Invented by Malaysian beverage manager Jeffrey Ong in 1973, it has been recognized by the International Bartenders Association as an official cocktail since 2024.

[1] The Jungle Bird debuted on 6 July 1973 at the Aviary Bar at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where beverage manager Jeffrey Ong invented it as the welcome drink for guests.

[2] The cocktail's name was inspired by the colorful tropical birds fenced in at the namesake aviary visible from the bar.

[2][3] The cocktail gained international recognition after it was included in the 1989 book The New American Bartender's Guide by John J. Poister, with the recipe generically calling for dark rum.

[3][4] On what inspired him to include the cocktail in the book, Berry recounted: "The only thing that made it interesting was that Campari was in it.