Javan Kingfisher

Extremely difficult to approach this bird. This is the first series of shots I have managed in a year. Indonesian birds have every right to be shy, as there is a massive cage bird industry which has decimated the wild bird populations. Any wild bird with a colorful plumage is a rarity, in a country that should be teeming with colorful birds. <br><br>

The caged bird occult is a ‘man thing’. Something to do with his power over nature. Of course, it still counts when he pays seasoned professional hunters to capture the birds for him. <br><br>

This practice has to be outlawed, as all Indonesian birds are heading for the red list. Many times a day, I see caged birds being transported on the backs of motorbikes to their new owners – criminal.