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  • Straw-headed Bulbul

Straw-headed bulbul

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Wings Of Asia
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

Around 10 years

Diet

Diet

Berries, figs, seeds

Also spiders, insects and snails

Habitat

Habitat

Along river banks

Near forested areas

Range

Range

Peninsular Malaysia,

Singapore and Borneo

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The straw-headed bulbuls

Trapped for the songbird trade

Trapped for the songbird trade

Known for its melodious calls, the straw-headed bulbul has been hunted to extinction across much of its range in Southeast Asia. Once widespread, relentless trapping has resulted in its disappearance in Java, Thailand and possibly Sumatra. The populations of this species in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia are on a steep decline.
Safe haven in Singapore

Safe haven in Singapore

In Singapore, however, the story of the straw-headed bulbul is a much happier one. With an estimated number of 200 remaining in the wild, Singapore is likely the only stronghold of this species.

Data gathered from the Annual Bird Census for more than 15 years reveal that its population is showing a healthy growth rate of about 4% on the island of Pulau Ubin while that on mainland Singapore remains stable. Great news, indeed, for a species with a global population estimated at only between 600 and 1,700!

The species coordinator

Manoj Kumar

Manoj Kumar

Junior Animal Care Officer

Manoj Kumar

Manoj Kumar

Junior Animal Care Officer

Tell us about what it means to be a species coordinator.

Being a species coordinator is a big responsibility but also very interesting and exciting. I get to collect information about all the straw-headed bulbuls in zoos worldwide to produce a studbook, which is a list of all the birds in zoos and their parentage.

Oh, you mean like a family tree?


Yes. With this info, I can carry out demographic and genetic analyses for the future management of the species. I will recommend which birds to pair up for breeding, based on their genetic value, and also make recommendations for transfers to new zoological institutions.

That makes you their matchmaker, doesn’t it?

You can say that! Due to the drastic decline in their numbers, this species was identified as being of high importance in the Asian Songbird Crisis Summit. We happened have a few donated birds and as there was very little info on husbandry, we decided to start breeding trials.

Which is to say it all started at JBP, then?

Yes, it was originally a JBP-only breeding programme. But it was upscaled to an international programme that manages all straw-headed bulbuls kept in zoos. Ultimately, we hope to have a self-sustainable population of healthy birds that can help replenish their population in the wild.

Together, we protect wildlife

Protecting the bulbuls

Protecting the bulbuls

Jurong Bird Park has been leading the development of best practice guidelines to save this highly threatened species.

We are the only zoological institution holding the species and working on its conservation breeding. A chick was successfully bred in 2017 for the first time in over a decade and we have welcomed more chicks since.

The IUCN Status

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Opening hours

8.30am - 6.00pm (Last entry at 5.00pm)

Open from Thursdays to Sundays, eves of and on Public Holidays, and selected school holidays

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2 Jurong Hill
Singapore 628925

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