In Photos: 13 Stunning Bird Species At Risk of Extinction Because Of Illegal Trade

With over 18,000 islands, Indonesia contains the world's third largest area of rainforest which is home to diverse species.

However, Indonesia also leads the number of most threatened species. According to Ran.org, there are currently 135 species of threatened mammals and 28 reptiles. Moreover, more than a hundred of its 430 endemic species are extremely threatened . The number is the biggest in any country in the world.

A recent study found out that thirteen species of Indonesian birds are currently in the verge of extinction because of the illegal pet trade in the country.

According to the study published in Forktail, the impact of commercial trade has been hurting the animal population more than what people expected. A serious decline even in fishes to mammals is noted.
The situation is made even worse by illegal and unauthorized trade, weak laws to protect the animal kingdom and systemic corruption plaguing the whole planet.

Birds are the most traded among the higher classes of animals. Indonesia is the frontrunner among all countries doing illegal trades, with Brazil and China trailing behind.

The study identified Sumatra, Java,Bali and Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) and the islands nearby them as the central location of the trade.

"The number one thing I want people to know is that the bird trade is an incredibly urgent issue that needs addressing," said Chris Shepherd, one of the study's authors and the Southeast Asian regional director for TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring organization in an interview with National Geographic.

"It is a conservation crisis that is being ignored," he added.

Below are 13 of the bird species nearing extinction

Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi)

Silvery woodpigeon (Columba argentina)

Helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil)

Yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea)

Scarlet-breasted lorikeet (Trichoglossus forsteni)

Javan green magpie (Cissa thalassina)

Black-winged myna (Acridotheres melanopterus)

Bali myna (Leucopsar rothschildi)

Straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus)

Javan white-eye (Zosterops flavus)