Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary
The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary is located in the district of Kerian
in the state of Perak Darul Ridzuan. The sanctuary has been established
since 1970 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
and the state government of Perak. The main objective of creating the
sanctuary is to protect migratory and resident bird species, which have
been using the wetland area for many years. The migratory birds utilise
the large mudflat area for feeding and resting during their migratory
route from the northern to the southern hemisphere. Tens of thousands of
migratory birds comprising 48 species of 8 families visit Kuala Gula
from September until April each year. Some of these migratory birds come
from as far as Siberia in Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Japan and
China. The Kuala Gula mangrove swamp forest and mudflat are not only
important for migratory birds but also for 600 families of fishermen who
depend totally on the mangrove forests and marine ecosystem for their
livelihood. Many fishermen involved in fishing, cockle farming,
aquaculture, shrimp and crabs derive their income from this wetland
area. Currently, eco-tourism activities are getting popular in Kuala
Gula. Approximately 5,000 visitors came to Kuala Gula last year. The
fishermen living in the vicinity of Kuala Gula for the last hundred
years have survived within the natural ecosystem of this mangrove swamp
forest. The dependence of man on this natural ecosystem will continue
for generations to come.
Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary
INTRODUCTION
The Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary is among the well-established bird
sanctuaries in the Asian region. The establishment of the bird sanctuary
started in the early 70s. The main objective is to protect and conserve
the migratory as well as resident bird species. There are about 161
species of birds found in the Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary comprising 48
species of migratory birds and 118 species of resident or local birds
(Appendix 1). The mangrove swamp forest and a long stretched of mudflat
beaches provide an excellent feeding ground and nesting habitat for
migratory and resident bird species.
Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary
The migratory birds such as Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata),
Common redshank (Tringa totanus), Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia),
Mongolian plovers (Charadrius mongolus), Pacific goldenplover (Pluvialis
fulva), Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Cattle egret (Bubulcus
ibis), Little egret (Egretta garzetta), Gret egret (Casmerodius albus),
Black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), Black-naped tern (Sterna
sumatrana) come from as far as Siberia, Japan and China during the
migratory season starting from September until April each year. These
birds come in large flocks numbering from several hundred to several
thousand individuals. The large mudflat area offers a natural feeding
ground for these birds. The mudflat or benthos ecosystem is rich with
minute organisms and plankton such as small crabs, crustaceans, annelids
and copepods. These minute organisms are rich in protein. They provide
the nutrients to generate vast amounts of energy the birds require to
continue their journey to the south.