From source to destination: Strengthening policy responses to the songbird trade in the Guiana Shield
Key messages
- The Guiana Shield is a hotspot for songbird endemism and diversity, but also a source for the international songbird trade. Guyana and Suriname drive demand through longstanding cultural traditions and trade networks that link rural trappers to diaspora communities in the U.S. and Europe.
- Songbirds are significantly underrepresented in the CITES Appendices, creating gaps in international trade regulation.
- While both Guyana and Suriname have domestic legislation regulating songbird trade, enforcement remains weak.
- Regulatory gaps in transit and in destination countries for non-CITES-listed species result in weak sanctions that undermine conservation policies in source countries.
- Strengthening destination-country legal frameworks that criminalize trade in wildlife taken in violation of foreign laws can reinforce shared international responsibility.
- Addressing the illegal songbird trade in the Neotropics requires coordinated regional action that recognizes its cultural and socioeconomic importance for local livelihoods, with active involvement by rural and Indigenous communities.
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This works is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors
Gómez, J.
Publication year
2026
