TSI says Sunda Green Magpie nearly extinct

Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) founder Tony Sumampau has said the Sunda green magpie, known locally as the Javan green magpie (Cissa thalassina) from Mount Pangrango, West Java, can be considered nearly extinct.

“The existence of this bird can be said to be nearly extinct because it can no longer be found on Mount Pangrango,” he said during the Wildlife Conservation Journalist Orientation (Owaka) event initiated by the Indonesian Wildlife Conservation Forum (Foksi) in Cisarua, Bogor, on Saturday.

He expressed regret over the situation, attributing it to the hunting of the endemic bird for use as a master bird, a term for birds kept specifically to train the vocalisations of other songbirds.

Because the Sunda green magpie has a high stress level, once it is made into a master bird it becomes stressed and ends up dying. “This bird becomes stressed quickly, so its life does not last long after becoming a master bird,” he stressed.

According to him, the Sunda green magpie could actually become a mascot of West Java alongside the surili and the panther, as it originates from the same area, namely Mount Pangrango.

As is known, the Sunda green magpie has distinctive bright green plumage, a bright red beak and legs, and a black line around the eyes resembling a mask, with a body size of around 32 centimetres. Its head features a striking red beak, earning it the nickname ‘lipstick beak’.

Its habitat is in mountain forests or highlands between 500 and 2,000 metres above sea level in West Java and surrounding areas. Its staple diet includes crickets, cockroaches, caterpillars and small frogs.

Currently, its conservation status is classified as critically endangered because its population in the wild is very small.