The Last Black-Throated Laughing Thrush/Poksay [Garrulax Chinensis Chinensis] in Town

This is my new Black-Throated Laughing Thrush [Garrulax Chinensis Chinensis] or Poksay as we, the birds lover in Indonesia, like to call it that way. This bird kind used to be very famous in Indonesia in decade 80's, when the faucet of importing the birds from out side of Indonesia is widely opened. This is the paradise era for the birds lover in here as so many kind of birds from other countries, other continents, are easy to be found in varies. It is now very difficult to find this bird in Indonesia today. Some other birds also had same condition as this bird, such as Garrulax Canorus, Red-billed Leiothrix or "Pekin Nightingale" [Leiothrix Lutea].
Actually, first time I had this 'Poksay' is around 1984. I did not know how to choose which one is female and what is the male looks like. So, the first Poksay I bought was the female one, in which she could not produce any good sound. Just one single female song. What a pathetic beginner's way to learn. Secondly, I was smarter, of course I could get the male one, which already tamed, singing often. The price for male Poksay was 15,000 rupiah at that time and the female was about 7,500 rupiah, half price of the male.

It is now 2011. It's been 27 years after the first time I had my Poksay/Black-Throated Laughing Thrush. Suddenly, accidentally along my regular weekly trip of project's site visit from Surabaya to Bojonegoro, a regency, a city district of Province East Java, I found a Poksay, one of the Poksay left, stay alive, in 3rd millennium in Indonesia in a birds shop/seller. I said to myself, shit, this is very great, man ... So I asked the seller about the price to take this bird to be my collection. Whoaa, the price has been goes up 50 to 100 times from the first price I got many years ago. Ok, it is normal ... So I pay it and take it home.
This bird looks so good in condition, physically. No less, but a very mature one. For your information, the last imported Poksay came from China introduced in to Indonesia was around late 90's or at least in the early of 2000. So, imagine how old is it? It must be more than 10 years old right now ..... and it is still singing and fit in its condition.
When I took this bird to my home, it was in molting condition, so I did not even hear its sound or its sings. Several days later, once its molting period is out of the blue, it is start to sing. Unfortunately, the molting period for the bird which is very mature often took a little bit longer than usually happen to its kind. This means that its sings not as much as I hope, maybe I should wait until all the feathers are complete or replaced by new feathers.
I've been thinking maybe I have to buy some other birds to accompany this bird, which has sound or sings close to this kind. One of the bird that has sound looks like or closely sounded like this Black-Throated Laughing Thrush is the Oriole kind. Specifically the Black-Naped Oriole [Oriolus Chinensis Maculatus]. This bird has unique sound and I have found one, which had all criteria I want, in the same seller as I bought the Black-Throated Laughing Thrush. The Oriole, or 'Kepodang' as we used to call it, I mentioned had the criteria, was very tamed, sings very often and youngster. But the bad thing is, I think it also in the middle of its molting period, but fortunately it still sings very good.
The funny thing is, every time there is a cake seller is passing by, using its car and sounding the jingle of its brand, with funny music, this bird is singing suddenly. I did not realize this fact, until one day I realize by hear the same song of those two different entities, at the same time, everyday.

Early Days

I have been introduced to care birds since I was a kid by my grand father, indirectly. He had several birds of pigeon kinds, such as: Spotted Dove [Streptopelia chinensis], Eurasian Collared Dove [Streptopelia Decaocto].
My own real 'career' in ornithology was started when I was in elementary school that time, by caring some pigeons/doves, buying some munias and weavers from 'mobile' birds seller, which using bicycle he brings a lot of munias and weavers. Some of those munias were stained by water base colors, pretty weird and he thinks it's funny for the kids. I don't think so. It was very stupid.
Couple years later, I was in junior high school, and this time was the beginning of my real ornithology session. I started to buy Black Headed Bulbul/Kutilang [Pycnototus Aurigaster], Yellow Vented Bulbul/Terucuk [Pycnototus Goavier], Straw-Headed Bulbul/Cucak Rawa [Pycnototus Zeylanicus] and by the time goes by, I went into other kind, such as White-rumped Shama/Murai Batu [Copsychus Malabaricus], Oriental Magpie Robin/Kacer [Copsycus Saularis], Pied Bushchat/Decu [Saxicola caprata], Black-naped Oriole/Kepodang [Oriolus chinensis], Black-faced Laughingthrush/Poksay [Garrulax Affinis], Streaked Laughingthrush/Samho [Garrulax lineatus], Asian Pied Starling/Jalak Uret [Gracupica Contra], Common Fiscal/Cendet [Lanius Collaris], etc. Some of the birds I bought in Kupang Bird Market, some of them I got from Bratang Bird Market and the rest I took from some birds sellers in some places around in Surabaya.
This picture is showing some of my collections in 1985, when I lived in Surabaya. Start from the left in the picture, inside the yellow small cage is my first 'Cendet', a Common Fiscal [Lanius Collaris], which is very stern, as I could remember. It seems always bite the hands close to it. The next one, in the middle, in the natural/brown cage, is 'Murai Batu', the White Rumped Shama [Copsychus Malabaricus]. This Shama is the smaller kind, its origin is Java. It has smaller size, shorter tail and shallower black feather in the neck. Its songs also not as good as its close 'cousin' which came from Malaya [Sumatra or Malaysia]. In Java, they used to called it 'Larwo', instead of 'Murai Batu' name. This kind, in Java, also already rare in the market or in the collector's hand and I think it was extinct by huge exploration during 80's to 90's era. The last one, first from the right, in the white cage, is the White Rumped Shama, a bigger kind, which come from Sumatra.
This 'Larwo' is very aggressive bird, it sings very often and very loud, since the dawn till the sun is set. It had good enough song any some variances, that was as I remembered. I got it from a bird seller who had a bird shop and he is a bird foods seller also, a small kiosk in Jalan Sumatra, Surabaya, a street side kiosk. Today, the kiosk is already swapped by local govt as they have planned to clean the city and try to make the city looks clean, neat and tidy in every place. Unfortunately, as they are the member of Copsychus family, they should be fed with Ant's Eggs or Crickets as they were the full Insects Consumers. This is the worst part, this dependence of high protein is making me always hunting for this bird food, which sometimes the availability in the market is unstable. I will takes time, effort and more money for this matter.