Species at Risk
Ascend the Volcano : Last Refuge for Four Critically Endangered Birds in Indonesia
Beginning about 20 million years ago , the crashing of tectonic plates created a chain of small volcanic islands in northeastern Indonesia , just south of the Philippines . Strung along the northern end , the Sangihe ( pronounced san-eeye ) archipelago features active volcanoes that have erupted within the last 100 years , but southern Sangihe island is quiet on that front . Instead of the ominous bubbling , hissing and booming of volcanic activity , one hears — if lucky enough — birdsong .
An inactive “ extinct ” volcano , Mt . Sahendaruman dominates the southern half of the island , rising to 2,644 feet above sea level . Its forested crater still resonates with the call of rare birds found nowhere else , but without protection , their days could be numbered .
Almost the entire global population of four Critically Endangered birds are restricted to a tiny area of habitat of less than 2,000 acres within the crater and on the external slopes — the Sangihe Whistler , Sangihe White-eye , Cerulean Flycatcher and Sangihe Golden Bulbul . They were only recently rediscovered about 30 years ago after expeditions were undertaken to find them . They are nearly extinct because more than 99 % of Sangihe ’ s original forest has been replaced by coconut , pepper , nutmeg and clove plantations , some dating back to the 1600s . The continuing spread of agriculture is fragmenting what little is left . cerulean flycatcher | burung indonesia
The Cerulean Flycatcher ’ s population is estimated at 21-100 individuals .
These four birds embody the theory of “ geographic insularity ”— they have existed on Sangihe Island isolated and apart and have no way of expanding their range . This phenomenon was developed as part of the “ Theory of Island Biogeography ,” in the famous book of the same name by renowned American biologist Dr . E . O . Wilson — a brilliant and beloved member of Rainforest Trust ’ s board until his death in 2021 — and his colleague , Robert MacArthur . It is a major tenet of modern conservation that explains the how and the why of unique biodiversity on islands and a great deal more .
Dr . Nigel Collar , a member of Rainforest Trust ’ s Advisory Council , has written over 100 scientific papers and 12 books including Facing Extinction : The World ’ s Rarest Birds and the Race to Save Them . In 2022 , he co-authored a study of
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