The Swiflet Population of Niah Caves.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
The Swiflet Population of Niah Caves. |
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Author :
Charles M.U. Leh and Sim Lee Kheng |
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Abstract:
Birds’ nest swiflets in Niah Caves were first counted in 1935 by E. Banks, the then curator of the Sarawak Museum. The population then was a staggering 1.7 million although no differentiation was made between the glossy-moss and black-nests. Other counts were made by Medway in 1958 and 1962 where the population was 1.5 million. Huntings Technical Services Consultant counted some 1.3 million swiftlets in Niah in 1974 at a time when large scale oil palm plantations were established along the Miri-Bintulu Road. Since 1987 a number of counts were made jointly by the Forestry and Sarawak Museum Departments. The sharp increase in value of birds’ nest in the late 1980’s has caused a serious increase in poaching activities on the nests in Niah Caves. Despite the first ban of nest harvest in Niah Caves from 1989 to 1991, the swiftlet population did not increase in subsequent years. In 1993, a second two-year ban on nest harvests was placed on birds’ nests in Niah Caves. This second ban expired in the third quarter of 1995. During the ban period, there were five groups of Forestry Enforcement and Field Force staff stationed at each of the cave entrances in Niah complex.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Charles M.U. Leh and Sim Lee Kheng. (2001). The Swiflet Population of Niah Caves. The Sarawak Museum Journal, LVI (77): 287-298 |
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References
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