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Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Earth Matters  >  Malaysia’s Songbird Craze and Crisis 

Malaysia’s Songbird Craze and Crisis 

Low Choon Chyuan, independent journalist | Wong Siew Lyn, Editor, Macaranga | Dato' Dr Amar Singh-HSS, Editor, Malaysian Bird Report

14-May-25 15:00

Malaysia’s Songbird Craze and Crisis 

Songbird competitions are a cherished tradition across Malaysia, but behind the melodic chirps and prized trophies lies a booming - and troubling - trade. Recent investigations have revealed how demand for birds like the Oriental Magpie-robin and Red-whiskered Bulbul is pushing wild populations to the brink, all while legal protections lag behind. All of this is covered in Macaranga's latest two-part series on songbirds, and we speak with the researchers and journalists behind this story - Low Choon Chyuan, independent journalist, Wong Siew Lyn, editor, Macaranga, Dato' Dr Amar Singh-HSS, editor, Malaysian Bird Report - to understand what’s driving the craze, the costs to conservation, and what can be done before it’s too late.


Image Credit: Mukhriz Hazim | Macaranga

Produced by: Juliet Jacobs

Presented by: Juliet Jacobs


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Categories:  environment

Tags:  the bigger pictureearth mattersMalaysian songbirdssongbird competitionsbird marathonMalaysian bird reportbird collectingRed-whiskered Bulbulconservationmacarangaoriental magpie-robin





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