Picture
Caption: Journey of a thrush A story behind the
trade in wildlife
#ConservationStory
Picture
Caption: Bird-keeping is hugely popular in the cities of Indonesia.
Thirty years ago people started bird-singing competitions.
The hobby appealed to men of all social strata and ethnicities.
It caught on big time.
It's called Kicau-mania and the star songbird species is the
Orange-headed thrush.
Demand for the species depleted wild populations across Java.
Picture
Caption: Then enterprising agricultural agents asked Balinese farmers if they could supply chicks from their agroforests* *traditional mixed farming systems
Picture
Picture
Caption: Each day during the season agents tour the villages buying the harvest of 4-6 day old chicks for €20 each.
The agent's families raises them until they are 12-18 days old and strong enough to make the bus journey to Java where they are sold to traders for around €30
Picture
Picture
Caption: The Jakak Bali bird club befriended a agent family and together they worked out ten characteristics that predict a potential competition bird.
Picture
Caption: This little beauty is worth twice as much and enters the world of kicau-mania
Picture
Caption: Training starts after the first moult richer hobbyists employ a pro trainer
Picture
Caption: The young bird picks up song and posture from past champions but the judges are looking for innovations - and of course the bird must sing on demand and in noisy company.
Picture
Caption: It's first competitive outings are local
Picture
Picture
Caption: Then the young songster is entered in city and regional competitions
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: 'prospects' are scouted by the clubs.
At age 2 to 3 a chick from Bali could exchange hands for €4K+ if it's tipped as a future champion.
Picture
Caption: It's not all about competing though these birds are living hifi
Picture
Caption: The year's four national songbird competitions are when bird and man create something unique -
a beautiful, uplifting, madness
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Caption: 1st prize in the police cup In 2005 a thrush called Valium won all 3 of the top classes at a national. His owner was offered €18,000 but declined to sell. What he valued was the pride and prestige of owning a champion that 5 years earlier had been hatched in a forest in his country.
Picture
Picture
Caption: The value of chicks harvested from Bali is estimated at €3.17 million pa.
Songbird keeping contributes an estimated €72.15 million to the economies of the 6 largest cities of Java and Bali.
It creates loads of jobs - many enjoyable!
It forges friendships among men of different ethinicities, regions and social strata supporting peace and enterprise.
The 'big bosses' of the bird clubs who pay fabulous prices for prospects are performing a form of philanthropy.
Picture
Caption: Indonesia is a nation of bird lovers.
To reduce the impact of kicau-mania on wild bird populations
Pelestarian Burung Indonesia.
is developing a network of 100s of bird breeders and introducing ring-classes to competitions.
PBI is creating an Indonesia bird conservation ethos that builds on their cultural way of appreciating and engaging with birds.
#situatedconservation
#2cool2ban
Picture
Caption: If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more
a collection of my articles on this topic is available at www.geog.ox.ac.uk/staff/pjepson
Picture
Caption: Photo credits: Paul Jepson, Nick Hall, Faral Amana.
The research was funded by the UK DEFRA Darwin Initative.
Thanks to my fellow bird-enthusiasts in Indonesia for welcoming me into their hobby and for deepening my understandings of conservation governance.
@prjepson
@ConsGovOx
#conservationstory