In a misty forest in West Java, a flash of emerald green might be the rarest sight in Indonesian ornithology: the Javan green magpie, a bird so elusive that fewer than 50 are believed to remain in the wild. Known locally as ekek geling for its haunting call, this jewel-toned songbird once flitted through montane forests across the province, but now clings to survival amid relentless pressure from habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. A new 10-year conservation plan, crafted by 48 experts and organizations including Chester Zoo and Cikananga Wildlife Center, aims to pull the species back from the edge.
The Javan green magpie’s decline is a stark reflection of Indonesia’s broader songbird crisis. Prized as a "master bird" for training competition songbirds, its rarity has only increased its desirability among collectors. Despite receiving official protected status in 2019, the species vanished from 12 known sites between 2018 and 2021, a silence that speaks volumes. "We must assume that excessive trade has pushed this once reasonably widespread but perhaps never common species to the very brink of extinction," researchers wrote in a 2023 study. The new action plan, now being advanced as a national strategic priority with Indonesian government involvement, seeks to reverse that trajectory.
At the heart of the effort is a dual strategy: protect what remains and rebuild what’s been lost. The plan calls for stronger enforcement against illegal trapping, deeper engagement with local communities, and the protection of critical upland forest habitats. Crucially, it also lays the groundwork for conservation translocations using birds bred in captivity. Over the past decade, breeding programs in Indonesia and Europe—including at Cikananga Wildlife Center and zoos across the U.K. and Denmark—have nurtured more than 130 magpies as a genetic safety net. "If any reintroduction efforts are going to be fruitful in the future, the buy-in of the local communities and their protection of the species will be key," says Simon Bruslund of Copenhagen Zoo.
Yet success carries its own risks. As awareness grows, so does the danger that renewed attention could fuel demand among traffickers. Conservationists are walking a tightrope—raising the bird’s profile to mobilize support while avoiding the spotlight that could doom it. Still, the stakes extend beyond one species. The plan’s success could ripple through West Java’s mountain forests, benefiting other critically endangered birds like the rufous-fronted laughingthrush and safeguarding entire ecosystems.
"It’s such a unique and special species that we really need to preserve it for future generations, and as well as for the environment," says Andrew Owen of Chester Zoo. "It’s a wonderful potential flagship species for bird conservation in Indonesia." With time running out, this small bird carries the weight of a much larger mission—one that could redefine what’s possible in the fight to save vanishing wildlife.