PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

 

e-ISSN 2231-8534
ISSN 0128-7702

Home / Regular Issue / JSSH Vol. 31 (5) Aug. 2023 / JST-3869-2022

 

Spatial Distribution of Malaysian Storks Determined Based on Citizen Science (eBird) Data

Ain Afifah Tolohah, Fatihah Najihah Arazmi, Shukor Md. Nor and Mohammad Saiful Mansor

Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Volume 31, Issue 5, August 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.31.5.14

Keywords: Citizen science data, distribution, Peninsular Malaysia, storks, waterbirds

Published on: 31 July 2023

Waterbird populations are rapidly declining worldwide, including in many countries in Southeast Asia. Massive land use changes in Peninsular Malaysia are a major threat to biodiversity due to habitat loss and alteration, affecting the populations of many waterbird species. This study was conducted to determine the spatial distribution of three stork species, the Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala and Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea, in Peninsular Malaysia using the citizen science database, eBird. About 86,881 occurrences of the Asian Openbill, 2,391 occurrences of the Painted Stork and 242 occurrences of the Milky Stork were identified in the eBird database throughout Peninsular Malaysia between 2019 and 2021, suggesting major differences in occurrence size between the three species. Map generated from ArcGIS and a statistically significant difference in the population distribution of the three stork species across Peninsular Malaysia indicate habitat segregation. The populations of these stork species should be carefully monitored and managed to avoid imbalance with other waterbird populations.

  • Abidin, M. K. Z., Taib, F. S. M., & Nor, S. M. (2017). Distribution and habitat selection of the Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) in Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal, 69(3), 169-181. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.4005270

  • Ali, N. I. M., Ibrahim, N. I., Aiyub, K., & Kasavan, S. (2020). Pelaksanaan amalan pertanian baik (GAP) dalam kalangan pesawah padi di Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam, Selangor [Implementation of good agricultural practices (GAP) among paddy farmers in Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam, Selangor]. Geografia, 16(3), 247-262. https://doi.org/10.17576/geo-2020-1603-18

  • Arazmi, F. N., Ismail, N. A., Daud, U. N. S., Abidin, K. Z., Nor, S. M., & Mansor, M. S. (2022). Spread of the invasive Javan myna along an urban-suburban gradient in Peninsular Malaysia. Urban Ecosystems, 25(3), 1007-1014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-022-01216-9

  • BirdLife International. (2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697651A93627701.en

  • BirdLife International. (2022). Species Factsheet: Mycteria cinerea. http://www.birdlife.org

  • Callaghan, C. T., & Gawlik, D. E. (2015). Efficacy of eBird data as an aid in conservation planning and monitoring. Journal of Field Ornithology, 86(4), 298-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofo.12121

  • Chuah, B. K. (2013, January 22). Malaysia: Birder’s instinct pays off. New Straits Times. https://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2013/01/malaysia-birders-instinct-pays-off.html?m=1

  • Darren, H. J. A., Ismail, M. H., Muharam, F. M., & Alias, M. A. (2021). Evaluating the impacts of land use/land cover changes across topography against land surface temperature in Cameron Highlands. Plos One, 16(5), Article e0252111. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252111

  • Ismail, A., & Rahman, F. (2012). An urgent need for Milky Stork study in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 35(3), 407-4012.

  • Ismail, A., & Rahman, F. (2016). Current status of the Milky Stork re-introduction programme in Malaysia and its challenges. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 27(2), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.21315/tlsr2016.27.2.2

  • Ismail, A., Rahman, F., Kin, D. K. S., Ramli, M. N. H., & Ngah, M. (2011). Current status of the Milky Stork captive breeding program in Zoo Negara and its importance to the stork population in Malaysia. Tropical Natural History, 11(1), 75-80.

  • IUCN. (2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021. https://www.iucnredlist.org

  • IUCN. (2022). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022. https://www.iucnredlist.org

  • Jabatan Pertanian Semenanjung Malaysia. (2021). Booklet Statistik Tanaman (Sub-Sektor Tanaman Makanan) 2021 [Crop Statistics Booklet (Food Crop Sub-Sector) 2021]. http://www.doa.gov.my/index/resources/aktiviti_sumber/sumber_awam/maklumat_pertanian/perangkaan_tanaman/booklet_statistik_tanaman_2020. [25.08.2021-30.08.20

  • Koli, V. K., Yaseen, M., & Bhatnagar, C. (2013). Population status of Painted stork Mycteria leucocephala and Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus in southern Rajasthan, India. Indian Birds, 8(2), 39-41.

  • Low, B. W., Lim, K. S., Yap, F., Lee, T. K., Lim, K. C., & Yong, D. L. (2013). First record of the Asian Openbill, Anastomus oscitans (Aves: Ciconiidae) in Singapore, with notes on foraging and dispersive movements. Nature in Singapore, 6, 25-29.

  • Mansor, M. S., Halim, M. R. A., Abdullah, N. A., Ramli, R., & Cranbrook, E. O. (2020). Barn swallows Hirundo rustica in Peninsular Malaysia: Urban winter roost counts after 50 years, and dietary segregation from house-farmed swiftlets Aerodramus sp. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 68, 238-248. https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2020-0021

  • Mansor, M. S., Ramli, R., & Sah, S. A. M. (2015). The foraging tactics of Chestnut-winged babbler (Stachyris erythroptera) and Abbott’s babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) in a lowland rainforest, Malaysia. Sains Malaysiana, 44(5), 687-692.

  • Rahman, F., Ismail, A., Omar, H., & Hussin, M. Z. (2017). Exposure of the endangered Milky Stork population to cadmium and lead via food and water intake in Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary, Perak, Malaysia. Toxicology Reports, 4, 502-506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.09.003

  • Rahman, F., Ismail, A., & Yusof, S. (2014). Metals contamination in the foraging area of Milky Stork: Evidence of anthropogenic inputs in the aquatic environment of Kuala Gula, Malaysia. Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 95(9), 1499-1505. https://doi.org/10.1080/02772248.2014.892941

  • Robinson, J., & Cranswick, P. (2003). Large-scale monitoring of the effects of human disturbance on waterbirds: A review and recommendations for survey design. Ornis Hungarica, 12(13), 199-207.

  • Samsi, A. N., Asaf, R., Santi, A., & Wamnebo, M. I. (2017). Gastropods as a bioindicator and biomonitoring metal pollution. Aquacultura Indonesiana, 18(1), 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.21534/ai.v18i1.42

  • Sullivan, B. L., Aycrigg, J. L., Barry, J. H., Bonney, R. E., Bruns, N., Cooper, C. B., Damoulas, T., Dhondt, A. A., Dietterich, T., & Farnsworth, A. (2014). The eBird enterprise: An integrated approach to development and application of citizen science. Biological Conservation, 169, 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.003

  • Tan, C. L., & Murali, R. S. N. (2013, January 17). Malaysia not out of stork. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013/01/17/malaysia-not-out-of-stork

  • Zakaria, M. A., & Nor, S. M. (2019). Population estimate of painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) in three main breeding sites Peninsular Malaysia. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2111, No. 1, p. 060005). AIP Publishing LLC. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5111267