Tirtaningtyas and Kaban (2025)
Author Information
Fransisca Noni Tirtaningtyas and Aronika Kaban: Burung Laut Indonesia
This activity was funded by 2024 Small Grant Fund for Working Groups and Task Forces East Asia Australasia Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) with the title “Monitoring the Christmas Frigatebird in Jakarta Bay August 2023 – August 2024.” This report is already sent to the EAAFP Secretariat. Our collaboration activity between Burung Laut Indonesia and the Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA) Jakarta
Our background study:
This activity is a monitoring activity for one of the bird species included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Single Species Action Plan, namely the Christmas Frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi). By conducting this activity, it was found that this site is included in the Flyway Site Network, which supports more than 1% of individuals in a population of a species or subspecies of migratory waterbirds, which supports the population of the Christmas Frigatebird (0.083-2.333%). In July 2012, monitoring found more than 200 individuals in a single day of observation (almost 10% of the population). Jakarta Bay also supports two vulnerable bird species found during the survey, such as Christmas Island Frigatebird and Aleutian Tern, one species is Near Threatened: Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel, and 14 species protected by the Indonesian government. Jakarta Bay as a staging area because it supports the Christmas Island Frigatebird for at least ~0.083-1.12% population.
Our project objectives such as:
1.Monitoring the population numbers of Christmas Frigatebird in Jakarta Bay
2.Monitoring the threats in Christmas Frigatebird in Jakarta Bay
3.Build the habitat and species management capacity with the local government
4.Capacity building for the local people around Jakarta Bay
Our results:
Our monitoring of the population numbers from Christmas Frigatebird during activity between August 2023 and August 2024 showed that all the sex and age stages used the Jakarta Bay for foraging and roosting (Fig 1) with the highest numbers of individual seen in August (56), October (41) and July (47), respectively (Fig 2).
During our monitoring to the Christmas Frigatebird, we counted for several seabird species. In totally, there were 16 seabird species in Jakarta Bay, such as Christmas Frigatebird, Lesser Frigatebird, Great Frigatebird (Fregatidae), Little-black Cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae), Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorariidae), Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel (Hydrobatidae). And there were 10 species from Laridae, namely Aleutian Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, Great Crested Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Black-naped Tern, and Bridled Tern.
Figure 1. The number of Christmas Frigatebirds during the activity. It can be seen that August 2023 had the highest number. In February 2024 there was no bird during activity.
Figure 2. Age and sex composition encountered during the activity. In August and October, the age and sex composition were almost complete compared to other months.
The information obtained from the fishermen during the interviews showed that there were three cases of cormorants and frigatebirds being accidentally caught in fishing gear. Specifically, a frigatebird was entangled in a fishing net and two cormorants were entangled in a Danish seine net. Furthermore, during the monitoring activities conducted in July and August of 2024, the team observed two adult males of the Christmas Frigatebird that had become entangled in fishing gear on their wings (Fig. 3).
Figure 17. Two individuals of Christmas Frigatebird were captured in fishing line (blue circle) on July and August 2024. ©FN Tirtaningtyas (left) & Aronika Kaban (right).
We collated this information and discussed it with relevant stakeholders and fishermen around Jakarta Bay. The discussion was attended by 43 participants from the following local governments: Conservation of Natural Resources – Jakarta, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) (online), the Food Security, Marine and Agricultural Agency (DKPKP) of DKI Jakarta Province, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) Tanjung Pasir, the National Partnership for Migratory Bird and Habitat Conservation (KNKBBH) and a group of fishermen (Fig 4).
Figure 4. Group photo with the local government and the fishermen © Boas Emmanuel
Furthermore, we are committed to capacity building for local youth in the nearby Christmas Frigatebird roosting area. We successfully engaged at least 135 children in birdwatching and watching the documentary film activities. We also disseminated awareness campaign tools to children, with the aim of raising their awareness of seabirds in Jakarta Bay (Fig 5).
Figure 5. Poster for the children about the seabirds in Jakarta Bay with the local name.
