Dear readers,
Just returned from an almost two week spell in South Sulawesi. Birding was rather ok, given that is was not a birding trip per se.
The new field guide by Eaton, van Balen, Brickle & Rheindt is very nice, but for Sulawesi I found the maps confusing for Tana Toraja (Toraja-land). Adminstratively this is part of the province of South Sulawesi. Biologically I wonder if it should be considered South Sulawesi or that it is southern Central Sulawesi?
Some remarks on my sightings:
- I saw Black-ringed White-eye three times during a trekking west of Rantepao, Tana Toraja. One of these observations was around 1500 masl, so higher than mentioned in the field guide (1380 masl max.). I did not expect this bird here, but this occurence indicates that Toraja-land should be considered to belong to the biological region of South Sulawesi?
- I saw Lompobattang (Sulawesi) Leaf Warblers around Malino. I also saw Leaf Warblers during the trek in Toraja-land. Views were to meager to obtain satisfactory identification myself (e.g. with faint crown stripe in sarasinorum). My question is: is this Lompobattang (sarasinorum) or Sulawesi Leaf Warbler (nesophilus)? In the field guide both subspecies are split, but this is not strongly suppored so far? (e.g. IOC)
Moreover I was shocked by the amount of swiftlet-farms in the lowlands. Does anyone know if the nests of the local species (Glossy, Sulawesi and Uniform) are also eaten? I did not see Edible (white)-nest Swiftlets around every "farm".
Thanks!
Just returned from an almost two week spell in South Sulawesi. Birding was rather ok, given that is was not a birding trip per se.
The new field guide by Eaton, van Balen, Brickle & Rheindt is very nice, but for Sulawesi I found the maps confusing for Tana Toraja (Toraja-land). Adminstratively this is part of the province of South Sulawesi. Biologically I wonder if it should be considered South Sulawesi or that it is southern Central Sulawesi?
Some remarks on my sightings:
- I saw Black-ringed White-eye three times during a trekking west of Rantepao, Tana Toraja. One of these observations was around 1500 masl, so higher than mentioned in the field guide (1380 masl max.). I did not expect this bird here, but this occurence indicates that Toraja-land should be considered to belong to the biological region of South Sulawesi?
- I saw Lompobattang (Sulawesi) Leaf Warblers around Malino. I also saw Leaf Warblers during the trek in Toraja-land. Views were to meager to obtain satisfactory identification myself (e.g. with faint crown stripe in sarasinorum). My question is: is this Lompobattang (sarasinorum) or Sulawesi Leaf Warbler (nesophilus)? In the field guide both subspecies are split, but this is not strongly suppored so far? (e.g. IOC)
Moreover I was shocked by the amount of swiftlet-farms in the lowlands. Does anyone know if the nests of the local species (Glossy, Sulawesi and Uniform) are also eaten? I did not see Edible (white)-nest Swiftlets around every "farm".
Thanks!
