
In 2022, the Javan Pied Starling or Jalak Suren (Gracupica jalla) conservation breeding programme begun at CCBC. The Javan Pied Starling is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is highly likely extinct in the wild. Endemic to the islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali, the Javan Pied Starling has recently been split taxonomically from the Asian Pied Starling and is now widely acknowledged as a distinct species. Historically the Javan Pied Starling would have been commonly found in farmland habitat but over the past few decades this species has suffered a rapid decline due to detrimental agricultural practices and trapping for the caged-bird trade.
Although one of the major causes for decline, the caged-bird trade, and associated widespread commercial breeding, is also very likely why this species has not gone extinct. The Javan Pied Starling is not currently protected under Indonesian law meaning ownership and commercial trade is legal, it is estimated that there are between 600,000 – 1,000,000 birds in homes across Java and Bali. It is now of urgent importance that birds are brought into conservation breeding programmes to ensure as much of the remaining genetics are preserved. CCBC aims for future programmes with this species that are inclusive of communities in the breeding and release due to the unique situation that the Javan Pied Starling presents.