Friday, October 7, 2011

The Bali Mynah

The Bali Mynah
 


The Bali Mynah is distributed and endemic to the island of Bali, where it is the island's only surviving endemic species.  This rare bird was discovered in 1910 and is one of the world's most critically endangered birds.   In fact, it has been hovering immediately above extinction in the wild for several years.


The last stronghold of the species is at Bali Barat National Park; about 1,000 individuals are believed to be held in captivity legally.  In fact, the Bali Starling is so much in danger that that national park has been set up just for the Bali Starling's survival.

Male and female Bali mynahs look alike, having beautiful white feathers, black tipped wings and tails, and a bright powder blue crescent of skin around the eyes. Their heads are topped off by a lacy white crest of feathers. They are about the size of cardinals.

he Bali Starling is listed in Appendix I of CITES. Trade even in captive-bred specimens is strictly regulated and the species is not generally available legally to private individuals. However, experienced aviculturalists may become affiliated with the captive-breeding program, allowing them to legally keep this species.

Poaching and timber harvesting are among the greatest threat to the survival of the Bali mynah in the wild. Conservation initiatives enacted over the past two decades to have been ineffective in increasing this species numbers in the wild.

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