To keep tabs on ecosystem health in Borneo, follow these birds: Study by Basten Gokkon on 14 May 2021 A recently published study has suggested looking at the wild populations of a key bird species as a gauge for ecosystem health in Borneo. The researchers found six Bornean bird species are strong indicators of intact forests, three species indicated the state of a depleted forest, one for mixed gardens, and none for oil palm plantations. The results endorse the general trend found across the tropics of a significant reduction in bird species richness, from complex natural and old secondary forest structures to simplified monoculture habitats.