Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia

The Kelabit Highlands played a key role in the development of modern Bornean ornithology. The Highlands consist of a plateau at 1000-1200 m with substantial wet rice paddy and surrounding taller mountains. These physical features lead to an unusual combination of montane, lowland, and migratory bird...

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Main Authors: Sheldon, Frederick H., Mustafa, Abdul Rahman, Moyle, Robert G., Tay, G.K, Brown, C.E
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National University of Singapore 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/1/Ornithology%20of%20the%20Kelabit%20Highlands%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia%20%28abstrak%29.pdf
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author Sheldon, Frederick H.
Mustafa, Abdul Rahman
Moyle, Robert G.
Tay, G.K
Brown, C.E
author_facet Sheldon, Frederick H.
Mustafa, Abdul Rahman
Moyle, Robert G.
Tay, G.K
Brown, C.E
author_sort Sheldon, Frederick H.
building UNIMAS Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Kelabit Highlands played a key role in the development of modern Bornean ornithology. The Highlands consist of a plateau at 1000-1200 m with substantial wet rice paddy and surrounding taller mountains. These physical features lead to an unusual combination of montane, lowland, and migratory birds. This avifauna was studied in the 1940s to 1950s by two ornithologists whose collaboration helped usher in the modern era of Bornean ornithology: Tom Harrisson of the Sarawak Museum and Dean Amadon of the American Museum of Natural History. We examine their collaboration and explain how these men contributed to Bertram Smythies' milestone book, The Birds of Borneo (1960). Although the roles of Harrisson and Smythies in Bornean ornithology are well known, the contribution of Dean Amadon is not generally appreciated, and we clarify it. In the process, we also consider modern work on the Kelabit avifauna, including our own expedition in 2011, and the current status of Kelabit birds and issues relating to their conservation and potential for further study
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spelling unimas-159592017-05-03T02:21:57Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/ Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia Sheldon, Frederick H. Mustafa, Abdul Rahman Moyle, Robert G. Tay, G.K Brown, C.E QL Zoology The Kelabit Highlands played a key role in the development of modern Bornean ornithology. The Highlands consist of a plateau at 1000-1200 m with substantial wet rice paddy and surrounding taller mountains. These physical features lead to an unusual combination of montane, lowland, and migratory birds. This avifauna was studied in the 1940s to 1950s by two ornithologists whose collaboration helped usher in the modern era of Bornean ornithology: Tom Harrisson of the Sarawak Museum and Dean Amadon of the American Museum of Natural History. We examine their collaboration and explain how these men contributed to Bertram Smythies' milestone book, The Birds of Borneo (1960). Although the roles of Harrisson and Smythies in Bornean ornithology are well known, the contribution of Dean Amadon is not generally appreciated, and we clarify it. In the process, we also consider modern work on the Kelabit avifauna, including our own expedition in 2011, and the current status of Kelabit birds and issues relating to their conservation and potential for further study National University of Singapore 2013 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/1/Ornithology%20of%20the%20Kelabit%20Highlands%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia%20%28abstrak%29.pdf Sheldon, Frederick H. and Mustafa, Abdul Rahman and Moyle, Robert G. and Tay, G.K and Brown, C.E (2013) Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 61 (2). pp. 827-853. ISSN 0217-2445 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258498485_Ornithology_of_the_Kelabit_Highlands_of_Sarawak_Malaysia
spellingShingle QL Zoology
Sheldon, Frederick H.
Mustafa, Abdul Rahman
Moyle, Robert G.
Tay, G.K
Brown, C.E
Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_full Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_fullStr Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_short Ornithology of the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
title_sort ornithology of the kelabit highlands of sarawak, malaysia
topic QL Zoology
url http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/15959/1/Ornithology%20of%20the%20Kelabit%20Highlands%20of%20Sarawak%2C%20Malaysia%20%28abstrak%29.pdf