Songbird craze pushes Orange-headed Thrush toward extinction

The birds, of course, were not there to join in the camping। They were brought by owners to participate in a bird-singing contest.

The competition started with the orange-headed thrush (Zoothera cirtrina). Each participant paid Rp 75,000 as a registration fee for their birds.

Dozens of orange-headed birds in luxurious bird cages were hung about four meters from the ground while their owners whistled and gestured to encourage their pets to respond with a series of chirps.

The entire sight was unbelievable: Each bird began chirping in their own signature singing style. They first spread their wings and dropped their heads low while shaking their body right and left.

The orange-headed thrush became popular among Indonesian bird lovers in the 1990s. Rarely has a major bird-singing contest been held since then.

Hobby magazines have dedicated a lot of space in their pages to ways of raising this particular bird, with topics ranging from where to buy it to how to teach it to sing.

The bird's natural habitat is in the forests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. An adult bird -- about 21 centimeters in length -- is popular for its extended, beautiful notes when it sings and its unique dance.

Like other birds, it is in high demand and sold at bird markets in major cities.

Due to its high demand, it has become one of the most expensive birds. A young bird, which has yet to learn to sing, for example, can fetch up to Rp 200,000 in Yogyakarta's Ngasem bird market. That price increases to Rp 7 million for a bird that has won a competition.

The orange-headed thrush has rarely been seen in its natural habitat over the last several years. In Central Java, one could often spot the bird in the forests on the south slopes of Mt. Merapi as they build their nests on indigenous zallaca plants (salak pondoh).

Besides the threat of poachers, however, this bird is losing its nesting grounds as farmers are planting a newer, higher-yielding variety of zallaca. This change in the variety has disturbed the birds' natural habitat.

"The salak pondoh needs more frequent fertilization and weeding and these activities disturb the birds. They are scared to build their nests there.

The bird is also disappearing from the Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra. A survey on the birds conducted by the Center for Environmental Studies at the Andalas University from December 1998 until November 1999 was not able to find the species in its former habitat. Another survey in the same park by the bird-watching club of the Bengkulu University from November 1998 until November 1999 was not able to locate the species either.

A relative of the orange-headed thrush, the chestnut-capped thrush (Zoothera intepres), enjoys less popularity among bird lovers, but it has also met with the same fate: It cannot escape the poachers.

The shy chestnut-capped thrush is very difficult to find in its natural habitat in Nusa Tenggara, particularly Lombok, Flores, Sumba and Sunda Besar. This bird is also native to Malaysia and the Philippines.

This bird is easy to spot because of its black spots on its white chest and stomach. It is locally called the Punglor kepala merah (Red-headed punglor) for the ornate red feathers on its head.