Asian parakeets are found in India, Nepal, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, parts of Southeast Asia, China and smaller islands in the Philippine Sea in many forest types, from dry forests and rainforests to mangroves and cultivated areas. Many of these parrots are at risk from wildlife trafficking and other threats. The eastern Indian state of Odisha is particularly vulnerable to native bird trade, as it borders with countries where active illegal trafficking occurs. There, Alexandrine and other parakeets are traded for their ability to mimic the human voice even though they are protected under India’s wildlife protection law.

In a first-of-its-kind project in Odisha, Earth Crusaders Organisation (ECO), recipients of a WPT and NECF grant, prioritises wild parakeet protection from illegal trafficking and learning about their status in the wild. The team has uncovered data on how many bird species are being traded, finding that the Vernal Hanging Parrot (Loriculus vernalis) and three parakeet species Alexandrine (Palaeornis eupatria), Ringneck (Alexandrinus krameri) and Plum-headed (Himalayapsitta cyanocephala) parakeets are targets for trappers. ECO also took part in a first-time confiscation of Red-breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri) and identified trading routes, and potential areas of nest robbing and selling venues. Zeroing in on key locations with the help of local informers, where trade and nest poaching occurs, was an important finding that enabled the team to share intelligence with the Forestry Department.

Earth Crusaders Organisation has trained over 165 frontline forestry staff on wildlife and CITES laws and how to handle confiscations, and has educated communities about wildlife legislation. ECO has provided workshops and bird and nature walks to more than 200 students to educate them about parakeets and encourage them not to trap and trade birds. ECO has also been able to enforce laws in some of the divisions where they have conducted training programmes and mobilised ground staff to catch poachers and other middlemen involved in poaching. In all, more than 100 parakeets were seized. With the support of the state forestry department, the team has seized over 300 parakeets. Rescue cages have been provided to the division headquarters where newly confiscated birds are sent to recover. While the team was collecting evidence on threats to parakeets they discovered that local farmers were using plastic nets to protect crops from birds. The birds were getting badly entangled in the nets and either hunted by feral dogs or taken and sold by poachers. ECO has created a Quick Response Team involving community members rescuing parakeets and other birds from the farmers’ crop netting. The rescued birds are then repatriated to the wild.

These and other activities inspire people to participate and to change their attitudes towards the birds: Odisha residents also celebrated World Parrot Day for the first time in 2023, where 40 students visited an open aviary for talks about parrots and the threats to their survival.

Researchers based in India teamed up with the WPT to publish new research on the Indian bird trade. In this research, they used information gathered from news reports of seizures of birds in India to understand the trade networks in India and beyond.