Rare Javan Green Magpie At Chester Zoo In Extinction Prevention Attempt

The Javan Green magpie is a Critically Endangered bird, bird endemic to West Java and little is known on the biology of this species in the wild, made all the more difficult due to the increasing difficulty in finding wild individuals.

Curator of Birds at Chester Zoo, Andrew Owen, explained that the project is a long-term one. Building up the bird population will take time, as will finding a safe natural place to release them into. Mr. Owen said: "It's a long-term project, it's going to take many years. We're in it for the long haul. We're going to do everything to stop these birds becoming extinct."