KUCHING: The Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini), last recorded in Sarawak in 1913, was recently sighted off the Asajaya district coast.
Dr Ng Jia Jie, a veterinarian and active member of Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB), was thrilled to be with the team who was in the right place at the right time, which was sighted in February.
“I recognised the Chinese Crested Tern by the black tip at the end of the beak.
“It was a dream-come-true moment for the team to be able to re-encounter this incredibly rare species in Sarawak after more than a century,” he said.
Meanwhile, MNSKB chairperson Rose Au said it was a once in a lifetime experience for her, and for anyone who was lucky enough to sight this elusive bird.
She explained that Bako-Buntal Bay is a major wintering grounds for birds arriving from northern east Asian along the East Asian-Australasian migratory flyway.
“Bako Buntal Bay fully met the IBA criteria as, during the winter months in the northern hemisphere.
“It hosts more than one per cent of the world population of several Endangered or Critically Endangered species such as the Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) and Far Eastern Curlew (Nomenius madagascariensis),” she added.
She said the MNSKB team was monitoring the populations of the Far Eastern Curlew in a project funded by Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and supported by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) when the Chinese Crested Tern was sighted adding to the importance of the Bako-Buntal Bay IBA.
For the record, the Chinese Crested Tern was in a small flock of 10 to 20 Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).
There are approximately 50 adult individuals worldwide of this Critically Endangered species so this single bird represents two percent of the total population.
The Chinese Crested Tern is usually seen with Great Crested Terns as they occupy similar niches.
It is slightly smaller at 38 to 43cm compared to Great Crested Tern at 43 to 53cm. Both have slightly peaking (towards the back) black caps. During the nonbreeding phase both species have a white forehead.
The Chinese Crested Tern has a limited range and breeds along the eastern Chinese coast and associated islands, Taiwan and South Korea. They overwinter in Southeast Asian coasts including Indonesian Maluku Island and Davao del Norte in the Philippines.
In addition to its limited range, the Chinese Crested Tern, is facing many threats including breeding failure due to poaching and the egg-harvesting trade and typhoons. Shellfish fishing near breeding grounds can also deter breeding.
The coast of Asajaya is part of the Bako-Buntal Bay Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA); one of the 55 IBAs in Malaysia. The Bako-Buntal Bay IBA extends from the Santubong peninsula to the mouth of the Sadong River for 28km (if in a straight line) for a total area of 35.9km2.
Santubong and Bako National Parks, two fully protected areas, account for 17.6 per cent of its area.
