It's a heartbreaking scene: colorful and beautiful birds -- known as pittas and affectionately dubbed "jewels of the forest" -- cramped in small cages in a busy Indonesian bird market. It also happens to be illegal with hefty consequences like five years in jail and $8,000 fines. Sadly, according to new research by TRAFFIC and Birdtour Asia, it's much more common than conservationists realized and it has the potential to wipe the birds out forever.
Between 2014 and 2015, the researchers surveyed eight Indonesian bird markets, and seven of these markets were selling pittas -- for high prices. In the end, the researchers counted 81 pittas belonging to four species: the Javan Banded Pitta, the Elegant Pitta, the Hooded Pitta, and the Malayan Banded Pitta.
A third of the birds in the Pittidae family are already classified as near threatened or vulnerable -- the unnecessary bird trade only worsens the situation. Even though the birds are protected under Indonesian law, they are still at "serious risk from this trade but has seldom received attention in this context," according to the researchers.
It's going to take a lot more than the bird's beauty to save them. Indonesia already has the laws in place to protect pittas. Sign and share this petition urging Indonesian authorities to strengthen and actually enforce these laws in order to save the "the jewels of the forest" for generations to come.
Photo Credit: Jason Thompson
