Learning from Sumatra's songbirds
Monday 9 March 2026
At the end of last year, Bird Keeper Sam headed to the Haven in Sumatra to work with songbirds on the brink of extinction. He told us more about his visit.
Toward the end of last year, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to return to Sumatra, as part of this partnership with the SOCP. This was my third visit which meant I could see the progress made at the Orangutan Haven. The Orangutan Haven in North Sumatra was originally set up to be a sanctuary for orangutans, as well as a centre for conservation and education. With many of Sumatra’s songbirds on the brink of extinction, a songbird captive breeding facility was also constructed at the site, and it is here that I have been helping to train the staff over the last few years.
Visting The Haven allows me to gain experience and broaden my knowledge too. The main focus of this trip was to learn more about straw-headed bulbuls; understanding their breeding behaviour and refining their husbandry. The straw-headed bulbul is sadly Critically Endangered, which is driven by their popularity in bird singing contests in Southeast Asia. Their liquid, melodic song, which involves rich and flute-like whistles was such a privilege to hear, but simultaneously harrowing, knowing that this is the main cause of their plight.
We hope to join a captive-breeding programme for the straw-headed bulbul and hold them here at Jersey Zoo, which is something the whole team are excited about. Being able to gain first-hand experience with this species was invaluable for me and I will be able to transfer this knowledge to the rest of the bird team here ahead of them joining.
Another big highlight for me during this trip was returning to see the Barusan shama that had bred earlier in year. Sadly, these are Critically Endangered too. The shama are the first species to successfully breed and rear young at the Haven in 2025 and seeing the chicks thriving was a huge milestone. It has been very rewarding to work alongside and train the staff in Sumatra and successful breeding shows this commitment is really worthwhile.
My trip was only made possible by the generous donation from local Durrell supporters. We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful friends, who help us make huge impact and support our mission of saving species from extinction every day.