International Parrot Poaching

In May of 2023, a Taiwanese man was arrested at Miami International Airport after officers heard a chirping sound coming from his hand luggage. Inside were 28 parrot eggs, some already hatched! All were endangered species—yellow-naped and red-lored Amazon parrots. The man had been paid to fly from Central America to another country in a transit route that would take the birds around the world and to buyers in China. Europe, North America, and China are the biggest consumers of endangered and exotic species, with much of the demand driven by the pet trade.

More than 70% of smuggled wild animals die in transit, killed by extreme temperatures, lack of food and water, or the trauma of the journey. In the Miami case, 23 of the hatchlings survived, only because they were quickly discovered and then were hand-raised by a wildlife rescue organization. The birds will eventually be returned to Central America, where the hope is to introduce them to the wild, but most birds in the pet trade are not so lucky.

More than 90% of all Amazonian parrot eggs are poached, and their species are declining rapidly. Where bird species are eradicated, the seeds which they carry do not spread and vegetation changes, causing food supply problems and environmental degradation to areas already damaged by deforestation and harmful agricultural practices.

Poaching penalties are often light and poorly enforced, so it is no surprise that animal trafficking is now the 4^th most common organized crime, after drug, weapon and human trafficking. To make matters worse, foreign countries involved in Central America’s numerous infrastructural and commercial projects often bring resident workers who, in addition to laboring on construction, sometimes participate in the wildlife crime networks. Paso Pacífico strives to counter the trade in parrot trafficking by protecting habitat, providing financial incentives to community members who protect nests, and raising awareness about the value in preserving their natural environment. Please support this important work today.