Yala is one of the southern provinces that favor Java Songbirds. It is widely believed that Java Songbirds are good luck charms that would bring good luck to their owners. The Yala Municipality Authority and the Java Songbird Owner Association annually stage the ASEAN Java Songbird Contest on the first weekend of March. The first contest was held in B.E. 2529 and was very successful, leading to the annual event held on the ground of Suan Khwan Mueang.