Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve is an important IBA candidate because of its extensive size, wide altitudinal coverage and relatively undisturbed state. The area provides sanctuary for the Sundaic lowland and montane forests bird assemblages, including the Mountain Peacock-pheasant. The area lies within the autumn migration route of several raptor species including Oriental Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus, Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis and Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis.

Site description Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve lies within the northern end of the Banjaran Bintang. This range runs parellel with, but is not connected to, the Banjaran Titiwangsa, from which it is separated by the valley of Sungai Perak. Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve is an extensive area of hilly rainforest stretching from Gunung Bintang in the north and abutting Bukit Larut in the south. A chain of granite peaks form the backbone of the area, including Gunung Bintang (1,862 m asl), Gunung Inas (1,801 m asl) and Gunung Titiwangsa (1,726 m asl). The rivers of Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve feed into several important waterways. East-flowing streams drain into Sungai Perak, the major river system in the state while west-flowing streams feed Tasik Bukit Merah and Sungai Krian, the main sources of water for the Krian ricefields.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Bintang Hijau	Forest Reserve	29,648	protected area contained by site	29,648
Bintang Hijau	Virgin Jungle Reserve	696	protected area contained by site	696
Bubu	Forest Reserve	11,769	protected area contained by site	0
Bubu	Virgin Jungle Reserve	567	protected area contained by site	567
Bukit Larut	Forest Reserve	2,747	protected area contained by site	7,150
Bukit Larut	Virgin Jungle Reserve	2,747	protected area contained by site	2,747
Gunung Inas	Forest Reserve	37,346	protected area contained by site	37,346
Gunung Inas	Virgin Jungle Reserve	51	protected area contained by site	51

Habitats

Other biodiversity (I) Globally threatened mammals (IUCN, 2002): CRITICAL: Sumatran Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, Malayan Roundleaf Horseshoe Bat Hipposideros nequam; ENDANGERED: Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Tiger Panthera tigris, Malayan Tapir Tapirus indicus, South-east Asian White-toothed Shrew Crocidura fuliginosa; VULNERABLE: Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa, Serow Capricornis sumatraensis, Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina, Common Porcupine Hystrix brachyura; NEAR THREATENED: Banded Leaf-Monkey Presbytis melalophos, White-handed Gibbon Hylobates lar, Agile Gibbon H. agilis, Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus, Long-tailed Macaque M. fascicularis, Bronzed Tube-nosed Bat Murina aenea; DATA DEFICIENT: Malayan Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus(II) GLobally threatened reptiles (IUCN, 2002): No information.(III) Globally threatened plants (IUCN, 2002): CRITICAL: Parashorea lucida; VULNERABLE: Cynometra inaequifolia, Nepenthes macfarlanei; LOWER RISK/conservation dependent: Elaeocarpus glabrescens; NEAR THREATENED: Eugenia nitidula

Management considerations The northern and southern part of the reserve has been logged but an undisturbed area lies near Gunung Inas. Illegal clearing of forests for orchards pose a problem.

Protection status Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve is a Permanent Forest Reserve gazetted under Gazette No. 960 in 1925. A Recreational Forest has been established by the Forestry Department at Lata Kekabu near Lenggong. Bintang Hijau VJR is an IUCN Category Ia protected area.

References DWNP. 1992. Inventori Hidupan Liar Hutan Simpan Bintang Hijau, Selama, Perak Darul Ridzuan. Peninsular Malaysia: Department of Wildlife & National Parks. (Unpublished)DWNP. 1993. Wildlife Inventory of Gunung Inas Forest Reserve and Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve in the States of Kedah and Perak. Peninsular Malaysia: Department of Wildlife & National Parks. (Unpublished)Fletcher, K. and Baylis, D. 1986. Ulu Selama, April 1986. Nature Malaysiana 11(2): 4-7.Fletcher, K. and Baylis, D. 1992. Expedition to the summit of Gunung Inas, September 1992. Nature Malaysiana 17(3): 77-82.IUCN. 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. http://www.redlist.org (23 June 2003).Lim, K.C. (compiler). 2003d. Recent Sightings. Suara Enggang 4 (July-August): 21-38.Lim, K.C. and Lim, S.Y. (compilers). 2001a. Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve Birdlist. (Unpublished).Medway, Lord and Wells, D.R. 1976. The Birds of the Malay Peninsula, Vol. 5. London: H.F. and G. Witherby in association with Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit Universiti Malaya.Robinson, H.C. 1928. The Birds of the Malay Peninsula, Vol II. London: H.F. & G. Witherby.Wells, D.R. 1999. The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Volume 1. Non-passerines. UK: Academic Press.

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Bintang Range. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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