birds. Wide choice close to the gardens. One of the world's best and oldest botanical gardens. Torrential tropical downpours com- mon Oct-Apr. Ceotle stroll. q.
t hour 6y car or bus from Jakarta. I
t\ I
!t
o o n f,./ o
Night-heron roost, reasonable variety oí commoner Javan birds. Wide choice close to the gardens.
An Ëasy lntroduction to Java's Birds
One of the world's best and oldest botanical gardens. Torrential tropical
downpours common Oct-Apr.
i I
I
Bogor's Kebun Raya
Ceotle stroll.
The Botanic Gardens or Kebun Raya-Bogor's heart and hall-
as on weekends the garrlens are
mark-is
Bogor and Jakarta. fuler entering the rnain gate at Pasar Bogor, head l'irst for the lake in front of the Istana Bogor, 10tJ rn -lJte roost oÍ down the main avenue. Blackcrowned Night-herons on the
a delightful place to get acquainted with qvpical .lavan town and woodland birds. Many birds take refuge in the shady, l8Gyear-
old Botanic Gardens: Collared Kingfisher, Black-naped Oriole, Sooty-headed Bulbul and lvÍagpie Robin abound. and this is the easiest place on Java to see Blur:eared Kingfi sher, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon and Black-napc'd Fruitdove.
With perseverance
q
I I ö C) o 3
fi z v C
110
or more
species can be seen tluring a morning's stroll; the checklist stands at over 150 specit's, though this tigure includes some escapees frorn local
bird markets. Plan a rnidweek visit.
packed with visitors frorn both
islet is a real spectacle; Itufous Night-herons also occasionally put
in an appc'arance. A high-pitched call helpfulty drau's attention to the Illue+ared Kinglisher as it flashes across. \\rith luck it will perch verv visiblv in the lou,er branches of one of the huge old trees on the edge oi
the lake.'lhe avenue of tall trees that lines the road from the cntran('e to tll('l)ala(-t' is it favottrite
haunt of beautiful Black-napt'd Fruit-doves, the nralt's with their striking plumage conrbination of gret', green and red, and Grer'cheeked (ireen Pigt'ons, recognized b1'tlicir snrart grey, green and nraroon coloration.'l'lrcir calls, a dull oo-OO and a pt'cttliar "vamrnering". will ht-tp 1-ou krcate lltt'trt.
Payrng Homage to Two
19th-century Birde'rs At thc tar errd oI tht artltttc. ot't titr' cornr'r wller('llrt'r,,atl lttrtts to lht' lcl-t irt irr.rnt ol- lltr pltllit't', takc tlte cobblcd I)atll ir)t(! a gt'ovt'oI t:i1l banrboos surrotttttling lrtt old I)trieit J'. Ht'rt' I I t,i-.ti,'lt I's lJabLticr. a noisv thouglr n{,n(l('script xnd slelllItv birri. trllt't i il§ ('ll:rracl.'irtic rising whistlt' irortt lltt: buslt.'s. Violin-like nolt's identily lhe I{iil rrtuch itt rts ISlut' Fl1'catclrr c'lc'nrent in this tuosqtrito-int'ested
('enr('tr'r
little grove. Birders should
pay homage at the tonrbs of two 19thcentury ornithokrgists, Joh. Coen-
raad van Hassell and Ht'inrich Kuhl, who succunrbed to disease in 1821,
just three years after thcir
arrival in Java.'lteir names used to be commenroratetl in the linglish names of the two sunbirds tlrat they
way to adntirc tlrt'gigantic leaves of
the
ria
nica waterlilies on the round pond and the roost of F-lying l.'ox frtrit bats lrigh in the lrees in the clt'aring below. Cross the river and lurn right along the metalled roacl lo the far southeast ctlrner of the garde.ns. 1'his wild V ict o
a »t azo
area of dense herbs and fern
grountlcover on a snrall hill above a smelly slrearn (another good place to see tlre kingfisher) is the fl anked and Copper-throated. best area to lind Orange-headed From the cenretery. eilher Thrush, a favourite with birder and retrace your steps or walk back birdkeeper alike because of its towards the enlrance on a longer, bearrtiiul orange borly, grev wings curving route.-roughly parallel to with u'hite epaulettes ancl varied the main avenue-past the Guest- song. Another great songstrr, the house. and look back at the wall of \\hite-runrpt'rl Shama, is also founrl trees that surrounds the (iucst- here very occasionally. house lawn. When they catch the By this tinre you will probably discovered: Kuhl's and van Hassclt's,
but nowadays Íield-guide writers prefer to use the names, lVhite-
,
sun, these trees attracl several typical gar«len s1x.cir.s such as §'arlct-
i he*.d
\Vh ite
