Starlings Play Key Role in Volcano Warning System for Residents Near Indonesia's Mt Merapi

KLATEN, KOMPAS.com – For inhabitants of the Deles hamlet in Central Java’s Klaten district, living under the shadow of Mount Merapi is a daily hazard due to its ongoing volcanic activity.

While the nearby Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency [BMKG] monitoring stations often issue warnings of ash, lava and other signs of an impending volcanic eruption, the locals can also turn to an age-old natural warning system that has long been enshrined in folk belief.

“Flocks of starlings are known to come down from Mount Merapi to the locals’ houses, especially in the late afternoon or evening,” Sukirman, a long-time Deles resident, told Kompas.com on August 28.

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“One notable example was before [Mount Merapi’s] major eruption in 2010, when hundreds of starlings descended on trees and gardens near the locals’ houses before returning up [the mountain] again. We have yet to see them turn out in similar numbers [in 2020].”

Sukirman added that the appearance of other animals is also a warning sign. “If deer and langur are seen heading down Mount Merapi’s slopes along with starlings, that is a high alert.” 

“The same cannot be said of long-tailed monkeys despite media reports to the contrary, because they live in close proximity to humans and are used to them.”

Sukirman said he believed that there is a rational explanation behind these seemingly ominous natural phenomena. “The [abnormal] heat and tremors from [the volcano] might have prompted the animals, particularly starlings, to fly to lower altitudes.” 

“After all, starlings are known to nest on [Mount Merapi’s] craggy slopes and cliffs.”

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