Birds and cages

[Smallworld]

Why people in Indonesia like to have birds in cages so much? I don't think it is so popular in Europe. I realize it is maybe some sort of hobby, good business ect... but have you also maybe noticed that there are not as many birds in Indonesian Cities?

I am asking my question today after my driver asked me for permission to catch a bird that lives in a tree in front of my house.

 

[Bad_azz]

Why people in Indonesia like to have birds in cages so much? I don't think it is so popular in Europe. I realize it is maybe some sort of hobby, good business ect... but have you also maybe noticed that there are not as many birds in Indonesian Cities?

I am asking my question today after my driver asked me for permission to catch a bird that lives in a tree in front of my house.

I hope you said nope.

To the best of my knowledge in Indonesian & Chinese culture having birds is enticing good fortune and money.
The other thing is that there are competitions all around the area for having the best song bird- I assume some kind of money prize for that- so people go out & trap them to sell, a way to make a few (hundred thousand) rupiahs. - from an Indonesian bird trapper's business point of view- small financial outlay, small risk of punitive measures, high percentage financial reward.
So it is going to be a very tough task to stop this illegal trade.

 

[Bad_azz]

Some info for why we should discourage the practice of trapping birds.
http://www.traffic.org/home/2016/8/...e-plundered-to-supply-javan-bird-markets.html

 

[Pikefish]

Has anyone been to the big song bird competitions? There is whole lot of gambling which, in my mind, explains some of the popularity.

 

[Minuteman]

So, what is the problem?? Had parakeets and canarys in cages in the house when I was a kid. The canarys were trouble because they would throw birdseed everywhere, which it was my job to clean up on a daily basis. But the canarys had beautiful song.

 

[fastpitch17]

So, what is the problem?? Had parakeets and canarys in cages in the house when I was a kid. The canarys were trouble because they would throw birdseed everywhere, which it was my job to clean up on a daily basis. But the canarys had beautiful song.

The problem is besides Indonesia running out of birds because it isn't just parakeets and canarys, but everything except maybe sparrows. The illegal bird trade in endangered spiecis is also rampet. If people just had parakeets and canarys, there wouldn't much talk about it. Now, ad an inhumane capture and handling and you really have an ugly business.

 

[Smallworld]

I hope you said nope.

To the best of my knowledge in Indonesian & Chinese culture having birds is enticing good fortune and money.
The other thing is that there are competitions all around the area for having the best song bird- I assume some kind of money prize for that- so people go out & trap them to sell, a way to make a few (hundred thousand) rupiahs. - from an Indonesian bird trapper's business point of view- small financial outlay, small risk of punitive measures, high percentage financial reward.
So it is going to be a very tough task to stop this illegal trade.

Right .....that is why birds are so popular in this part of the world. I didn't think about competitions, gambling and good luck. This is something new to me.

Of course I said no. It has a nest in my house (one of the 3 nests). There are also some wild bees, 4 cats.

In Europe people usually have hamsters, guinea pigs or aquariums. We have them as our hobby not for gambling or for luck.

 

[Smallworld]

Some info for why we should discourage the practice of trapping birds.
http://www.traffic.org/home/2016/8/...e-plundered-to-supply-javan-bird-markets.html

I read the article. It is very sad that those people plunder nature on such on scale. I come from a country where birds during the winter are taken care (by some people). We feed "wild birds", build them houses, observe the colourful birds in the white and black background during winter which has got sad, depressing, freezing cold and short days in winter. We teach children to do the same to take care of them during winter.

It makes me sad sometimes what I observe each day on the streets in Indonesia.

 

[Smallworld]

So, what is the problem?? Had parakeets and canarys in cages in the house when I was a kid. The canarys were trouble because they would throw birdseed everywhere, which it was my job to clean up on a daily basis. But the canarys had beautiful song.

If it is just the bird song you are looking for and you felt troubled by birds throwing birdseeds everywhere why don't you just get a dvd player with cd/dvd audio of birds singing run in a repeat mode? More clean and elegant solution.

 

[Smallworld]

Has anyone been to the big song bird competitions? There is whole lot of gambling which, in my mind, explains some of the popularity.

Pikefish yes this is what BA said above.... I was not aware of the scale of singing competition business and gambling. Now I understand.

 

[Smallworld]

The problem is besides Indonesia running out of birds because it isn't just parakeets and canarys, but everything except maybe sparrows. The illegal bird trade in endangered spiecis is also rampet. If people just had parakeets and canarys, there wouldn't much talk about it. Now, ad an inhumane capture and handling and you really have an ugly business.

This is what I am afraid of..... This sort of business will wipe out endangered species. It is a huge shame on Indonesia.

 

[Bad_azz]

It is a huge shame-and very dangerous to the ecological balance- you might note that there a vast amounts of butterflies & caterpillars here- birds are their natural predator- a mature avocado tree near us was stripped bare in about a week by caterpillars. That really shows how devastating a plague of bugs can be.

Indonesia needs to start thinking long term and perhaps following the UK's example by setting up a version of the RSPB (maybe could call it RISPB?) - I assume one doesn't exist.
In the UK it is illegal to take wild birds, their eggs or kill them - unless they are NOT a protected species.

 

[fastpitch17]

They catch bats all the time too and it is said a bat can eat around 2000 mosquitoes a night. I'm guessing that whatever eats ants here has been extinct for a long time.

 

[Bad_azz]

They catch bats all the time too and it is said a bat can eat around 2000 mosquitoes a night. I'm guessing that whatever eats ants here has been extinct for a long time.

The bats tend to be sold for food here- as far as I know.
I haven't tried it- nor do I intend to.

The other thing worth a mention in here- Kites- just don't fly them. The amount of kite string dangling in trees and the wildlife it injures/kills is scary.
A few years back we rescued a bat that was caught up in it in a tree at the back of our house.
The bat was a small nursing female and very distressed the kite string was wrapped around one of her wings and twisted several times around her nipple- almost severing it- we called a vet up to tend to her, then released her when she was rehydrated and rested but she was very lucky we spotted her- and a baby bat is very very cute.

 

[Smallworld]

They catch bats all the time too and it is said a bat can eat around 2000 mosquitoes a night. I'm guessing that whatever eats ants here has been extinct for a long time.

There are a few bats at night where I live in Cikarang. I am happy to have them as long as they will have heir tummy full of mosquitoes.

 

[Smallworld]

The bats tend to be sold for food here- as far as I know.
I haven't tried it- nor do I intend to.

....

This is getting more .... extreme....If that is the true then I can say Indonesia will become a paradise for mosquitoes and all mosquitoes transferred diseases.

 

[Anglian]

We had a man come round with a cage on the back of his bike, inside tiny birds the size of a British Wren, the stupid sod had painted them, I was quite angry and he rode off not seen him since, we get some very pretty birds in our garden, a small gold one and a red and black one, I've tried to photograph them for reference, but the little Buggers won't keep still,they really can dart about

 

[Tupai Hitam]

The bats tend to be sold for food here- as far as I know.
I haven't tried it- nor do I intend to.

Consuming bats is reputed to cure throat ailments, especially asthma. If you want to witness some horrific misery, go the Pramuka bird market in Jakarta and observe the wretched caged bats, squirrels and other unfortunate animal inmates. Bats are supposedly haram (though some people make exceptions for herbivorous species of bat). The Manadonese are fond of bats, which taste rubbery and are full of bones -- and generally served in so much chili you can't sense what they really taste like.

 

[Tupai Hitam]

In the UK it is illegal to take wild birds, their eggs or kill them - unless they are NOT a protected species.

Indonesia's fondness for cats, and tolerance of stray cats, is also a problem for birds. Tried to rescue a little bird on my lawn this morning but it was already dead when the killer cat fled my boot.

 

[Tupai Hitam]

So, what is the problem??

Because it's cruel to keep an animal locked in a cage. Caged birds don't sing. They weep.