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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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List Of Endemic Birds Of Borneo
The island of Borneo, located in southeast Asia at the southern edge of the South China Sea, is home to one endemic bird family, three endemic bird genera and 61 endemic bird species. All but one of the latter are forest dwellers, with most restricted to the spine of hills and mountains running down the middle of the island. The avian endemism has been shaped by the island's geological history. Borneo sits on a continental shelf. During glacial periods, when water levels were lower, Borneo was linked with other islands on the shelf and with the Malay Peninsula in a large landmass known as Sundaland. This allowed bird species to move freely throughout the region until the waters rose again as the glaciers melted. Separated from their relatives by the sea, some of these species evolved over millennia into the endemics now found on the island. BirdLife International has designated the mountainous central spine of the island as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) because of the number of endemic species found there, and has further designated several lowland regions and nearby islands as secondary EBAs. Habitat destruction is a major threat to Borneo's endemic birds, as forests are lost to palm oil plantations and timber harvesting.

Geology and geological history

Borneo is an island located in southeast Asia, on the continental shelf at the southern edge of the South China Sea. It lies south of the Philippines, west of Sulawesi, north of Java, and east of Peninsular Malaysia. With an area of 748,168 km (288,869 sq mi), it is the world's third largest island. More than half of the island is lowlands, rising to less than 150 m (490 ft). However, a spine of mountains runs down much of the central portion of the island. These include Mount Kinabalu, which at 4,095 m (13,435 ft) is the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and West Papua. The island is shared by three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. While the lowlands are the most productive habitat in terms of the number of bird species found there, the mountains are the seat of Borneo's endemism. This is in large part due to the island's geological history.

During the Pleistocene, the world's polar caps repeatedly advanced and retreated, alternately locking vast amounts of water into ice, and releasing it back into the world's oceans. This caused the water level in the oceans to repeatedly rise and fall. During glacial periods, when water levels were at their lowest, much of the Sunda Shelf was exposed. This linked what are now discrete islands (including Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and a host of smaller islands) with the Malay Peninsula in one large landmass known as Sundaland. During periods when the shelf was exposed, birds could move freely across the whole landmass. When the waters rose again, these birds were cut off from their relatives, and evolved in isolation on the various islands. Temperatures were cooler overall during glacial periods, so montane birds (those generally restricted to the slopes of mountains) could move lower and spread across larger areas. During interglacial periods, they retreated to higher elevations and were separated again from other populations, including birds in the lowlands. Studies have shown that some endemic montane species are most closely related to species in Borneo's lowlands, while others are more closely related to montane species on other Sundaland islands.

Endemism and threats

The island is home to a single endemic family: Pityriaseidae, which contains a single endemic genus (Pityriasis) with a single endemic species, the Bornean bristlehead. In addition, the island holds two other endemic genera, both of which are also monotypic: Chlamydochaera (the fruithunter) and Haematortyx (the crimson-headed partridge). Two other monotypic genera formerly considered to be endemic to the island—Chlorocharis and Oculocincta—have since been merged into more widespread genera. Chlorocharis was merged into the large white-eye genus Zosterops after molecular studies showed it nested comfortably within that genus. The same studies showed that Oculocincta was embedded within the smaller white-eye genus Heleia, leading it to be moved as well.

There are 61 endemic bird species on Borneo, according to the taxonomy proposed by the International Ornithologists' Union. Nearly all of these are forest birds; only the dusky munia is not. In all, roughly 10% of Borneo's forest birds are endemic to the island. Of these, 60% are montane species, 30% are found on lower slopes, and 10% are lowland species. However, Borneo's forests are under threat, particularly in the lowlands. Nearly 40% of the island's forests had been completely cleared by 2016, and another 34% had been selectively logged. Some 80% of Kalimantan's forests have been sold to timber concessions. Much of the original lowland forest has been converted to palm oil plantations; these now cover more than 32% of Kalimantan's lowland area. This results in a huge loss of biodiversity. While the original dipterocarp forests are home to more than 220 bird species, for example, palm plantations support only about 14 resident species. Some 80% of Kalimantan's forests have been opened up to timber concessions, even in protected areas. Many highland forests fall into protected areas—including national parks and forest reserves—but such gazetting does not always guarantee true protection, with logging occurring even in those areas.

Endemic Bird Areas

A jagged mountaintop rises above tree-clad slopes with a closer tree in the foreground.
Mount Kinabalu is the tallest of the island's mountains, and the best place to see its montane endemics.

Birdlife International defines Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) as places where the breeding ranges of two or more range-restricted species—those with breeding ranges of less than 50,000 km (19,000 sq mi)—overlap. In order to qualify, the whole of the breeding range of at least two range-restricted species must fall entirely within the EBA. Borneo has one such area. The Bornean mountains EBA (157) comprises 130,000 km (50,000 sq mi) of mountain ranges in Borneo's interior, at an altitude above 500 m (1,600 ft) in elevation. These mountains are found in all three countries which share the island. Two of Borneo's three endemic genera are found here; only the Borneo bristlehead is found at lower elevations. In total, 31 range-restricted species occur within this EBA.

BirdLife International has also designated five Secondary EBAs for Borneo: two smaller island groups and three areas on Borneo itself. Secondary EBAs are those which either include the breeding range of only a single range-restricted species, or those which cover only part of a range-restricted bird's breeding area.

  • The Sabah lowlands secondary area (s098) encompasses the lowlands of the Malaysian state of Sabah, at the northern end of Borneo. The breeding range of the white-fronted falconet, a near-threatened species, falls entirely within the area. Part of the breeding range of the white-crowned shama is also included. The secondary area includes eight designated IBAs.
  • The Kalimantan lowlands secondary area (s099) encompasses the lowland forest thought to contain the breeding range of the black-browed babbler, a presumably threatened species rediscovered in 2020, more than 170 years after the only specimen was collected. There are no IBAs in this secondary area.
  • The Bornean coastal zone secondary area (s100) includes mangroves, coastal forest, and scrub on the island's western and southern coasts. These lie in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, and the Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan and Kalimantan Tengah. Part of the breeding area of the range-restricted Javan white-eye is found here; the vulnerable species also breeds on the Javan coast. The secondary area includes one designated IBA.
  • The Natuna Islands secondary area (s101) includes small islands in an archipelago located off the western coast of Borneo. The critically endangered and range-restricted silvery pigeon occurs in very small numbers here; it also occurs on Sumatra and a few smaller islands just off Sumatra's coasts. One designated IBA lies within this zone.

List of endemic species

IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX Extinct (0 species)
 EW Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR Critically Endangered (0 species)
 EN Endangered (1 species)
 VU Vulnerable (5 species)
 NT Near threatened (13 species)
 LC Least concern (37 species)
Other categories
 DD Data deficient (2 species)
 NE Not evaluated (2 species)
Endemic species
Taxon.
order 		Common name Picture Scientific name Habitat IUCN
status 		Notes EBA
1 Hose's partridge Painting of a round-bodied, large-footed bird with black-striped brown back, gray underparts and rust-coloured head and throat walking on the ground Rhizothera dulitensis Hill and lower montane forest VU Also known as Dulit partridge.
2 Red-breasted partridge Painting of round-bodied bird with brown back, chestnut head, neck and breast, large white spots on side, and orange legs and feet, walking on the ground Arborophila hyperythra Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC Also known as Bornean partridge. 157
3 Crimson-headed partridge A rotund, dark brown bird with a crimson head and chest Haematortyx sanguiniceps Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC 157
4 Bulwer's pheasant Photo of a large black bird with a bushy white tail, red legs and feet and bright blue head and throat wattles Lophura bulweri Hill and lower montane forest VU
5 Bornean peacock-pheasant Painting of two mottled brown birds with numerous green spots on wings and tail walking on the ground Polyplectron schleiermacher Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest EN
6 Dulit frogmouth a large-headed, long-tailed, rufous-brown bird with many white markings Batrachostomus harterti Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest NT 157
7 Bornean frogmouth Batrachostomus mixtus Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest NT
8 Bornean swiftlet Collocalia dodgei Upper montane forest LC Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the cave swiftlet or the glossy swiftlet.
9 Bornean ground cuckoo Bird with barred underparts and a black face with blue around the eyes Carpococcyx radiceus Lowland primary dipterocarp and riverine forest NT
10 Mountain serpent eagle Spilornis kinabaluensis Upper montane forest VU 157
11 Whitehead's trogon Photo of a red bird with a white collar and a black, white and brown striped tail sitting on a branch Harpactes whiteheadi Lower and upper montane forest NT 157
12 Mountain barbet Psilopogon monticola Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
13 Golden-naped barbet Photo of a green bird with patches of blue on its head and gold on its neck, perched in dense vegetation Psilopogon pulcherrimus Upper montane forest LC 157
14 Bornean barbet Painting of a green bird with patches of black, red, blue and yellow on its face, head, and throat Psilopogon eximius Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
15 Brown barbet Photo of a small brown bird with patches of orange on its head, throat, and beak, perched in vegetation Caloramphus fuliginosus Lowland dipterocarp forest and lower hill forest, swamp forest and kerangas forest LC Sometimes known as the Bornean brown barbet.
16 White-fronted falconet Painting of a small, dark-backed, white-fronted raptor with its wings partially out, standing on a large rhinoceros beetle Microhierax latifrons Lowland dipterocarp forest NT s098
17 Hose's broadbill Painting of a green bird with small black spots on its wings perched on a branch Calyptomena hosii Hill dipterocarp forest; lower montane forest NT 157
18 Whitehead's broadbill green bird with a black throat, ear patch, and speckling perched on branch Calyptomena whiteheadi Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
19 Bornean banded pitta bird with yellow-and-black striped head, brown back and black-barred yellow underparts Hydrornis schwaneri Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest LC
20 Blue-headed pitta Painting of two short-tailed, upright birds: one rust-backed with blue on head and underparts and a white throat, the other primarily brown with a blue tail and a white wing stripe Hydrornis baudii Lowland dipterocarp forest VU
21 Black-crowned pitta short-tailed bird, black with a red belly and an iridescent sky-blue wing Erythropitta ussheri Lowland dipterocarp forest NT
22 Blue-banded pitta Photo of bright red bird with oranger face and blue necklace standing on a log Erythropitta arquata Hill and lower montane forest, particularly bamboo groves LC
23 Bornean bristlehead Photo of a museum mount of a brown bird with a bare yellow head, heavy bill and reddish-orange throat, nape and breast Pityriasis gymnocephala Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest NT
24 Bornean whistler Photo of greyish-brown bird with yellowish underparts sitting on a branch Pachycephala hypoxantha Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
25 Black oriole Painting of two black birds with reddish vents sitting on branches; one has a red bill Oriolus hosii Lower and upper montane forest NT 157
26 Bornean black magpie Photo of a bright green bird with red beak and feet and maroon wings, sitting on a branch Platysmurus aterrimus Lowland forest and swamp forest LC Formerly considered to be a subspecies of the black magpie; split in 2021.
27 Bornean green magpie Photo of a black bird with a short crest and a red eye, sitting on a branch Cissa jefferyi Lower forest LC
28 Bornean treepie Photo of a very long-tailed tan bird with black wings and tail, perched on a branch Dendrocitta cinerascens Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC
29 Charlotte's bulbul Photo of a rufous-brown bird with a pale belly and eye Iole charlottae Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests NT Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the buff-vented bulbul.
30 Bornean bulbul Photo of a yellow bird with an erect black crest Rubigula montis Lower and upper montane forest LC
31 Cream-eyed bulbul Pycnonotus pseudosimplex Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; lower montane forests LC
32 Pale-faced bulbul Photo of a grey-brown colored bird with yellow undertail feathers and patches of white on its face Pycnonotus leucops Upper montane forest LC Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the flavescent bulbul.
33 Bornean stubtail short-tailed bird with a brown back, white underparts, and a buffy eyebrow Urosphena whiteheadi Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC 157
34 Friendly bush-warbler Painting of a brown bird with a black-speckled white throat perched on a branch Locustella accentor Upper montane forest LC 157
35 Chestnut-crested yuhina bird with a brown crest, white belly, and grey upperparts Staphida everetti Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC 157
36 Pygmy white-eye Heleia squamifrons Hill dipterocarp forest and lower montane forest LC 157
37 Mountain blackeye Photo of an olive-coloured bird with orange bill and legs and a black eye-ring Zosterops emiliae Upper montane forest LC 157
38 Meratus white-eye Photo of a yellowish-olive bird with a white eye-ring being held by its feet Zosterops meratusensis Montane forest LC
39 Bare-headed laughingthrush Brown bird with bare yellow skin on the face and head, and orange beak Melanocichla calva Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
40 Black-throated wren-babbler Scruffy brownish bird with deep red eye sitting on hand Turdinus atrigularis Lowland dipterocarp forest NT
41 Black-browed babbler Small brown bird with white and black face Malacocincla perspicillata Probably lowland forest DD Rediscovered in 2020, more than 170 years after the only specimen was collected. s099
42 Mountain wren-babbler Scruffy brownish bird with black and white face Gypsophila crassa Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
43 Bornean wren-babbler Ptilocichla leucogrammica Lowland dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; kerangas forest VU
44 Chestnut-hooded laughingthrush Photo of a gray bird with a chestnut-brown head and a large white wing stripe sitting amidst vegetation Pterorhinus treacheri Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forests LC
45 Everett's thrush Photo of a dark-backed, orange-bellied bird standing on the ground Zoothera everetti Lower and upper montane forest NT 157
46 Fruithunter Photo of a tan bird with black wings, a black throat, and black eyeline sitting on a branch Chlamydochaera jefferyi Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
47 White-crowned shama Black bird with orange belly and white stripe on head Copsychus stricklandii Lowland and hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests; lower montane forest LC Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the white-rumped shama.
48 Dayak blue flycatcher Blue flycatcher with orange belly Cyornis montanus Montane forest LC Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the hill blue flycatcher (aka Javan blue flycatcher). 157
49 Meratus blue flycatcher Blue flycatcher with orange belly Cyornis kadayangensis Montane forest NT 157
50 Bornean blue flycatcher Blue flycatcher with orange belly Cyornis superbus Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest LC
51 Crocker jungle flycatcher Cyornis ruficrissa Montane forest Not recognised by IUCN Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the Philippine jungle flycatcher. 157
52 Eyebrowed jungle flycatcher Brown flycatcher with grey belly Vauriella gularis Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
53 Bornean forktail black and white bird Enicurus borneensis Streams in lower to upper montane forest Not recognised by IUCN Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the white-crowned forktail.
54 Bornean whistling thrush Photo of uniformly matte black bird on a roadside curb Myophonus borneensis Lower and upper montane forest LC
55 Bornean leafbird green bird with dark throats and yellow around face Chloropsis kinabaluensis Lower and upper montane forest LC
56 Yellow-rumped flowerpecker Photo of blue-grey bird with bright orange and yellow underparts near pink blossom Prionochilus xanthopygius Lowland, hill and lower montane forest LC
57 Spectacled flowerpecker Painting of two grey birds with pale underparts among vegetation Dicaeum dayakorum Lowland and hill dipterocarp forest DD Described to science in 2019.
58 Black-sided flowerpecker Photo of bird with blue-black back, black face, buffy underparts, and red throat eating a berry amidst vegetation Dicaeum monticolum Hill dipterocarp forest; lower and upper montane forest LC 157
59 Bornean spiderhunter Arachnothera everetti Lowland, hill, and lower montane forest LC Sometimes considered to be a subspecies of streaky-breasted spiderhunter.
60 Whitehead's spiderhunter Illustration of bird with streaked brown and white body, yellow rump, and enormous black bill Arachnothera juliae Lower and upper montane forest LC 157
61 Dusky munia Photo of thick-billed brown bird in vegetation Lonchura fuscans Scrub, gardens, grasslands, and rice paddies LC

See also