S H O R T R E P O R T

SECOND SOUTH-EAST ASIAN SONGBIRD CRISIS SUMMIT

outh-east Asia is a hotspot for illegal and unsustainable trade in songbirds, leading to serious declines in many species. The vast majority of the songbirds in trade are taken from the wild, sought after for their attractive song, colourful plumage and their increasing rarity. Unfortunately, Ssongbird conservation has not received the attention it deserves, and as a result, many species have slipped perilously close to extinction, all but unnoticed.

In September 2015, a group of concerned experts SERENE CHNGTRAFFIC / FDPHWRJHWKHUIRUWKH¿UVW$VLDQ6RQJELUG7UDGH&ULVLV Sharing the discussion outcomes following a break-out Summit, held in Singapore, to begin the process of group activity on behaviour change. co-ordinating a response to the alarming numbers of songbirds trapped from the wild in South-east Asia for domestic and international trade (see TRAFFIC Bulletin to end this crisis. The focus has also been on particular    7KLVXQSUHFHGHQWHGPHHWLQJLQWKHUHJLRQOHG species in dire need of immediate conservation attention, to the development of the much-needed Conservation including the Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush Garrulax Strategy for Southeast Asian Songbirds in Trade. UX¿IURQV , which is now known from fewer than a In this strategy, four main themes of work were dozen individuals, and others, such as the Sumatran LGHQWL¿HGWRUHGXFHLOOHJDODQGXQVXVWDLQDEOHELUGWUDGH Laughingthrush G. bicolor  DQG WKH *UHDWHU *UHHQ LQ6RXWKHDVW$VLD7KHVHZHUHJHQHWLFDQG¿HOGUHVHDUFK Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati (see pages 4–8 of this WR¿OOLQNQRZOHGJHJDSVRQWD[RQRP\WUHQGVDQGVWDWXV LVVXH DOOELUGVKLJKO\WKUHDWHQHGE\WUDGHLQ,QGRQHVLD RIZLOGSRSXODWLRQVFDSWLYHEUHHGLQJDQGKXVEDQGU\WR the epicentre of the songbird trade crisis. These also HVWDEOLVKDQGH[SDQGH[VLWXDVVXUDQFHEUHHGLQJFRORQLHV contributed to the latest IUCN Red List update of 17 community engagement, communication and education species threatened by the Indonesian cage bird trade— for a bottom-up approach involving trade actors and to LQFOXGLQJ WKH WKUHH DIRUHPHQWLRQHG VSHFLHV²WR UHÀHFW UDLVHDZDUHQHVVRIWKHLVVXHVDQGNH\FRQVHUYDWLRQH൵RUWV their current conservation status more accurately. While XOWLPDWHO\ WR UHGXFH GHPDQG IRU VRQJELUGV DQG WUDGH not all the species threatened by trade in Indonesia are legislation and increased monitoring of trade hubs and protected by law, there is a zero quota for the harvest of forums, and the lobbying for and support of increased any songbirds, which technically makes the trade in any enforcement actions at national and international levels. of these species against Indonesian law and policy.  6LQFH WKH ¿UVW PHHWLQJ 75$)),& KDV JUHDWO\ Other participating organizations and individuals LQWHQVL¿HGH൵RUWVXQGHUWKHIRXUWKWKHPHLQSDUWLFXODUWR have also made impressive progress on some actions understand current levels of trade in markets throughout over the past two years. For instance, a workshop South-east Asia, looking at the species involved, numbers FRQYHQLQJWUDSSHUVWUDGHUVDQGJRYHUQPHQWR൶FLDOVWR of each, and the levels of trade. This information has discuss issues and solutions to reduce unsustainable and been published in a number of peer-reviewed papers and LOOHJDOELUGWUDGHZDVRUJDQL]HGLQ.DOLPDQWDQ*HQHWLF UHSRUWVLQDQH൵RUWWRPDNHWKHLQIRUPDWLRQXVHIXODQG research has yielded preliminary results elucidating the DFFHVVLEOH DQG WR LQÀXHQFH RWKHUV WR MRLQ LQ WKH H൵RUW distinctiveness of sub-populations of priority species, Ź SERENE CHNGTRAFFIC / Participants at the second South-east Asian Songbird Crisis Summit, Jurong Bird Park, Singapore.

TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R   S H O R T R E P O R T

Ź which is crucial to informing future conservation Report by Serene C.L. Chng, James A. Eaton, H൵RUWV $VVXUDQFH FRORQLHV KDYH DOVR JURZQ IRU D and Adam E. Miller number of priority species, with more breeding stock acquired and breeding facilities expanded. ,ඇඍඋඈൽඎർඍංඈඇ From 19 to 21 February 2017, the second Asian Songbird Trade Crisis Summit, organized by Wildlife t is widely known that the greatest threats Reserves Singapore and TRAFFIC, took place at Jurong to Indonesia’s avian species are illegal and Bird Park, Singapore. Approximately 60 experts came unsustainable wildlife trade and habitat loss together to discuss this progress and to look ahead largely due to conversion of forest to agricultural to the implementation of the strategy. Participants SURGXFWLRQ 6RGKL DQG %URRN   birds, supporting law enforcement successes driving demand for the capture of wild birds. along the trade chain and developing a plan for the UHKDELOLWDWLRQDQGUHOHDVHRIFRQ¿VFDWHGELUGV  7KH *RYHUQPHQW RI ,QGRQHVLD LV VWURQJO\ encouraged to take immediate action to close down the markets facilitating the illegal and unsustainable GREATER GREEN LEAFBIRDS: trade in songbirds. It is also vital that the governments of other South-east Asian nations take stronger the trade in South-east Asia measures to protect songbirds from unsustainable over-exploitation and shut down pet shops and markets facilitating illegal trade. Monitoring bird markets is an important tool to gain Chris R. Shepherd  insights into the dynamics of the wild bird trade and to 5HJLRQDO'LUHFWRU²6RXWKHDVW$VLD75$)),& identify species of concern (Courchamp HW DO   (PDLOFKULVVKHSKHUG#WUD৽FRUJ Wilcove HW DO   +DUULV et al.    2I WKH RYHU 300 species traded in Indonesia, the volume of trade in Serene C.L. Chng  one species in particular has shown a rapid increase. The 3URJUDPPH2৽FHU75$)),& *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUG Chloropsis sonnerati , the largest (PDLOVHUHQHFKQJ#WUD৽FRUJ of the leafbirds, is native to Sundaland, including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java and the outlying islands of Natuna, Riau archipelago, Nias, Bangka DQG %HOLWXQJ  0DOD\VLD VRXWK 0\DQPDU 6LQJDSRUH DQG VRXWK 7KDLODQG :HOOV   7KH UDFH zosterops was previously considered to be common where habitat remains, in lowland forest and occasionally heavily wooded parkland DQGWUHHVKDGHGSODQWDWLRQVXSWRP :HOOV  but both this and the race sonnerati are now thought to be uncommon, becoming scarce (Eaton HWDO    7KHFDSWXUHRIDQGWUDGHLQWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUG is banned in parts of its native range (Malaysia, Singapore, 7KDLODQG  EXW QRW RWKHUV %UXQHL ,QGRQHVLD 0\DQPDU  $OWKRXJKWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGLVFXUUHQWO\QRWOLVWHG as a protected species in Indonesia, only species with a KDUYHVWTXRWDDUHSHUPLWWHGWREHKDUYHVWHGIURPWKHZLOG DVWKHUHLVQRKDUYHVWTXRWDIRUWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUG

TAN SIAH HIN DAVID in theory trapping is not permitted. Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus, This species has been observed in trade for decades. RQHRIWKH7LHUVSHFLHVLGHQWLÀHGLQWKHÀUVW 1DVK  QRWHGWKDWWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGZDV Summit, was recently uplisted from Vulnerable to the 19th most numerous bird on sale in Singapore in Endangered.

4 TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R  S H O R T R E P O R T

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from Least Concern to Vulnerable, with a decreasing population trend, due to evidence that trade is a far greater threat to the species than SUHYLRXVO\ WKRXJKW %LUG/LIH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO D  7KLV paper consolidates existing knowledge from recent research on the rise of poaching and trade of this species in South-

(AMAR-SINGH HSS) east Asia, and proposes steps to prevent further declines.

0ൾඍඁඈൽඌ

Information on wild populations was obtained through LQIRUPDOGLVFXVVLRQZLWKH[SHUWVLQWKH¿HOGLQFOXGLQJ SURIHVVLRQDOELUGZDWFKLQJWRXUOHDGHUV¿HOGUHVHDUFKHUV CHLOROPSIS SONNERATI and wildlife trade experts. Questions covered whether there was any anecdotal evidence of poaching, the frequency in sightings and any population trends at individual localities or range of the species.  $WZRPRQWK¿HOGVWXG\LQ-XQHDQG-XO\DFURVV SRLQWFRXQWVLQ*XQXQJ3DOXQJ1DWLRQDO3DUN:HVW Kalimantan, was also carried out by a team of two (A.E. 0LOOHUDQGD¿HOGDVVLVWDQW WRLQYHVWLJDWHWKHLPSDFWVRI trade on wild bird populations. The data presented here

MALE GREATER GREEN LEAFBIRD form part of a larger study including additional counts and areas in 2017. Full inventories of markets in Indonesia were carried RXWLQ-XO\LQ%DULWR3UDPXND-DWLQHJDUD -DNDUWD  (Chng HWDO  VXUYH\VLQ-XQHZHUHXQGHUWDNHQ GREATER GREEN LEAFBIRDS: LQ

TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R   S H O R T R E P O R T

5ൾඌඎඅඍඌ DW 86' ,'5 PLOOLRQ  )URP WKH WKUHH VXUYH\V covering West Kalimantan, the authors found 13 498 Field observations individuals from 123 species in over 90 shops. The *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUG ZDV WKH ¿IWK PRVW FRPPRQO\ 7KH¿HOGVXUYH\LQ*XQXQJ3DOXQJ1DWLRQDO3DUNIRXQG traded species in this area, with 720 individuals for sale. *UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGVSUHVHQWDWRQO\QLQHRISRLQW Prices for this species appear to have increased over count sites in two months of sampling. As this species time. In 1987, a specimen cost IDR27 500 (equivalent to VKRXOG EH FRPPRQ LQ WKH ORZODQG IRUHVWV RI *XQXQJ ,'5LQ  %DVXQLDQG6HWL\DQL 7KHQ Palung, its lack of appearance across point counts raises it was of similar value to other popular songbirds such FDXVH IRU FRQFHUQ ,Q WKH SDVW ¿YH \HDUV RI ELUGLQJ LQ as Straw-headed Bulbul and Chinese Hwamei Garrulax the lowland forests in Peninsular Malaysia by one of the canorus . Contemporary prices have risen slightly to authors, the species is now rarely encountered (in the ,'5 86' LQ &KQJ HWDO  DQG 6WDWHVRI-RKRU3DKDQJ.HGDKDQG3HUDN DQGLVYDVWO\ ranged between IDR350 000 and IDR1 296 900 (USD28 RXWQXPEHUHGE\/HVVHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGERWKXVHGWREH DQG 86'  LQ  +RZHYHU WKHUH DSSHDU WR EH observed regularly. Where once it was recorded almost as multiple factors determining the value of birds, based UHJXODUO\DV/HVVHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGRQPRVWELUGLQJGD\V mostly on the quality of their song and singing abilities. WKHVSHFLHVLVQRORQJHUVHHQ -$(DWRQSHUVREV 5HFHQW ,QWHUHVWLQJO\IHPDOH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGVZHUHDOVR visits to Sumatra reveal the same, and it is the species R൵HUHG IRU VDOH GHVSLWH WKHLU ODFN RI VLQJLQJ SURZHVV most trappers are reportedly now searching for (Eaton et one vendor claimed that an adult female bird was a young DO  $QRWKHU¿HOGH[SHUWQRWHGWKDWELUGWUDSSHUVLQ male, suggesting that sellers may try to pass the females 6XPDWUD.DOLPDQWDQDQG-DYDZHUHQRZWDUJHWLQJ*UHDWHU R൵DVPRUHYDOXDEOHPDOHV *UHHQ/HDIELUGVZKHUHSUHYLRXVO\WKH\IRFXVHGRQ6WUDZ Additionally, when 20 shop owners in West headed Bulbuls Pycnonotus zeylanicu s and White-rumped .DOLPDQWDQZHUHDVNHGZKLFK¿YHVSHFLHVKDGLQFUHDVHG Shamas Copsychus malabaricus (Eaton HWDO   WKHPRVWLQSULFHRYHUWKHSDVW¿YH\HDUVWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ Leafbird and White-rumped Shama were the species most Market observations commonly cited, with 75% of shop owners indicating a price increase. When asked which three species were the ,Q,QGRQHVLD*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGVZHUHREVHUYHGLQ KDUGHVWWR¿QGLQ:HVW.DOLPDQWDQRIUHVSRQGHQWV bird markets in each province surveyed during this study, indicated the White-rumped Shama, 33% the Oriental with a total of 3008 individuals recorded from 515 shops Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis and 25% noted the 7DEOH   7KLV VSHFLHV ZDV VHHQ LQ XQH[SHFWHGO\ KLJK *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUG DQG 6WUDZKHDGHG %XOEXO numbers in a 2014 survey in Jakarta (Chng HWDO   Demand for this species is clearly high and increasing. the fourth most numerous species, comprising 6.6% of all *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUGV IURP .DOLPDQWDQ ZHUH DOVR birds recorded. A further 658 individuals were recorded deemed to be more prized than those from Sumatra or DW¿YHPDUNHWVLQ6XUDED\D0DODQJDQG

Seizures

:RUU\LQJYROXPHVRI*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGVKDYHEHHQ FRQ¿VFDWHG HVSHFLDOO\ LQ ,QGRQHVLD %HWZHHQ 2FWREHU 2014 and September 2016, 13 seizures of at least 2244 *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUGV ZHUH VHL]HG LQ ,QGRQHVLD apart from a single individual in Malaysia. Based on AMAR-SINGH HSS seizures information, most shipments originate from GREATER GREEN LEAFBIRD , KLEDANG-SAYONG Kalimantan and Sumatra, and are destined for major FOREST RESERVE, IPOH, PERHAK, MALAYSIA. FLWLHV LQ -DYD  RI WKH ELUGV ZHUH VHL]HG E\ SRUW

6 TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R  S H O R T R E P O R T

Province Market Date No. of No. of stalls/ % of total Price Price individuals shops birds USD IDR

:HVW-DYD -DNDUWD ²-XO\      &HQWUDO-DYD

Table 1. No. of Greater Green Leafbirds observed at various market locations in Indonesia. 3ULFHVFLWHGDUHWKHÀUVWSULFHVJLYHQE\WKHYHQGRUV

authorities in Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, in three

TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R   S H O R T R E P O R T

species to Vulnerable is to be welcomed, the authors Chng, S.C.L., Eaton, J.A., Krishnasamy, K., Shepherd, C.R. and believe that an Endangered listing would more accurately 1LMPDQ9   ,QWKHPDUNHWIRUH[WLQFWLRQDQLQYHQWRU\ UHÀHFW WKH UDWHV RI GHFOLQH $ ODFN RI TXDQWLWDWLYH RI-DNDUWD¶VELUGPDUNHWV TRAFFIC, Petaling Jaya. evidence of rates of population decline hindered the &KQJ 6&/ DQG (DWRQ -$ D  ,Q WKH 0DUNHW IRU meeting of criteria for listing the species as Endangered Extinction: Eastern and Central Java. TRAFFIC. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. SURMHFWHGGHFOLQHRI!RYHU\HDUV 5HVHDUFKHUV &KQJ6&/DQG(DWRQ-$ E 6QDSVKRWRIDQRQJRLQJ and birdwatchers are therefore urged to share their recent trade: an inventory of birds for sale in Chatuchak weekend observations of the species in the wild with the authors. market, Bangkok, Thailand. BirdingASIA 25:24–29. More research is also needed into the supply of birds &KQJ 6&/ *XFLDQR 0 DQG (DWRQ -$   ,Q WKH moved from Malaysia to Indonesia for the trade. It is market for extinction: Sukahaji, Bandung, Java, Indonesia. UHFRPPHQGHGWKDWWKH,QGRQHVLDQ*RYHUQPHQWFRQVLGHUV BirdingASIA 26:22–28. DGGLQJ *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUG WR WKH OLVW RI SURWHFWHG Courchamp, F., Angulo, E., Rivalan, P., Hall, R. J., Signoret, L., species, which will allow for improved regulation %XOO/DQG0HLQDUG<  5DULW\YDOXHDQGVSHFLHV of the trapping and trade of the species. The Natural H[WLQFWLRQWKHDQWKURSRJHQLF$OOHHH൵HFW PLoS Biol    5HVRXUFHV &RQVHUYDWLRQ $JHQF\ %.6'$  XQGHU WKH e415. Eaton, J.A., Shepherd, C.R., Rheindt, F.E., Harris, J.B.C., 'LUHFWRUDWH *HQHUDO RI )RUHVW 3URWHFWLRQ DQG 1DWXUH YDQ %DOHQ 6% :LOFRYH '6 DQG &ROODU 1-   &RQVHUYDWLRQ ..+ ²UHVSRQVLEOHIRUWKHUHJXODWLRQRI Trade-driven extinctions and near-extinctions of avian taxa harvest and trade in wildlife in Indonesia—should take in Sundaic Indonesia. Forktail 31:1–12. action to reduce and eventually eliminate illegal trade Eaton, J.A., van Balen, B., Brickle, N.W. and Rheindt, F.E. of this species in the country’s bird markets. Where   %LUGV RI WKH ,QGRQHVLDQ $UFKLSHODJR *UHDWHU FRQ¿VFDWLRQVWDNHSODFHLWZRXOGEHFRQVWUXFWLYHLIWKH 6XQGDVDQG:DOODFHD . Lynx Edicions. Barcelona. authorities can work with local conservation groups and (DWRQ-$/HXSHQ%7&DQG.ULVKQDVDP\.   Songsters birders to rehabilitate the birds and release them in forests RI6LQJDSRUH$QRYHUYLHZRIWKHELUGVSHFLHVLQ6LQJDSRUHSHW that are well patrolled by rangers and the birds therefore shops . TRAFFIC. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. less likely to be hunted. -HSVRQ3DQG/DGOH5-  %LUGNHHSLQJLQ,QGRQHVLD conservation impacts and the potential for substitution- Education awareness and demand reduction campaigns based conservation responses. Oryx   ± should be designed and implemented to discourage -HSVRQ3/DGOH5-DQG6XMDWQLND  $VVHVVLQJPDUNHW EX\HUV IURP SXUFKDVLQJ *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUGV ,W LV based conservation governance approaches: a socio- recommended that songbird competition groups phase out HFRQRPLF SUR¿OH RI ,QGRQHVLDQ PDUNHWV IRU ZLOG ELUGV WKHXVHRI*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGVDQGRWKHUZLOGFDXJKW Oryx   ± birds, focusing instead on common avicultural species +DUULV-%&*UHHQ-0+3UDZLUDGLODJD'0*LDP; such as canaries, which are legitimately bred in captivity. *L\DQWR+LNPDWXOODK'3XWUD&$DQG:LOFRYH'6 Although other leafbird species are not as sought after  8VLQJPDUNHWGDWDDQGH[SHUWRSLQLRQWRLGHQWLI\ DVWKH*UHDWHU*UHHQ/HDIELUGWKH\PD\EHLQFUHDVLQJO\ overexploited species in the wild bird trade. Biol. Conserv. targeted as numbers of this species decline. It is important 187:51–60. that bird markets are policed regularly and the trade in /HH -*+ &KQJ 6&/ DQG (DWRQ -$ HGV    all leafbirds monitored closely for early warning signs so &RQVHUYDWLRQ VWUDWHJ\ IRU 6RXWKHDVW $VLDQ VRQJELUGV LQ trade. 5HFRPPHQGDWLRQV IURP WKH ¿UVW $VLDQ 6RQJELUG that action can be taken to safeguard these increasingly Trade Crisis Summit 2015 held in Jurong Bird Park, vulnerable species. Singapore, 27–29 September 2015. Wildlife Reserves Singapore/TRAFFIC. $ർ඄ඇඈඐඅൾൽ඀ൾආൾඇඍඌ 1DVK 69   6ROG IRU D 6RQJ WKH 7UDGH LQ 6RXWKHDVW Asian non-CITES birds. TRAFFIC International. The authors thank Bas van Balen and Chris R. Shepherd 6KHSKHUG&  7KHELUGWUDGHLQ0HGDQQRUWK6XPDWUD an overview. BirdingASIA :16–24. for reviewing the paper and providing helpful comments, 6RGKL 16 DQG %URRN %:   Southeast Asian and would like to thank an anonymous donor for biodiversity in crisis . Cambridge University Press. generously supporting this research by TRAFFIC and :HOOV '   *UHDWHU *UHHQ /HDIELUG Chloropsis

8 TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R