Ecology of the javan green peafowl (pavo muticus muticus) linnaeus 1758 at several habitat types in eastern tip of their distribution, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

The javan green peafowl status is protected bird in Indonesia base on SK Mentan No 66/Kpts/Um/2/1973 and Republic of Indonesia Regulation Law No 7 year 1999. According to ICBP (The International Council for Bird Preservation) has stated that the green peafowl as globally threatened bird in both population and their habitat. Meanwhile CITES has recorded at Appendix II and International of BirdLife (2007) has categorized as endangered bird Pressure to the population and habitat of javan green peafowl is quite big, so the populations have small size at every local site on their local distribution, habitat became fragmented event isolated. Pressure to population is caused by the poaching. But fact showed that javan green peafowl still exist in wild, so the phenomenon gave illustration that the bird have ecological strategy to adapt with the pressure at several habitat type. Ecology of the javan green peafowl (Pavo muticus muticus) Linnaeus 1758 at several habitat types eastern tip of their distribution in Alas Purwo and Baluran national park is the topic to analysis and synthesis of the ecological strategy adaptation at case several habitat types in both national park which the eastern tip of the javan green peafowl distribution. Observation of the javan green peafowl ecology at several habitat types eastern tip of their distribution conducted in three year (year 2006, 2007 and 2008) but intensively 10 month in Baluran national park (BNP) and Alas Purwo national park (APNP) The observation focused at several habitat types at savanna, monsoon forest and evergreen forest also beach forest of Bekol resort BNP and beach forest, grazing area, intercropping teak plantation forest and teak plantation forest Rowobendo resort APNP. The observation has been done at main plot with size 3 km X 4 km in resort Bekol BNP and in resort Rowobendo APNP. Observation of population and habitat of the javan green peafowl was focused at those habitat types. The javan green peafowl population was observed by call count transect method and concentration count and was analyzed on demographic population parameter such as number individual male and female bird, sex ratio, age structure, natality, mortality, survival and population growth at several habitat types. The javan green peafowl habitats were observed and analyzed the characteristic of feeding site and food species, drinking site, sunning and preening place, sheltering and resting site, covering site, roosting site, dancing place and nesting site at several habitat types. Besides that analysis, determinant habitat factors were analyzed by principle component analysis and habitat ideal for the javan green peafowl. Behavior ecology which has been observed and analyzed was the activities, mechanism and strategy of the javan green peafowl in group on feeding, drinking, sunning, sheltering and resting, covering, dusting, dancing, mating, fighting and calling behavior ecology in relation to the habitat types. The result showed that population size of the javan green peafowl at every habitat type in Baluran and Alas Purwo national park is small 24 – 44 individual. The biggest population abundance of the javan green peafowl at Baluran is at savanna habitat type, but in Alas Purwo more concentrated at grazing area of Sadengan and intercropping area of Gunting. The population abundances have relation to habitat condition, especially the habitat suitability on supporting the javan green peafowl living. The age structure of the javan green peafowl in Baluran and Alas Purwo national park is like opposite pyramidal, the adult bird is more abundance approximately 67.7 % and sub adult and peachick less than 35 %. The sex ratio of the javan green peafowl in BNP and APNP between adult male and adult female more than 1 : 4, this condition indicated that javan green peafowl live in polygamous (polygyny) mating system. The javan green peafowl population health in BNP and APNP is quite good, vigority of population still seen with produce the peachick every year, event in BNP the population is declined from 1995 to 2006, but in 2007 the population have small increased, meanwhile the population at APNP have increased from 1998 to 2006, but in 2007 the population has small decreased. The local distribution of the javan green paefowl in APNP and BNP at several habitat types is randomly clumped. This condition have relation to habitat preferences of the bird. The habitat analysis showed the bird more concentrated at open area which surrounded by forest. The javan green peafowl strategy agains from the pressure, the population size is form small size (10-44) at every habitat type to adapt the habitat condition. The population or sub population movement is freely, no habitat fragmentation and isolation in BNP and APNP (metapopulation did not occured in both national park) Characteristic habitat of the javan green peafowl is open area surrounded by forest. The bird prefer open area not so large and growth by grasses as feeding site. The peafowl is omnivorous bird but much more feed on leaf, flower and seed of grasses. The javan green peafowl chooise the luxuriant tree and shading places as sheltering and resting site. The bird select certaint tree whic closed to open area as roosting site. Open area which is growth by shrubs was selected as nesting site. The javan green peafowl prefer on habitat type savanna, grazing area and intercropping area of teak plantation. Ideally habitat for the javan green peafowl is open area which was surrounded by forest and closed to water. Ecological strategy of the javan green peafowl agains from pressure to habitat, the bird select the simple habitat is open area as main their habitat componen which is surrounded by forest, feed on leaf, flower and seed of grasses and shrubs, nesting at open area which is growth by shrubs. The javan green peafowl is omniivorous bird, but they have strategy feed more vegetation and they are as edge species. The javan green peafowl living in group with small size (2-4 individual). Five group types found at the javan green peafowl population in BNP and APNP. Those groups were (1) female adult group (2) peahen with their chick group (3) sub adult female group (4) Sub adul mix group and (5) Solitary group. The leader of the goup is female bird. The adult peacock living solitary, has not group. The mating system on the javan green peafowl population is polygamous (polygyny), but not with harem system. The female choosing on the male bird and copulate with male has been selected. The gen flow is freely on the population or sub population. Behavior ecology activities of the javan green peafowl done by individually or group. The habitat types have significant influenced on frequency and duration of ecological behavior (activities, mechanism and strategy) the javan green peafowl, but were not influenced to behavior activities pattern. Feeding activities pattern, pick up food by their bill, swallow, stop for moment erect the neck, inspect surround, pick up food and walk. Drinking activities, implament bill into water, sucking water, get up the head, inspect surround, and continuously drink. Sheltering activities walk to shelter site, under luxuriant tree or flyng to luxuriant tree, if under the tree sheletring while preening, event stay their body in the ground. The preening activities done during resting and sunning. The preening activities, the bill preen their feathers. Sleping activities are begining select certain tree at afternoon, fly to roost tree, select branch which is confort for roosting, last call and slep. Dusting activities done in the morning or afternoon, the body come to dust place, lay the body, scratch the dust and the dust come to the body. Dancing activities done by the peacock at open area where relatively clean, opened the trans feather forn the huge fan, shift, turn back the body if closed the peahen, sometimes fibrating the trains feather. In general copulation are preceded by dance, if the female agree come down the body and the male right on the female back and copulate. The habitat type has significant influenced on frequency and the duration of the activities, mechanism and behavior strategy. Feeding while walking, chooising the luxuriant tree or shading places closed to feeding site as sheltering and resting site, select tall tree closed to open area as roosting site, choosing open area strategic places as dancing area, select open area which is groweth by shrubs as nesting site are strategical ecology of the javan green peafowl agains of high pressure to population and habitat and adaptation in relation to efisiency and effectivity on used resources at several habitat types.