Preventing the Smart Bird from going Extinct

KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN

A pair of maleo birds (Macrocephalon maleo) walks along sandy ground on Wednesday (26/6/2019) at the Maleo Center, an ex situ conservation and breeding program in Banggai regency, Central Sulawesi, that is managed by PT Donggi-Senoro LNG. The endemic Sulawesian species is under threat from hunting and egg harvesting, as well as the specific natural conditions required of its unusual nesting habit.

The maleo is a smart bird because it always makes fake nests to fool its predators. Several locations where the birds often lay eggs also indicate there is hot spring nearby.

The bird, which has the Latin name Macrocephalon maleo, is a relative of the Mollucan scrubfowl (Eulipoa wallacei), locally known as burung gosong. In addition to the different color of the feathers, the maleo also has unique characteristics, namely a bony dark casque on the top of the head. Because of the uniqueness of the maleo, Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (TN BNW) use it for their logo.