30% of spot-billed pelicans in Cambodia
Ry Sochan | Publication date 30 October 2021 | 17:25 ICT

CAMBODIA has about 3,000 spot-billed pelicans, which account for around 30 per cent of the global population, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Neth Pheaktra said on October 29.

The species, also known by its scientific name Pelecanus philippensis, is labelled in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “Near Threatened”.

Pheaktra said that while the spot-billed pelican is still seen in Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, it is found to breed only in India, Sri Lanka and the Prek Toal area of northwestern Cambodia, the last such location in Southeast Asia.

Prek Toal is Cambodia’s largest bird sanctuary, located within the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve at the northwest corner of the Tonle Sap lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

The spokesman said that major threats to the species are loss of breeding and staging habitats, wildlife trade, overhunting, egg collection from nesting colonies, and other forms of human disturbance.

“Spot-billed pelicans are under strict protection by environment officials and the Wildlife Conservation Society [WCS] in natural protected areas, especially at their breeding grounds in the Prek Toal Ramsar Site,” Pheaktra said.
The birds are closely observed and their numbers monitored, he said, adding that the global population is estimated at 8,700-12,000.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... s-cambodia

Terrifying, from a kayak, if they come close
flying bulldozers - and they are multiplying in Cambodia at an alarming rate
i'm convinced that's why nobody kayaks on the Tonle Sap these days.

No joke - i was driving right beside one, in parallel, on a coastal road one time (in Oz) and i swear to you it was bigger than the VW Beetle i was driving.
It was playing chicken with me - trying to bump me sideways off the road.



(nb; Entertainment, not Science)

Hunter Caught with 134 Live Doves

Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): According to the Wildlife Alliance of Cambodia, an unidentified hunter was fined USD300 for hunting 134 doves in Svay Rieng province.
The 134 doves were seized by the authorities and safely released back in the wildlife sanctuary.

10 nests of 'near threatened' grey-headed fish eagle recorded in Cambodia in October
Orm Bunthoeurn | Publication date 05 November 2021 | 20:47 ICT

The fish-eating bird, known by its scientific name Icthyophaga ichthyaetus, is a "Near Threatened" species, according to Birdlife International. Its population has decreased in some key habitats including the area along the Sekong River. INFORMATION MINISTRY

Rangers at the Boeung Tonle Chhmar Ramsar site bordering the Tonle Sap Lake in Kampong Thom province found 10 nests of the grey-headed fish eagle in October during its nesting season, bringing fresh hope for conservationists.

The fish-eating bird, known by its scientific name Icthyophaga ichthyaetus, is a "Near Threatened" species, according to Birdlife International. Its population has decreased in some key habitats including the area along the Sekong River.

“We hope more nests will be found because the nesting season is not over yet.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... ia-october

Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne: A Harmonious Bird Sanctuary and Bird watching destination Near Phnom Penh

BY: Chhut Chheana / USAID Wonders for the Mekong November 6, 2021
PREY VENG--Flocks of hundreds of thousands of birds can be found in the Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne multiple use area, located in Toib Sdach Kampong Sleng Village, Bateay Commune, Ba Phnom District, Prey Veng Province.

With an area of 3,557 hectares, situated in a gulf of 86 hectares, and 70% surrounded by water, the Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne is the perfect peaceful habitat for many birds migrating through the area. This spot is also a convenient tourist destination for any bird watching enthusiasts, as it is only about an 80 km drive from Phnom Penh City or 20 km from Tsubasa Bridge, also known as the Neak Loeung Bridge.

Nuon Sareth, Deputy Manager of Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne, explained “This sanctuary was established by the local community in 2006 with the purpose of protecting the flooded forests because they provide important spawning ground and habitat for fish and a number of bird species.” He added that prior to its national designation as a multiple use area, “Originally the area was called Tuol Neak Ta Poan Taley Conservation Area, and was recognized by the commune and district authority.”

Prak Phally, a community member of Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne multiple use area, said that back in 2015-2016, the majority of bird species, including common seasonal birds, only visited the area in the rainy season to feed. He continued, “In the past, huge flocks flew from every corner of the country to temporarily reside and feed here at the Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne site.

When the dry season arrived, the birds flew back to their original habitats. However, starting in 2019, the birds began to build permanent nests and breed here.” Phally added with pride that this is due, in part, to the community of people in Prey Veng Province as well as people around the country and their efforts to protect and conserve the birds and their natural habitat. Their commitment has made it possible for the flocks to live and forage for food harmoniously.

The Deputy Director of the Prey Veng Environment Department, Heng Saing Hy, said, “During the bird flu outbreak crisis in March and April 2021, thousands of birds died. However, now, new clutches are appearing and there are birds migrating from other regions of the country to reside here in the Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne area, increasing the bird population significantly.” Saing Hy continued “Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, wiped out at least 2,000 birds in this sanctuary, mostly of the Asian openbill species.

The Asian openbill, or the Asian openbill stork, appears to be the dominant species in this conservation area with a total population of approximately 10,000 birds. The Asian openbill, scientifically known as Anastomus oscitans, was considered to be “of least concern” by the IUCN Red List in 2016. The species inhabits a wide geographical range, found across Southeast Asia in Myanmar and other Mekong Basin countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many other birds can also be observed among the Asian openbills at Toul Poan Taley Boeung Sne area, namely the lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), the painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), the spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), the oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster), and the white-shouldered ibis (Pseudibis davisoni).
https://cambodianess.com/article/toul-p ... phnom-penh

Nice chick! ^^

'reminds me of a vietnamese hooker on St 136

Farmers tempt endangered cranes back – by growing their favourite food
In Cambodia’s fertile Mekong delta, rice farmers are switching to the varieties loved by the world’s tallest flying bird to help stop its decline
Each year, the distinctive red-headed eastern sarus crane arrives in Cambodia’s Anlung Pring reserve in time for the rice harvest.
Photograph: Courtesy of NatureLife Cambodia
Anne Pinto-Rodrigues
Sat 20 Nov 2021 09.00 GMT

“Several years ago, I counted more than 300 cranes in the wetlands near my rice field,” says farmer Khean Khoay, as he reminisces about the regal-looking eastern sarus crane. Khoay’s village, Koh Chamkar in Kampot province, lies on the outskirts of the Anlung Pring protected landscape in south-west Cambodia, in the fertile and biodiverse Mekong delta.

The region has been enriched by centuries of silt deposited by the Mekong, the longest river in south-east Asia and a lifeline for millions who depend on its resources. But as more and more land is converted for agriculture and aquaculture, and the impacts of the climate crisis, such as erosion and saltwater intrusion, are felt, the area’s wildlife has become increasingly threatened.

Among the birds affected are the cranes that once visited the land near Khoay’s rice field in large numbers. NatureLife Cambodia, BirdLife International’s partner in the country, says only 91 eastern sarus cranes visited Anlung Pring this year. The future of these birds may lie in the hands of 16 farmers from Koh Chamkar village, including Khoay, who lease their land to NatureLife.

At 176cm (just under 6ft), the sarus crane is the tallest flying bird and is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN’s red list of threatened species. But the eastern sarus crane (Antigone antigone sharpii), found in south-east Asia, is considered highly endangered: fewer than 200 are estimated to remain across the wetlands of Cambodia and Vietnam, a sharp decline from nearly 900 in 2002. About half of these visit Anlung Pring during their non-breeding period, arriving before the rice harvest in late December and staying until the dry season ends in May.

Oum Chrein, another farmer involved in the scheme, says: “When the crop has not yet been harvested, the cranes walk on the embankments around the fields and eat the grains from [the stalks at] the plot edges.”

The farmers who lease their land to NatureLife are paid 10 years’ rent upfront, calculated at 30% higher than their net income from the land. NatureLife, with the support of Cambodia’s ministry of environment and funded by IUCN Netherlands, uses the land to grow native short-grain rice varieties such as boka teourm and pong roluk (Khmer names), which are the cranes’ favourites. At harvest time, half of the crop on the 17 hectares (42 acres) of leased land is left to supplement the diet of the cranes and other birds.

NatureLife also offers the farmers the option of a daily allowance for cultivating the land, which provides a regular income. Bou Vorsak, acting chief executive at NatureLife, says: “We commit to the farmers that we will use the land only for growing rice and that the soil will remain suitable for cultivation in the long term.”

This arrangement also prevents farmers from selling land to developers or changing its use, thus retaining the area for visiting cranes for the next decade.

It is not a scheme, however, that makes money. The first harvest from NatureLife’s leased land programme was in December 2020. The high salinity conditions, along with the use of organic fertilisers and pesticides (instead of chemical ones), meant that the yield was not high, with less than one tonne of rice harvested a hectare, compared with the usual two tonnes. “We are aware of the yield limitations but we don’t mind as we are keeping [half] the rice for the cranes,” says Vorsak.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... e-food-aoe