Birds of Nusa Dua Sewage Treatment Ponds, Bali, and an unusual foraging behaviour of egrets

Since the early 1970s Bali has become increasingly popular as a cultural tourism destination (Picard 1997). However, due to the constant expansion of the industry, increasingly large expanses of the island are being consumed by infrastructure (e.g., hotels/resorts, shopping centres) to support the tourism industry. Human pressures have therefore greatly modified much of the area around Bali’s capital, Denpasar. Despite this intense development, many bird species can still be seen in this part of Bali. Indeed, the Nusa Dua Laguna (Lagoon) sewage treatment complex, in the midst of a five-star tourist destination, attracts such large numbers of waterfowl that it was recommended for gazettal as a Wetland Reserve (Mason 1994, 2000). Despite this recognition,however, little published information is available on the avifauna of the sewage treatment ponds. The aim of the present study was to document the species and abundance of birds using the ponds, while encouraging local ecologists to undertake quantitative research.