Analysis of trade in endemic Javan hill partridges over the last quarter of a century period

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the impact that wildlife trade has on globally threatened and geographically restricted species. For only a few species do we have long-term datasets on their presence in domestic trade. The Asian Songbird Trade Crisis has highlighted the detrimental role that the cage bird trade has on populations of wild birds (songbirds and others) throughout Asia. Starting in 1994, I have visited bird markets in Java and Bali, Indonesia, recording the presence of chestnut-bellied hill partridges Arborophila javanica (endemic to most of Java apart from the easternmost part) and white-faced hill partridges A. orientalis (endemic to easternmost Java). The data thus collected allowed me to test hypotheses related to rarity, price, and purported population trends. No change in the number of hill partridges in trade was observed over this period. The more widespread chestnut-bellied hill partridge was recorded in higher numbers (mean of 1.7 birds survey−1) than white-faced hill partridges (mean of 0.4 birds survey−1). I monitored their online trade on four bird selling platforms and two dedicated hill partridge Facebook pages. Like the trade in the bird markets, the chestnut-bellied hill partridge was recorded in higher numbers than white-faced hill partridges (106 vs 44 birds). Both species were for sale both within and outside their native ranges (17 cities for chestnut-bellied and 10 cities for white-face hill partridges) suggesting extensive trade networks with birds being transported hundreds of kilometres. Average asking prices were similar for both species (US$31) and were not related to the minimum monthly wage of the cities in which the birds were offered for sale. I estimate that annually 3500 chestnut-bellied hill partridges and 700 white-faced hill partridges are sold in the bird markets on Java and Bali. Despite the absence of a harvest quota, the presence of both species over a 27-year period in numerous bird markets, and over the last decade online, indicated the absence of commitment and political and societal pressures to curb the illegal trade in birds in Indonesia.