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Songbird trade crisis in Southeast Asia leads to the formation of IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (Guest Editorial)
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... One example of a crisis narrative in conservation is the Asian Songbird Crisis (ASC). This crisis was labelled and declared by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017 in response to high rates of (il)legal bird trade across Southeast Asia (Shepherd and Cassey, 2017). According to the IUCN, this crisis declaration aims to prevent the 'imminent extinction of songbirds threatened by unsustainable trapping and the trade in wild-caught passerines' (Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group, 2018). ...
Different stakeholders and actors frequently describe environmental challenges as ‘crises’. These crises are often wicked problems that are difficult to resolve due to the complex and contradictory nature of the evidence and knowledge systems surrounding them. Here, we examine a crisis narrative surrounding the IUCN-declared Asian Songbird Crisis (ASC), with its epicentre in Indonesia, where an extensive birdkeeping culture persists. We investigate how bird extinction is perceived by different actors, particularly conservation law enforcement and practitioners working in this space. We unravel local perspectives on the complex relationship between bird trade and extinction through one-to-one interviews and focus groups. Our examination reveals a diversity of attitudes to the ASC, with many law enforcement actors not recognising the crisis label. Market mechanisms result in complex shifts in harvesting pressure onto one or more closely related similar species. The findings challenge the prevailing notion that species extinction significantly affects wildlife trades, emphasising the plastic nature of trade and the coming and going of species fashions. By revealing the divergent views of actors on extinction and the ASC, we highlight the need for shared language, particularly the implications of the ‘crisis’ label, around species extinction.
... Some species in the region have become threatened with extinction by trade Rheindt et al., 2019;Shepherd et al., 2016), and one heavily traded species, Javan pied starling (Gracupica jalla), may now be extinct in the wild (Nijman et al., 2021; van Balen & Collar, 2021). The concern this trade has generated led to the formation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (ASTSG) (Shepherd & Cassey, 2017). A heavy trade in songbirds for the cage-bird industry also occurs in South America (Alves et al., 2010(Alves et al., , 2012Charity & Ferreira, 2020;do Nascimento et al., 2015;Regueira & Bernard, 2012;Souto et al., 2017). ...
Trade represents a significant threat to many wild species and is often clandestine and poorly monitored. Information on which species are most prevalent in trade and potentially threatened by it therefore remains fragmentary. We used 7 global data sets on birds in trade to identify species or groups of species at particular risk and assessed the extent to which they were congruent in terms of the species recorded in trade. We used the frequency with which species were recorded in the data sets as the basis for a trade prevalence score that was applied to all bird species globally. Literature searches and questionnaire surveys were used to develop a list of species known to be heavily traded to validate the trade prevalence score. The score was modeled to identify significant predictors of trade. Although the data sets sampled different parts of the broad trade spectrum, congruence among them was statistically strong in all comparisons. Furthermore, the frequency with which species were recorded within data sets was positively correlated with their occurrence across data sets, indicating that the trade prevalence score captured information on trade volume. The trade prevalence score discriminated well between species identified from semi‐independent assessments as heavily or unsustainably traded and all other species. Globally, 45.1% of all bird species and 36.7% of globally threatened bird species had trade prevalence scores ≥1. Species listed in Appendices I or II of CITES, species with large geographical distributions, and nonpasserines tended to have high trade prevalence scores. Speciose orders with high mean trade prevalence scores included Falconiformes, Psittaciformes, Accipitriformes, Anseriformes, Bucerotiformes, and Strigiformes. Despite their low mean prevalence score, Passeriformes accounted for the highest overall number of traded species of any order but had low representation in CITES appendices. Geographical hotspots where large numbers of traded species co‐occur differed among passerines (Southeast Asia and Eurasia) and nonpasserines (central South America, sub‐Saharan Africa, and India). This first attempt to quantify and map the relative prevalence in trade of all bird species globally can be used to identify species and groups of species that may be at particular risk of harm from trade and can inform conservation and policy interventions to reduce its adverse impacts.
... Thus, whether enforcement actions can achieve maximum effectiveness relies on the scientific design of national conservation laws and regulations (12,13), and some studies have advocated for updating the protected species lists (46,49), and scientifically evaluating the scope of protection while taking into account the risks posed by the illegal wildlife trade. This would allow for the upgrading of smaller and "lower-value" species, like song birds, with a higher level of legal protection (50). With the addition of 23 native songbird species from our dataset to the State Key Protection list in 2021, China's State Key Protection list revision brought about a significantly greater level of protection (51). ...
Conservation enforcement is a direct strategy to combat illegal wildlife trade in open markets. Yet, its large-scale effectiveness has not been widely assessed due to the lack of extensive market data. Between August 2016 and June 2017, a national coordinated enforcement campaign led by the leading Chinese authority to combat illegal migratory bird trade coincided with the largest-ever pet bird market survey across China by voluntary birdwatchers before and after the enforcement, which served as a unique natural experiment. Across 73 markets from 22 Chinese provinces, the dataset contains 140,723 birds of 346 species from 48 families and recorded a drastic decline in bird abundance traded after enforcement. Notably, species protected under China's Wildlife Protection Law declined significantly, while commercially bred species increased, although responses to enforcement were spatially heterogeneous. Our model showed that the national protection level was the best predictor for the trend of traded species, even after accounting for confounding factors such as regional baseline enforcement pressure and wild native bird populations. However, the widely traded native songbirds were not offered adequate national protection. Future policies should consider the pet bird trade patterns, target key areas of trade, and develop a more systematic market survey design to monitor trade.
... Only 17 of the 550 modern zoos in Martin et al.'s [2] study are located in Southeast Asia, a region with over-exploited bird populations due to hunting pressures, overcollection and habitat degradation [22,23]. The situation facing birds in Southeast Asia is alarming, with some predictions that by 2100, one-third of bird species will be extinct [24]. ...
Zoo collection management is increasingly driven by meeting global conservation needs. Many avian species have experienced population declines throughout Southeast Asia, underscoring the importance of ex situ conservation in these countries. We focus on Thailand, a bird diversity hotspot with a long tradition of keeping birds in captive settings. We aimed to understand what drives species acquisition and maintenance in Thai zoos. To that end, we surveyed 55 zoos, making a complete inventory of reptiles, birds, and mammals on display. We recorded 249 bird species, of which 149 are not native to Thailand. Bird species diversity was positively correlated with mammal species diversity but not with the entry ticket price, the Gross Domestic Product of the province in which the zoo was based, or the size of the zoo. Diversity did differ significantly between zoo types (accredited, government and private zoos). There was a clear difference in the proportion of native and non-native species between zoos, with private zoos containing the highest number of non-native species, which may be related to the licensing status of these zoos. The composition of bird species in Thai zoos appears to be largely driven by their availability, the legal status for keeping them and serendipity. The conservation status seems to be of minor importance, contradicting the typical role of a zoo. To be considered global conservation players, zoos in countries of high species diversity, such as Thailand, have the unique opportunity to provide breeding programmes for some of the rarest species, yet they must improve their collection management plans to focus on such aims.
... With a burgeoning middle class in countries where caged birds are regarded as status symbols and owning birds is a deeply entrenched social practice, consumer demand for these birds is expected to grow even further (Marshall et al. 2020). High levels of trapping to meet increasingly insatiable market demand have already caused extinction or nearextinction in some Sundaic species, leading to the current 'Asian Songbird Crisis' (Baveja et al. 2021;Lee et al. 2016;Nijman 2010;Sadanandan et al. 2020;Shepherd and Cassey 2017). Monitoring trade routes of caged birds is critical for effective management and regulations to be implemented. ...
Wildlife trade is one of the major contributors to biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia, especially in songbirds. Wildlife forensics using genomic data can be instrumental in informing conservation action by identifying trade routes and animals’ provenance to help law enforcement. We obtained ~ 10,000 genome-wide markers spanning a panel of 87 wild, captive, and confiscated individuals of one of the most widely traded songbirds in Southeast Asia, Swinhoe’s white-eye (Zosterops simplex), to examine shifts in trade routes. Our population-genomic analyses reveal that a well-studied population of this white-eye on Singapore Island exhibits a major genomic contribution from the geographically distant subspecies simplex, reflecting historic trade into Singapore from China. In contrast, modern confiscated samples as well as a minority of wild Singapore samples carry the genomic signature of the Southeast Asian subspecies erwini, suggesting that modern trade sources in Singapore have shifted from China towards adjacent Malaysia. Our study highlights how accurate identification of trade routes can help conservationists’ efforts in tackling the growing songbird crisis in the region.
... Some species in the region have become threatened with extinction by trade , Rheindt et al. 2019, and indeed one heavily traded species, Javan Pied Starling Gracupica jalla, may now be extinct in the wild (Nijman et al. 2021, van Balen & Collar 2021. The exceptional concern this trade has generated led to the formation of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (ASTSG) (Shepherd & Cassey 2017). A heavy trade in songbirds for the cage-bird industry has also been reported in parts of South America (Alves et al. 2010, Alves et al. 2012, Regueira & Bernard 2012, do Nascimento et al. 2015, Souto et al. 2017, Charity & Ferreira 2020. ...
Trade represents a significant threat to many wild species and is often clandestine and poorly monitored. Information on which species are most prevalent in trade, and potentially threatened by it, therefore remains fragmentary. We mobilised seven global datasets on birds in trade to identify the species or groups of species that might be at particular risk. These datasets sample different parts of the broad trade spectrum but we nevertheless find a statistically strong congruence between them in which species are recorded in trade. Furthermore, the frequency with which species are recorded within datasets is positively correlated with their occurrence across datasets. This allows us to propose a trade prevalence score that can be applied to all bird species globally. This score discriminates well between species known from semi-independent assessments to be heavily or unsustainably traded and all other species. Globally, 45.1% of all bird species, and 36.7% of globally threatened bird species, were recorded in at least one of the seven datasets. Species listed in Appendices I or II of CITES, species with large geographical distributions and non-songbirds had higher trade prevalence scores. Speciose orders with high mean trade prevalence scores include the Falconiformes, Psittaciformes, Accipitriformes, Anseriformes, Bucerotiformes and Strigiformes. Despite their low mean prevalence score, Passeriformes accounted for the highest overall number of traded species of any order but had low representation in CITES Appendices. Geographical hotspots where large numbers of traded species co-occur differed between songbirds (South-East Asia and Eurasia) and non-songbirds (central South America, sub-Saharan Africa and India). This first attempt to quantify and map the relative prevalence in trade of all bird species globally can be used to identify species and groups of species which may be at particular risk of harm from trade and can inform conservation and policy interventions to reduce its adverse impacts.
Article impact statement
The first metric to estimate the prevalence in trade of all the world’s bird species is presented.
... We investigated how reproductive diversity in traded bird species is partitioned between captive-and wild-sourced birds. Birds are an excellent taxon to quantify this because of the relative abundance of trait data, high volumes traded, and broad transition from wild sources to captive sources (Harfoot et al., 2018) and because the interplay of wild and captive sourcing is crucial for resolving the current trade-driven Southeast Asian songbird crisis (Jepson, 2016;Shepherd & Cassey, 2017). ...
The wildlife trade is a billion‐dollar global business, involving millions of people, thousands of species, and hundreds of millions of individual organisms. Unravelling whether trade targets reproductively distinct species and whether this preference varies between captive‐ and wild‐sourced species is a crucial question. We used a comprehensive list of all bird species traded, trade listings and records kept in compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and a suite of avian reproductive parameters to examine whether wildlife trade is associated with particular facets of life history and to examine the association between life‐history traits and captive‐ and wild‐sourced traded volumes over time. Across all trade, CITES listing, and CITES trade, large birds were more likely to be traded and listed, but their longevity and age at maturity were not associated with CITES listing or trade. We found species across almost the full range of trait values in both captive and wild trade between 2000 and 2020. Captive trade volumes clearly associated with relatively longer lived and early‐maturing species; these associations remained stable and largely unchanged over time. Trait–volume associations in wild‐sourced trade were more uncertain. Only body mass had a clear association, and it varied from negative to positive over time. Although reproductive traits were important in captive‐sourced trade, species‐level variation dominated trade, with even congeneric species varying greatly in volume despite similar traits. The collection and incorporation of trait data into sustainability assessments of captive breeding facilities are crucial to ensure accurate quotas and guard against laundering.
... Third, behavioral change interventions that target consumers and other actors in the trade supply chain should be conducted, for example by encouraging singing competition categories exclusively for birds from commercial captive breeding or 'ranching', particularly for high-profile species such as the White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus (Burivalova et al., 2017;Veríssimo, 2013). Efforts should be made to better understand and address the underlying drivers of wild bird trapping through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach, such as that showcased by the Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (Burivalova et al., 2017;Marshall et al., 2019;Shepherd and Cassey, 2017). Counterintuitively, investing in active habitat restoration could increase accessibility, which may in turn increase hunting pressure. ...
Tropical forest restoration stands to deliver important conservation gains, particularly in lowland Southeast Asia, which has suffered some of the world's highest rates of recent forest loss and degradation. This promise, however, depends on the extent to which biodiversity at forest restoration sites continues to be exposed to threats. A key knowledge gap concerns the extent to which biodiversity recovery in naturally regenerating tropical forests is impacted by trapping for the multi-million-dollar wildlife trade. Here, we use a repeated survey dataset to quantify rates of avian community recovery under forest regeneration, at a flagship restoration site in the lowland rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. We show that over a decade, forest regeneration was associated with significant abundance increases for 43.8 % of bird species. However, the apparent negative impacts of trade-driven trapping on avian populations also intensified: the proportion of species dependent on very remote forests increased from 5.4 % to 16.2 %. Moreover, the overall accessibility of the forest increased. We found that 14 % of species did not recover as fast as predicted based on the observed forest regeneration over the study period. We found trapping to disproportionately impact species targeted for trade: compared to opportunistically trapped species, twice more species showed increased abundance only in very remote forests. Our results highlight the potential for rapid avifaunal recovery in regenerating tropical forests, but also emphasize the urgency of tackling the serious threat of wildlife trade to Southeast Asia's biodiversity.
Alexander Lees and Pramana Yuda introduce the songbird trade of Southern and Eastern Asia that is a major threat to regional bird populations.
We here describe a new subspecies of the white-rumped shama Copsychus malabaricus from the western islands of the Thai Malay Peninsula. The new subspecies is mitogenomically distinct from other members of the complex. Morphologically, its tail is longer and the black breast in males is much less extensive than in males of all other taxa. The discovery of a new shama in a relatively well-explored part of Southeast Asia brings to light a gap in our taxonomic understanding of tropical Asian birds, which continue to be understudied. The new Langkawi shama is the subject of extensive specialized poaching efforts, and its survival may be at risk, calling for immediate conservation action.
Currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Straw-headed
Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus is being driven towards extinction throughout most of its range by
unregulated illegal trade supplying the demand for songbirds. We conducted surveys of bird markets
in North and West Kalimantan, and Central, West and East Java between July 2014 and June 2015,
and observed a total of 71 Straw-headed Bulbuls in 11 markets in eight cities. Comparing our data
with the literature, we found that as numbers in markets are decreasing, prices are increasing to over
20 times the prices recorded in 1987, indicating that numbers in the wild are diminishing. This is
corroborated by widespread extirpations throughout their range and reports from traders that
Straw-headed Bulbuls are increasingly difficult to locate, while demand from consumers remains
high. Concerted efforts from a variety of stakeholders are urgently needed to prevent the extinction
of this species in the wild. We recommend that the Straw-headed Bulbul be included in Indonesia’s
list of protected species, considered for uplisting to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and
listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES). We also urge the Indonesian Government to effectively enforce existing laws,
targeting the open bird markets to shut down the trade in this and other threatened species.
Commercial trade, almost always for pets, represents a major threat to bird species and subspecies in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java and Bali, Indonesia. Thirteen species—Silvery Woodpigeon Columba argentina, Javan Hawk-eagle Nisaetus bartelsi, Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil, Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, Scarlet-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus forsteni, Javan Green Magpie Cissa thalassina, Black-winged Myna Acridotheres melanopterus, Bali Myna Leucopsar rothschildi, Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus, Javan White-eye Zosterops flavus, Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush Garrulax rufifrons, Sumatran Laughingthrush Garrulax bicolor and Java Sparrow Lonchura oryzivora—are identified as at greatly elevated risk of global extinction from trade pressures, plus the nominate Javan race of Crested Jay Platylophus galericulatus, the races tricolor, hypolizus, opisthochrus, melanurus, omissus and barbouri of White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus, race jalla of Asian Pied Starling Gracupica contra, races miotera, robusta and (extralimital) venerata of Hill Myna Gracula religiosa, and races rookmakeri and laurinae of Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris. Scarlet-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus forsteni race djampeanus, White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus races opisthochrus, omissus and nigricauda and Hill Myna Gracula religiosa race miotera may already be extinct. However, this is a conservative list because (a) some candidates simply lack information to indicate trade as a threat, (b) taxonomic revision will probably increase the number of full species at risk from trade, and (c) taxonomically undifferentiated populations were not included in this review. As certain favoured species disappear, others are targeted as next-best substitutes (e.g. Grey-cheeked Bulbul Alophoixus bres for Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus), and commercial breeders may hybridise taxa for better effects (e.g. non-Indonesian subspecies of Asian Pied Starling Gracupica contra with Indonesian race jalla). Law enforcement, public awareness campaigns, in situ management, conservation breeding, conversion of trappers to wardens and field, market and genetic surveys are all needed, but commercial breeding, while attractive in theory, presents difficulties that are probably insurmountable in practice.
The Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush Garrulax rufifrons, endemic to Java, has been recorded from a total of 15 montane sites, 14 in West Java (nominotypical rufifrons) and one in Central Java (subspecies slamatensis). It occupies montane forest generally in the range 1,000-2,000 m, although this may vary with site, and occurs in monospecific parties of birds but also in bird waves, and has or had an association with Javan Green Magpie Cissa thalassina. Breeding appears to be extended through the year, but lack of records in January-February and July-August may reflect real breaks in the cycle. A lack of recent records from bird markets and a recent hike in prices of captive birds supports other concerns that the Javan bird trade may have affected the species, which in the past 20 years appears only to have been observed at Gunung Gede-Pangrango. Surveys of known sites and of several montane forest reserves are needed before a heavy investment in captive breeding is made.
Cited By (since 1996):63, Export Date: 26 November 2013, Source: Scopus
Southeast Asia has the highest relative rate of deforestation of any major tropical region, and could lose three quarters of its original forests by 2100 and up to 42% of its biodiversity. Here, we report on the current state of its biota and highlight the primary drivers of the threat of extinction now faced by much of the unique and rich fauna and flora of the region. Furthermore, the known impacts on the biodiversity of Southeast Asia are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg, owing to the paucity of research data. The looming Southeast Asian biodiversity disaster demands immediate and definitive actions, yet such measures continue to be constrained by socioeconomic factors, including poverty and lack of infrastructure. Any realistic solution will need to involve a multidisciplinary strategy, including political, socioeconomic and scientific input, in which all major stakeholders (government, non-government, national and international organizations) must participate.
Both authors are members of the IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group. Chris R. Sheperd was heading the TRAFFIC office in Southeast Asia for many years, before returning to Canada two years ago to start up
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Wilcove, D.S., Giam, X., Edwards, D.P., Fisher, B.
and Koh, L.P. (2013). Navjot's nightmare revisited:
logging, agriculture, and biodiversity in Southeast
Asia. Trends in ecology & evolution 28: 531-540.
Both authors are members of the IUCN SSC Asian
Songbird Trade Specialist Group. Chris R. Sheperd was
heading the TRAFFIC office in Southeast Asia for many
years, before returning to Canada two years ago to
start up "Monitor".