Mohd Faizal Jaffar wasn’t a big fan of birds until he caught a glimpse of a red-whiskered bulbul in 2013. It was lovely with brown plumage, scarlet patches on its face, and a black crest on the top of its head.
Although striking, it was the bird’s voice that captivated him. It turned him into a bird enthusiast.
Faizal has since left his job as an interior designer and is now the owner of House of Jambul, a business selling red-whiskered bulbuls in Kuala Lumpur. The birds at his shop are trained for competitions, where they are either judged by their appearance or voice.
He told FMT that his passion for these birds was ignited when he met a friend who also owned several – and one of them caught his attention.
“The bird’s voice was strong, and I sensed he could be trained for competitions,” Faizal, 42, said. Trusting his instincts, he bought the bird and named it MJ Akid.
“One day, when I randomly called him Akid, he responded. So I decided that would be his name,” Faizal said with a laugh.
“MJ”, he explained, is an acronym from the initials of “merbah jambul”, which is the name of the bird in Malay.
Training soon commenced. In a competition where a bird is judged for its voice, a winner is selected based on the number of times it responds to its human when it is called, making obedience an important factor.
“That is why I have to ensure I am not overly affectionate with Akid. Otherwise, he wouldn’t respond to me during competitions and would want to play instead.”
Faizal said proudly that in under three months, Akid began winning competitions – and has racked up more than 30 wins thus far!
Some of Faizal’s friends have even offered to buy Akid, which, unsurprisingly, he has declined.
However, both bird and human had a scary experience in January. “A cat came into my house and frightened Akid. As a result, he stopped singing for three weeks,” Faizal recalled.
Although he was worried, he never gave up believing that Akid would sing again. “And the day I heard his voice, I was so relieved.”
These days, Akid – who enjoys a healthy diet of apples and bananas as well as good-quality feed – is back to winning competitions and basking in his human’s love.
Faizal makes sure Akid has time to do activities he enjoys such as splashing in a tub of water and sunbathing after. It’s a blissful birdie life, indeed!
For this bird dad, it’s been a joy having Akid in his life. “When he sings, I feel very peaceful and it’s a great stress reliever.
“He is also my ‘alarm clock’ because he starts singing at 6.30am every day. When I hear his voice, I know it’s time to wake up and start my day, too.”
To other bird owners, Faizal has this advice: “Owning a bird is a commitment. Spend time with your bird and feed it well, as this will help it live a long life.”
House of Jambul
260, Wisma Mutiara Genting,
Jalan Ayer Jerneh off Jalan Genting Klang,
53200 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours:
- 11am-8pm (Mondays to Thursdays)
- 2pm-10pm (Saturdays and Sundays)
- Closed on Fridays and public holidays
Contact: 018-256 8004
This article was written by Sheela Vijayan. Read more pet stories here.
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