Bali Starling

Facts

IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

Facts about this animal

The Bali starling, or Rothschild's mynah, is a pure white strarling except for black tips on the primary and tail feathers. The facial skin around the eyes is naked and sky blue in colour. The crest feathers are 62-75 mm in males an 43-54 mm in females. The total length is 22.5-25.3 cm and they weight 94-116 g. The feet are dark grey, the bill is also grey but with a ivory tip.

Did you know?
that this bird's existence was first recorded in 1912 by the famous German ornithologist Prof. Dr. Erwin Stresemann during the 2nd Mollucas expedition. Because Sir Rothschild had sponsored this expedition the bird was named after him. The Bali Starling is endemic only to the island of Bali, it now ranks among one of the world's most endangered birds.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	PASSERIFORMES
Suborder	OSCINES
Family	STURNIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Leucopsar rothschildi
Name (English)	Bali Starling
Name (French)	Étourneau de Rothschild
Name (German)	Rotschild-Mynah
Name (Spanish)	Estornino de Rothschild
Local names	Bahasa: Jalak bali
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Wong Kwok Wai

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Bali
Habitat	Monsoon forest and acacia savanna
Wild population	Less than 115 individuals (mostly released birds, 2009) (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	709 reported to ISIS (837 are managed in the EEP, status 31.12.2004)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 12 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Wong Kwok Wai

Why do zoos keep this animal

As the the only endemic vertebrate on Bali and the only member of the Genus Leucopsar Bali Starlings are very special birds. It is a flagship species for a whole region in Indonesia. Zoos use them as ambassadors for the region, breed them in the franework of regionally coordinated conservation breeding programmes and try to be linked with in-situ projects. Zoo bred birds have already been released to the wild.

How this animal should be kept

Bali Starlings appear to be quite adaptable when it comes to housing requirements. They are currently maintained in a wide variety of enclosures from small breeding aviaries to large tropical houses.

Bali Starlings originate from the northwest of the island Bali (Indonesia), where the temperature varies from 27° - 29° Celsius in the average of the year. If the birds use in an indoor enclosure which has a minimum temperature of 10° Celsius one can allow them even in the winter to use the outdoor enclosure so far as the temperature does not fall under - 5° Celsius outside.

For breeding it is recommended that the minimum size for housing of one pair is not smaller than 2.0 x 2.0 x 2.0 m (outdoors) and 1.0 x 2.0 x 2.0 m (indoors) and 3.0 x 2.0 x 2.0 m by keeping them all over the year indoors. The aviary should be well structured so that the birds can hide themselves because of possible aggressions. Therefore it is the best to have a planted outdoor aviary or use artificial structures. One can use grass, bushes or little trees so that the birds have different hiding- and sitting places. The best is to use natural branches as sitting places. The birds should have the possibility to use shady areas. Protection from precipitation and wind in the form of a covered area is desirable. Fresh water for bathing and drinking should be available at all time.

Bali Starlings can be kept in mixed exhibits with numerous other avian species. If the enclosure is large enough you can keep even small birds such as size of the Red-Billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) together with them. It is known that aggressive behaviour , if it occurs, will often be directed towards birds which show significant amounts of white plumage (i.e. Naked-throated Bellbirds (Procnias nudicollis) or tauracos (Tauraco sp.)). One should not keep more than 1 pair of adult Bali Starlings together because of aggression and that you have not the genetical control of the offspring. After the breeding time you can keep them in flocks, especially the young starlings, as it is in the wild (but without nest boxes).

As food they need a soft billed mixture, fruits and especially during the breeding season live food (insects). Husbandry guidelines are available.