Despite Thousands in Captivity, This Rare Songbird Is Going Extinct
Long coveted for songbird competitions in Indonesia, black-winged mynahs have almost disappeared from the wild.
Common only 20 years ago, three black-winged mynah species now face extinction in the wild, with an estimated 500 remaining. Meanwhile some 40,000 live in captivity in Indonesia, according to new research.
Researchers fear the black-winged mynah could go the way of the scimitar-horned oryx, an antelope native to the Sahara that went extinct in the wild around 2000 from overhunting but still exists in large numbers in captivity.
Black-winged mynahs, gray-rumped mynahs, and gray-backed mynahs are closely related species in the starling family that are endemic to Indonesia. Until recently, they were considered the same species, and researchers still often colloquially use the term “black-winged mynah” to refer to all three. They’re prized for their striking plumage—white body, black wings, and
