Red bird of paradise ‘under threat from poachers’

Smugglers can get tens of thousands of pounds for especially rare breeds

A beautiful bird which lives on a handful of islands off West Papua is under threat from the illegal trade of exotic species, a conservation charity has warned.

The red bird of paradise is confined to a handful of islands off West Papua and its protection is the 2023 priority of Fauna and Flora International’s (FFI) forest protection efforts in Raja Ampat, an archipelago located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “The spellbinding treetop courtship displays of multiple males are the stuff of legend, but this spectacular species is threatened by the slow but inexorable degradation of its habitat, combined with illegal capture and trade.

“FFI is mapping the distribution of the red bird of paradise on Waigeo and working with communities to reduce the threats posed by illegal activities.”

A recent investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project outlined the horrors of the exotic bird smuggling industry, which can net criminals £30,000 for a bird. Many are sold to wealthy collectors in Europe.

It revealed that many of the birds caught in glue traps on tree branches and their legs and wings broken and died in transit after being stuffed into a box. A former smuggler said the profit margin on trafficked birds was so high, they could make money even if just one or two birds survived a trip.

“These disturbing findings remind us that wildlife trafficking affects every continent, and it is happening right here in Europe,” said John Scanlon, chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime.

“Far too often we see low penalties and a lack of enforcement, making wildlife crime a dangerously low-risk and high-reward activity.”