Observing Birds to Assess Urban Green Space Quality in Jakarta

In bustling metropolises like Jakarta, amidst towering buildings, highways, and dense human activity, birds can serve as indicators of the quality of urban green spaces. Their presence not only enriches city parks but also functions as bioindicators in environmental research. This is because birds' lives are heavily dependent on trees, which provide them with food, shelter, rest, and breeding grounds. Consequently, changes in vegetation conditions in an area can influence the types of birds that can inhabit it. According to Walid Rumblat, a lecturer in Biology at the Faculty of Science and Technology at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, the distribution of various bird species can be affected by habitat fragmentation and structure. Birds are relatively easy to observe compared to other animal groups, and extensive data on their species and taxonomy are already known. However, assessing the quality of green spaces requires more than just counting birds; the species found are also crucial. Birds with more specific ecological needs are assigned higher value in assessments. For instance, the presence of birds like the common parakeet (betet biasa) is considered a strong indicator. Conversely, areas inhabited only by common birds such as sparrows or munias (burung gereja or emprit) receive lower scores. This assessment can be conducted using the Bird Community Index (IKB). Before calculating the IKB, birds are grouped based on characteristics like diet, species origin, reproductive strategy, nesting location, activity time, and primary habitat. The IKB value then helps determine the environmental quality category. Birds also hold significant positions in the food chain. Species at higher trophic levels can reflect changes occurring at lower levels. The composition of bird communities can provide further insights into the health of the environment.