Online trade in Philippine hornbills threatens birds and forests

Recent study by the wildlife monitoring group TRAFFIC found that Philippine hornbills are being sold on Facebook despite efforts by the social network and wildlife authorities to crack down on the trade. Birds found offered for sale on the platform included endemic species like the Luzon tarictic hornbill and critically endangered Visayan tarictic hornbill, as well as hornbills not native to the Philippines. Experts say this trade not only threatens to drive hornbill species to extinction, it also disrupts forest ecosystems, where hornbills play a crucial role in dispersing seeds.

It is clear that hornbills are essential to the spread of seeds and the preservation of the forest's food source for other creatures. Forest ecosystems may be negatively impacted by their decline as a result of poaching and illegal trading, particularly fruit-bearing trees. The people must assist the wildlife authorities in protecting these endangered birds because they are understaffed and underfunded. The illicit online trading of hornbills on social media sites such as Facebook is a serious problem; these online trade groups keep growing in spite of repeated crackdowns. As a result, Facebook and other stakeholders must continue to work to address this problem.