Rare songbirds arrive at Newquay Zoo

One of the most endangered songbirds in the world has arrived at Newquay Zoo.

The Cornish charity zoo is one of only five collections in Europe where Javan green magpies can be seen, making them the rarest species at the zoo.

Native to Java, in Indonesia, the Javan green magpie maintains its vibrant green feathers through a diet rich in vitamins and pigments like luteins.

The magpies are omnivorous –they like a bit of ripe papaya along with insects and mice.

Part of the Corvid family and closely related to crows, the Javan green magpie has a very extensive vocabulary, making it a prime target for the trade in songbirds.

As a result of ongoing trapping pressure from the songbird trade and suitable habitat lost to palm oil plantations, the population of this species is falling at an alarming rate.

Its future is likely to be in zoos. In fact, this inquisitive and stunning species could be extinct in the wild already.

Newquay Zoo’s latest exhibit ‘Gems of the Jungle’ has been created to highlight the issues surrounding the caged bird trade.

The Zoo hopes to help the Javan green magpie by breeding this pair.