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AcommunityprojectfortheconservationofthePhilippinemegapodeMegapodiuscumingii[BurungTambun]ontheMantananiIslands,Sabah,Malaysia.

Introduction

The megapodes (Galliformes, Megapodiidae), known colloquially as scrubfowl, mound-builders, maleo,mallee-fowl,brush-turkeysorincubatorbirds,aremostdiverseintheAustralasianregionbutextendnorthand west to island South-east Asia and east to islands of the South-west Pacific. Uniquely among birds,megapodesdonotbuildnestsbutburytheireggsandrelyonthewarmthofthegroundtoincubatethem.Both members of a pair may attend the egg-mound, which they may adjust to manage the internaltemperature(typicallyaround33oC).Afteranunusuallylongperiod,theyounghatchatanadvancedstage,burrow their way out and can feed themselves at once, and even fly. Among the scrubfowl group, thePhilippines megapode Megapodius cumingii, known in Sabah, Malaysia, as (burung or ayam) Tabun =Tambun,occasionallyasTepuk-tepuk,isfoundonthecoastandislandsofnorthernandeasternBorneofromLabuan,Malaysia,toMaratua,Indonesia,extendingtothesouthernPhilippinesandSulawesi(Sheldonetal.,2001).

Although on the protected list, eggmounds at scattered coastal sites in Sabah are vulnerable to naturalpredatorsandharvestingbypeople.ThepopulationofPulauTiga,anaturereserve,isrelativelysecureandhasbeenthesubjectofstudiesbyStuebing&Johan(1986)andHamid(1999).ThespeciesalsooccursontheMantanani group of islands, centred at 6o 42'N, 116o 20' E, situated about 20 km from the nearest smallwest-coast port of Kuala Abai. The largest and the only populated island is Pulau Mantanani Besar, anirregularpolygonabout1760hainextent(Figure1).Theislandisgenerally low-lyingandflat,boundedbysandybeachesexceptat itsnorth-westernendwhich isdefinedbyasteep limestoneridgedropping inanirregularclifftoarockyshoreline.Muchoftheislandhasbeenplantedwithcoconuts,amongwhichthereareareasofsecondaryforestandscrub.ThebeachesarefringedwithCasuarina trees,pandansandothertypicalsea-shoreplants.

Mantananiisnaturallyfreeofwildpigs,monkeysandcarnivores,including,sofar,dogs(althoughthereareafewdomesticcats);monitorlizardsaretheonlyanimalpredatorsofTambunandtheirnestmounds.Theislanderstraditionallysnaredtheadultsandsomepeoplestillharvesttheireggsbut,inthe21stcenturythegreaterthreattothesurvivalofthesefascinatingbirdsarisesfromacceleratingdevelopmentfortourism.Attheheightoftheseason,asmanyas600dayvisitorsmayarrivebyboatfromKualaAbai.Atpresentmostvisitor time is spent on the beaches or snorkel or scuba diving on the fringing reefs. There is, however,growing trend to residential tourism.A 'Homestay' cooperativehasup to40householdson itsbooksandalso, along the sheltered southern coast small resorts are spread along the foreshore, offeringaccommodation (mostly chalet-style with central dining etc.). Several vacant plots on the shoreline havebeenfencedoffbythosewhoclaimownership,andareofferedforsale.

Alongwithincreasingtourism,thereagrowingresidentpopulation.Since1983,whentherewereabout480peoplelivingontheisland1,numbershavenowatleastdoubled,puttingincreaseddevelopmentpressureonthelimitedlandresource,allofwhichisnominallyinprivateownership.Cattleabound,andwanderfreely.Nograzingpastureshavebeencreated,anditappearsthatgrazingandbrowsingbycattleisreducingwoodycover(treesandshrubs)andenlargingtheareasofopendrygrassland.

1StatisticfromC.Francis(1984).

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NotonlyisthestatusofTambunthreatenedbythiscombinationofchangingfactors,butotherrare,island-adapted or super-tramp bird species are also vulnerable, notably Grey-rumped swiftlet Aerodramusinexpectatus germani, Grey imperial pigeon Ducula pickeringi, Pied imperial pigeon D. bicolor, White-throated pigeon Columba vitiensis and the eponymous Mantanani scops owl Otus mantananensis. InOctober2014,migratoryPalaearcticpasserinesincludingRed-throatedpipitAnthuscervinus,YellowwagtailMotacillaflavasimillima,GreywagtailMotacillacinerea,ArcticwarblerPhylloscopusborealis,BarnswallowHirundorustica,SandmartinRipariariparia,Blue-and-whiteflycatcherCyanoptilacyanomelaena,NarcissusflycatcherFicedula narcissina, Grey-streaked flycatcherMuscicapa griseisticta, Blue rock thrushMonticolasolitarius and Brown shrike Lanius cristatus frequented open pasture and coastal scrub2, while inMarch2016,KoelsEudynamisscolopaceawerenoisilyabundant.Theserecordssuggestthattheislandmaybeanimportantstop-overpointforpassagemigrants.

Mantananithereforeoffersauniqueandurgentopportunityforthedevelopmentofsustainabletourism/ecotourism--definedasresponsibletraveltonaturalareas,thatconservestheenvironment,sustainsthewell-beingof localpeople,and involves interpretationandeducation. Thenecessaryground-work foranecotourism project, in this case, involves field investigation of the biology ofMegapodius cumingii, andobservationsonotherbirdsof interest, interlinkedwithpracticalprogrammestoenthuseandinvolvelocalpeople.

ProjekTambun(2015-16)

The'ProjekTambun'waslaunchedin2015,withthefollowingobjectivesforthefirstphase:1. To improve local understanding and appreciation of the Tambun population ofMantanani byinvolvingthestaffandchildrenoftheprimaryschoolinacommunityproject.2. To assess the present numbers of Tambun on Mantanani Besar, the distribution of their eggmounds in relation to theexpandingareasof tourismdevelopment,andmakeotherobservationsusingmoderntechnology.3. If successful, to extend the survey to Mantanani Kecil, which is also potentially undergoingdevelopmentfortourism.

PrincipalpartnersaretheSabahSociety(contactperson,theSociety'sHonSecretaryMrChiwonChin,h/p+60 16 8398108 chin388698@gmail.com) and Camps Borneo (contact person ResidentManagerMs AidaRahman h/p +60 19 2831186 aida@campborneo.com). Two phototrap cameras and aGPS recorderwerepurchasedthroughWildtrack,Malaysia,andtwoadditionalcameraswereloanedbyWWF(Malaysia).

Achievements

(1)InMay2015,discussionwiththeHeadCikguLimunandseniorteacherCikguAhmad('O.J.')andstudentsof theprimary school3led to the formationof aNatureClub. KinoshitaAzira bt Sonywas elected as clubleader or ketua kelab, with a boy as the deputy. It was agreedwith thatmost club activity would be atweekendstoavoidclashingwithclassroomsubjects.Acompetitionledtothechoiceofalogoforthenatureclub. At the opening meeting,club members surveyed the nest mound located behind the school andcommunitylearningcentre(CLC)at6*42'38.459"Nand116*21'16.968"E.Itwasabandoned,withmanyholesdugbythevillagerstogettheeggs.Thecircumferencewasapproximately20studentsarmspans.

Insubsequentactivitydays,workingwithvolunteersfromSabahSociety,childrenhavebeeninvolvedinthelocationofTambunnestmounds throughout the island.Eachmoundwas recordedbyhand-heldGPSandthe locationsplotted.Eachmoundwasalsomeasured(circumferenceandheight),and itsconditionnoted2ObservationsbyDrFrankRheindt.3Thereisoneprimaryschool,onMantananiBesar.Childrengotothemainlandforsecondaryedcuation.

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(e.g.,intact,raidedetc.).Photographicrecordshavebeenmade.inMarch2016,afullmeetingofpupilsandparentswasheldinthelargeschoolassemblyhall,whenactivitieswerereviewedandanaddressgivenonthevaluesofecotourismandbirding,inparticular,assustainableactivities.

(2)It isestimatedthat85%ofactivemoundsonMantananiBesarhavebeenassessed.DataareheldinanExcelspreadsheet,withback-up.Averylargearchiveofphototraprecordshasbeenmade,andisdistributedamongparticipants,withback-up. Shortvideoshavebeenmade, includingsoundrecordingsof thebirds'distinctivemewing call. These archives need interpretation and reviewby someonewith a background inornithology,toassessthepopulationsize,significantbehavioursandotherbiodata.

(3)InformationfromMantananiKecilhasconfirmedthatTambunarepresentonthisisland,butabrieffieldvisitinMarch2016showedthattheconditionofthevegetationisverydifferent,andtheislandwouldnotbe suitable for an extension of the present voluntary survey procedures.Moreover, the island has beendeclared a nature reserve, with access by people prohibited, and the prospective resort developmentappearstohavefailed.

Futureextensionoftheprojectandassociatedactivities.

SabahSocietyCommitteemembersmetunderthePresident(DrHeng)on18March2016,andresolvedthattheTambunProjectshouldbecontinued,asbeforefromtwoperspectives:

(1) Extension of the schools programme, with further involvement of parents and other adultrelatives,togainwidercommunityawarenessofthebenefitsofprotectingTambun(andotherbirdsof the islands). One potential direction will be to train informal local wardens who will also beequipped with skills to guide bird-watchers. Other developments will be designed to provideeconomic benefits to people of the village, and thereby provide motivation to protect Tambun,especially,andallbirdlifeontheisland.(2) Expansion of the scientific programme, through association with an institute of further andhigher education and, if feasible, the field support of a dedicated student to utilise data alreadyacquiredand todevelopanextendedprogrammeof research into thepopulation size,behaviour,breeding success and vulnerability of TambunMegapodius cummingii (and other important birdspeciesoftheislands).

The Sabah Society, Camps Borneo and Dato Sri Lord Cranbrook therefore heartily welcome the offer byProfessor Rudolf Meier, of the National University of Singapore, to include this Project among potentialawardssupportedbyfundsbequeathedbythelatePengLoke,LadyMcNiece,foraMSccandidatein2016-17.Among qualifications expected from a successful applicant, reasonable speaking and written fluency inBahasaMalaysiawill be essential. The living conditions are basicwith limited freshwater supply, limitedelectricityonlyavailablebetween7PM-7AMandfoodsupplyreflectsaremoteislandfishingvillage.ItisexpectedthattheNUSgrantwillincludeastipendtocoverlivingcosts.Cranbrookiswillingtoconsiderapplicationsforfieldexpenses,andotherinstitutionalfundingwillbesought.References

Ahmad,A.H.(1999).ThepopulationstatusofmegapodesonPulauTiga.SabahParksNatureJournal2:75-84.Sheldon,F.H.,R.G.Moyle&J.Kennard(2001).OrnithologyofSabah:history,gazetteer,annotatedchecklistandbibliography.OrnithologicalMongraphs52.Washington,D.C.,TheAmericanOrnithologists'Union.Stuebing,R.&ZazuliJohan(1986).MegapodesofPulauTiga.SabahMuseumandArchivesJournal1(1):16-49.

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Figure1.TheMantananigroup,Sabah,Malaysia.