Bali Mynah

I took a trip to the Knoxville Zoo last summer and, naturally, I sought out all the birds exhibits. This bird, the Bali Mynah, was one that especially captured my attention. Whereas some of the other kinds of birds had multiple birds with them in their cages, this one was all alone. So, I turned my camera on and began snapping pictures of it. After I left the zoo, I read up on the bird and found out that this species likes to flock together in groups of 30-60! I couldn't imagine what it must be like for the bird to live in there all by itself, when it possibly could be with others of its kind. However, I continued reading and found that it is critically endangered because of several reasons: deforestation, of course, people illegally capturing them to sell, mindless poaching, and nest-site competition with another bird. What really broke my heart was that the article said there were only 13-14 Bali Mynahs left in the wild. I am really thankful for the zoo's efforts in keeping this and many other birds and animals out of harm's way!