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Snowy White Beauty
When we visited a bird refuge here in England last summer, we were entranced with this stunning Bali starling photographed here by David:
Endemic to Indonesia
Also known as Rothchild’s Mynah and the Bali Mynah, in the wild this medium-sized bird is found only in the island of Bali in Indonesia.
Its Discovery and Beyond
Discovered in 1910 and described two years later by the British ornithologist Lord Rothschild after whom the bird was named, this rare bird has been the fauna symbol of Bali since 1991 where it is called jalak bali by the local population.
Adapting to Live
Stocky creatures who live in Bali’s tropical grasslands and dry forests, Bali starlings have a short flying range and use tree tops for cover. They only come to the ground to drink.
Almost A Victim
According to BirdLife International statistics in 2006, Bali starlings are so critically endangered that for several years they have been just this side of extinction in the wild.
What led to the species almost becoming extinct?
Two factors: urbanization and illegal trapping for the caged-bird trade.
Safeguarded in Captivity: Bali Barat National Park
However, protecting and safeguarding the population of this species is not a new endeavor in Bali: Recognizing that this species was in need of protection, the Bali Barat National Park was founded in 1941 in the most western part of Bali to create a refuge for the birds.
Today about 1,000 individuals are being held legally there in captivity.
The Astonishing Lows of 2001 to Current Population Figures
The fate of Bali starlings in the wild has been far worse.
In 2001, just six birds remained following the poaching of the birds during the late 1990s when the population was approximately three to four dozen. By November 2005, the population of the birds through the Bali Starling Conservation Project under the auspices of Begawan Foundation had grown to 97 birds.
In July 2006, 25 birds tagged with microchips were let free in the wild on Nusa Penida, a small island located south of mainland Bali.
More releases followed. By the end of August 2009, 65 birds were released.
Its Fellow Neighbors At Bali Barat National Park
Along with developing a safe haven for Bali starlings held in captivity, Bali Barat National Park was also established to preserve the last of the wild banteng, a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia from which most of the Balinese cattle has descended.
Together with 160 different species of birds including the Bali starling, these days the park also has 175 species of plants, 110 species of coral, and a variety of other animals including banteng, boar, deer, macaque, monkey, leopard cat, turtle, fox, pangolin, squirrel, and monitor species.
Beneficiaries Down the Road of the Bali Road Map?
Hopefully, descendents of the Bali starlings held at this national park in captivity and the handful existing in the wild will also benefit from the Bali Road Map adopted at the 2007 UN Climate Change Conference 2007 in Bali.
A Symbol of Hope
As a result of the admirable efforts of conservationists, the future looks brighter for the Bali starling – a species that so narrowly avoided becoming extinct.
Therefore in Bali Barat National Park, thankfully the species can continue to be its much-loved mascot.
References
Wonderful Bali
Wikipedia
Bristol Zoo
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