Jakarta, July 15 -- Indonesian authorities have foiled a smuggling attempt of more than 1,200 endangered Javan white-eye birds after discovering them stuffed into cages.

The popular cage-bird is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and a protected species by the Indonesian environment and forestry ministry.

Authorities found the huge cache of birds in eight cages on July 11, including 140 that died, at a port on Flores island in eastern Indonesia, Joko Waluyo, an official at a provincial conservation agency, told reporters on July 13.

The birds were due to be taken by ferry to Surabaya, a city in the east of Indonesia's main island Java.

Joko said the alleged perpetrator, who has not yet been...