The birds of Bawean Island, Java Sea

Harry C. Oberholser
1917 Proceedings of the United States National Museum  
Bawean Island lies in the Java Sea, about 175 miles south of Borneo, and about 75 miles north of eastern Java. It is nearly square, some 11 miles long by 10 miles wide, and has an area of approximately 100 square miles. The surface is mountainous, and the highest point reaches an altitude of about 2,200 feet above sea level. The island is of volcanic origm and has still many volcanic cones and some hot springs. Its rocks are chiefly lava, basalt, and limestone; and extensive coral reefs fringe
more » ... ts coastal base. A lake of some 15 acres occupies the crater of Mount Telaga, an extinct volcano. The island supports a hmnan population of about 50,000, mostly near the coast, and these inhabitants speak a peculiar language. Little of the vu'gin forest remains: the largest tract is on the northern slope of the mountains in the center of the island; another area lies on the western coast ; and the rest comprises only a few small patches on the eastern and southern slopes of the mountains. Low brush and tall bamboos cover most of the remaining portions of the island. There are numerous cattle on Bawean, and their trails run everywhere through the scrub. Wild mammals, except for two or three species, chiefly pigs and flying foxes, are not numerous.
doi:10.5479/si.00963801.52-2175.183 fatcat:gvkk5w3cora3roiofbbxyxf7gy