Songbird trade in Indonesia: 2,775 wild birds seized from a bus

What did the joint patrol find at Bakauheni port?

The stop came during a patrol monitoring the movement of wild plants and animals on 26–27 September 2026. According to Lampung quarantine and the police, officers checked a bus on the Palembang–Bandung route at around 20.30 WIB on Saturday 26 September; one outlet gives 19.57 WIB.

The luggage hold held 71 fruit baskets and five boxes of birds loaded at Kertapati in Palembang and bound for Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta. There was no animal health certificate (SKKH) or domestic wildlife transport permit (SATS-DN), and the load had not been declared to quarantine.

The patrol involved the Bengkulu conservation agency (BKSDA) through its Lampung section, Lampung quarantine, forestry law enforcement (Gakkum), the navy, the Bakauheni port police and a conservation organisation. The driver and conductor were questioned; the bus and two phones were secured.

Sources: Patroli Gabungan Gagalkan Pengiriman 2.775 Burung dari Sumatera ke Jawa ↗ · Bus Palembang-Jakarta Diperiksa di Bakauheni, Petugas Temukan 2.775 Burung dalam Bagasi ↗ · Petugas amankan 2.775 burung tanpa dokumen di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗

Which birds were on the bus, and are any protected?

Quarantine counted 18 types and the police 19. The most numerous were yellow-vented bulbuls (950), Javan mynas (480), bar-winged prinias (360), ashy tailorbirds (283) and long-tailed shrikes (177), plus sunbirds, white-eyes, weavers, common ioras and cinereous tits.

Official statements focused on the missing documents rather than protection status. The yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier), Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus) and bar-winged prinia (Prinia familiaris) are not listed in the P.106/2018 annex, which does include the black-winged myna (Acridotheres melanopterus).

That does not make them safe. The IUCN Red List rates the Javan myna Vulnerable and the bar-winged prinia Near Threatened. Taking any wild animal from nature is also allowed only within government quotas.

Sources: Bus Palembang-Jakarta Diperiksa di Bakauheni, Petugas Temukan 2.775 Burung dalam Bagasi ↗ · Petugas amankan 2.775 burung tanpa dokumen di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ · Patroli Gabungan Gagalkan Pengiriman 2.775 Burung dari Sumatera ke Jawa ↗ · Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Acridotheres javanicus (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ · Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Prinia familiaris (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ · Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Pycnonotus goiavier (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ · JDIH BPK: Permen LHK No. 18 Tahun 2024 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis TSL dalam bentuk Penangkaran, Pemeliharaan untuk Kesenangan, Perdagangan, dan Peragaan ↗

Why is Bakauheni a bird smuggling route?

Bakauheni is the main crossing for people, vehicles and goods between Sumatra and Java. Donni Muksydayan, head of Lampung quarantine, said birds packed into baskets or boxes in bus holds were a known method: “This pattern we have found several times.”

On 17 July 2026 officers seized 977 undocumented birds in boxes, and on 4 September 2026 they found 1,106 birds of 15 species in the cab of a cattle lorry. Those three cases alone stopped 4,858 birds.

Demand is high. A survey published in 2020 estimated that a third of Java's 36 million households keep 66–84 million cage birds, and that 76% of keepers own native species. Market studies report high death rates during capture, transport and transit.

Sources: Bus Palembang-Jakarta Diperiksa di Bakauheni, Petugas Temukan 2.775 Burung dalam Bagasi ↗ · Coba Kelabui Petugas Pakai Kardus Cokelat, Pengiriman 977 Burung asal Sumsel Digagalkan di Bakauheni ↗ · Ribuan Burung Liar Diselundupkan Bersama Sapi, Petugas Gabungan Amankan Truk di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ · Marshall et al. (2020) Spatio-temporal dynamics of consumer demand driving the Asian Songbird Crisis, Biological Conservation 241 ↗ · Disentangling the legal and illegal wildlife trade: insights from Indonesian wildlife market surveys (Animals, 2022) ↗

What happened to the seized green leafbirds (cucak ijo)?

The cucak ijo, or greater green leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati), is prized for mimicking other birds. At around 01.00 WIB on 29 August 2026, quarantine officers and forestry law enforcement at Jamrud port, Surabaya, seized 186 green leafbirds (177 alive, 9 dead) and four olive-winged bulbuls.

A 45-year-old man was named a suspect on 31 August 2026, and the investigation continues. On 25 September 2026 a news site reported that hundreds of cucak ijo had returned to their habitat, but we found no official statement on when or where any release took place.

On 30 September 2026, Central Java quarantine said 32 green leafbirds from a ship from Kumai had gone to the Central Java BKSDA for rehabilitation before release. The species is entry 297 in the P.106/2018 annex and is rated Endangered by the IUCN.

Sources: Kemenhut gagalkan perdagangan 190 burung liar di pelabuhan Surabaya ↗ · Siaran Pers SP.507/HKLN/09/2026: Ini Burung Kicau Mania 'Kasta Atas' yang Diselamatkan Kemenhut dari Pedagangan Liar ↗ · Ratusan Cucak Ijo Berhasil Pulang ke Habitatnya, “Kicau Mania” Perlu Edukasi soal Perlindungan Satwa ↗ · 556 Burung yang Diamankan Karantina Jateng Dipulangkan ke Kalimantan, 32 Cucak Ijo Direhabilitasi ↗ · Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Chloropsis sonnerati (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗

What does the law say about moving wild birds without documents?

Police cited Article 88(a) and (c) of Law 21/2019 on animal, fish and plant quarantine. Quarantine asks people to report before moving animals between regions.

Ministerial Regulation 18/2024 limits taking wild animals from nature to quotas and lists the SATS-DN as a valid document. In 2016 harvest quotas existed for only about 80 bird species, with a median of 140 birds per species a year.

For protected species such as the green leafbird, Law 32/2024 bans hunting, keeping, transporting and trading them alive; after the Law 1/2026 adjustment, the penalty is up to 15 years in prison and/or a category VII fine (Rp5 billion). Article 337 of the Criminal Code covers animal cruelty but has not been cited at Bakauheni.

Sources: Petugas amankan 2.775 burung tanpa dokumen di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ · Bus Palembang-Jakarta Diperiksa di Bakauheni, Petugas Temukan 2.775 Burung dalam Bagasi ↗ · JDIH BPK: Permen LHK No. 18 Tahun 2024 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis TSL dalam bentuk Penangkaran, Pemeliharaan untuk Kesenangan, Perdagangan, dan Peragaan ↗ · Disentangling the legal and illegal wildlife trade: insights from Indonesian wildlife market surveys (Animals, 2022) ↗ · UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ · JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (Lampiran, no. 183) ↗ · JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP (Pasal 337) ↗

What should bird keepers know?

Check the species against the P.106/2018 annex, which lists, for example, the greater green leafbird (entry 297) and the Bali myna (665). The white-rumped shama, Javan pied starling and straw-headed bulbul were removed in 2018.

Pet birds must come from captive breeding or legal trade in captive-bred birds, with markings, certificates and/or valid documents and BKSDA approval. First-generation captive-bred birds of protected species may not be traded.

The Bakauheni birds were also checked for avian influenza. The WHO names exposure to infected animals or live bird markets as the main risk factor for human bird flu.

Sources: Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ · Pakar UGM sayangkan pencabutan status lima jenis burung dari daftar dilindungi ↗ · JDIH BPK: Permen LHK No. 18 Tahun 2024 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis TSL dalam bentuk Penangkaran, Pemeliharaan untuk Kesenangan, Perdagangan, dan Peragaan ↗ · Patroli Gabungan Gagalkan Pengiriman 2.775 Burung dari Sumatera ke Jawa (halaman 2) ↗ · WHO fact sheet: Influenza (avian and other zoonotic) ↗

What happens next

• All 2,775 birds were released on Sunday 27 September 2026 by the Bakauheni port police with the BKSDA and Lampung quarantine.
• The driver and conductor were questioned; the reports we reviewed did not mention anyone being named a suspect.
• Forestry law enforcement is still investigating the Jamrud case; the suspect is presumed innocent unless a court rules otherwise.

Common questions

Animals in this story

Birds

Widespread in western Indonesia, including Sumatra, Java, Bali and Kalimantan

Yellow-vented bulbul

Pycnonotus goiavier

A songbird with a conspicuous yellow vent that often uses gardens, parks and forest edges. Local studies document fruit and insect feeding.

Birds

Records: Nusa Tenggara, Java, Sumatra

Common Iora

Aegithina tiphia

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia). The common iora uses scrub and forest edges; plumage varies among populations, so a photograph from one region may differ from another.

Birds

Java, Bali, Madura and Nusa Penida (endemic to Indonesia)

Black-winged myna

Acridotheres melanopterus

The black-winged myna (Acridotheres melanopterus) is a white, black-winged starling endemic to Java and Bali, almost wiped out in the wild by the bird trade.

Birds

Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali, including Enggano Island (now hard to find in the wild on Java and Bali)

Common hill myna

Gracula religiosa

The common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) is a glossy black myna with yellow wattles, famous for its ability to mimic human speech.

Birds

Bali; released populations must be distinguished from original range

Bali myna

Leucopsar rothschildi

A distinctive white bird of Bali with blue skin around the eyes. Its story connects the bird trade, habitat, conservation breeding, and community stewardship.

Birds

Sumatra and nearby islands, Borneo and Java (now very rare in the wild on Java)

White-rumped shama

Copsychus malabaricus

The white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a forest songbird with a rich song whose Indonesian populations have fallen through trapping for trade.

Birds

Borneo (remnant populations in remote areas) and possibly Sumatra; extinct on Java

Straw-headed bulbul

Pycnonotus zeylanicus

The straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is a large, straw-crowned bulbul now Critically Endangered because of trapping for the bird trade.

Birds

Java and Bali (now possibly extinct in the wild)

Javan pied starling

Gracupica jalla

The Javan pied starling (Gracupica jalla) is a black-and-white starling of Java and Bali that may now be extinct in the wild because of the cagebird trade.

Sources and references

1. Bus Palembang-Jakarta Diperiksa di Bakauheni, Petugas Temukan 2.775 Burung dalam Bagasi ↗ — Badan Karantina Indonesia, 2026-09-28
2. Patroli Gabungan Gagalkan Pengiriman 2.775 Burung dari Sumatera ke Jawa ↗ — VIVA Lampung, 2026-09-27
3. Petugas amankan 2.775 burung tanpa dokumen di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ — ANTARA, 2026-09-27
4. 2.775 Burung Dilepasliarkan Usai Diamankan di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ — Media Lampung, 2026-09-28
5. Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ — Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan), 2018-12-28
6. Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Acridotheres javanicus (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ — GBIF / IUCN Red List
7. Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Prinia familiaris (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ — GBIF / IUCN Red List
8. Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Pycnonotus goiavier (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ — GBIF / IUCN Red List
9. JDIH BPK: Permen LHK No. 18 Tahun 2024 tentang Pemanfaatan Jenis TSL dalam bentuk Penangkaran, Pemeliharaan untuk Kesenangan, Perdagangan, dan Peragaan ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2024-10-18
10. Coba Kelabui Petugas Pakai Kardus Cokelat, Pengiriman 977 Burung asal Sumsel Digagalkan di Bakauheni ↗ — VIVA Lampung, 2026-07-17
11. Ribuan Burung Liar Diselundupkan Bersama Sapi, Petugas Gabungan Amankan Truk di Pelabuhan Bakauheni ↗ — VIVA Lampung, 2026-09-05
12. Marshall et al. (2020) Spatio-temporal dynamics of consumer demand driving the Asian Songbird Crisis, Biological Conservation 241 ↗ — Biological Conservation (Elsevier), 2020-01-01
13. Disentangling the legal and illegal wildlife trade: insights from Indonesian wildlife market surveys (Animals, 2022) ↗ — Animals (MDPI), via PubMed Central, 2022-03-01
14. Kemenhut gagalkan perdagangan 190 burung liar di pelabuhan Surabaya ↗ — ANTARA Jawa Timur, 2026-09-03
15. Siaran Pers SP.507/HKLN/09/2026: Ini Burung Kicau Mania 'Kasta Atas' yang Diselamatkan Kemenhut dari Pedagangan Liar ↗ — Kementerian Kehutanan, 2026-09-08
16. Ratusan Cucak Ijo Berhasil Pulang ke Habitatnya, “Kicau Mania” Perlu Edukasi soal Perlindungan Satwa ↗ — KOMBI.ID, 2026-09-25
17. 556 Burung yang Diamankan Karantina Jateng Dipulangkan ke Kalimantan, 32 Cucak Ijo Direhabilitasi ↗ — Badan Karantina Indonesia, 2026-09-30
18. Kategori Daftar Merah IUCN untuk Chloropsis sonnerati (checklist IUCN yang diterbitkan ulang GBIF) ↗ — GBIF / IUCN Red List
19. UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2024-08-07
20. JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (Lampiran, no. 183, Pasal 40A ayat (2)) ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2026-01-02
21. JDIH BPK: UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2023-01-02
22. Pakar UGM sayangkan pencabutan status lima jenis burung dari daftar dilindungi ↗ — Universitas Gadjah Mada, 2018-10-11
23. Patroli Gabungan Gagalkan Pengiriman 2.775 Burung dari Sumatera ke Jawa (halaman 2) ↗ — VIVA Lampung, 2026-09-27
24. WHO fact sheet: Influenza (avian and other zoonotic) ↗ — World Health Organization
25. JDIH BPK: Permen LHK No. P.20 Tahun 2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2018-06-29
26. Permen LHK P.20/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/6/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi (lampiran) ↗ — JDIH BPK, 2018-06-29

This story was written by the PanduanHewan editorial team from the reports and official sources listed; we do not copy other outlets. Facts may change as the story develops; the update date is shown at the top. Send a correction

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