Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Unique natural phenomena occur in Indonesia. Thousands of raptors from Siberia, Russia have been observed migrating to Indonesia. This flock of birds of prey has been seen in the forest area of the Sanggabuana Mountains, Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency since the end of October 2023.
This natural phenomenon was first reported by Burung Indonesia, a non-profit organization that focuses on preserving wild birds. According to the organization’s monitoring, thousands of these raptors migrate through the eastern mainland corridor flying through China, the Malay Peninsula, and ending on the islands of Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara.
“This valuable natural phenomenon occurs regularly where these birds fly to move from location, and breed during the winter to a warm location to spend their time waiting for the winter to end,” said Communication Partnership Adviser for Indonesian Birds, Ria Saryanthi, as quoted from detikJabar.
“We managed to observe Pernis ptilorhynchus, Accipiter gularis, Accipiter soloensis, and Merops philippinus, which migrated from Siberia and stopped to breed in the Sanggabuana Mountains,” he added.
What is a raptor?
At first glance, raptors are similar to eagles. They are a type of bird that migrates the farthest compared to other birds of prey.
This carnivorous (meat-eating) animal has three main characteristics: sharp eyesight, eight sharp claws, and a hooked beak.
These birds of prey have existed in various forms for 50 to 75 million years. There are around 482 raptor species throughout the world, 304 diurnal species (active during the day) and 178 nocturnal species (active at night).
Siberian raptors have a habit of migrating to tropical regions to escape the harsh winters of the north. On their way to migrate to Southeast Asia, these birds are often seen transiting India.
Observations by researchers from Russia and India found that many of the raptors were trapped because the area had too many windmills and they fell into the wind turbine turbulence zone. The crash left the birds shocked and unable to continue flying, although they remained alive.
Birds that thrive in Russia typically migrate south to the Arabian coast and the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Studies have shown that raptors migrate alone and leave their young behind.
In 2016, Riau Ecosystem Restoration (RER) has also reported their observations of dozens of raptors from Russia that were seen in Kampar Regency, Riau Province.
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(hsy/hsy)