The Bali myna, also called the Bali starling, is a striking white songbird that occurs in the wild nowhere on Earth except the far northwest of the Indonesian island of Bali [BirdLife 2023]. It is the only bird species endemic to Bali and one of the rarest starlings in the world, having come within a handful of individuals of disappearing from the wild [Squires et al. 2023]. Its almost wholly white plumage, black wing- and tail-tips, drooping lacy crest, and bare blue skin around the eye made it both an emblem of the island and, in turn, one of the most sought-after birds in the cage-bird trade [Jepson 2016; van Balen et al. 2000].
For decades the species persisted at the edge of survival: by the early 1990s only about 20 birds remained in the wild, and at one low point around 2012 the free-living population had fallen to roughly 15 individuals [Squires et al. 2023]. A sustained, community-rooted recovery program has since improved that trajectory, making the Bali myna one of conservation's most closely watched test cases [Squires et al. 2023].
Biology and Identification
The Bali myna is a medium-sized starling, roughly 25 cm long, with plumage that is almost entirely white apart from black tips on the wings and tail [Birds of the World 2020]. A long, downward-curving crest runs along the crown, and a patch of bare blue skin surrounds each eye; the legs are grey-blue and the bill is horn-coloured with a yellowish tip [Birds of the World 2020]. The sexes are similar in appearance, with males tending to show a slightly longer crest [Birds of the World 2020].
It is an omnivore, taking insects and other small invertebrates as well as fruit and seeds, and it forages both in trees and on the ground [Birds of the World 2020]. Birds typically occur in pairs or small groups and nest in tree cavities, often old woodpecker holes several metres above the ground [Birds of the World 2020]. In the wild, breeding has historically been constrained by a shortage of natural nesting cavities [Squires et al. 2023].
Habitat and Range
The species is naturally restricted to dry, open monsoon woodland, scrub, and savanna-like habitat in the northwest of Bali [BirdLife 2023]. Its last natural wild stronghold is within Bali Barat (West Bali) National Park, a relatively small area of protected lowland forest, where free-living birds favour the more open landscapes over densely wooded areas [Squires et al. 2023]. Reintroduced and managed populations have also been established on the nearby island of Nusa Penida and at conservation sites elsewhere on Bali, and dispersing birds have begun moving several kilometres beyond release sites into agricultural land and other habitats [Squires et al. 2023; Mongabay 2025]. Because the species is highly sensitive to disturbance and trapping, NRWL describes its locations only at the level of national park and island rather than at finer detail.
Conservation Status
The Bali myna is assessed by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered, the category confirmed in its most recent published assessment in 2018, with BirdLife International serving as the Red List authority for birds [IUCN 2018; BirdLife 2023]. The wild, self-sustaining population is estimated at fewer than 50 mature individuals, the basis for the listing [IUCN 2018]. The species was first listed as threatened in 1988 and uplisted to its current category in 1994 [BirdLife 2023].
Raw counts within Bali Barat National Park have risen substantially in recent years thanks to intensive reintroduction — standardised park counts recorded around 420 birds by October 2021, up from roughly 15 in 2012 — but a large share depends on ongoing management and captive-bred releases, which is why the formal Red List metric of mature wild individuals remains low [Squires et al. 2023]. The IUCN assessment still records an overall declining trend for the global population, while the managed Bali Barat population is documented as increasing under active management [IUCN 2018; Squires et al. 2023].
Threats
The single greatest threat to the Bali myna has been illegal trapping for the domestic and international cage-bird trade, driven by the bird's appearance and rarity, which historically pushed the wild population toward extinction [van Balen et al. 2000; Jepson 2016]. Because demand and market prices remained high, even small wild populations inside a national park were exposed to poaching [Squires et al. 2023]. Habitat loss and degradation across lowland Bali, together with a scarcity of natural tree cavities for nesting, further constrained recovery [BirdLife 2023]. The species' extremely small range and population also make it inherently susceptible to chance events, disease, and inbreeding [IUCN 2018].
What Is Being Done
The Bali myna has been protected under Indonesian law for decades and is listed on Appendix I of CITES, which bans commercial international trade [CITES 2023]. Recovery on the ground has rested on three linked interventions documented for Bali Barat National Park: a captive-breeding and reintroduction effort that released 376 birds over 2012–2021, with annual releases rising over time; the installation of more than 100 nest boxes to offset the shortage of natural cavities; and a market-based strategy that loans captive birds to local communities for legal commercial breeding, aiming to lower prices and reduce the incentive to poach wild birds [Squires et al. 2023]. Community-led conservation models elsewhere on Bali and on Nusa Penida, in which residents use traditional village regulations to protect and breed the birds locally, have extended these gains beyond the national park [Mongabay 2025]. Researchers note that continued vigilance against trapping is essential for the recovery to hold [Squires et al. 2023].
How You Can Help
Supporting the recovery of the Bali myna is largely about strengthening the legal, community-based systems that have driven its rebound. Options include avoiding wild-caught songbirds and supporting enforcement against the illegal bird trade; learning about and sharing the work of the reserves, national parks, and community programs protecting the species; and supporting reputable organizations engaged in habitat protection, captive breeding, and reintroduction in Indonesia [Mongabay 2025; Squires et al. 2023]. Informed, accurate awareness of why a single island's only endemic bird came so close to vanishing helps sustain the long-term commitment its recovery requires.
References
[IUCN 2018] BirdLife International. (2018). Leucopsar rothschildi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22710912A129874226. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710912A129874226.en
[BirdLife 2023] BirdLife International. (2023). Species factsheet: Bali Myna Leucopsar rothschildi. BirdLife DataZone. https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/bali-myna-leucopsar-rothschildi
[Squires et al. 2023] Squires, T. M., Kepakisan, K. A. A. M., Kusumanegara, A., Collar, N. J., et al. (2023). The road to recovery: conservation management for the Critically Endangered Bali myna shows signs of success. Oryx, 58(3). https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/road-to-recovery-conservation-management-for-the-critically-endangered-bali-myna-shows-signs-of-success/F804B2368C5BFADFC697D48194001458
[van Balen et al. 2000] van Balen, S., Dirgayusa, I. W. A., Putra, I. M. W. A., & Prins, H. H. T. (2000). Status and distribution of the endemic Bali starling Leucopsar rothschildi. Oryx, 34(3), 188–197. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227689488_Status_and_distribution_of_the_endemic_Bali_starling_Leucopsar_rothschildi
[Birds of the World 2020] Craig, A. J. F. K., & Feare, C. J. (2020). Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi). In Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/balmyn1/cur/introduction
[CITES 2023] CITES. (2023). Leucopsar rothschildi — listed in Appendix I. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. https://checklist.cites.org/#/en/search/output_layout=alphabetical&level_of_listing=0&show_synonyms=1&show_author=1&show_english=1&show_spanish=1&show_french=1&scientific_name=Leucopsar+rothschildi
[Jepson 2016] Jepson, P. (2016). Saving a species threatened by trade: a network study of Bali starling Leucopsar rothschildi conservation. Oryx, 50(3), 480–488. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/saving-a-species-threatened-by-trade-a-network-study-of-bali-starling-leucopsar-rothschildi-conservation/2678EFBC32382C5CF62D9E8FF5CF690A
[Mongabay 2025] Mongabay. (2025). Indigenous-led protections spark Bali starling's recovery in the wild. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/indigenous-led-protections-spark-bali-starlings-recovery-in-the-wild/