IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group

Overview and description

Description:: Southeast Asia is home to more than 1,500 songbird species (passerines). Keeping songbirds is seen as a social status symbol, with demand also arising from cultural practices - such as religious ...
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Southeast Asia is home to more than 1,500 songbird species (passerines). Keeping songbirds is seen as a social status symbol, with demand also arising from cultural practices - such as religious releases and songbird competitions. As a result, the region sees huge demand for domestic and international bird trade, involving countless individuals of hundreds of species. Many of these are now facing catastrophic declines.

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Group leadership

Mr David JEGGO

Commission Member

More about the Specialist Group

Although there are various institutions working on songbird conservation issues, having a coordinated effort under the IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (ASTSG) creates a synergy by bringing subject matter experts from different fields together for the common purpose of Asian songbird conservation. Given that the threats facing songbirds are multi-faceted and require a range of different yet coordinated strategies, ASTSG facilitates this ...

MISSION

Prevent the imminent extinction of songbirds threatened by unsustainable trapping and the trade in wild-caught passerines. In addition, it seeks to address the impact of the trade and find solutions through which the growing threat to an ever-increasing number of songbird species can be reversed and improve the conservation status of all species involved.

Specialist Group work

The Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group has five main identified thematic sub-groups: field research, genetic research, conservation breeding and reintroduction, trade and legislation, education and community engagement.

Field research

Field research is required to further identify and map taxon distributions, population sizes, and trends to better understand the impact of trade on wild populations and to guide conservation actions.

Genetic research

Genetic research is needed to reliably identify Asian songbird taxa that require attention, guide breeding programmes, and identify genetically distinct lineages deserving of protection as separate conservation units.

Conservation breeding and reintroduction

Management of ex-situ conservation breeding programmes for selected priority taxa involves coordination within existing species programmes and the development of new programmes, and disease management protocols to ensure the health of assurance populations. Reintroduction programmes are developed as appropriate.

Trade and legislation

Legal protection for many priority species is inadequate, while where legal protection exists, enforcement of laws is often lacking. Identified areas of work include trade monitoring, maximising the use of existing trade knowledge for priority taxa to push for adequate protection, increasing effective regulation and enforcement along the trade chain.

Education and community engagement

A strong understanding of the social, cultural and economic aspects of the songbird trade is essential for targeted actions to educate and change the behaviour of communities and actors involved in the trade. Approaches include building links with bird-keeping societies and other influential entities in the trade to foster more sustainable practices, and engaging with communities heavily implicated in unsustainable wild bird harvesting to support feasible alternative livelihood activities.