Hatching of Javan Green Magpies caught on film for the first time

The hatching of Critically Endangered Javan Green Magpies has been caught on film for the first time.

The Javan Green Magpie is one of the world's most endangered species with only around fifty remaining in the wild, which places it on the verge of extinction. The reason: these beautiful songbirds are trapped for the illegal bird trade and vast swathes of their native forest have fallen silent.

Chester is the first UK zoo to successfully breed the species to give a vital boost to its global population, with the eventual goal of returning birds to their natural habitat.

Now, for the first time, The Secret Life of the Zoo cameras capture the moment magpie chicks are successfully hatched - as well as the courtship ritual between confident two-year-old Metina and her modest would-be suitor Permata who, at ten months, still has to earn his dating spurs. But as the tiny chicks emerge, their fragile lives are still vulnerable and there's no absolute guarantee of survival.

The Javan Green Magpie is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) but bird experts are warning that the situation may have worsened in recent months amid fears that the magpies may now be close to extinction in the wild - with no recent sightings reported.

The breeding of several new chicks in Chester since 2015 has given a huge lift to conservation efforts to save the birds.

27 December 2017

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A cracking surprise! Four rare Javan GREEN magpies hatch at Chester Zoo

A clutch of Javan green magpie eggs hatched at Chester Zoo this summer

The birds are extremely rare, with few seen in the wild in southeast Asia
Conservationists at the zoo are part of an international effort to save them

By Ryan O'Hare for MailOnline

Published: 17:47, 4 October 2016 | Updated: 17:48, 4 October 2016

For the first time , four of the world's rarest magpie have been born at a UK zoo.

The first Javan green magpie chick hatched at Chester Zoo on 13th June and the last of the four was born on 15th August.

Since then, the striking birds have remained safely tucked away with their parents.

With stunning green, red and black plumage, the Javan green magpie is one of nature's most eye-catching species.

The birds are listed as critically endangered, with few sightings in their southeast Asian habitat.

Bird experts warn the situation may have worsened recently and that the magpies could be close to extinction in the wild.

The birds have been losing the battle, as their forest habitat is destroyed to make way for agricultural land.

As one of the most endangered birds on the planet, the rare chicks have provided a major boost to conservation efforts to save the magpies from extinction.

Conservationists and bird staff at Chester Zoo are making every effort to try and save the species, which has been targeted by the illegal bird trade in its native Indonesian forests.

Andrew Owen, the curator of birds at Chester Zoo, said: 'I have had the privilege of working with many rare and beautiful birds, but none are more precious than the Javan green magpie - one of the world's most endangered species.

'We've been working with our conservation partners in Java - the Cikananga Wildlife Centre - for more than six years.

'In that time we've seen Javan green magpies disappear almost completely from the wild as they are captured for the illegal bird trade.

'Huge areas of forests that were once filled with beautiful songbirds, are falling silent.'

The Javan green magpie is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Bird experts have warned that the situation may have worsened in recent months, with no recent sightings reported, stoking fears the striking birds may be close to extinction in the wild.
But now, the breeding of the four new chicks in Chester has given a huge lift to conservation efforts to save the magpies.

Andrew says: 'Knowing that our first pair had nested was a momentous occasion for us - seeing the first chick was even more special.

'All four chicks have now fledged and are currently sporting blue feathers, which will eventually turn apple green as they mature.

'So far we have successfully bred from two adult pairs and these four chicks are a vital addition to the worldwide population.

'Every individual we breed here could help save the species as the clock is ticking and time is running out.'

The arrival of the four chicks brings the total number of Javan green magpies at Chester Zoo to 11, while the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Center currently has 19 birds, all under the care of Chester Zoo staff and local Indonesian experts. 

 

Read more:

Javan Green Magpies: Extremely Rare Birds Relocated To Safe Home in UK Zoo

By Samantha Mathewson

Dec 30, 2015 03:03 PM EST

 (Photo : Wikimedia Commons )

With less than 100 Javan green magpies remaining in the wild and captivity, the U.K.'s Chester Zoo is taking in six pairs of these rare birds in a desperate final attempt to save them from extinction.

"We really are fighting against time to save the incredibly rare Javan green magpie from extinction. Sadly, there is evidence that the species is fast disappearing in the wild as they have fallen victim to the pet trade and an ever-shrinking habitat," Andrew Owen, the zoo's curator of birds, said in a statement. "In fact, they have only been found once in the last 10 years in the wild by ornithologists."

The Javan green magpie is native to Indonesia and prized for its beautiful plumage and bird song. Their bright green plumage is procured through the food they eat: insects, frogs and lizards. When captured, these birds – among others commonly caged as pets in Indonesia – don't survive very long, BBC reports. For more than five years, conservationists have been breeding these birds in captivity to create what they call "safety net" populations. When the birds were first brought to the zoo, they spent six weeks in quarantine before being released into a larger area that resembles their natural habitat and is scattered with locus. 

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