What Is Jalak Bali??!!!

       JALAK BALI

 JALAK BALI I A BIRD THAT ONLY CAN BE FOUND IN INDONESIA. ESPECIALLY IN BALI ISLAND.

THIS BIRD ALWAYS BE THE TARGET OF HUNTERS IN THE WORLD, BECAUSE IT HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LEATHER, AND NICE SOUND. THIS BIRD IS SO EXPENSIVE, SAME AS ELEPHANT TUSKS. THE ENDEMIC FAUNA OF BALI IS ONE OF MOST ENDANGERED ANIMAL IN THE WORLD. YOU WOULD NEVER FIND THIS FAUNA IN ANY OTHER PLACE, EXCEPT TAMAN NASIONAL BALI BARAT OR WEST BALI NATIONAL PARK ESPECIALLY GREAT PENINSULA PRAPAT ( EXACTLY KELOR GULF AND BRUMBUN GULF ), THEIR LAST HABITAT. SINCE 1966, IUCN ( INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES ) HAS LIST JALAK BALI INTO BALI STARLING DATA BOOK. BALI STARLING DATA BOOK IS THE BOOK THAT CONTAIN SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA WHICH THREATENED LOST. IN THEINTERNATIONAL TRADE CONVENTION FOR THE BODIES OD ILLEGAL CITES ( CONVENTION ONINTERNATIONAL TRADE ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FLORA AND FAUNA ), JALAK BALI IS INCLUDED ON APENDIX I GROUP, WHICH IS THE GROUP OF THREATENED EXTINCTION AND PROHIBITED FOR TRADE. IN A GLANCE, JALAK BALI OR BALI STARLING BIRD IS LOOKS LIKE SIMILAR WITH WHITE STARLING AND SUREN STARLING, BUT IN A CLOSE DISTANCE JALAK BALI HAS SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC. JALAK BALI HAS BEAUTIFUL DARK BROWN EYES AND THE AREA IN IT EYELIDS ARE NOT HAIRY WITH A DARK BLUE COLOUR. MOST OF IT FEATHERS ARE PURELY WHITE EXCEPT TIP OF TAIL FEATHER AND BLACK WINGS. BOTH MALE AND FEMALE STARLING HAS A BEAUTIFUL CREST, AND THEY ALSO HAVE GRAY-BLUE FOOT WITH FOUR FINGERS. THE STARLINGS  USUALLY HAVE LONG POINTY BEAK ABOUT 2-5 CM, WITH A DISTINCTIVE FORM IN WHICH THE ELEVATION OF THE TOP THERE IS A FLATTENED UPRIGHT. IT’S NOT EASY TO DISTINGUISH THE SIZE OF BALI STARLING BIRD BODIES OF MALES AND FEMALES, BUT IN GENERAL THE MALES SLIGHTLY BIGGER AND HAS A LONGER PONYTAIL. BALI STARLING HAS EGG-SHAPED BLUISH-GREEN OVAL WITH THE LONGEST AVERAGE DIAMETER OF 3 CM AND THE SMALLEST DIAMETER OF 2 CM. NATURALLY, JALAK BALI WOULD BE BREEDING IN THE PERIOD OF RAINY SEASON OR RANGING IN NOVEMBER THROUGH TO MAY

JALAK BALI - ENDEMIC ANIMAL OF INDONESIA

Jalak Bali

Indonesia is a country which is rich with it beautiful nature and flora/ fauna. In Bali, we know Jalak Bali Bird or Bali Starling Bird ( Leucopsar Rothschildi ), which is endangered endemic of Bali. In Bali, it is the symbol of Bali province. You would never found this fauna in any other place except West Bali National Park, in the northern part of Bali island.

History of Jalak Bali Birds

Jalak Bali first discovered was reported by Dr. Baron Stressmann, The British Ornithologist, on March 24^th 1911. By 1925, Dr. Baron Victor Von Plessen conductadvanced research and found the spread of Jalak Bali bird right from Bubunan until Gilimanuk.  The widespread deployment is approximately 320 km2. In 1928, five tail of Jalak Bali birds brought to England and successfully bred in 1931. The next research result, Jalak Bali birds was bred in San Diego Zoo, USA in 1962.

Endemic Bird which is endangered

Jalak Bali, The endemic fauna of Bali is one of most endangered animal in the world. You would never find this fauna in any other place, except Taman Nasional Bali Barat or West Bali National Park especially Great Peninsula Prapat ( exactly Kelor Gulf and Brumbun Gulf ), their last habitat. Since 1966, IUCN ( International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ) has list Jalak Bali into Bali Starling Data Book. Bali Starling Data Book is the book that contain species of flora and fauna which threatened lost. In TheInternational Trade Convention for The Bodies od Illegal CITES ( Convention onInternational Trade Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna ), Jalak Bali is included on Apendix I group, which is the group of threatened extinction and prohibited for trade.

In Indonesia it self, The Government issued a decree of The Minister of Agriculture No. 421/Kpts/Um/8/70 at August 26^th 1970 declare that Jalak Bali is being protected by Indonesian Law.

In other writing statement, Indonesia Government also mention Jalak Bali as the wildlife  laws, which is declare on Appendix of PP ( Peraturan Pemerintah/ Government Rule ) No. 7 Year of 1999 and Laws No. 9 year of 1990 :

1.    Anyone with deliberately capture, injure, kill, keep, own, maintain, transport, and trade protected animals alive; (Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a), punishable by a maximum imprisonment of 5 (five) years and a fine maximum of Rp. 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah) (Article 40 paragraph (2)).

2.     Anyone who purposely keep, own, maintain, transport, and trade protected animals in a state of death (Article 21 paragraph (2) letter b) shall be punishable with imprisonment of 5 (five) years and a maximum fine of Rp.100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah) (Article 40 paragraph (2)).

3.    With deliberately trade, store or have skin, body, or other parts of protected animals or goods made from these parts or removing it from somewhere in Indonesia to other places within or outside Indonesia; (Article 21 paragraph (2) letter d) shall be punishable with imprisonment of 5 (five) years and a maximum fine of Rp. 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah) (Article 40 paragraph (2)).

Classification, Characteristic & Morphology

Kingdom          : Animalia 
Phylum                        : Chordata 
Class               : Aves 
Order               : Fasseriformes 
Family             : Sturnidae 
Genus             : Leucospar 
Species                       : Leucopsar rothschildi (Stressmann 1912)

Local Name    : Bali Starling, Curik White, White Bali Starling

In a glance, Jalak Bali or Bali Starling Bird is looks like similar with White Starling and Suren Starling, but in a close distance Jalak Bali has special characteristic. Jalak Bali has beautiful dark brown eyes and the area in it eyelids are not hairy with a dark blue colour. Most of it feathers are purely white except tip of tail feather and black wings. Both male and female starling has a beautiful crest, and they also have gray-blue foot with four fingers. The starlings  usually have long pointy beak about 2-5 cm, with a distinctive form in which the elevation of the top there is a flattened upright. It’s not easy to distinguish the size of Bali starling bird bodies of males and females, but in general the males slightly bigger and has a longer ponytail. Bali Starling has egg-shaped bluish-green oval with the longest average diameter of 3 cm and the smallest diameter of 2 cm. Naturally, Jalak Bali would be breeding in the period of rainy season or ranging in November through to May

Ocean Life: Green Sea Turtle

Ocean Life: Green Sea Turtle - Characteristics

Name Green Sea Turtles get their name from the color of their body fat, which is green from the algae or grasses they eat. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle population, is known by its Hawaiian name Honu. History Green Sea Turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and returned to the sea to live. The first turtles appeared during the Triassic period, 245 to 208 million years ago. Fossils for the earliest known sea turtles appear in the Late Jurassic period, 208 to 144 million years ago. Turtles are one of the few species that watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct. As reptiles, sea turtles possess the following traits: They are cold-blooded, meaning they get their body heat from the environment. They breathe air. Their skin is scale Status Now, scientists recognize seven species of these marine reptiles. The recognized sea turtle species are as follows: Greens, Hawksbill, Kemp's Ridley, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Flatback and Leatherback. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is listed as threatened, the Flatback is listed as vulnerable, and all other species are listed as endangered. Green Sea Turtle populations of Hawaii are threatened and protected in Hawaii under state law. Populations of Green Sea Turtles off the coast of Florida and the Pacific coast of Mexico are listed as endangered. Green Sea Turtles are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act, and listed under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). CITES makes it illegal to import or export turtle products. Shell In addition to their reptilian traits, all species of turtles except the Leatherback have evolved a bony outer shell, which protects them from predators. The Leatherback is the only soft-shelled sea turtle and is in a family by itself. The shell covers the dorsal (back) and ventral (belly) surfaces of a sea turtle. The dorsal portion of the shell is the carapace and is covered with scale-like structures called scutes, while the ventral portion of the shell is known as the plastron. Experts can identify species of sea turtles by the number and pattern of scutes on the carapace. The shell is considered the most highly developed protective armor of any vertebrate species. While most land turtles can retract their heads into their shells for added protection, sea turtles cannot and their heads remain out at all times. Color Green Sea Turtles have green flesh. The carapace is olive brown to black, while the plastron is pale yellow to creamy white. The carapace is molted, variegated in color. Rarely will you find a Green Sea Turtle with a solid colored shell. Counter-shading of the shell conceals the turtle from predators, making it difficult to distinguish the dark carapace from the sea floor and the light plastron from the lighter sky. Size Green Sea Turtles as hatchlings weigh about an ounce and have a carapace length of 2 inches. A sexually mature green sea turtle weighs 200-350 pounds with a carapace length of 2.5 feet. Adults grow to a carapace length of 3.5 feet and weigh an average of 400 pounds. One of the largest turtles that ever lived from the Late Cretaceaus period, 144 to 65 million years ago, reached a length of 9.8-13 feet. Lifespan The lifespan of sea turtles is not known. It is believed that Green Sea Turtles reach sexual maturity around the age of 25 years and can live up to 80 years of age. The long period of maturation helps to explain why it takes turtles so many years to recover from a population decline. Shape Sea turtles are wonderfully adapted to life in the ocean. Their shells are lighter and more streamlined than land turtles. Front and rear limbs have evolved into flippers. These flippers make sea turtles efficient and graceful swimmers, capable of swimming long distances in a short time.