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Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi) (1 Viewer)

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Steve

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Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi)


Justification This stunning starling qualifies for Critical because it has an extremely small range (confined to one locality) and population and, despite conservation intervention, the number of mature individuals continues to decline (and may at any time be swiftly eradicated) owing to illegal poaching for the cage-bird trade.



Identification 25 cm. Medium-large, stocky starling. Almost wholly white with long, drooping crest, black wing-tips and tail tip. Blue bare skin around eye and legs, yellow bill. Similar spp. Black-winged Starling Sturnus melanopterus has shorter crest, much larger area of black on wings and tail and yellow eyering and legs. Voice Variety of sharp chattering calls and an emphatic ****.

Range & Population Leucopsar rothschildi is endemic to the island of Bali, Indonesia, where it formerly ranged across the north-west third of the island. It has perhaps long been uncommon (numbers in the early 1900s, the period of discovery, have been retrospectively guessed at 300-900, although this is thought to be a gross underestimate), but has declined drastically in population and range. Illegal poaching reduced numbers to a critically low level in 1990, when the wild population was estimated at c.15 birds. Conservation intervention coupled with the release of a few captive-bred birds raised this to between 35 and 55. However, despite excellent breeding success and continuing conservation efforts, the population continues to fluctuate and fell to 12 birds in 1999. About 1,000 are believed to survive in captivity

POPULATION ESTIMATE 12

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Ecology In the breeding season (usually October-November), it inhabits fire-induced open shrub, tree and palm-savanna and adjacent closed-canopy monsoon-forest (tropical moist deciduous), below 175 m. In the non-breeding season, birds disperse into open forest edge and flooded savanna woodland. In the past they also occurred, and even nested, in coconut groves near villages.​


Threats Its decline to virtual extinction in the wild is primarily attributable to unsustainable, illegal trapping in response to worldwide demand for the cage-bird trade. This threat continues despite the fact that the whole population is now confined within a national park and has been the subject of a specific conservation programme. The park and programme have, however, suffered from repeated mismanagement and corruption. In 1999, while black-market prices soared (US $2,000 in mid-1990s), an armed gang stole almost all the 39 captive individuals in the park awaiting release into the wild. These serious problems are compounded by habitat loss. With the population now at such a critically low level, other threats may include inter-specific competition, natural predation and disease.
 
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