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Introduction
Tucked away on the western coast of the
State of Johor, Malaysia, lies a small town called Parit
Jawa. Comprising little more than a few dusty streets with
crumbling colonial shophouses, Parit Jawa may one day be a
mecca for local bird enthusiasts. For if you follow the
one-kilometre road that leads down to the fishing village,
and walk to the end of the wooden jetty, there is a high
chance that you will be able to see one of the rarest storks
in the world, the Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus.
Fishing Village
For visitors unfamiliar with the laid-back
charms of rural Malaysia the fishing village of Kuala Parit
Jawa serves as a fine example. The tidal inlet is crowded
with wooden vessels which fish the muddy waters of the
Straits of Malacca, and there are a number of open-air
seafood restaurants specialising in spicy fish recipes. Add
to that a couple of brightly coloured Chinese temples and
modest Malay kampung houses surrounded by banana,
papaya and durian orchards and you have a scene of rural
tranquility.
Mud and Mangroves
Beyond the rickety wooden jetty at the
mouth of Kuala Parit Jawa is a wide expanse of mud, which
is exposed at low tide. The coastal mudflats of the
Straits of Malacca are rich in organic content, supporting
an abundance of invertebrate life including worms, snails,
bivalves, crabs and prawns. In turn these food groups
support a rich web of higher species including fish such as
mudskippers, reptiles such as water snakes and monitors, and
a wide range of bird species. Mammals too live in the
adjacent mangroves; groups of Long-tailed Macaque Macaca
fascicularis regularly venture out of the mangroves and
onto the mudflats, probably to feed upon crabs - hence their
other name 'Crab-eating Macaque'. The Oriental Small-clawed
Otter Aonyx cinerea can also be sighted here.
Birdlife
The main attraction of Parit Jawa,
especially during the October-March migration season, is the
birdlife. Though there is a regular traffic of fishing
boats winding its way through the muddy channels, and though
there are local people going about their business near the
jetty the bird fauna seems unperturbed. The most noticeable
of the birds are the Lesser Adjutants, by sheer virtue of
their size. Standing at 120 cm tall, with a white body and
dark grey wings this species is unmistakable. Comically,
its head is virtually bald, apart from a sparse covering of
fine hair-like feathers.
Active during the day, these storks feed
on fish and amphibians such as the
Crab-eating Frog. Once seized, the prey is
subjected to a series of stabs with its powerful beak,
before being swallowed whole. At nights the storks roost in
mangrove trees along the coast. Nesting occurs mainly
during the dry season, either in small colonies or as single
nests.
Other shorebirds not commonly seen in
Malaysia but which may be sighted at Parit Jawa include the
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, the Eurasian Curlew
Numenius arquata and the Grey-tailed Tattler
Heteroscelus brevipes.
Egrets and smaller herons are easily seen,
including the Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus.
The Striated Heron Butorides striatus is very common,
and is often seen perched close to the jetty or stalking
small fish around the moored fishing boats.
Flocks of terns are often seen following
fishing vessels back to harbour, swooping down to pluck
small fish from the waters churned up by the boats'
propellers. Kingfishers are common too, including migrants
such as the Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and the
Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata; there are
numerous sticks or posts close to the jetty where they like
to perch.
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