A CRITICALLY endangered female songbird has arrived at Dudley Zoo with the hope of saving the species from the brink of extinction.

An 11-month old female Bali Mynah has found a new home in the Black Country from Heidelberg Zoo in Germany, as part of a European Endangered Species Programme to the join the a male Bali Mynah who moved to the zoo earlier this year.

The Bali Mynah is one of the rarest bird species on the planet, with fewer than 50 left in the wild.

It is hoped the pair at Dudley Zoo will breed and add to the species numbers.

Nicola Wright, Birds Sections Leader, said: “We’re delighted the female’s here and the two have quickly settled together in the aviary so we’re hopeful we can soon play our part in increasing the numbers of this critically endangered and beautiful species which find themselves on the brink of extinction.”

The Castle Hill attraction is currently raising awareness and funds for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation campaign ‘Silent Forest, Asian Songbird Crisis’ which aims to save the endangered birds and to date has raised more than $3,000 to help tackle the crisis.