A birder’s joy

The rare Giant Ibis found in Northern Cambodia. — ALLAN MICHAUD

Saturday October 27, 2007
By LEONG SIOK HUI
The Star (Malaysia)

For bird enthusiast John Howes, seeing the rare Giant Ibis was an out-of-this-world experience for him.

“It’s amazing!This is something I had thought about for 20 years,” says Howes, 44, an ecologist and an advisor to Wild Asia.

“It was very hard because I wanted to show some emotion, but we were about 100m away from the bird’s nest and I thought it important to respect the bird.

“Most people would have been hooting, hollering or slapping highfives,” adds Howes.

“Deep down, however, I was like: ‘Wow! This is it...it’s fantastic!”

Howes first heard about Tmatboey in 2003 when he was working on a project in Cambodia. Waves of excitement swept through the birding community when news of sightings of the bird spread.

“Up till that time, everybody thought this bird was already extinct or in such low numbers that the chances of finding them was remote,” explains Howes of Wales who has been birding for over two decades in South-East and East Asia.

Some of his Phnom Penh-based friends went to see the birds with the help of the villagers. A year later, another Critically Endangered species, the White-Shouldered Ibis, was spotted in the same area.

“This place became like a ‘pilgrimage’ for most birders I know,” adds Howes who’s been based in Malaysia for 20 years.

For over four days in Tmatboey, Howes spotted 60 bird species including eight species of woodpecker, the Rufous-Winged Buzzard, Spotted Owlet and an awesome flock of six White-Shouldered Ibises. But Howes isn’t obsessed with “ticking off the list”.

“I’m more interested in studying bird behaviour and how they relate to their environment,” says Howes.

The Tmatboey trip is Howes’ first guided bird tour. Usually, he prefers independent bird-watching trips where he can freely explore an area. Yet, he made an exception for Tmatboey.

“It’s an area where you have no trail and you could get lost. And these are unique birds where every nest is so precious and cannot be disturbed,” says Howes.

The guides’ dedication and zest impressed Howes, considering that only four years ago, the birds were considered food.

“The guides are amazing. Everyday, they were out since dawn and walked miles and miles to find the birds for us because they wanted to please their clients,” says Howes.

“They have a very intimate knowledge of the habitat and navigate easily through a pretty standard-looking forest.

“They knew the bird calls, had the right idea about how near you could get to the bird or its nest, and were able to articulate their knowledge through Mony (our English-speaking guide from SVC),” adds Howes.

“But it was more just seeing the birds — I enjoyed the whole experience; visiting the village, interacting with the locals and eating local food.”

And Howes is satisfied with the lodge’s basic facilities. The chalets come with fans and attached bathrooms. But there’s no hot shower.

“Most people I know who want to see these birds will be prepared to sleep in the open with a mosquito net,” says Howes.

“Anyone going to Tmatboey who complains about food and lodging shouldn’t be travelling in South-East Asia.”

But Howes suggests that perhaps the guides should do an introductory session for the birders before taking them out into the field.

“They can tell the groups the dos and don’ts, brief them on the trail conditions and what to bring,” says Howes.

“And it’s important to keep tabs on the area’s carrying-capacity and limit the number of visitors.

“It’s good not to swamp them with everything too soon. Give them five more years, the community will see more benefits,” says Howes optimistically.

“I think they’re already doing a great job!”