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tudents of four universities grouped under the Jakarta Bird Walk, have called on bird lovers to allow birds to live freely in the natural environment.

'€œFor those who love watching and listening to birds, we ask them to instead observe them in nature. Bird lovers should not imprison birds in cages. Releasing them into their natural habitat will allow them to live healthy lives,'€ Echi, 21, a bird watcher from Jakarta State University (UNJ), said during an organized bird watchers'€™ walk along the Ciliwung River in Condet, East Jakarta over the weekend.

She added that birds'€™ roles in the ecosystem had been affected by the capture and caging of the feathered Aves.

Citing the eagle, which was once on top of the food chain, she said: '€œDespite eagles being predators people tame them.'€

Echi also said her group had delivered an official letter to Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo asking the administration to address the blatant trade of rare birds at Pramuka Market in East Jakarta. Many of the species available at the market, she claimed, were protected.

She said that the smuggling of protected birds out of the country was common place while many others were tamed by bird lovers in cages.

The Jakarta Bird Walk has organized monthly bird watching events since last May in different open green spaces (RTH), giving university students the opportunity to see birds flying free.

Echi said the students were proud of being true bird lovers and their main mission was to identify all the bird species that call the city home.

'€œWe plan to go to Rambut islet in Thousand Islands regency [as it is home to] hundreds of bird species,'€ she said.

The group, she said, had identified 100 bird species in Jakarta and it planned to publish a book on the city'€™s birds.

Other universities involved in the Jakarta Bird Walk besides UNJ include the University of Indonesia (UI), the National University (UNAS) and the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN).

'€œWe can have anywhere from 20 to 70 people each month,'€ said Jihan, 19, another bird watcher from UNAS.

'€œSo far we have watched birds at Monas [National Monument]; Srengseng forest in West Jakarta; Pesanggrahan forest in South Jakarta; Suropati Park in Menteng in Central Jakarta; Senayan, South Jakarta; and here along the riverbank,'€ Jihan said in response to claims that only the mangrove forest in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, was suitable for bird watching.

Rida, 21, a UI biology student, said that first got involved in bird watching because of his major, but enjoyed it so much he decided to become actively involved.

'€œBirds can be indicators as to how well the ecology of certain locations is,'€ said Rida.

According to him, the absence of birds is a sign of environmental problem. (nai)