In Bali, Bird Sellers Help Endangered Mynah Make a Comeback

A Bali mynah prepared to be released into the wild perch on three branches inside an enclosure in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia on April 17, 2022. (AP)

Tossing flowing crests back and forth, three snow-white Bali mynahs share a branch, squawking and looking around with the trademark blue patches around their eyes catching sunlight. Minutes later, four more join - a sight that would have been impossible in the wild two decades ago.

But by working with bird breeders and sellers - the very group that contributed to the prized birds becoming critically endangered - conservationists are releasing them in Bali province, hoping to boost the wild population.