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| (Cyornis sp.) |
The Rück’s Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis ruckii) is one of Indonesia’s most mysterious birds. It has been legally protected since 1972, listed under CITES Appendix II, and categorized as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN Red List. However, its existence remains a major question.
The species is only known from four specimens. The first two were sent in 1880 by Monsieur Rück from the trading port of Malacca, Malaysia, to the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, France. Unfortunately, the original locality of these birds was never revealed. The other two specimens were collected by Dr. A. F. C. A. van Heyst in 1917 and 1918 from Tuntungan and Delitua, near Medan, North Sumatra. These specimens are kept at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and were recorded as originating from primary lowland forest below 200 meters above sea level. Since then, for more than a century, a big question has lingered: “Is there any evidence that this bird still exists?”
2007
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) once conducted surveys in lowland forests around Gunung Leuser National Park. But by 2007, no evidence confirming the species’ presence was found.
2013–2014
An interesting news came in 2013–2014. Between October 2013 and May 2016, Zulqarnain Assiddiqi (co-founder of Endemic Indonesia Society), who was involved in biodiversity surveys in Sarolangun, Jambi with Fauna & Flora International, reported possible sightings of the Rück’s Blue Flycatcher. On 28 December 2013, two flycatcher-like birds were observed. One was bluish and the other was reddish-brown. A few months later, on 21 May 2014, another pair was seen in a different location about 9.8 km away. Although no photographs were taken, their calls were successfully recorded.
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| (Cyornis sp.) |
Both locations were in secondary lowland hill forests at 250–400 masl, dominated by large trees with uneven canopy cover and dense undergrowth. These findings were later discussed with ornithologists Nigel Collar and Sebastianus (Bas) van Balen, which eventually led to a scientific publication. Photographs obtained by Zulqarnain suggested that the birds could have been the White-tailed Flycatcher (Cyornis concretus), a species known to tolerate secondary habitats such as those in Sarolangun. Still, the recorded calls remain a mystery, as no known Cyornis calls from Sumatra matched his recordings.
2022
The Sarolangun findings provided the basis for Endemic Indonesia Society (EIS) to conduct a follow-up survey in August 2022. This first expedition was made possible with support from The Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the Oriental Bird Club, in collaboration with BRIN and KPHP Unit VII Limau Sarolangun.
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| (The 2022 research was funded by the OBC and the MbZ ) |
The team used various methods, including field exploration and mist-netting. Captured birds were also banded under the leadership of Ahmad Zulfikar Abdullah, an EIS member licensed by BRIN.
The survey documented more than 120 bird species, 45 of which are globally threatened according to IUCN. Sadly, the Rück’s Blue Flycatcher was not found. However, the team repeatedly encountered the White-tailed Flycatcher, reinforcing the possibility that the 2013 and 2014 observations were of this species. The forests of Sarolangun still harbor remarkable biodiversity, though signs of degradation and deforestation remain evident and concerning for the future.
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| (White-tailed flycatcher (male)) |
2024
The story of Rück's Blue Flycatcher is not over. In 2024, Endemic Indonesia Society expanded its search to other areas, this time focusing on primary lowland forests in northern Sumatra. Surveys in this region are planned to continue in the coming year, with the hope that new findings may finally unravel the mystery of this enigmatic bird.
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Author: Zulqarnain Assiddiqi
Editor: Rahmadiyono Widodo
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Spesies ini sejauh ini hanya diketahui dari empat spesimen. Dua spesimen pertama dikirim pada tahun 1880 oleh Monsieur Rück dari pelabuhan dagang Melaka, Malaysia, ke Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) di Paris, Perancis. Sayangnya, lokasi asal burung tersebut tidak pernah terungkap. Dua spesimen lain dikoleksi oleh Dr. A. F. C. A. van Heyst pada tahun 1917 dan 1918 dari daerah Tuntungan dan Delitua, dekat Medan. Spesimen tersebut disimpan di The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), dan diketahui berasal dari hutan dataran rendah primer di bawah 200 mdpl. Sejak saat itu, selama lebih dari satu abad, muncul pertanyaan besar: Apakah masih ada bukti keberadaan burung ini di alam liar?
2007
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) pernah melakukan upaya pencarian di hutan dataran rendah sekitar Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser. Namun hingga tahun 2007, tidak ada hasil yang memastikan keberadaan spesies ini.
2013-2014
Perkembangan menarik muncul pada tahun 2013–2014. Selama periode Oktober 2013 hingga Mei 2016, Zulqarnain Assiddiqi (salah satu pendiri Endemic Indonesia Society) yang terlibat dalam survei biodiversitas di Sarolangun, Jambi bersama Fauna & Flora International, melaporkan penemuan burung yang diduga Sikatan Aceh. Pada 28 Desember 2013, dua ekor burung mirip sikatan terdokumentasikan. Satu individu berwarna biru dan satunya cokelat kemerahan. Beberapa bulan kemudian, pada 21 Mei 2014, sepasang burung serupa kembali terlihat di lokasi berbeda sekitar 9,8 km dari lokasi sebelumnya. Tidak ada gambar yang terdokumentasikan, namun suara kicauannya berhasil direkam.
Kedua lokasi berada di hutan sekunder dataran rendah berbukit pada ketinggian 250–400 mdpl, dengan dominasi pohon besar dan tutupan tajuk tidak merata, serta semak belukar yang rapat. Hasil ini kemudian dibahas bersama pakar burung Nigel Collar dan Sebastianus van Balen. Diskusi ini bermuara pada terbitnya jurnal ilmiah. Foto yang diperoleh Zulqarnain menunjukkan ada kemungkinan burung tersebut adalah Sikatan besar (Cyornis concretus), terlebih Sikatan besar lebih toleran terhadap habitat sekunder seperti hutan Sarolangun. Namun, tidak bisa dipungkiri pula jika rekaman yang dia peroleh masih mengundang misteri karena tidak ada satupun suara burung sikatan dari Sumatera yang mirip dengan rekaman yang dia dapatkan.
2022
Temuan di Sarolangun tersebut menjadi dasar bagi Endemic Indonesia Society (EIS) untuk melakukan survei ulang pada Agustus 2022. Survei perdana ini dapat terlaksana berkat dukungan dari The Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund dan Oriental Bird Club, serta kerjasama dari BRIN dan KPHP Unit VII Limau Sarolangun.
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| (Diskusi dengan masyarakat lokal Sarolangun) |
Survei intensif menggunakan berbagai metode, termasuk eksplorasi lapangan dan pemasangan jaring kabut. Melalui jaring kabut, tim juga melakukan pencincinan burung yang ditangkap, dipimpin oleh Ahmad Zulfikar Abdullah, anggota EIS yang memiliki lisensi resmi dari BRIN.
Hasil survei mencatat lebih dari 120 spesies burung, dengan 45 di antaranya berstatus terancam punah secara global menurut IUCN. Sayangnya, Sikatan Aceh tidak berhasil ditemukan. Namun, tim beberapa kali menjumpai Sikatan Besar, sehingga memperkuat dugaan bahwa temuan tahun 2013 dan 2014 kemungkinan besar adalah spesies tersebut. Hutan di kawasan Sarolangun masih menyimpan keanekaragaman hayati yang tinggi, meskipun tanda-tanda degradasi dan deforestasi tetap terlihat dan dikhawatirkan akan berlanjut di masa depan.
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2024
Cerita tentang Sikatan Aceh belum usai. Pada tahun 2024, Endemic Indonesia Society melanjutkan pencarian di kawasan lain, kali ini difokuskan pada hutan primer dataran rendah di Sumatera bagian utara. Survei di wilayah ini masih direncanakan untuk dilanjutkan tahun berikutnya. Harapannya, ada temuan baru yang dapat membuka tabir misteri burung ini.
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Referensi
Assiddiqi, Zulqarnain, van
Balen, Sebastianus and Collar, Nigel J. (2020). Mystery
flycatchers in Sumatra - Rück's Blue-flycatcher or White-tailed Flycatcher? Kukila
23: 19-26.
Birding ASIA. 2024. BirdingASIA-Bulletin of
the Oriental Bird Club BirdingASIA THE BULLETIN OF THE ORIENTAL BIRD CLUB
MANAGING EDITOR: Oriental Bird Club. www.orientalbirdclub.org
BirdLife
International. 2021. Cyornis ruckii. The IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22709502A181037326. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22709502A181037326.en. Accessed
on 02 September 2025.
Collar, Nigel J. (2020). Rück’s
Blue-flycatcher Cyornis ruckii: the evidence revisited. Kukila
23: 14-18.
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