Javan Green Magpie

## About

A Javan green magpie.

The Javan green magpie ***(Cissa thalassina)*** is a rare species of corvid that lives in the rainforests of Java, Indonesia. Javan green magpies are recognised easily by their vivid green plumage of which they get their name, other than this identifiable feature, Javan green magpies have noticeable chestnut and white wings as well as red bills and red rings of exposed skin around their dark eyes. Javan green magpies have a characteristic black band of feathers that run from their bills to their eyes, which give them a masked appearance. despite being green in adulthood, Javan green magpies are actually born with blue plumage. This vibrant blue plumage will turn to their signature shade of green after their first molt, due to a pigment known as lutein acquired through the bird's diet. The blue feathers of juvenile magpies even influence the bird's scientific name with *thalassina* meaning sea-green or blue-green. Javan green magpies are a relatively small bird growing from 31-33cm (12.1-12.9in) from head to tail-feathers.

## Diet

Javan green magpies are known to prey upon large insects and arachnids as well as small reptiles like lizards as well as frogs. It is believed that this diet gives the bird its colourful plumage.

## Conservation Status

    Javan green magpies have been recorded as critically endangered by the IUCN and have a current population trend of decreasing. Green magpies are under massive threat of becoming extinct in the near future due to the rampant deforestation that is currently plaguing the region of southeast Asia. This rapid deforestation is a result of the growing palm oil industry which is quickly depleting the region of its rainforests and jungles. A far more deadly threat to the Javan green magpie's survival is the abundance of bird catchers in the region. The bird catchers make a living out of capturing wild bird species (in this case the Javan green magpie) and selling them in markets or roadside cages. This extensive selling of wild individuals in the caged-bird trade is usually attributed to the bird's rapid decline during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

## Range and Population

    Javan green magpies are an endemic bird to the Indonesian island of Java. Java is an extremely well-forested island, covered in dense rainforests and tropical coastlines. Javan green magpies live in the region of west and central Java in rainforests that harbour all of the green magpie's needs. Javan green magpies are unfortunately confined to a small estimated population of 50-249 individuals left in the wilderness of Java. This is a common estimate as many conservation groups including the IUCN, believe that the Javan green magpies are limited to a population below 250 and are at the very lowest 50 individuals. Some suggest that the only remaining population is 100 individuals or lower, due to how the Javan green magpie is seldom seen however, more field research must be done to verify this claim.

## Behaviour

Javan green magpies are very colourful birds and this is believed to help them attract mates. Along with their bright green feathers, the masks of black feathers located on their eyes, will raise drastically in mating displays. The crests on their eyebrows are very apparent and are a very defining feature of the magpies. Little to nothing is known about the wild behaviour of the Javan green magpie due to its secretive lifestyle.

### Relationship with Humans

Javan green magpies are skittish, flying away from humans like most other birds. This makes interacting with Javan green magpies in the wild very hard. Captive individuals caught by caged bird traders are understandably very frightened of humans and will bite humans who try to handle them. Zoo kept individuals are kept at limited interactions with humans, as interacting with the birds may cause them to become dependent on humans once they are released into the wilds of Java through conservation programs. A way that zoos such as Prague Zoo are combating this issue is by feeding juvenile birds with green magpie puppets, made to simulate an adult feeding the chick as opposed to a human. This technique has been proven to be quite successful, even being used to restore the previously dwindling population of the California condor ***(Gymnogyps californianus)***.

## In Captivity

Javan green magpies are recognised as a critically endangered species and so, there are many institutes that are currently partaking in breeding efforts to restore the birds tiny population. Javan green magpies can be found in both the Chester Zoo, United Kingdom and the aforementioned Prague Zoo, Czechia. These zoos both exhibit small flocks of Javan green magpies with the Chester first obtaining a flock of six wild caught birds in December, 2015. The Prague Zoo has a growing flock, and have needed to care for five chicks since 2016 which they acquired from the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre (CCBC). the CCBC is a major contributor to the expansion of the bird's captive numbers and is situated in the bird's homeland of Java. CCBC is also affiliated with the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP), and together they aim to increase the numbers of many Asian bird species including the Javan green magpie.

## Sources

* First Javan Green Magpie Chick | Jersey Zoo - https://www.durrell.org/news/jersey-zoo-s-first-javan-green-magpie-chick-needs-a-name/
* Cikananga Breeding Conservation Centre | ASAP - https://www.speciesonthebrink.org/partners/cikananga-conservation-breeding-centre/
* Javan Green Magpie | ASAP - https://www.speciesonthebrink.org/species/javan-green-magpie/
* Javan Green Magpie | Chester Zoo - https://www.chesterzoo.org/our-zoo/animals/javan-green-magpie/
* Javan Green Magpie | Birdlife International Datazone - http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/javan-green-magpie-cissa-thalassina
* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22724821/182915285
* Chester Zoo Javan Green Magpie | Mirror.co.uk - https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/british-zoo-launches-bid-save-7083168
* Prague Zoo Puppet | NDTV - https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/endangered-javan-green-magpies-fed-by-puppet-at-prague-zoo-1839375