:00:00. > :00:00.Now on BBC News, it's time for Our World.
:00:07. > :00:26.BIRDSONG. The lush tropical forests of Java. The civilisation encroaches
:00:27. > :00:29.on -- as civilisation encroaches, only pockets remain. And they are
:00:30. > :00:38.falling silent. Songbirds are disappearing from the wild. Trapped
:00:39. > :00:43.from the forest, sold as singing pets and status symbols. I am
:00:44. > :00:48.Victoria Gill and I am in Jakarta that to investigate the in social
:00:49. > :00:52.will commence for songbirds that are now driving an extinction crisis.
:00:53. > :01:04.People always want to buy songbirds? We really are firefighting, we are
:01:05. > :01:08.saving the last of the last. This bird may be the only one of its kind
:01:09. > :01:11.left on the planet. This bird in here could be the last of its kind?
:01:12. > :01:30.Yes. Java, the largest and most crowded
:01:31. > :01:41.island in Indonesia. Home to more than 140 million people. Cities,
:01:42. > :01:49.towns and villages seemed to squeeze into every available space. There is
:01:50. > :01:53.very little pristine forest left here, but just a few square, this
:01:54. > :02:01.can be home to hundreds of animals and birds. Some are found only on
:02:02. > :02:11.this island. And some are critically endangered. But it is many of Java's
:02:12. > :02:17.songbirds that have now slipped under the conservation radar to the
:02:18. > :02:23.very brink of extinction. A recent global conservation review revealed
:02:24. > :02:31.that 19 species are now trapped in such high numbers that they are in
:02:32. > :02:36.danger of going out -- dying out. Human activity is driving species
:02:37. > :02:40.towards extinction around the world. But here, where bustling megacities
:02:41. > :02:49.reach into tropical rainforest, it is a microcosm of that global
:02:50. > :02:54.crisis. So how has the trade in trapped songbirds reached such a
:02:55. > :03:01.tipping point? And can anything be done to save them? This is our
:03:02. > :03:05.guide, on the steep slopes of the mountain. He knows this forest
:03:06. > :03:14.inside out, it is where he made his living hunting and trapping. This is
:03:15. > :03:18.just showing me how you make a bird trap out of just sticks from the
:03:19. > :03:36.trees around you and a piece of string.
:03:37. > :03:52.What was to trapping four, where would those birds go?
:03:53. > :03:59.He is no longer in the bird trapping business, he has been able to
:04:00. > :04:04.convert this knowledge of the forest into conservation work. But many
:04:05. > :04:07.people still take birds from here. Networks of travellers operate
:04:08. > :04:14.across this country, clearing the forests of birds. -- trappers. We
:04:15. > :04:21.are surrounded by trees. It looks a very good bird habitat, but actually
:04:22. > :04:30.there is very little song. It is strangely quiet here. But there is
:04:31. > :04:41.one place you are guaranteed to find thousands of songbirds. BIRDSONG.
:04:42. > :04:45.This is Pramuka Market, it is the largest wildlife market in Asia,
:04:46. > :04:53.possibly the world. And it is crammed with caged birds. There can
:04:54. > :04:59.be more than 16,000 birds the sale here in a single day, more than 200
:05:00. > :05:05.different species. There are three markets like this just in Jakarta,
:05:06. > :05:15.is that gives you the idea of the scale of this market. Just auditory,
:05:16. > :05:19.the senses, it is incredible. It is a very noisy place, and it is quite
:05:20. > :05:25.unpleasant, the smell is quite acrid and overwhelming. For all it might
:05:26. > :05:29.seem to me like a strange, packed place with a strong smell, this is a
:05:30. > :05:34.centre of commerce and community here in Jakarta. In a growing
:05:35. > :05:38.economy, more and more people are spending their disposable income on
:05:39. > :05:52.the status symbol that is a valuable feathered pet.
:05:53. > :06:11.That is between about $20 and several thousand US dollars for a
:06:12. > :06:18.songbird. While songbirds fetched very high prices, many cost less
:06:19. > :06:24.than a dollar. They are more expensive to feed them they are to
:06:25. > :06:25.buy. People take dozens at a time, they are treated like disposable
:06:26. > :06:41.objects. This one here, this one, it lives up
:06:42. > :06:45.in the mountains of Sumatra. Andrew Allen has been working in bird
:06:46. > :06:51.conservation to more than three decades. He and his colleagues from
:06:52. > :06:55.zoos and wildlife conservation organisations around the world visit
:06:56. > :06:58.the market as those they can to study it. They are looking for
:06:59. > :07:02.protected birds being sold illegally, but the market can also
:07:03. > :07:05.show them which species are most at risk, what is most popular or an
:07:06. > :07:12.increase in price that might suggest a bird is becoming more rare. That
:07:13. > :07:19.bird there is one of the birds of extreme concern for us, it has been
:07:20. > :07:24.wiped out across all of this range, it is extinct in Java, it has been
:07:25. > :07:29.listed to endangered and the next at May be critically endangered.
:07:30. > :07:32.Researchers monitoring the trade found that most birds here are
:07:33. > :07:40.caught from the wild. Protected species are sold in markets.
:07:41. > :07:51.So why do so many people here want to own songbirds?
:07:52. > :07:57.Driving around you certainly see evidence of the demand. Bird cages
:07:58. > :08:06.hang outside shops and houses. But this goes well beyond the desire for
:08:07. > :08:19.a companion in a cage. How many do you have in your house? You lose
:08:20. > :08:26.count? Maybe five. We have come to visit Heri, a leader of the bird
:08:27. > :08:29.breeding Association PBI. He also organises events where competitors
:08:30. > :08:34.pick their singing birds against each other. Birdsong mackerel is
:08:35. > :08:45.what is the prize money? The prize is 5 million. Until maybe 1 billion.
:08:46. > :08:52.1 billion rupiah? 100,000 US dollars for the main prize. Wow. One of your
:08:53. > :09:02.birds is five times national champion? National champion.
:09:03. > :09:06.Valuable bird! (LAUGHS). While the big money is saved to the national
:09:07. > :09:16.championships, you can find smaller events across the country, every
:09:17. > :09:19.single weekend. We have heard a lot about bird singing competitions, and
:09:20. > :09:25.the accession with this country, and we have managed to arrange to go to
:09:26. > :09:29.one, about two hours from here, which I think in this traffic means
:09:30. > :09:36.about three miles away, if we ever make it.
:09:37. > :09:53.The bird breeders Association have given me a quote, and it is the
:09:54. > :09:57.official dress, so I have to wear a during the competition. I am a guest
:09:58. > :10:04.judge today, which should be interesting.
:10:05. > :10:11.Apparently the judges have to make a decision based on the bird's tone,
:10:12. > :10:19.volume and performance. See how that goes in that cacophony of birdsong
:10:20. > :10:22.that is about to commence. A first timer like me, this is a strange
:10:23. > :10:27.thing to witness. Let alone to judge. When caged male birds look
:10:28. > :10:32.around and see one another, they instinctively compete. Singing to
:10:33. > :10:34.claim their territory. The judges at signal their choice of winner with a
:10:35. > :10:51.flag. This is serious business. Tony is an Intel -- influential
:10:52. > :10:54.friend of the bird readers Association. A wealthy zoo owner who
:10:55. > :10:56.is well-known in bird breeding circles. He wants to help transform
:10:57. > :11:18.the bird trade. And a bird? Right. So to be a true
:11:19. > :11:25.man, you need a house, a wife, horses, a weapon, and the bird. Then
:11:26. > :11:31.you are a real Javanese. Then you are a real Javanese man, OK.
:11:32. > :11:35.Congratulations! All the birds in this competition are bred in
:11:36. > :11:39.captivity. This association has banned wild caught birds from its
:11:40. > :11:47.events. There is a small breeding centre at this venue. Five times a
:11:48. > :11:51.day? Yes, five times a day. Since I am a guest judge, Tony arranges for
:11:52. > :11:59.me to have a tour. Apparently I can feed one of the baby lovebirds. Is
:12:00. > :12:01.that tasty? All the birds here are all captive bred. Yeah. That is what
:12:02. > :12:14.you encourage? Right, right. Because if you breed
:12:15. > :12:26.them in captivity for competition, then you can save the birds in the
:12:27. > :12:33.wild? A good parent! There is no doubt that everyone he loved
:12:34. > :12:37.songbirds. -- everyone here loves. The prizewinners are an impeccable
:12:38. > :12:41.condition and undoubtedly give an impressive performance. Thank you,
:12:42. > :12:45.thank you. But does this love of birds, the desire so many people
:12:46. > :13:02.have to own one, mean that the future for the rarest, most
:13:03. > :13:10.beautiful singers is inside a cage? The critically endangered Javan
:13:11. > :13:14.part. -- green magpie. Perfectly camouflaged against tropical
:13:15. > :13:23.vegetation. But these birds have spent their lives in captivity. Up
:13:24. > :13:29.in the rural hills of west Java is a conservation breeding centre. While
:13:30. > :13:33.the mountain forests used to be home to thousands of these birds, almost
:13:34. > :13:41.all of the tiny remaining population is now housed here. For Andrew Allen
:13:42. > :13:46.this place is the focal point of his work on the songbird crisis. --
:13:47. > :13:59.Owen. This one is a young Javan pie that is bred here. -- pie. -- green
:14:00. > :14:04.magpie. This is one of the rarest birds on the planet? How many are
:14:05. > :14:08.left in the wild? There are 60 in the breeding programme, so 60 on the
:14:09. > :14:12.planet, that we know of, and maybe a handful in the wild. That makes this
:14:13. > :14:21.into the unlikely international hub proconservation mission. -- this
:14:22. > :14:29.centre. We have three magpies to examine. One needs shipping, all
:14:30. > :14:32.three of them sexing. This team, made up of white light that sender
:14:33. > :14:38.zoologists, is from Chester zoo in the UK. This one is aged 970... A
:14:39. > :14:45.juvenile bird has been caught a vital health check. He could be one
:14:46. > :14:51.60th of the entire world population. So the Chester that coaches the
:14:52. > :14:56.keepers in carrying out thorough assessments. These can be
:14:57. > :15:00.surprisingly risky. That is a privilege, it's a bit it and buy a
:15:01. > :15:08.critically endangered species. I'm not going anywhere near it with my
:15:09. > :15:13.fingers. Every bird has a tiny identification microchip implanted
:15:14. > :15:17.under its skin. Blood samples will also reveal which males and females
:15:18. > :15:27.are most genetically compatible. Every future chick is precious.
:15:28. > :15:31.Biological matchmaking is vital. For some, though, there might not even
:15:32. > :15:36.be the chance of reading in captivity. What is in here? In here
:15:37. > :15:41.we have a laughing thrush which is only found on the island of Java.
:15:42. > :15:45.And this particular bird is a subspecies that is only found on one
:15:46. > :15:50.mountain. This bird may be the only one of its kind left on the planet.
:15:51. > :15:54.This bird in here could be the last of this kind of word? Yeah. We know
:15:55. > :15:59.of no others. Of this species, the subspecies. Is it already too late
:16:00. > :16:04.for this bird, then? We hope not. We have plans to carry out surveys on
:16:05. > :16:08.the mountain to see if we can find more, and if we can come it will be
:16:09. > :16:12.an enormous relief. We really don't know at this stage. This may be the
:16:13. > :16:17.last word. So what is this bird called? This bird is called Azah,
:16:18. > :16:26.which in Indonesian means "The lonely one". With its bars, locks
:16:27. > :16:29.and fences, the centre almost looks like a prison. But security for all
:16:30. > :16:36.of the crippled the endangered species here is a priority. --
:16:37. > :16:40.critically endangered. All the birds here are incredibly valuable. So we
:16:41. > :16:46.have had an experience of the birds being stolen here in the past,
:16:47. > :16:53.during Ramadan in 2014. 150 140 birds were stolen. They just came
:16:54. > :16:57.in, took all the birds in one night. They took a lot of those, which is
:16:58. > :17:00.really impacted our breeding programme, because a lot of the best
:17:01. > :17:04.couples were in these blocks that were targeted. That must have an
:17:05. > :17:09.heartbreaking, to lose so many birds. Yes, the staff remember it is
:17:10. > :17:14.this awful time, coming in work finding the cages ripped open. If
:17:15. > :17:21.they got stolen again, that is probably it. It is difficult to
:17:22. > :17:27.comprehend that a break-in at this one remote centre could mean the
:17:28. > :17:32.extinction of a species. These birds, the rarest of the row, will
:17:33. > :17:45.remain here under lock and key. But is there anywhere left in Java where
:17:46. > :17:49.they can fly freely and safely? A stone 's throw from the chaos of the
:17:50. > :17:54.city is the safari park. This is a jungle fairgrounds, an eclectic home
:17:55. > :17:59.to creatures from all over the world. With its roots in the circus,
:18:00. > :18:01.it boasts animal shows and close encounters which have wrought
:18:02. > :18:12.criticism from animal rights campaigners. -- brought criticism.
:18:13. > :18:17.But there is a particular focus here on rural birds, and that is driven
:18:18. > :18:22.by its owner. Amazing. This is the surroundings of our park. 100
:18:23. > :18:26.hectares of land. So this is your land? Yes. After bringing me into
:18:27. > :18:34.the world of the singing competitions, Tony shows me around
:18:35. > :18:37.his park. He is using profits from the spot and attraction to fund an
:18:38. > :18:51.emergency response to his country's songbird conservation crisis.
:18:52. > :19:00.Instead of battling the bird trade, Tony is taking a market family
:19:01. > :19:03.approach. -- market friendly. He is working with bird owners and
:19:04. > :19:06.persuading them to lend their rare birds to special breeding
:19:07. > :19:08.programmes. The aim is to use these pets to breed of songbirds to meet
:19:09. > :19:32.the high demand. Flooding the market with the captive
:19:33. > :19:38.bred words actually encouraging their trade, might seem unorthodox.
:19:39. > :19:45.But he says it is working. And he is now going one step further. Hidden
:19:46. > :19:53.away from selfie snapping visitors is a very special bird reading
:19:54. > :20:03.programme. -- bird breeding. This is the aviary? How many on here? 11.
:20:04. > :20:06.Black winged mynahs, and other Indonesian songbird teetering on the
:20:07. > :20:11.brink of extension. Just 50 are estimated to remain in the wild.
:20:12. > :20:19.These birds were born and bred here. Now they are being set free.
:20:20. > :20:30.Oh, wow. So far, 15 birds have been released into what is a uniquely
:20:31. > :20:34.save forest haven. We are still within the safari park, not far from
:20:35. > :20:39.where the black winged mynahs have been released from the aviary. One
:20:40. > :20:43.of them has actually made a nest, and apparently there are some chicks
:20:44. > :20:49.in there. So it is making a small come back here at the safari park.
:20:50. > :21:00.It is a snapshot of success, of what these forests should look and sound
:21:01. > :21:04.like. But if wild songbirds are going to return to more than just
:21:05. > :21:10.small patches of private land, the widescale shopping has to stop. So
:21:11. > :21:23.is that realistic, and can it happen in time?
:21:24. > :21:31.In the village just minutes from the wildlife centre, there are signs
:21:32. > :21:37.that a real shift is under way. This is the element fiscal marching band.
:21:38. > :21:42.-- elementary school marching band. They are practising for a big
:21:43. > :21:47.parade. This celebration of Indonesia's independence, learning
:21:48. > :21:50.about multicultural history, is part of school life. But today the
:21:51. > :22:01.children are having a lesson that is brand-new to the curriculum. Lessons
:22:02. > :22:04.about the environment for these children, learning about the
:22:05. > :22:08.wildlife that is, or should be, on their doorstep, is not just a
:22:09. > :22:27.novelty. Conservationists say it is vital.
:22:28. > :22:34.This is absolutely a crisis. But something we have seen why we have
:22:35. > :22:39.been here is a passion for songbirds, in some cases an
:22:40. > :22:42.obsession with songbirds. And if that can be channelled, especially
:22:43. > :22:47.with the Next Generation, into admiring them in protecting them in
:22:48. > :22:53.the wild, then maybe some of these very threatened birds do have a
:22:54. > :22:57.future here. If we do nothing these species are all going to go extinct
:22:58. > :23:02.within the next decade, no doubt about that. We are doing everything
:23:03. > :23:06.we possibly can to ensure that these birds are back in the wild, with
:23:07. > :23:23.safe and sustainable populations, for future generations.
:23:24. > :23:27.Today's weather is brought to you courtesy of Storm Brian.