Bird Market Sukahagi

entrance to Sukahagi market

 

Today I checked out the local bird market. It was my first time to visit a bird market and of course I enjoyed it. A sensory experience, to be sure, with certain parts of it reminiscent of the vegetable market. The photos here are a very sanitized version of the experience, as they cannot possibly begin to convey the overall sights, sounds and smells of such a place.  

 

nice outside aisle

Bandung Bird Market Sukahagi is the fifth largest bird market in Indonesia with 150 vendors operating each day. How many birds does that translate to? It’s anyone’s guess! You probably already know that I’m a bird lover, at least I enjoy their company very much. But I’ll admit to sometimes feeling conflicted about keeping birds caged since it’s really their nature to fly free. I have won that argument with myself, concluding that my own birds could not survive in the wild, having lived their entire lives in captivity. 

have to feel sorry for these guys!

cute little guy from Holland

One of the things I’ve really admired here in Bandung are the bird cages hanging along the sides of busy streets. They are locally made, most commonly from bamboo. The prices are awesome when you consider their beauty and the hours of workmanship involved. The only thing that has prevented me from buying one (or more) is the little problem of getting on a plane with one. Also, I don’t believe they would be a bargain at all, if I had one packed and shipped half way around the world!

cages, cages everywhere!

 

Early after our arrival, I had planned to get a bird to enjoy while here and then find a good home for it before our departure. But birds can carry disease and there are certainly no avian vets here to give one a clean bill of health, so I finally decided it unwise to get one (especially after I re-read warnings on CDC website for Indonesia). So I won’t be enjoying a bird here and neither will I be buying a cage. But I figured there was no harm in looking. At least I hope there wasn’t (hopefully the Asian bird flu can’t be caught that easily)!

 boy with mice and playmate followed me around

woodpecker in captivity

The number of cages for sale was staggering! Many (if not all) are made here. The bamboo ones are probably the most common, although I did see others including some plastic jobs like you would see in any pet store. There were many, many different species of birds for sale, most I couldn’t identify. Of course there were the usual budgies, canaries, cockatiels, lovebirds, finches and such. But there were also some wild types including woodpeckers (why would anyone want a woodpecker in a cage?) and larger poultry (chickens, turkeys. ducks). The great majority of animals for sale were birds of course, but there were also a fair number of mice, hamsters, rabbits and even a few cats. Probably anything they can trap, they will put in a cage marked "jual".

you gotta love these guys!

Some of the cages were way overfilled and most of them were filthy (again, no surprise there). I was surprised that I didn’t notice more sickly/dying birds than I did. Many vendors sold bird food (seeds, mixes, crickets, live worms …) Some of the more enclosed areas smelled pretty awful so it was necessary to hold my breath as I passed through. I’m sure many of the birds could be had for next to nothing, though some of the more rare species would no doubt go for a fair amount of money.

and a Selamat Pagi to you!

cage craftsman

overcrowded housing

cockadoodle do!

The vendors were for the most part friendly and didn’t seem bothered by my taking photos of their birds. Some of them even wanted to be in the photos themselves. Groups of men congregate and smoke cigarettes and play cards to help the time pass. Children play while their mothers work. Overall, the market is a bustling destination for many locals. 

new home for a feathered friend?

this one had a beautiful lime green body