How Indonesian communities rescued the Bali starling from the brink of extinction

One of the world’s rarest birds has rebounded from near extinction after Indigenous communities on the Indonesian island of Bali committed to protect it under traditional laws, Mongabay contributor Heather Physioc reported. The Bali starling (Leucopsar rothschildi) is a songbird with striking white plumage and a cobalt-blue face. In 2001, just six birds were known to live in the wild. By 2021, there were roughly 520.

“All the people in our village are working together to secure this species,” said Made Sukadana, chair of an organization working to increase tourism in Bali’s Tengkudak village. “We plant fruit trees for the Bali starling and support a dedicated, passionate bird person who monitors daily.” But that wasn’t always the case. Decades of aggressive poaching driven by the pet trade devastated the wild population, overwhelming conservation efforts by both NGOs and the Indonesian government.

For example, the Tegal Bunder Breeding Center released 218 birds into Bali Barat National Park over the course of 18 years, yet the wild population continued to plummet. Many of the released birds lingered near release sites and became easy targets for poachers. Others remained dependent on humans or didn’t survive in the wild. In the 1990s, traffickers were paying up to 40 million rupiah (about $4,500 at the time) for a pair of Bali starlings, more than a park ranger’s annual salary, making it easy to pay off officials.

Even increased patrols by rangers couldn’t stem the losses; 78 birds were ultimately stolen from the breeding center. The turning point came in 2006, when the island of Nusa Penida, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Bali, was identified as an ex-situ sanctuary for the bird.

Though the bird is endemic to Bali, local veterinarian Bayu Wirayudha, founder of Friends of the National Parks Foundation, said he believed the neighboring island would provide a safe conservation site against poaching. After in-person meetings with all the villages on Nusa Penida, the communities collectively agreed to turn the island into a refuge for the Bali starling.

The villages applied Hindu-based customary laws, called awig-awig, to protect the bird. The laws must be agreed upon by the entire community, with violators facing penalties more severe than under national laws, including community service, ceremonies and steep fines.

The sanctuary on Nusa Penida was a success. Former poachers have become bird guides as ecotourism flourishes on the island. Visitors include bird-watching groups and National Geographic expeditions. Antipoaching compliance improved by nearly 1,200%.

As the species’ recovery improved, the villages of Tengkudak, Bongan and Sibangkaja villages on the Bali mainland joined in, also introducing community protections to safeguard the starling. “You get everyone in your community in a wild bird preserving culture, and it becomes self-regulating,” said Jessica Lee, head of avian species programs and partnerships at Mandai Nature.

Read the full story by Heather Physioc here. Banner image: A Bali starling photographed in the wild. Image by Heather Physioc.