• Highlight: Javan Coucal, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black Bittern, Australasian Grebe, Small Blue Kingfisher, Lesser Whistling Duck, Javan Plover*, Horsfield’s Bushlark*
• Easy to access: Easy
• On-site accommodation: yes
• Track difficulty: easy
• Guide needed: no
• Good for: casual birder, photographer, maybe twitcher
• Hotspot(s): Bale Kambang, Terminal Building

Overview

Yogyakarta International Airport (ꦥꦥꦤ꧀​ꦄꦁ​ꦒꦼꦒꦤ​ꦆꦤ꧀ꦠꦼꦂꦤꦱꦶꦪꦺꦴꦤꦭ꧀​ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ, YIA) is a relatively new airport that serves domestic and international flight to and from Special Region of Yogyakarta. The airport was finished in 2019 and fully functional in early 2020 to replace the old airport Adisutjipto (JOG) which has grown out of its capacity. It is located on the southwestern corner of the Yogyakarta Province in Kulonprogo Regency, near the border to Central Java, bordered by the Java Sea to the south, as well as vast ricefield all around that eventually ends on the Menoreh Karst Formation to the north, providing some great view from a departing or arriving aeroplane.

Its construction was a subject of controversy, mainly due to concerns about environmental issues and the displacement of the local community who owned the land. There is also a question about the importance of a new airport as the old one still functions nicely, as well as the placement which is far away from the city. Nevertheless, it ends up being a new birding hotspot for native birders in Yogyakarta, as well as a nice welcome gesture for visiting birders from aboard.

How to Bird

The main attraction for birders is located to the north of the building, where there is a large ornamental reservoir called Balekambang. While it was built purely for aesthetic reasons, the availability of water inadvertently lured many waterbirds to this area. The numerous floating plants and reeds that were growing over time also make it perfect for various waterfowl or waders. This however only happens in the rainy season, as in the long dry season the entire lake can be dry which forces most of the birds out (but not the coucal!).

The best view of this spot is from the top floor of the car park, where we can get a magnificent view of Balekambang from above. From the arrival, this can be accessed by following the sign to the train terminal upstairs (use the escalator) and continuing straight north to exit the building into the parking lot. From here just keep walking north to the edge of the parking lot, where we can look over the entirety of the reservoir.

Careful scanning from this spot can result in Sunda Coucal either in the dry or wet season, which is probably the best bird to see upon arriving or just before leaving Yogyakarta. In the wet season, we can also see hundreds of Black-crowned Night-heron, Javan Pond Herons, Purple Herons, and Grey Heron roosting on the tall bushes on the nearer side of the pond, while Common Moorhen and Javan Whistling Ducks might be seen wading among the floating vegetation. In the dry season, all the water birds might be gone leaving only some Eastern Cattle Egrets and Javan Pond Heron grazing on the dry meadow where the water was.

If you have a bit of time before checking in or leaving for the city, you can try walking down the pond by going downstairs from this parking lot and then crossing the road towards the two “bale” (hall) in the middle of the lake. Here we can have a closer look at the birdlife in the pond, which in the wet season may result in some more shy/small birds not visible from above such as White-breasted Waterhen, White-browed Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Australasian Grebe, Yellow-bellied Prinia and potentially also Pheasant-tailed Jacana. Javan Plover has been recorded here as well, although not very often seen; as well as Small Blue Kingfisher.

Once you are inside the terminal, there is not much to be seen. There were records of Singing Bushlark and Javan Plover a few years ago from a friend of mine who did a bird strike survey around the runway, but to spot this from the terminal or even from the plane might be difficult. Other than this, you might be able to spot White-headed Munia nesting on the palm tree on the northern side of the terminal building, or Pacific Swallow and Cave Swiftlet flying around the building. If you are lucky, there could be frigatebirds (including Christmas Island) flying around the coast, but again this is a very rare encounter.

If you are staying near the airport or just have too much free time before or after the flight, walking around the paddy field in the area might give you a pleasant surprise of the rare White-capped Munia. Again, this is not guaranteed as they are known to be unpredictable wanderers, but at least you can see Zitting Cisticola, Javan Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Barred Buttonquail, and all other common open-country birds in Java. The coast can be a good option to spot Javan Plover as well, although you may need a short car ride to reach the beach.

Reach, Sleep, and Eat

As with the case of many airports, it is located far away from the city itself—almost 45 45-minute drive from the city centre of Yogyakarta, although it is still relatively easy to access with public transportation. There is a shuttle bus available from multiple spots around the city (45-60 min depending on traffic), as well as an airport train that runs almost every hour from Yogyakarta Station (30 min). It can also be reached through private car or ride-hailing services such as Gojek or Grab (both motorcycle or car), although it might be more expensive. Be aware that the main street that connects Yogyakarta City to the airport is prone to traffic jams during rush hour (06:30-08:00 AM and 16:00-18:00), especially when there is road construction happening (which for some reason is never finished). A new toll road that will connect the airport and the city as well as the Trans-Java toll network is under construction right now and should reduce the travel time and the traffic congestion in the future.

While staying overnight for birding might not be necessary, there are some hotels and homestays near the airport for those who have early-morning flights or late-night arrivals. The gap between these two styles of accommodation around the airport is still pretty big—so you can either choose an expensive fancy hotel or a very humble and cheap homestay, with not much choice in the middle; both can be booked through online booking services (I suggest Reddoorz for a cheaper option). All of these accommodations should have some sort of shuttle transportation to bring you to the airport as well, either free or with little cost.

The situation is somewhat similar with the food—plenty of fancy restaurants (in the hotel) or humble warung along the street near the airport, but nothing in between. My best suggestion is to visit Wates, a city circa 10 minutes from the airport, where you can have more food options. Otherwise, just eat in the city before your departure or after your arrival.