Kuntul Kerbau (Bubulcus ibis)
The mangrove ecosystem is in a transitional area between land and sea. In this area there
are tides and there are flat mud deposits. This area is a favorite place for water birds to do their
activities. Birds are wild animals found in almost all ecosystems (Hadinoto et al., 2012). The
availability of food in their habitat influences the abundance of birds in an area, especially in the
mangrove ecosystem which supports the survival of water birds (Ahadi & Ali S, 2018).
One species of water bird found in the mangrove ecosystem area is Kuntul Kerbau
(Bubulcus ibis) (‘Cattle Egret’; eng name). The habitat of this bird is usually around swamps,
grasslands, farms and other changing habitats. This species is very happy to migrate, when it is
young it is able to spread thousands of miles to various areas (GSMFC, 2005). Kuntul Kerbau
(Bubulcus ibis) has a body size of around 50 cm, white feathers, yellow beak, black legs and yellow
irises. When breeding, the feathers on the head, neck and chest will turn faded orange. Its sturdy
body with a short neck makes this bird distinguishable from other types of egrets. Kuntul Kerbau
(Bubulcus ibis) usually prey on insects, crickets, grasshoppers, frogs, spiders and crayfish (Azizah &
Armanda, 2016).
Kuntul Kerbau (Bubulcus ibis) is included in the Global Invasive Species Database (ISSG-IUCN, 2008). Even though it is not included in the 100 most invasive species in the world and is not included as an invasive species in Indonesia, it is necessary to be wary of the invasive nature of this bird considering its dominance and abundance which is quite prominent. Based on IUCN Redlist data, Kuntul Kerbau (Bubulcus ibis) is categorized as a species of Least Concern (LC) because its range is still very wide and its behavior is approaching the vulnerable threshold.
