Indonesian Conservation Media Center

Maleo, The Beauty from Sulawesi

(30 Juli 2010)

Maleo is an endemic fauna to the Sulawesi island since year 1990, based on the SK. No. Kep. 188.44/1067/RO/BKLH on 24 February 1990. It was made official that Maleo is the “Mascot Fauna” of Central Sulawesi. The bird has the taxonomy as follows:

Phyllum           : Chordata

Subphyllum     : Vertebrata

Class                : Aves

Ordo                : Megapodidae

Familia            :Megapodius

Genus              : Macrocephalon

Species            : Macrocephalon maleo

            There are 8 kinds/species and 13 sub species of animals included into Megapodidae in Indonesia. There are two species that are widely known and protected, those are Maleo and Gosong bird (Megapodius reinwardt). Gosong bird is dispersed along the coastal area of East Nusa Tenggara, Southeast Maluku, Kangean island (East Java) and Irian.

An adult Maleo weighs ± 3 kg, ± 23 cm long from the beak to the tail. The body sizes of the males and the females are the same. The eggs are oval, ± 11 cm long, the diameter is ±6 cm, weighing 230 grams, and reddish white in color. The body of a maleo is covered by reddish white short feather (2-5 cm). The wings are black and long ± 25 cm and the length of the wings is ± 18 cm, the length of the neck is ± 14 cm. The upper part of the head is covered with a black helmet shaped comb, ± 2 cm thick and 2,1 cm high, it’s upper leg (tigh) is 10 cm long, covered with black feathers. This bird has a unique behavior, that is putting their eggs under hot sand and the eggs are left unprotected at all by the mother until they hatch. Besides that, the bird would rather walk than fly, although it has quite long feathers.

The bird is a kind of monogamous bird. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, ants, beetles and other kinds of microfauna.

The habitat or area of living of Maleo is sandy places or sandy river streams and also aroun hot springs in the forest to sandy beaches. The bird like hot places to hatch their eggs in. one thing that makes this species unique is that the chick can fly a moment after they hatch. The distribution of this bird is limited only to Sulawesi Island (endemic to Sulawesi Island) and in Central Sulawesi. It is estimated that its habitat distribution is quite wide. Generally in four regencies in Central Sulawesi, they live in the wild inside or outside forest area. Several conservation sites which have been appointed as natural habitat for Maleo, among others are Bakiriang Wildlife Reserve, Pinjan/Tanjug Matop Wildlife Reserve in Toli-toli Regency, Morowali Nature Reserve in Poso Regency, and Lore Lindu National Park, including Donggala Regency. Monitored distributions outside conservation sites are among others Tanjung Santigi area, Motong Tanjung district, Rerang Village in Damsel district, Bungku area and Sausu.

Maleo is a kind of fauna which is sensitive to disturbances. The disturbances in the wild are among others the decline of habitat, especially those outside conservation sites, eggs harvesting by humans and other predators such as Biawak (monitor lizard/Varanus sp), Wild Boar (Sus sp). Now the bird is included into the IUCN Red List and Appendix List from CITES. Maleo population conservation efforts among others are habitat/nesting ground conservation in Bakiriang Wildlife Reserve and Lore Lindu National Park. Besides that, the efforts include the authorization of new areas as conservation sites or nesting ground (habitat) protection are hoped to become strategies or conservation efforts which can maintain the bird’s survival in its natural habitat. But there are still challenges for these efforts due to land use changes of tens of thousands of hectares of forest in several conservation sites during recent years. This is can be seen from the use changes of 14.000 hectares of forest, including that of the Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park area, which now becomes a production forest. If this continues to happen, then the extinction of the Wallacea endemic bird is just a matter of time.

 

Source:

Anonym. Maleo (Macrocephalon maleo)”Satwa Maskot”Propinsi Sulawesi Tengah. Downloaded from www.dephut/go.id on 15 June 2010, 19.32 o’clock.

Ant. 2010. Burung Maleo Terancam Tinggal Cerita(7 Juni 2010). Downloaded from www.kompas.com on 15 June 2010, 19.54 o’clock.