Investigating the illegal online trade of Indonesian parrots (Psittacine)

Abstract Targeted for characteristics such as their colourful appearance, intelligence, and ability to recognize the human voice, parrots (order Psittaciformes ) have become a coveted commodity. They are therefore common victims of the illegal wildlife trade, which in turn has contributed to their overall decline. Many of the world’s most traded and threatened parrot species originate from Indonesia. Yet Indonesia is also a renowned transit and market country for (illegal) parrot trade. Our study is the first of its kind to document in detail the online trade of all parrot species on one of Indonesia’s most popular social media platforms, Facebook, as pertaining to the trade within Indonesia. Over the period of 1 January 2020 until 31 August 2021, we analysed 283 posts, containing 861 identifiable parrots of 22 species across 38 Facebook user groups. Employing visual and textual analysis, we find clear trends for certain species that we highlight as a potential indicator for targeting. Overt indicators of illegality were common in visual references, despite textual references being coded to avoid detection. Finally, we find the online illegal trade of parrots increased during the global pandemic, despite the stricter approach taken by Facebook regarding trade in live animals on their platform. Overall, our analysis confirms the importance of Facebook as a virtual marketplace for parrots, and it is clear more rigorous monitoring of social media is needed to counter the harmful consequences of the illegal wildlife trade.