Ibis Karau (Pseudibis davisoni)

Ibis Karau (Pseudibis davisoni) Endangered Step Birds in Indonesia
One of the rarest birds is Ibis Karau (Pseudibis davisoni). Because of its scarcity, the Ibis Karau bird population (Pseudibis davisoni) left only 670. Therefore, it is not surprising that then the bird from the Threskiornithidae family was included as a Critically Endangered (Critical) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A distinctive feature of this bird is its bald head with a white or bright neckline like wearing a headband.

The Ibis Karau (Pseudibis davisoni) bird is of medium size with a length of about 75-78 cm. The fur is dominated by black. Rare birds that live on wetlands have unique characteristics, namely the bald head and the back of the head (nape) to the base of the neck that is bright white or blue, like wearing a headband. Another characteristic is the long bent down size of the beak. There is a white mark on the base of the wing which then makes it referred to as the "White-shouldered Ibis". The wing and tail have black shiny parts. At the bottom there is a little chestnut brown color. Red legs and feet, black beak, and dark iris.

Professor Johan Iskandar, Professor of Ethnobiology at Padjadjaran University (Unpad), explained that based on the Smythies record in The Birds of Borneo (1981), ibis karau was recorded on the Barito River in 1836 and Long Iram, the upper reaches of the Mahakam river in 1912. Guy Mountfort & Norman Arlott in the book Rare Birds of the World (1988) state that this species is one of the rare bird species in the world.

According to Johan, the presence of water birds on wetlands is very important. The variety of waterbirds that come in coastal and ocean wetlands or artificial wetlands is a natural indicator of environmental quality. "The presence of this water bird has something to do with various feeds in the habitat," said Johan.

Indonesia, according to Wetlands International records has 380 types of water birds that inhabit various coastal areas in the country. Meanwhile, according to Burung Indonesia, no fewer than 49 locations in Indonesia are locations that have the potential to become a transit region for world water birds that migrate.