Bali Myna

Keith and Catherine Valentine have just returned from a wonderful 10-day honeymoon on the exotic island of Bali. Sea, sun, pools, cocktails and plenty of fun was the theme for this relaxing vacation. Keith also brought along his binoculars and the two of them spent just one day birding in the far west of the island. The target here was to see the critically endangered Bali Myna in the wild. This rare bird has unfortunately been driven to the brink of extinction through thoughtless trapping for the cage-bird trade, with the numbers once being as low as 6 individuals in the wild in 2001. Through a successful captive breeding programme, the species now numbers around 40 wild individuals. Let’s hope that the Bali Myna can continue to survive for it truly is a stunning bird!