Indonesian craze puts wild birds at risk
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Judges listening to birds at the South Jakarta Police Chief's Cup, a bird-singing competition that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Jan 26. Wild songbirds are being entered into high-stakes singing competitions across Indonesia and conservationists say protected species are in danger.
PHOTO: NYT
CURUP (Indonesia) • Hiding in the dense Sumatran jungle, the poacher chose a thin branch, coated it with glue and played a snippet of birdsong on his phone. Within moments, three tiny birds alighted on the branch and were trapped.
Known as ashy tailorbirds, they were destined for the island of Java, where they would spend their lives in a collector's cage.