Overview
The Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi), also called Rothschild’s mynah or the jalak Bali, is an iconic passerine endemic strictly to the dry tropical monsoon forests of northwest Bali, Indonesia. Recognized globally for its snowy white plumage, striking sky-blue bare facial skin, and long wispy crest, this magnificent starling is the official faunal emblem of Bali. Intensive illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade pushed it to the absolute brink of wild extinction in the late 20th century.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Leucopsar rothschildi possesses virtually pure silk-white body plumage, punctuated dramatically by jet-black tips on its flight feathers and tail. Both sexes appear identical, adorned with a magnificent drooping crest of white filoplumes that can be raised dramatically into an upright fan during courtship displays. Encircling dark brown eyes is a bare expanse of vivid cobalt-blue skin, complemented by a horn-tipped yellow beak and slate-blue legs.
Behavior and Ecology
Bali mynas are highly social, monogamous birds that form lifelong pair bonds. During the wet breeding season from October to April, pairs establish territories around natural hollows in ancient trees or abandoned woodpecker cavities. They forage both in the canopy and on the ground, probing leaf litter for grasshoppers, caterpillars, and ants, while feeding extensively on ripe figs and nectar. Courtship involves synchronized bobbing, crest-raising, and melodic whistling duets.
Conservation and Human Impact
Classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, wild numbers plummeted to fewer than 15 individuals in 2001 due to rampant poaching driven by lucrative black-market pet prices. An extraordinary coalition of international captive breeding programs, community anti-poaching patrols, and nest-box installations in West Bali National Park has spurred a hopeful recovery, with hundreds of birds released into wild sanctuaries on Bali and Nusa Penida.
Interesting Factoid
The Bali Myna was once so rare in the wild that there were hundreds of times more individual birds living in international zoos than in the entire wild forests of Bali!
Last updated: October 2026