Java sparrow

The beautiful Java sparrow, once common over all of Bali, especially in the rice fields, is now hard to find. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as vulnerable and we’re concerned they will come close to extinction before they are classified as endangered.

To help ensure these finch birds are not wiped out we’re establishing a backup wild population in our bird sanctuary on Bali’s Nusa Penida island. In future, this population can be relocated to other parts of Bali.

Into the wild

Java sparrows (Padda oryzivora) are flock birds. They survive by living and flying in large numbers to support the occasional loss of the weaker, slower birds. At least 100 sparrows are needed to build a viable population.

We released 100 Java sparrows into the wild on Nusa Penida a number of years ago, and the birds are doing well in their new home. The release was a partnership with Ubud resident John Duffield, who reared the birds in his aviary.

Rescued from the bird market

These birds had been rescued from a market in Denpasar, Bali and looked after by John for almost a year, before being relocated to Nusa Penida for a further three months of rehabilitation.

The release, attended by Indonesian Government officials, a Humane Society International (Australia) Director, local NGOs, village leaders, media and visitors from around the world, also marked the fifth anniversary of the Nusa Penida bird sanctuary.

The IUCN says the main cause of the Java sparrow’s population decline is trapping for the domestic and international cage-bird trade, which has probably been occurring for centuries. Because it is a flock bird it is also especially vulnerable to mass trapping.