers support the hypothesis that Sumatran tigers are diagnostically distinct from mainland populations

Sumatran tigers persist in isolated populations across Sumatra.They occupy a wide array of habitats, ranging from sea level in the coastal lowland forest of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park on the southeastern tip of Lampung Province to 3,200 m (10,500 ft) in mountain forests of Gunung Leuser National Park in Aceh Province. They have been repeatedly photographed at 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in a rugged region of northern Sumatra, and are present in 27 habitat patches larger than 250 km² (97 sq mi).

In 1978, the Sumatran tiger population was estimated at 1,000 individuals, based on responses to a questionnaire survey. In 1985, a total of 26 protected areas across Sumatra containing approximately 800 tigers were identified. In 1992, it was estimated that 400–500 tigers lived in five national parks and two protected areas.

At that time the largest population, comprising 110-180 individuals, was reported from the Gunung Leuser National Park. However, a more recent study shows that the Kerinci Seblat National Park in central Sumatra has the highest population of tigers on the island, estimated to be at 165–190 individuals. The park also was shown to have the highest tiger occupancy rate of the protected areas, with 83% of the park showing signs of tigers.There are more tigers in the Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP) than in all of Nepal, and more than in China, Laos, Cambodia andVietnam combined.

Sumatran tigers strongly prefer non-cultivated forest and make little use of plantations of acacia and oil palm even if these are available. Within natural forest areas they tend to use areas with higher elevation, lower annual rainfall, farther from forest edge, and closer to forest centres. They prefer forest with dense understory cover and steep slope, and they strongly avoid forest areas with high human influence in the forms of encroachment and settlement. In acacia plantations they tend to use areas closer to water, and prefer areas with older plants, more leaf litter and thicker sub-canopy cover. Tiger records in oil palm plantations and in rubber plantations are scarce. The availability of adequate vegetation cover at the ground level serves as an environmental condition fundamentally needed by tigers regardless of the location. Without adequate understory cover, tigers are even more vulnerable to persecution by humans. Human disturbance related variables negatively affect tiger occupancy and habitat use. Variables with strong impacts include settlement and encroachment within forest areas, logging and the intensity of maintenance in acacia plantations.Camera trapping surveys conducted in southern Riau revealed an extremely low abundance of potential prey and a low tiger density in peat swamp forest areas. Repeated sampling in the newly established Tesso Nilo National Park documented a trend of increasing tiger density from 0.90 individuals per 100 km² (39 sq mi) in 2005 to 1.70 individuals per 100 km²(39 sq mi) in 2008.

In the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, nine prey species larger than 1 kg (2.2 lb) of body weight were identified including great argus pheasant, pigtail macaque, porcupine,Malay tapir, wild pig, greater and lesser mouse-deer, muntjac and Sambar deer. As Sumatran tigers are apex predators in their habitat, the continuing decline in their population numbers is likely to destabilize food chains and lead to various

Major threats include habitat loss due to expansion of palm oil plantations and planting of acacia plantations, prey-base depletion, andillegal trade primarily for the domestic market.

Tigers need large contiguous forest blocks to thrive.Between 1985 and 1999, forest loss within Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park averaged 2% per year. A total of 661 km² (255 sq mi) of forest disappeared inside the park, and 318 km² (123 sq mi) were lost in a 10-km buffer, eliminating forest outside the park. Lowland forest disappeared faster than montane forest, and forests on gentle slopes disappeared faster than forests on steep slopes. Most forest conversion resulted from agricultural development, leading to predictions that by 2010 70% of the park will be in agriculture. Camera-trap data indicated avoidance of forest boundaries by tigers. Classification of forest into core and peripheral forest based on mammal distribution suggests that by 2010, core forest area for tigers will be fragmented and reduced to 20% of remaining forest.

Kerinci Seblat National Park, which has the largest recorded population of tigers, is suffering a high rate of deforestation in its outer regions. Drivers are an unsustainable demand for natural resources created by a human population with the highest rate of growth in Indonesia, and a government initiative to increase tree crop plantations and high-intensity commercial logging, ultimately promoting forest fires. The majority of the tigers found in the park were relocated to its center where conservation efforts are focused, but issues in the lowland hill forests of the outskirts remain. While being highly suitable tiger habitat, these areas are also heavily targeted by logging efforts, which substantially contributes to declines in local tiger numbers. A major driver for forest clearance are oil-palm plantations, which form a major part of Indonesia’s economy. Global consumption of palm-oil has increased five-folds over the past decade, presenting a challenge for many conservation efforts.

The expansion of plantations is also increasing greenhouse gas emissions, playing a part in anthropogenic climate change and thus further adding to environmental pressures on endangered species.Climate-based movement of tigers northwards may lead to increased conflict with human populations. From 1987 to 1997, Sumatran tigers reportedly killed 146 people and at least 870 livestock. In West Sumatra, Riau, and Aceh a total of 128 incidents were reported. 265 tigers were killed and 97 captured in response. 35 more tigers were killed from 1998 to 2002. From 2007 to 2010, the tigers caused the death of 9 humans and 25 further tigers were killed.

Despite being given full protection in Indonesia and internationally, tiger parts are still found openly in trade in Sumatra. In 1997, it was reported that an estimated 53 tigers had been poached and their parts sold throughout most of Northern Sumatra. Numbers for all of Sumatra are likely to be higher. It was also found that many of the tigers had been killed by farmers claiming that the tigers were endangering their livestock. These tigers would then be sold to gold shops, souvenir shops, and pharmacies. Farmers are probably the main hunters of tigers in Sumatra. In 2006, surveys were conducted over a seven-month period in 28 cities in seven Sumatran provinces and nine seaports. A total of 326 retail outlets were surveyed, and 33 (10%) were found to have tiger parts for sale, including skins, canines, bones and whiskers. Tiger bones demanded the highest average price of US$116 per kg, followed by canines. There is evidence that tiger parts are smuggled out of Indonesia. In July 2005, over 140 kg of tiger bones and 24 skulls were confiscated in Taiwan in a shipment from Jakarta.

In 1994, the Indonesian Sumatran Tiger Conservation Strategy addressed the potential crisis that tigers faced in Sumatra. The Sumatran Tiger Project was initiated in June 1995 in and around the Way Kambas National Park in order to ensure the long-term viability of wild Sumatran tigers and to accumulate data on tiger life-history characteristics vital for the management of wild populations.^[29] By August 1999, the teams of the STP had evaluated 52 sites of potential tiger habitat in Lampung Province, of which only 15 were intact enough to contain tigers.^[30] In the framework of the STP, a community-based conservation programme was initiated to document the tiger-human dimension in the park in order to enable conservation authorities to resolve tiger-human conflicts based on a comprehensive database rather than anecdotes and opinions.

In 2007, the Indonesian Forestry Ministry and Safari Park established cooperation with the Australia Zoo for the conservation of Sumatran tigers and other endangered species. The program includes conserving Sumatran tigers and other endangered species in the wild, efforts to reduce conflicts between tigers and humans, and rehabilitating Sumatran tigers and reintroducing them to their natural habitat. One hectare of the 186-hectare Taman Safari is the world's only Sumatran tiger captive breeding center that also has a sperm bank.

Indonesia’s struggle with conservation has caused an upsurge in political momentum to protect and conserve wildlife and biodiversity. In 2009 Indonesia’s president made a commitment to substantially reduce deforestation and policies across the nation. requiring spatial plans that would be environmentally sustainable at national, provincial and district levels.Over the past decade there has been about US $210 million invested into the tiger law enforcement activities that supports forest forest ranger patrol as well as the implementations of front line law enforcement activities by the Global Tiger Recovery Plan, which aims to double the number of wild tigers by 2020.

A 2008 study utilized simple spatial analyses on readily available datasets to compare the distribution of five ecosystem services across tiger habitat in central Sumatra.the study examined a decade of law enforcement patrol data within a robust mark and recapturestatistical framework to assess the effectiveness of law enforcement interventions in one of Asia’s largest tiger habitats. In 2013-2014, Kerinci Seblat experienced an upsurge in poaching, with the highest annual number of snare traps being removed for a patrol effort similar to previous years. Evidence is scarce and misunderstood on whether the strategies implemented to diminish poaching are succeeding despite the investment of millions of dollars annually into conservation strategies.

A 2010 study examined a different strategy for promoting Sumatran tiger conservation while at the same time deriving a financial profit, by promoting "tiger-friendly" vegetable margarine as an alternative to palm oil. The study concluded that consumers were willing to pay a premium for high quality margarine connected with tiger conservation.

An 110,000-acre conservation area and rehabilitation center, Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation, has been set up on the edge of a national park on the southern tip of Sumatra (Lampung).On 26 October 2011, a tigress who had been captured with an injured leg in early October delivered three male cubs in a temporary cage while waiting for release after her recovery.

On 3 February 2014 three Sumatran tiger cubs were born to a five-year-old tigress in London Zoo's Tiger Territory, a £3.6m facility to encourage endangered subspecies of tiger to breed.

The Sumatran tiger is one of only six subspecies of tiger that survives today. They are classified as critically endangered. On 2004, there were less than 400 individuals of Sumatran tiger in the wild. As top predators, they keep populations of wild prey in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey and the vegetation upon which they feed.

Tigers face a two-fold threat: they are rapidly losing their habitat to massive deforestation and their body parts are highly valued on the black market for traditional Asian medicines, jewelry, charms and decoration. Sumatran tigers are found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.


Physical description

• The Sumatran tiger is the smallest of all the tiger subspecies alive today.
• Adult males can measure up to a height of 60 centimeters and have a head-to-toe length of 250 centimeters and can weigh up to 140 kilograms.
• Females average a length of 198 centimeters and can weigh up to 91 kilograms. The Sumatran has the darkest coat of all the tigers, ranging from reddish-yellow through to deep orange.
  

Threats

The Sumatran tiger is on the verge of extinction due to poaching, loss of prey species and rampant habitat loss. Strict enforcement must take place in Sumatra to stop the poaching and black market trade of these tigers.

Nowadays, the last 400 or so tigers are confined in the remaining blocks of lowland, peatland, and montane rainforests. Many of these areas are threatened by conversion to agriculture and commercial plantationas well as encroachment by logging and road construction. As their forests disappear, tigers are forced into closer contact with people and are frequently killed or placed in captivity after straying into communities.

Riau Province is home to at least a third of the Sumatran tiger population, but even in this stronghold, the tiger population has dropped 70 percent in the past quarter-century. There are an estimated 192 left in Riau.

WWF’s work for Sumatran Tiger Conservation

WWF Indonesia is working with the Indonesian government, industries threatening tiger habitat, other conservation organizations and the local people to save the Sumatran tiger from extinction. In 2004, the Indonesian government declared an important area, Tesso Nilo, as a national park to ensure a secure future for the Sumatran tiger.In 2010, at the Tiger Summit in St Petersburg, Indonesia and the 12 other tiger range countries committed to the most ambitious and visionary species conservation goal ever set: TX2 – to double wild tiger numbers by 2022, the next year of the tiger.
Indonesia’s National Tiger Recovery Program now forms part of this global goal and includes the Sumatran tiger’s six priority landscapes:Ulumasen, Kampar-Kerumutan, Bukit Tigapuluh, Kerinci Seblat, Bukit Balai Rejang Selatan, and Bukit Barisan Selatan.

WWF is currently undertaking groundbreaking research on tigers in central Sumatra, using camera traps to estimate population size, habitat and distribution to identify wildlife corridors that require protection. WWF also fields an anti-poaching patrol team and a unit that works to reduce human-tiger conflict in local communities.

WWF Indonesia is proud to be an essential part of TX2. 

Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are a highly endangered tiger subspecies. In terms of physical size, these tigers are the smallest on earth. The rare animals are endemic to Sumatra, which is an island located in western Indonesia by the Malaysian Peninsula. Loss of habitat is frequently associated with the steadily declining numbers of Sumatran tigers.

About Sumatran Tigers

Sumatran tigers are reddish-brown or orange in color, and because of that are usually very adept at blending in with wooded scenery. In general, Sumatran tigers go through their lives alone, with the exception of mating rituals and mother-offspring care. The territorial and nocturnal creatures are carnivores and their diets usually reflect that -- think tapirs, monkeys, sambar deer, crocodiles, pigs, wild boar, fish, birds and orangutans. Sumatran tigers aren't picky eaters, and often scavenge anything that they encounter.

Natural Habitat of Sumatran Tigers

Sumatran tigers live solely on Sumatra, as their names convey. Their typical natural habitat includes montane forest, peat moss forest, swamp forest, lowland forest, tropical rainforest, evergreen forest and grasslands. Once in a while these tigers even travel to mountainous regions. Sumatran tigers often remain in spots that have ample dense underbrush, especially when they're near bodies of water.

Critically Endangered Species

The total population of Sumatran tigers has been in consistent decline in recent years. As of 2008, the IUCN Red List placed these animals in the "critically endangered" category. The Sumatran Tiger Trust reports that it is very likely that not even 400 of the tigers are still roaming free through the wild. Conservation and protection efforts for Sumatran tigers are in full force. A few hundred Sumatran tigers live in captivity internationally, with more than 70 of them in the United States.

Sumatran Tiger Habitat Loss

Habitat loss and destruction are often linked to the severe decrease in Sumatran tigers. The habitat loss is often a direct result of plantation growth and development -- including those for acacias and oil palms. Deforestation also has contributed to the destruction of millions and millions of acres in forest loss, indicates the Rainforest Alliance. The majority of Sumatran tigers reside in protected reserves, although many of them still live in unprotected places, as well.

Cat

 For anyone who has a cat, it’s hard not to fall in love with them once your bond has been established. Cats are loving, have the ability to read our emotions, and make us feel special with their desire to be near us whenever we are around.

They say that dog’s are a man’s best friend, but cats, they can be the perfect best friend for just about anyone if you let them into your heart. We know we can’t cover every single reason why, but here are some of the 7 best ones that prove why cat BFFs rule:

1. Cats are Independent

While cats love to be near you, they are also cool about giving you space when they know that you need it. Dogs are obviously clingier than cats, and by respecting your space (especially when you may need it) this can make you love your cat best friend even more.

2. They Know Just When You Need Them

For anyone that’s ever had a loyal and loving cat, you know exactly what it’s like when that special cat cozies up to you in your time of need. Whether it’s after a long day at the office or when you’re feeling blue, cats have the ability to read us like no other. With a simple touch of their paw or brushing up against you, when we look into their big eyes they melt our hearts with the way they choose to be near us when we’re feeling down.

3. They are Super Smart!

Everyone knows that cats are one of the smartest animals of all, and we beam with pride and marvel at their wits when they astound us with their knowledge. If we’d like our cat to adhere to any rules, they catch on fast and impress us with their quick learning abilities. And the litter box? That’s child’s play to a cat; they can master the art of being tidy even as a young kitten. Many cats have even been taught tricks, or have hidden talents that can amaze us with each unveiling.

4. Cats Always Keep Us Entertained

Quirky and undeniably adorable, the funny things that cats do keeps us on our toes and sometimes even laughing out loud. Cats can find the most trivial item to be amusing, as you know, and provide themselves with endless entertainment from the simplest of things. Cardboard boxes, string, shoelaces, the list continues of all the things cats will amuse themselves with that will have us cracking up while watching them play. Just don’t give your cat BFF any toilet paper, unless you want it shredded all over the floor as a result!

5. They are Happy to See Us When We Walk in the Door

Cats are so smart, that it can be argued that they really do have a sense of time. If you leave your cat unattended for an extended period of time, they may not be too happy about it. As a result you can find them noticeably near you for a lengthy period of time afterwards. This is their way of saying they missed you, and “don’t leave me for so long” again.

6. Cats Give Us Those Meows We Can’t Resist

From the time that they were tiny babies and could cozy up right in the palm of your hand, they’ve been divvying out those cutesy meows that we simply cannot resist. What started as a simple squeak, now can have a guttural groan at times–especially when it’s time for a feeding. Whatever that meow may be, we can’t resist their urges to talk to us. With each perfect meow they have us wrapped around their paw just that much more.

7. Cats Keep it Real

While some cats are obviously more affectionate than others, pretty much all cats command your attention at times with some level of affection. And when cats are ready to get their bonding time on, they don’t care what you are doing because they want to be No. 1, no matter what. Working on the computer? Trying to catch up on some reading? Nope. Not with my furry body sitting on your lap looking up and you and meowing sweetly. But we can’t resist, and really, we don’t mind one bit. This is the very definition of what best friends are for–making us feel super special and very loved!

What’s better than an online personality test? An online cat personality test.

Researchers in Australia are now administering them, and they’ve found something interesting: Cats are not too different from us.

Many psychologists subscribe to the theory that all people have five broad personality traits, known as the “big five: extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness and neuroticism. And cats, thm university of australia has found, have their own Big Five.

They drew this conclusion after administering personality test to about 2,800 domestic cats in Australia and New Zealand. Needless to say, the tests were completed by the felines’ owners, who ranked their pets on a scale of 1 to 7 for each of 52 behaviors and traits, including “clumsy,” “reckless” and “vocal.”

By aggregating the responses about those micro-traits, a computer analysis revealed five broad feline personality dimensions, and it gave the cats scores for each one. Three of the “Feline Five” traits correspond to those in humans, said Philip Roetman, who leads “citizen science” projects for the university, including the cat research.

Here are the Feline Five:

1. Skittishness — This one’s akin to neuroticism in people. Cats that earned high skittishness scores are more anxious and fearful; calm and trusting cats had low scores.

2. Outgoingness — This is the equivalent of extroversion in humans. Highly outgoing cats are curious and active; those with low scores are aimless and “quitting,” according to the test.

3. Dominance — This one belongs just to felines. Cats that are bullying and aggressive to their peers got high scores; cats that are friendly and submissive to other felines scored low.

4. Spontaneity — Another one that’s cat-specific. High scores indicate impulsive, erratic cats; low scores went to predictable, constrained cats.

5. Friendliness — This is akin to agreeableness in people. Highly friendly cats tend to be affectionate, while those with low scores are solitary and irritable.

Green Peafowl

The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) (from Latin Pavo, peafowl; muticus, Mute, docked or curtailed)^[2] is a species of peafowl that is found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Java peafowl, but this term is properly used to describe the nominate subspecies endemic to the island of Java. It is the closest relative of the Indian peafowl or blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus), which is mostly found on the Indian subcontinent.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_peafowl).Below, you will learn all about the Peacock Information Center, the history and the services we provide. Be sure to visit our links on the left side of this page. Hope to hear from you soon and visit all of our pages often as new things are posted everyday!

In 1980, when Dennis Fett and his wife Debra J. Buck co-founders and co-owners of the Peacock Information Center near Minden, Iowa got married, they never had any idea what kind of journey the next 29 years would take them. When Deb's pet pig, Charly, suddenly died, Dennis asked her what she wanted next and she said peacocks. The rest is history with a record two hours and thirty-five minutes of television airtime featuring their life and work with peacocks/peafowl.

This amazing record of television air time started with the debut of their first self published peacock book titled, The Wacky World of Peafowl released in 1986. This book is now in its 7th printing and has sold 8,000+ plus copies to date and is still selling well today. This book became an overnight success in 1986 because there was no information on the subject at that time written by actual breeders. This book was self-published long before the Internet was up and running for the general public in 1986 and it sold out in several months.

In 1989, Fett woke up in the middle of the night with a musical melody in his head. After transcribing it to music paper he asked his wife, Deb, to write the words to it. Their musical creation, "The Wacky Peacock" gained national attention. They were invited to be a guest on a national talk show making their national television debut on the Lifetime channel show called "Attitudes" starring Linda Dano, in New York City in 1990. Fett had a Bachelor of Music Degree and studied clarinet for six years with Professor Joseph Allard at the Juliard School of Music, New York City. Besides his peafowl endeavors, he is in his eighth year teaching elementary vocal music and elementary band in Northwest Iowa.

Soon after their national television debut, the thirst for more information on peacocks/peafowl had the couple self publish a second book in 1990. The Wacky World of Peafowl Volume 2. What made this second book even more of a success is that Fett & Buck had enough prepaid orders to pay the printing bill before going to press. This book is now in its 4th printing and still selling well.

In 1991, Fett & Buck started the Peafowl Report, the first and only bimonthly publication featuring everything peacocks/peafowl. This publication is now in its 17th year of publishing.

In 1996, Buck & Fett created the first and only web site on the Internet featuring peacocks/peafowl information, Their site was given the prestigious USA TODAY HOT Site award in 1997. Today, peafowl.com receives 6,000+ page views each week.

Much to the surprise of Fett & Buck, the subject of peacocks/peafowl had garnished lots of attention from the printed media getting the attention of an astounding 29 newspapers and 44 magazines worldwide featuring their work with peafowl/peacocks such as: USA Today, New York Times, Time Magazine, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Guidepost, Organic Gardening, Animal Fair and many more ! (See resume for full detailed list). The New York Times says "Dennis Fett has an encyclopedic knowledge of peafowl." In addition, Fett and Buck were featured in Writer's Digest Magazine as being one of the three most successful self-published authors in the USA. These credentials will assure that you will be provided with the most comprehensive information anywhere!

Not to be outdone, the work of Fett & Buck was also featured on 24 radio shows/stations all over the USA.

The colorful image of peacocks also caught the attention of 11 national/worldwide TV stations/networks and 11 local television stations, such as: Good Morning America, NBC Today Show, Hard Copy, Attitudes talk show, (Lifetime Cable Talk Show) Wildlife/Human Nature (Australian worldwide syndicated) CBS's Prime Time Pets, Real News for Kids (syndicated kids show)

Even with this record, Fett & Buck have not been sitting back and resting on past works, as they released the Wacky World Of Peafowl music video on DVD in June of 2006. This funny and humorous music video tells how the couple started their life with peacocks/peafowl featuring the song they wrote.

In addition, Fett and Buck self produced and released The Wacky World Of Peafowl DVD. The Wacky World Of Peafowl DVD is a companion to their two best selling peafowl books and Peafowl report newsletter. The DVD runs approximately 83 minutes long and gives an instructional and visual view on raising peacocks/peafowl. It was produced, written, directed and filmed by the couple right on their own peacock farm in rural Minden, Iowa.

The Wacky World Of Peafowl DVD includes the following: the peahen's egg laying process, the candling of hatching eggs, egg hatching and a fascinating view of a peachick developing in the egg showing the embryo moving inside the egg, the peahen's nesting habits, a cat attacking a peahen and her peachicks, brooder house for peachicks, types of incubators for hatching eggs, species, the fighting peafowl, feather production and molting feathers, watering peafowl in summer and winter, feeding your peafowl and the kind of feed to use, peacock and peahen sounds, peacocks mating peahens, pens and housing size. The DVD concludes showing how peafowl can survive winter in the snow!

If we still have your attention, the above information on our work since 1980 will assure you that our 2 peafowl books, The Wacky World of Peafowl, Volume 1 & 2, the Peafowl Report newsletter, and The Wacky World of Peafowl DVD will provide you with the most comprehensive information on the subject of peacocks/peafowl found anywhere!

Although Fett does not have a poultry science degree or formal training in poultry, his 41+ years as a music educator, along with his 35 years of first hand experience in raising peafowl, he has educated 1000's each month on peafowl. He did this on his web site, peafowl.com, and with his two books, Wacky World of Peafowl, Volume 1 & 2, The Wacky World of Peafowl DVD and his Peafowl Report newsletter. With all of the above work on peafowl, Fett's research has him holding the record of writing & publishing more on the subject of peacocks/peafowl than anyone in the USA and the world.

In addition to peafowl, Fett is a Music Educator and plays clarinet. He is also known as the Clarinet Playing Peacock Farmer. He plays a novelty clarinet act at all his peacock programs. This act has gained Fett national attention.

On December 19, 2008, Dennis Fett made an appearance on the Tonight Show starring Jay Leno playing his disappearing clarinet act in the comedy segment called "Does This Impress Ed Asner".  This act requires Fett to play his clarinet all together and then gradually disassembles his clarinet taking it apart piece by piece, ending up playing only the mouthpiece.

We hope to serve you soon with all your peafowl needs and we wish you well as you enter into, The Wacky World Of Peafowl!
from www.peawfowl.com

he peacock has some of the brightest feathers and one of the most impressive courting displays of any bird in the world. The Indian peacock has very flashy plumage, with a bright blue head and neck, but the Indian peahen is a drab, mottled brown in comparison. The male needs his bright feathers to attract a mate, and the female needs to be able to blend in with the bushes so that predators cannot see her while she is incubating her eggs.
Unlike the Indian peafowl, the male and female green peafowl have similar coloration, although the peahen's colors are not as vibrant as the peacock's, and the male has a much longer tail. Green peafowl have green, rather than blue, feathers on the head and neck. Both Indian and green peafowl have bare patches of skin around their eyes and a funny crest on the top of their head made of feathers arranged in a fan shape. The Indian peafowl’s crest looks like little dots on the end of sticks!
- See more at: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/peafowl#sthash.TANKvkD5.dpuf

Cendrawasih Bird

Birds Cendrawasih which is a typical bird of Papua, especially the males, have beautiful feathers like an angel coming down from heaven (heaven). Matchless beauty of Cendrawasih feathers.

Birds Cendrawasih is a collection of bird species are grouped in families Paradisaeidae. The bird is only found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia's east and consists of 14 genera and about 43 species. The 30's of species of which can be found in Indonesia.

In Papua, birds of paradise is believed to be the incarnation of an angel from heaven. This bird was once considered a beautiful bird but no legs. They will not turung to the ground but just being in the air just because beautiful feathers. Since then Cenderawasih bird known as Bird of Paradise or Birds of Paradise (Heaven).

Description and characteristics of Paradise
Birds of paradise feathers have a beautiful characteristic possessed by male birds. Generally brightly colored feathers with a combination of multiple colors like black, brown, red, orange, yellow, white, blue, green and purple.

Size Cenderawasih bird diversity. Ranging from the size of 15 cm with a weight of 50 grams as the type Cendrawasih King (Cicinnurus regius), up to a size of 110 cm Cendrawasih Part Sabit Black (Epimachus albertisi) or weighing up to 430 grams as in Cendrawasih Manukod Jambul-rolled (Manucodia comrii ).

The beauty of the male Cendrawasih feathers used to attract the opposite sex. To 'seduce' the female to be willing to be invited mating, males will show off their feathers by performing dances beautifully. While singing in the branches, swaying with the movement of males in different directions. In fact, sometimes up hanging upside down resting on the limb. However, each species of Cendrawasih must have its own type of dances.

Bird Cendrawasih has a dense forest habitat is generally in the low-lying areas. Bird of paradise can be found on several islands in eastern Indonesia such as Maluku and Papua. It can also be found in Papua New Guinea and East Australian.

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Types of Birds of Paradise. Cenrawasih consists of 13 genus has about 43 species (kinds). Indonesia is a country with the highest number of species of Cendrawasih. Estimated to be about 30 species of Cendrawasih can be found in Indonesia. And 28 species of which live on the island of Papua.

Some kind Cendrawasih located in Indonesia include:
     Cendrawasih Crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus), endemic to the Moluccas.
     Cendrawasih Flag (Pteridophora Alberti); Papua
     Cendrawasih collar (Lophorina superba); Papua
     Part-sickle Cendrawasih kurikuri (Epimachus fastuosus); Papua.
     Cendrawasih Balding (Cicinnurus respublica); endemic Waigeo island, Raja Ampat.
     Cendrawasih King (Cicinnurus regius); Papua and surrounding islands.
     Cendrawasih Cut Rattan (Cicinnurus magnificus), Papua (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
     Angel Halmahera (Semioptera wallacii); endemic to Maluku.
     Cendrawasih Dead Wire (Seleucidis melanoleuca); Papua.
     Small Yellow Cendrawasih (Paradisaea minor), Papua (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
     Big Yellow Cendrawasih (Paradisaea apoda); Papua (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
     Cendrawasih Raggiana (Paradisaea raggiana); Papua (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea).
     Red Cendrawasih (Paradisaea rubra), endemic to the island Waigeo, Indonesia.
     Toowa Shining (Ptiloris magnificus), Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.
     Manukodia Glossy (Manucodia ater), Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
     Paradigala tail-length (Paradigalla carunculata); Papua.
     Astrapia Arfak (Astrapia nigra), endemic to Papua, Indonesia.
     Parotia Arfak (Parotia sefilata); endemic Papua, Indonesia.
     Pale-billed Sicklebill (Drepanornis bruijnii), Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Unfortunately Paradise bird populations are increasingly threatened and endangered due to poaching and illegal trade continues.

Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she hath wings. -Victor Hugo

Most of you may not know of the Bird of Paradise, but it is definitely not a phrase. This bird is the rainbow of the equatorial rainforests, a true dream to be in the presence of one of them! While I am currently on summer vacation, I’d like you guys to have an amazing experience as I am now, and to be just as awed by this majestic bird I discovered…
A long time ago, a group of strangers entered the peaceful lives of a Papuan tribe. The tribe had never seen any men like them, for their skin are white. “Who are you?”, they asked, yet the strangers spoke in a language they could not understand. What strange men, they thought. The day they began to understand each other was the day the white men learnt a story (better said, a legend). The tribe told them of birds said to be the birds of the gods. They believe in such things because only the royalty will wear such intricate feathers and they will never touch the earth unless they die, thus falling to the ground from the heavens. They strictly feed only the rain’s dew on leaves. This is why they are said to have ‘no legs’ and the travelling white men named them ‘Bird of Paradise’, as they refer to the bird of the heavens. The Papuan’s tribal ancestors have been capturing these godly birds ever since Christ was born (which the whites took divinely!), and this tradition continues until today.
According to me, the Birds of Paradise resemble the colours of life, you know, reminding us of how the universe is filled with wondrous things. For me, they help forget the bad stuff that exists in our world… corruption, terrorism, death, all these I ignore when I see the bird’s utopian colours! I know this sounds quite sappy, but it’s true. Often visits to the zoo and a catalog of various birds always soothed my senses! What is this bird to you?
The one by your left is my favourite, I think it looks like an orchid… The Bird of Paradise is truly a majestic bird found throughout Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and around Eastern Australia. It has more varieties of colours than just red and yellow, especially regarding the male ones. They also come in various sizes, some to the size of little canaries and some are as a metre!

The right hand-side Bird of Paradise is also known as a Ranggiana, about the size of a crow with the addition of their longer tail. We can see the difference in these two birds are not by their plumage, but by their size. The left might just be to the size of a flower compared to the larger size of the Ranggiana (not counting the length of its tail). They could weigh within the range of 50 to 400 grams.

The natives of Indonesia call them Cendrawasih, belonging to the Paradisaeidae family and has a total of 14 generas 43 species. It is known to be Papua’s national bird, it’s rarity priced their worth amongst the society; modeled in every stamp and cab, yet not many will tend to survive/be sighted nearby today’s destructive society.

The Cendrawasih are by fact, omnivours. Although they will prefer juicy fruits instead (and dew now and then!). Their colouration have a range of all colours of the rainbow, along with the addition of black, brown and white feathers. Mixing these colours throughout centuries of generations (along with hybrids) produced an array of heavenly beings!
Speaking of mating… Have you seen the videos? I think they’re magnificent! Scientists and passionate photographers have been known to endure an 8-year mission to video all the species of the Bird of Paradise! This just shows how rare they are, especially for 43 different species. I’ve watched this second video ever since I was young, and I was enthralled by its beauty, despite of my young understanding.
OK, so here comes the cool part: mating. You’ve already known how beautiful these birds are, each having their own unique plumage of various colours. This mainly serves for their purpose of courtship, but there is also their performance that matters. In these rituals, colourful males present their striking colours in as many ways possible, swaying from branch to branch, singing his female a serenade, even creating bonuses by building their own stage! Females are picky in all circumstances, refusing to choose a mate she supposes does not deserve her (although her colours are nothing but a shade of brown). Stubborn as they are, some males will never mate despite their persevered, yet futile rituals. This is when Darwin steps in and announces: “Survival of the ‘colourful'”.
Now how do they learn the dance? This is not interpretive, or according to the bird’s instinct, but they actually go on classes to learn them! Like humans, the Cendrawasih may take years to learn a dance so they can pick up on chics. Their young colours (at the meantime) may help them camouflage to disguise them as an admiring (or judgmental) girl. If they got caught, things could get very messy… But if they don’t, and should they remain as a female to the elder male, things could get even messier (if you know what I mean)…

Their colours also gives a massive disadvantage. As you see, these Papuan tribes are wearing Ranggiana Birds of Paradise upon their heads. However, most of their accessories might not display them so conspicuously. Due to hunting, illegal trading, habit destruction, and some of Papua’s traditional customs regarding these birds may already cause some of their 43 species (and some hybrids) to join the dinosaurs.

Traditional rituals of Papua required these birds, as they create the extremely attractive colours of their whole attire. The white men who returned to Europe brought along these plumes back with them (as a welcoming gift from the tribes) to which the women simply adore and soon became popular for their millinery purposes ever since. Since Indonesia is incredibly rich in natural resources (including these birds), deforestation is a grave threat to the lives of the Cendrawasih. Despite legal protection to these birds, many people are still smuggling these birds for illegal trade.

 

 As for the tribes and West Papua itself, protection agencies limit their hunts so that there will be enough for their traditional rituals. The Cendrawasih represents these people, it is not only a sign of beauty of their country, but a sign of political independence and freedom. They also represent some monetary value through stamps!

Whatever they mean to us, our passion for them must not interfere their generations of evolution. We will regret the day these birds go extinct (IF they do), so get in touch with a non-profit organization, and get involved in the protection of these incredible birds to keep them going! Here are some sites you could go to:

 http://www.rspb.org.uk/about/history/

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/virginia/newsroom/birds-of-paradise-take-over.xml

http://www.nature.org/photosmultimedia/markgodfreyselects/mark-godfrey-selects-tim-laman.xml?s_intc=sp4

I hope you’ll admire the beauty of these birds as much as I do, and I also wish Happy Holidays for those of you celebrating the summer sun! Please comment below your suggestions for the topic next post and what you think about these Birds of Paradise…

I have such a tiny hand! :D

Cendrawasih is the Indonesian word for the bird of paradise. The Raggiana bird of paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) is the national bird of New Guinea, and its figure graces everything from money to stamps to taxi cabs. Because they have such rare and beautiful plumage, birds of paradise have been hunted for centuries, and their feathers have been used for decoration and their supposed mystical properties. They are currently listed as endangered and trapping and export are illegal, but all species of the bird of paradise are still being traded illegally on the black market. Interesting Fact: After trading plumes of birds of paradise with early European explorers, local tribes told them that the birds were the birds of the gods and never touched earth, feeding only on dew. This story accentuated the value of the birds for over 100 years, and the feathers were in such high demand that it almost killed off the species. The cendrawasih is only found on the island of New Guinea. There are at least 37 other species of the bird of paradise that also make their homes on this island. The males are known to gather in a specific tree together in the morning and will engage in mutual display, where they fluff out their extensive colorful feathers to try and attract a female. They live in the tops of trees and in the underbrush, making nests in tree branches and holes. Cendrawasih, or Birds of Paradise, are considered by many to be the most beautiful birds on the planet. The females are a relatively drab, dull brown, which helps them take cover when they are nesting and raising the young. They average about 13 inches in length (33 cm), about the size and build of a crow. The males are covered with different sizes and shapes of feathers in every conceivable color, and they often have patches of skin without feathers that are wild, shocking colors as well. The Raggiana has very long, orange, trailing tail feathers. His head and the nape of his neck are yellow, and he has a green chin. Cendrawasih are primarily fruit eaters, but they will also eat berries, leaves, and small animals, such as lizards and frogs. Their flight is slow and ponderous, contrary to their graceful appearance, and they stay in the same area all year, not following any sort of migratory pattern. Courtship is the main purpose of the cendrawasih’s gaudy appearance. The females outnumber the males, so the males must compete with each other to win favor of a female when she is ready to mate. The Raggiana especially is known for his overly energetic courtship dance. There are, however, some bird of paradise species that mate for life, and the males have drab brown feathers like the females and will help raise the young and tend the nest. Of the species that are polygamous, however, the female takes care of all nesting and raising duties, usually laying two eggs at a time.

http://bambangsudjatmoko.weebly.com/27/post/2013/03/birds-cendrawasih-birds-of-paradise.html

http://www.indonesianfauna.com/cendrawasih.php