BALI STARLING

STATUS
Critically Endangered

SIZE
Weight: 0.85kg
Length: 25cm
Wingspan: 52—56cm

AGE
Can live up to five years in the wild, rising to 15 years in captivity.

HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION
They live in places where there are plenty of trees so that they can find tree holes to nest in. They often nest in old woodpecker holes.

WHAT THEY EAT
Like most types of starlings they have a mixed diet of fruit, seeds and insects. Insects are especially important for young, growing starlings because of the high protein content.

The Bali starling is one of the rarest birds in the world and relatively new to science being first described in 1912 by Walter Rothschild, from whom the bird gains its specific name.

Bird Facts

Bali starlings are from Bali, an island which is part of Indonesia. They are now found only in one particular forest on the west of the island. Fortunately this is in a protected area, the Bali Barat national park.They usually live in large flocks, although during the breeding season pairs tend to act aggressively towards one another. When courting, behaviour displayed includes shrieking and head bobbing movements.Bali starling’s population has declined rapidly over the past few decades. Falling victim to the illegal trapping for the caged bird trade and industrialisation, these birds have become incredibly close to extinction in the wild – it has been estimated that there are fewer than 50 of them left.