Who's a pretty bird? Predicting the traded abundance of bird species in Australian online pet trade

Abstract

The increasing popularity of online commerce provides a new opportunity to investigate and quantify the dynamics of pet trade. Understanding these dynamics, including relationships between species characteristics and a species’ relative abundance in trade, can assist in informing trade regulation for conservation and biosecurity. We identified the leading correlates behind the abundance in the Australian pet trade of parrot (Psittaciformes) and passerine (Passeriformes) species. We examined 14,000 online sales of parrots and passerines collected from a popular online Australian marketplace in 2019 (representing 235 species) using an automated data collection method. We identified the characteristics that correlated with online species abundance; including (i) breeding and handling requirements; (ii) trade and availability; and (iii) appearance and behaviour. We found 55% of parrot species and 64% of passerine species traded online were non-native to Australia; of these, 81% and 85% respectively have an extreme risk of establishing invasive populations. Species abundance of both orders was correlated with cheaper prices, which is also associated with a higher invasion risk. Trade in parrots was correlated with attractive birdsongs, being easier to care for, and a preference for native Australian species. Passerine abundance was correlated with attractive plumage colour and, to a lesser extent, the availability of colour mutations and smaller geographic range sizes. These results, combined with an understanding of consumer behaviour and international trends, may help predict which species will become abundant in domestic trade in the future, and identify current and future invasion risks to assist in environmental biosecurity efforts.