CLIPPED WINGS

Birds are probably the most frequently sold wild animals in the Philippines. It’s easy to see why. The feathered creatures come in all shapes and colors and are fascinating to behold.

Wild members of the Parrot family are especially favored by vendors, including the Blue-naped Parrot, the Palawan Racket-tail, and the Philippine Hanging-parrot or Colasisi. But even more common species like Chestnut Munias, Eurasian Sparrows, Black-naped Orioles, and Glossy Starlings are often trapped and sold.

Common or rare, it is against the law to trap and sell wild Birds. . . as well as to buy them.

And yet for many, the combination of a caged Bird and an indigent seller is irresistible. And so, wellmeaning individuals buy the Bird, release them back into the wild, and pat themselves on the back for seemingly having accomplished a good deed.

Scenarios such as this have triggered spirited discussions among groups of animal enthusiasts. In the Facebook group Philippine Birdwatch Community which is made up of birders and birdwatchers, a photo of wild Birds in a cage being sold by an elderly lady in front of a local church launched a long exchange after one commenter opined that had he been there, he would have bought all the Birds and then liberated them. In doing so, he would have restored the Birds’ freedom and helped provide for the poor vendor’s needs in the process.

Other commenters maintained that both the act of selling and buying the Birds were illegal, and the proper thing to do would have been to report it to the authorities.

This was countered by some who insisted that in situations such as this, one should take the humane route rather than the legal one and look out for the welfare of both Birds, who would likely die in captivity, and that of the seller, who probably knew of no other way to earn a living.

But certain members of the group pointed out that buying the Birds would perpetuate a cycle of animal poaching, as this would send the signal that it was a viable business.