Indonesian endemic songbirds under threat

The illegal and unsustainable songbird trade in Indonesia is unmatched in scale and volume, with huge numbers of numerous species sold openly in markets across the archipelago. The trade in native and non-native species, testament to the age-old cultural tradition of bird-keeping and songbird competitions, continues, and is flourishing.  Severe population declines of many species are evident, and Indonesia now has the highest number (160) of bird species classified as threatened with extinction in Asia and ranks second globally only to Brazil.

Monitor’s new study highlights trade observations of the Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus and the rare Aceh Bulbul P. snouckaerti, recently elevated to a full species from being a subspecies of the Orange-spotted Bulbul.  Currently, neither is protected under Indonesia’s main wildlife laws, though on paper, a system of harvest quotas affords some level of regulation of the capture of Orange-spotted Bulbuls.

The illegal and unsustainable songbird trade in Indonesia is unmatched in scale and volume, with huge numbers of numerous species sold openly in markets across the archipelago. The trade in native and non-native species, testament to the age-old cultural tradition of bird-keeping and songbird competitions, continues, and is flourishing.  Severe population declines of many species are evident, and Indonesia now has the highest number (160) of bird species classified as threatened with extinction in Asia and ranks second globally only to Brazil.

Monitor’s new study highlights trade observations of the Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus and the rare Aceh Bulbul P. snouckaerti, recently elevated to a full species from being a subspecies of the Orange-spotted Bulbul.  Currently, neither is protected under Indonesia’s main wildlife laws, though on paper, a system of harvest quotas affords some level of regulation of the capture of Orange-spotted Bulbuls.

Between 4 October 2018 and 4 June 2019, 1,751 Orange-spotted Bulbuls were found in 18 of 19 markets visited in 11 locations across Indonesia.  The observation of four Aceh Bulbuls in Takengon, Aceh, is the only confirmed trade record for the species, and the true impact of trade on the Aceh Bulbul’s conservation status remains unknown, but is likely to be extremely susceptible to any kind of exploitation. 

 That so few Aceh Bulbuls were found is likely because of the genuine rarity of the species.Currently, the trapping of wild Orange-spotted Bulbul is prohibited, as a harvest quota has not been set for the species for several years, but that trade continues, illustrating the lack of enforcement and political will to combat illegal bird trade.  It is imperative that effective conservation measures are taken to prevent the decimation of these endemic bulbuls.

This study was made possible by the generous financial support of Fondation Segré.  

The trading of the Orange-spotted Bulbul Pycnonotus bimaculatus and Aceh Bulbul P. snouckaerti in Indonesia by Boyd Leupen and Lalita Gomez was published in Birding Asia. 

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