Going for a Song?

A unique and wonderful feature of so many birds — their songs — is making them the targets of a growing trade in live caged birds.

White-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) male, Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Photo by JJ Harrison — Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.

“The white-rumped shama, a small forest bird with beautiful melodic songs, used to be found in tropical forests across South and Southeast Asia.”

Straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus), Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore. Photo by Flickr user NatureAtYourBackyard. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

“Trapping for trade in the straw-headed bulbul has reduced the wild population to fewer than 1,700 mature individuals, with the only known viable population in Singapore.”

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WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.

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Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.