Indonesia marked 3 decades of conservation efforts for the Endangered Javan hawk-eagle Nisaetus bartelsi, the country’s national bird, with a 3-day celebration (11–13 December 2025) in Bogor, West Java. Organized by the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with Burung Indonesia, Raptor Indonesia and Djarum, the event brought together government authorities, scientists, conservation practitioners, civil society organizations and the public. The opening workshop reviewed population status, distribution and conservation progress, highlighting major advances in ecological knowledge since the early 1990s, but noting the species’ unchanged IUCN Red List status and ongoing threats from illegal hunting and wildlife trade, underscoring the need for strengthened enforcement and cross-sectoral collaboration.
New scientific insights emerged from the consolidation of occurrence records from government agencies, citizen science initiatives, researchers and conservation practitioners. Modelling of the consolidated dataset identified 84 habitat patches across Java and Bali, covering a total area of 14,409 km2. Of these, 58 patches correspond to areas previously identified (Syartinilia et al., 2023, Journal of Raptor Research, 57, 581–594; Widyavedanta et al., 2025, Media Konservasi, 30, 504–519), and national data consolidation revealed the expansion of 21 existing patches and the identification of five newly recognized patches. Based on current information, 13,696 km2 of habitat is considered occupied, with an additional 359 km2 remaining unsurveyed. The expanded extent of suitable habitat suggests a more optimistic population status for the Javan hawk-eagle than previously understood. Participants emphasized the need for systematic ground verification to confirm occupancy and refine estimates, and highlighted the value of the updated spatial information for national conservation planning, protected area management and future Red List reassessments, alongside strengthened law enforcement and cross-sectoral collaboration.
On 12 December, technical workshops advanced policy and strategic planning by initiating a new strategy and action plan for Javan hawk-eagle conservation, a population and habitat viability assessment, and an initial Red List assessment for Indonesia. Supported by the IUCN specialist community, these sessions strengthened national capacity for standardized extinction risk assessment and concluded with policy direction from the Deputy Minister of Forestry and the presentation of a draft National Conservation Status Report and preliminary strategy and action plan. The celebration concluded with the release of rehabilitated Javan hawk-eagles into Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, in which birds that had undergone 15 months of rehabilitation were fitted with GPS transmitters to monitor post-release survival and movement. Attended by the Deputy Minister of Forestry and descendants of M.E.G. Bartels, the event closed with the inauguration of the Bartels Museum in Cimungkad, Sukabumi, highlighting the integration of science, policy and public engagement in conserving this iconic raptor.
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