2019 ASTSG Report
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IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group 2019 Report David Jeggo Chair Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium David Jeggo (1) The IUCN Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group Assess (ASTSG) exists to prevent the imminent extinc- Research activities: (1) conservation of Teng- Vice-Chairs tion of songbirds threatened by unsustainable gara Hill Myna (Gracula venerata); (2) field study Stuart Marsden (2) (Field research) trapping and the trade in wild-caught passer- of Black-winged Myna (Acridotheres mela- Frank Rheindt (3) (Genetics) ines. In addition, it seeks to address the impact nopterus) and Bali Myna (Leucopsar roth- Andrew Owen and Luis Neves (4) (Ex situ breed- of the trade and to find solutions through which schildi); (3) conduct socio-economic research ing and reintroduction) the growing threat to an ever increasing number on cagebird keeping in Java; (4) re-survey Javan Chris Shepherd (5) (Trade and legislation) of songbird species can be reversed and White-eye (Zosterops flavus); (5) survey Java Anuj Jain and Novia Sagita (6) (Education and improve the conservation status of all species mountains targeting Critically Endangered community engagement) involved. songbirds; (6) survey Mt. Slamat for Critically Endangered subspecies of the Rufous-fronted Red List Authority Coordinator Projected impact for the 2017-2020 Laughingthrush (Garrulax rufifrons slamat- BirdLife International quadrennium ensis); (7) publish papers that provide data on the trade in Asian songbirds and its effects; The ASTSG gained official approval in mid-2017. (8) conduct Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Location/Affiliation This gave additional impetus to activities aimed (Garrulax courtoisi) status survey; (9) conduct (1) Jersey, Chanel Islands, British Isles at addressing the threat faced by a number of Sangkar White-eye (Zosterops melanurus) (2) Manchester Metropolitan University, species as a result of the caged bird trade. As status survey; (10) conduct Bare-throated Whis- Manchester, UK an outcome of the Songbirds Crisis Summits, tler (Pachycephala nudigula) survey and trade (3) Department of Biological Sciences, hosted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore in monitoring; (11) White-eye from Wangi Wangi National University of Singapore, Singapore October 2015 and February 2017, the Group had (Zosterops spp.) taxonomic and population (4) Chester Zoo, UK and Wildlife Reserves an existing framework allowing it to target and status; (12) conduct Collared Laughingthrush Singapore, Singapore prioritise activities. The up-listing in the 2016 (Trochalopteron yersini) surveys; (13) analyse (5) Big Lake Ranch, B. C., Canada Red List of a number of the songbirds within genomics of Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus (6) Birdlife Asia and Planet Indonesia the Group’s focus, several to Critically Endan- zeylanicus); (14) study of genomics of Magpie- gered, underlined the urgency of implementing robins; (15) taxonomy of West Sumatran Islands Number of members measures to address their conservation needs. Hill Mynas; (16) Straw-headed Bulbul historic 50 In September 2017, the European Association decline; (17) Straw-headed Bulbul population of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) launched a new survey Singapore; (18) conduct surveys in North conservation campaign, “Silent Forest” (https:// Sumatra to establish more precisely the status www.silentforest.eu/), which will raise much of a number of songbirds, including Suma- needed awareness and funding in support tran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor), Suma- of the Asian Songbird Crisis. We, along with tran Mesia (Leiothrix laurinae), Aceh Bulbul TRAFFIC and Birdlife, have signed as part- (Pycnonotus snouckaerti), Ruby-throated Bulbul ners to the campaign. The resulting funds will (Rubigula dispar) and Sunda Laughingthrush go directly to projects that the group sees as (Garrulax palliatus); (19) understand hobbyists: priorities and therefore will directly support our songbird owners and drivers of joining songbird activities. competitions in Java. Aerial view of PCBA Songbird Conservation Breeding Centre, Prigen, West Java Photo: ASTSG archives Plan programme for Javan Pied Starling (Gracupica Activities and results 2019 jalla); (7) engage songbird breeders and compe- Communication: (1) compile best practice Assess guidelines for Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush; tition event organisers. Research activities (2) compile best practice guidelines for Bali Research activities: (1) conduct captive i. Work conducted on status of the Tenggara Myna. breeding trials on Greater Green Leafbird (Chlo- Hill Myna, including the impact of collection for Planning: hold biennial meeting of ASTSG. ropsis sonnerati); (2) alternative livelihoods: cagebirds. (KSR #12) Policy: raise awareness of the significance of remove social barriers that can reduce song- ii. Field study of Black-winged Myna and Bali international trade in songbirds in the CITES bird trapping pressure; (3) alternative liveli- Myna: Data collection undertaken in Bali Barat arena. hoods: close down songbird shops and move traders onto new sources of income via micro National Park on Bali Myna; two data collections Act finance; (4) understand hobbyists: songbird undertaken in Baluran National Park on Grey- Capacity building: citizen science: promote bird owners in Singapore; (5) explore perceptions backed Myna (Acridotheres tricolor); three PhD watching as an alternative to bird keeping. towards bird keeping in Singapore; (6) alterna- write ups commenced. (KSR #12) Communication: engage in school education tive livelihoods: engage local community in Bali iii. Paper published in Biological Conserva- programmes. Myna conservation; (7) conservation genomic tion: Marshall, H., et al. (2020). Spatio-tem- Conservation actions: (1) establish captive study of Javan Pied Starling; (8) study on the poral dynamics of consumer demand population of Javan Green Magpie (Cissa thalas- conservation genomics of Black-winged Myna; driving the Asian Songbird Crisis. Biological sina); (2) support conservation breeding centres (9) study the conservation genomics of Rufous- Conservation 241:1082372. [DOI: 10.1016/j. in-country; (3) Blue-crowned Laughingthrush, fronted Laughingthrush; (10) Big Month citizen biocon.2019.108237]. Harry Marshall and Global Species Management Programme science event; (11) citizen science: promote bird colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan Univer- (GSMP); (4) conservation of endemic Hill Mynas watching as an alternative to bird keeping. sity (MMU) undertook the first large-scale and Shamas (Kittacincla spp.) in the West Suma- Synergy: partner the European Association investigation of consumer demand for cage- tran (Barusan) Islands; (5) community engage- of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation birds in Indonesia, since 2007. The headline ment to save the Straw-headed Bulbul in Singa- campaign “Silent Forest” to raise awareness pore; (6) establish a conservation breeding and funds in support of the Asian Songbird Crisis. White-eyes, Zosterop melanurus buxtoni, for sale in a market. In 2019, research showed that this widely traded White-eye, previously considered to be the Least Concern Oriental White-eye, Z. palpebrosus, is a separate species, the Sangkar White-eye, Z. melanurus, which was then listed as Vulnerable Photo: Andrew Owen, Chester Zoo result reveals that one third of Java’s 36 million households keep approximately 66–84 million cagebirds, over half of which are non-native species. It contributes to conservation efforts by providing estimates of the numbers of birds in households and trends over time to inform conservation priority setting exercises by IUCN or CITES. The paper also demonstrates the importance of understanding variation in consumer demand for cagebirds to inform evidence-based behaviour change interven- tions. It contributes to future demand reduc- tion efforts to decrease the threat posed by bird keeping to wild populations by highlighting regional hotspots where demand for songbirds is high. The paper received extensive media coverage and appeared as an item on the tele- vised BBC news (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-49744435). (KSR #43) iv. A survey on Javan White-eye carried out some years ago was repeated. The results of this are being written up. (KSR #12) v. A number of Javan Mountains have been surveyed by a team of researchers. The results of this MMU/Rainforest Trust project are being analysed. (KSR #12) vi. A survey on Mt. Slamat for the Critically Endangered subspecies of the Rufous-fronted Meeting of the Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group’s core Laughingthrush was done as a priority as part of group in Singapore March 2019 a Java Mountain project. The results are as yet Photo: Jess Lee, Wildlife Reserves Singapore unpublished. (KSR #12) vii. The Blue-crowned Laughingthrush status survey is being undertaken as a three-year PhD studentship. The first two years of the PhD are completed. (KSR #12) viii. The Sangkar White-eye recently split as good species. It is heavily traded and therefore there is a need to establish the impact of this trade on its status in the wild, and a survey is required. (KSR #12) ix. The yet undescribed Wangi Wangi White-eye xvii. Research was conducted to understand Act flagged up as extensively in trade. As endemic the economy of songbird competitions and Capacity building to the small island of Wangi Wangi, the popu- assess what is the potential to introduce captive i. Promotion of bird watching as an alternative lation must be small and vulnerable. A brief bred birds. Data was