With various technical glitches obstructing efforts to raise Bali starlings in their natural habitat, the government is encouraging local breeders who sell captive birds to collectors to play a major role in the preservation of the critically endangered bird to further safeguard its populations in the wild. New rules state that a breeder must have proper facilities and agree to return 10 per cent of the birds successfully hatched to the wild in order to secure a license from the ministry to breed Bali starlings. Association of Bali Starling Conservationists (APCB) chairman Tony Sumampau said the population of Bali starlings currently stood at around 3,000, including those kept by local breeders. “When Bali starling breeders are numerous, the price of the birds on the black market will drop. This will discourage poachers from catching the birds in the wild because they are not worth selling,” he said. The increasing Bali starling population will also help the birds avoid inbreeding, which can cause infertility and birth defects, leading to a wider gene pool.
Breeding Success
