NEWS
PRIORITY TAXON LIST
The IUCN SSC ASTSG maintains a Priority Taxon List. The objective is to highlight the most threatened songbird taxa impacted by trade in Asia (with a main focus currently on the passerines of Southeast Asia). This list serves as a crucial tool to guide conservation interventions, research priorities and funding efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of the songbird trade. The IUCN SSC ASTSG is using a Taxon List (rather than a Species List) to recognise distinct conservation units (including subspecies) threatened by trade, even if they are not threatened at the species level or are not officially recognised to be a separate species by AviList. It is worth noting that research and monitoring of all songbird taxa remains important to flag any changes in conservation status and therefore identify urgent conservation actions, even if a species is not currently on the Priority List.
To be included in the list, each taxon must meet the following criteria:
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Trade is/has been a main threat to the survival of the taxon – this list therefore excludes threatened taxa encountered in the trade if their primary threat is something else;
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The taxon is known or believed to be declining, experiencing local extirpations, or is already very rare in the wild – this list therefore excludes taxa traded at sustainable levels;
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The taxon does not currently have significant wild but introduced populations outside its natural range – this list therefore excludes taxa not at risk of extinction globally.
Two tiers indicate the level of seriousness of endangerment of each taxon:
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Tier 1 – Taxon survival is significantly impacted by trade; high priority for conservation actions as extinction may be imminent if no actions are taken;
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Tier 2 – Evidence that wild populations are threatened by trade, but impacts on wild populations are not as urgent or severe as in Tier 1.
The list is updated regularly as new evidence on conservation status or taxonomy arises.
Tier 1 - Significantly impacted by trade; high conservation priority
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME EXPLANATION & RELEVANT REFERENCES
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Black-winged Myna (subspecies melanopterus)
Black-winged Myna (subspecies tertius = Gray-rumped Myna)
Black-winged Myna (subspecies tricolor = Gray-backed Myna)
Brown-cheeked Bulbul (=Melodious Bulbul)
Javan Leafbird
Sumatran Leafbird
Greater Green Leafbird
Blue-masked Leafbird
Javan Green Magpie
Maratua Shama
Kangean Shama
Larwo Shama
White-rumped Shama (subspecies hypolizus = Barusan Shama from Simeulue)
White-rumped Shama (subspecies melanurus = Barusan Shama from Nias, Mentawai)
White-rumped Shama (subspecies mirabilis = Barusan Shama from Panaitan)
White-rumped Shama (subspecies ngae = Barusan Shama from Langkawi and Western Thai archipelago)
White-rumped Shama (subspecies opisthochrus = Barusan Shama from Babi, Lasia)
White-rumped Shama (unnamed population from Kepulauan Banyak)
Oriental Magpie Robin (subspecies amoenus = Black Magpie Robin from East Java/Bali)
Javan Jungle Flycatcher
Orange-breasted Laughingthrush
Sumatran Laughingthrush
Sunda Laughingthrush (subspecies palliatus from Sumatra)
Rufus-fronted Laughingthrush (subspecies rufifrons from West Java)
Rufus-fronted Laughingthrush (subspecies slamatensis from Gunung Slamet)
Orange-headed Thrush (subspecies rubecula from Java and Bali)
Common Hill Myna (subspecies batuensis = Mentawai Hill Myna from Mentawai)
Common Hill Myna (subspecies enganensis = Enggano Hill Myna from Enggano)
Common Hill Myna (subspecies miotera = Simeulue Hill Myna from Simeulue)
Common Hill Myna (subspecies robusta = Nias Hill Myna from Nias)
Tenggara Hill Myna
Javan Pied Starling
Brown Shrike (subspecies
superciliosus = Japanese Brown Shrike)
Silver-eared Mesia (subspecies laurinae = Sumatran Mesia from Central Sumatra)
Silver-eared Mesia (subspecies rookmakeri = Sumatran Mesia from Aceh)
Van Hasselt's Sunbird (subspecies brasiliana from Sundaland)
Bali Starling
Horsfield's Bushlark (subspecies javanica from Java and Bali)
Horsfield's Bushlark (subspecies parva from most of Nusa Tenggara)
Crested Jay (=Jayshrike) (subspecies galericulatus = Javan Jayshrike from Java)
Javan Scimitar Babbler
Black-throated Laughingthrush (subspecies germani from South Vietnam)
Aceh Bulbul
Straw-headed Bulbul
Javan White-eye
Sangkar White-eye (subspecies buxtoni from West Java)
Sangkar White-eye (subspecies melanurus from East and Central Java)
Sangkar White-eye (subspecies sumatranus from Sumatra)
Wangi-wangi White-eye
Acridotheres melanopterus melanopterus
Acridotheres melanopterus tertius
Acridotheres melanopterus tricolor
Alophoixus bres
Chloropsis cochinchinensis
Chloropsis media
Chloropsis sonnerati
Chloropsis venusta
Cissa thalassina
Copsychus [malabaricus] barbouri
Copsychus [malabaricus] nigricauda
Copsychus [malabaricus] omissa
Copsychus malabaricus hypolizus
Copsychus malabaricus melanurus
Copsychus malabaricus mirabialis
Copsychus malabaricus ngae
Copsychus malabaricus opisthochrusa
Copsychus malabaricus ssp.
Copsychus saularis amoenus
Cyornis banyumas
Garrulax annamensis
Garrulax bicolor
Garrulax palliatus palliatus
Garrulax rufifrons rufifrons
Garrulax rufifrons slamaetensis
Geokichla citrina rubecula
Gracula [religiosa] batuensis
Gracula [religiosa] enganensis
Gracula [religiosa] miotera
Gracula [religiosa] robusta
Gracula venerata
Gracupica jalla
Lanius cristatus superciliosus
Leiothrix (argentauris) laurinae
Leiothrix (argentauris) rookmakeri
Leptocoma brasiliana brasiliana
Leucopsar rothschildi
Mirafra javanica javanica
Mirafra javanica parva
Platylophus galericulatus galericulatus
Pomatorhinus (montanus) montanus
Pterorhinus chinensis germani
Pycnonotus snouckaerti
Pycnonotus zeylanicus
Zosterops flavus
Zosterops melanurus buxtoni
Zosterops melanurus melanurus
Zosterops melanurus sumatranus
Zosterops paruhbesar
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Bruslund et al (2021)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Uplisted to Tier 1. Sightings in the wild dropped dramatically at Sumatran birding sites where previously easily seen, suggesting local extirpations. Emerging and targeted demand - large numbers observed in Pramuka recently (high hundreds); some birdkeeping groups focus exclusively on this species.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Berryman (2023),
Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade. The taxa previously recognized as C.m.javana has been merged under omissa.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Amey (2021), Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu & Rheindt (2022), Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Irham et al (2022)
New listing on Tier 1. Now extremely rare; firm candidate for urgent conservation actions. Disappeared from most known birding sites in the wild. Very limited distribution. Assessed EN on Red List. Evidence of international trade demand.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Thang et al (2024)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Heinrich et al (2021)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Amey (2021), Bruslund et al (2021
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, van Balen & Collar (2021),
Nijman et al (2021)
Uplisted to Tier 1. Now extremely rare; firm candidate for urgent conservation action. Strongly suspected to be due to trapping in overwintering grounds on Java (Brown Shrikes on the whole are recorded in large numbers in trade), rather than habitat loss as previously thought. Now so rare that this subspecies has very rarely recorded away from its known breeding grounds.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Collar & Wirth (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Collar & Wirth (2022)
Has undergone significant declines in the wild. Concerning declines recorded across Indonesia and in some birding sites where previously common.
Massive growth in demand especially in Indonesia (thousands recorded in markets and in seizures) and gaining popularity in Thailand.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, FLIGHT (2023)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
New listing on Tier 1. Now extremely rare in wild and continues to decline.
Particularly vulnerable to trapping for trade in its range.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Shepherd et al (2023)
Uplisted to Tier 1. Extremely rare in wild now, continues to decline at known birding sites. Recent field surveys only found a single record; in some years, the species is not reported at all. Continued demand from trade; targeted by poachers.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, CITES (2022)
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, van Balen et al (2023)
Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and heavy trade (thousands).This particular subspecies continues to face heavy trapping pressure.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and heavy trade (thousands). This particular subspecies continues to face heavy trapping pressure.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and heavy trade (thousands). Vast reduction in sightings of this subspecies at regular submontane Sumatran birding sites. Large numbers of this subspecies recorded in Jakarta markets, even outnumbering buxtoni.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Irham et al (2023)
Tier 2 - Threatened by trade
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME EXPLANATION & RELEVANT REFERENCES
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Grey-cheeked Bulbul
Indochinese Green Magpie (subspecies concolor from Central Vietnam)
Indochinese Green Magpie (subspecies chauleti from North Vietnam)
White-crowned Shama
White-rumped Shama (subspecies tricolor from Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, West Java)
Oriental Magpie-robin (subspecies adamsi = Black Magpie Robin from Sabah)
Oriental Magpie-robin (subspecies pluto = Black Magpie Robin from
East, North and South Kalimantan, Maratua)
Oriental Magpie-robin (subspecies zacnecus from Simeulue)
Black-hooded Laughingthrush
Chestnut-capped Thrush
Javan Heleia (subspecies elongata from eastern Java)
Javan Heleia (subspecies javanica from central Java)
Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush
Van Hasselt's Sunbird (subspecies axantha from Natuna)
Bare throated Whistler
Bar-winged Prinia
Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (=Courtois’s Laughingthrush)
Orange-spotted Bulbul
Ruby-throated Bulbul
White-bellied Fantail
White-bibbed Babbler
Golden-winged Laughingthrush
Collared Laughingthrush
Lemon-bellied White-eye (subspecies maxi from small islands north of West Java)
Alophoixus tephrogenys
Cissa hypoleuca concolor
Cissa hypoleuca chauleti
Copsychus stricklandii
Copsychus malabaricus tricolor
Copsychus saularis adamsi
Copsychus saularis pluto
Copsychus saularis zacnecus
Garrulax milleti
Geokichla interpres
Heleia javanica elongata
Heleia javanica javanica
Ianthocincla konkakinhensis
Leptocoma brasiliana axantha
Pachycephala nudigula
Prinia familiaris
Pterorhinus courtoisi
Pycnonotus bimaculatus
Pycnonotus dispar
Rhipidura euryura
Stachyris thoracica
Trochalopteron ngoclinhense
Trochalopteron yersini
Zosterops chloris maxi
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
New listing on Tier 2. This subspecies is range-restricted and populations are declining from trapping. Trade demand, especially international, is increasing (hundreds).
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
New listing on Tier 2. This subspecies is range-restricted and populations are declining from trapping. Trade demand, especially international, is increasing (hundreds).
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
Acknowledgement of separation between subspecies adamsi (larger, all black birds) and pluto. While adamsi are particularly prized in trade and uncommon with restricted distribution, Sabah populations appear to be relatively secure and so do not yet merit Tier 1 status.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Acknowledgement of separation between adamsi and pluto (smaller, white outertail). While pluto have a relatively wider distribution and are less prized by collectors than adamsi, trapping and trade pressure continue to contribute to declines in Kalimantan.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
New listing on Tier 2. Restricted distribution, increasingly difficult to spot in the wild. Local trade demand - often seen in cages, suspected to be substitute species for Barusan Shama.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
New listing on Tier 2. Limited distribution, population declines at multiple known sites, emerging trade demand including internationally.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Range restricted and suspected to be declining in wild, elongata are consistently recorded in Javan markets in moderate and stable numbers (low hundreds).
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
Range restricted and suspected to be declining in wild, javanica are consistently recorded in Javan markets in moderate and stable numbers (low hundreds).
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
New listing on Tier 2. Population declines, with notable drop in sightings in past 3-4 years in a main known area for the species. Emerging trade demand nationally and internationally.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
While specifically prized by collectors, population declines are not at urgent threat levels yet.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Downlisted to Tier 2. Previously traded in significant numbers, but seems to have lost popularity (not easy to keep) and now traded in smaller numbers.
Still locally common and widespread in the wild.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Despite population declines, considerable numbers recorded in trade and high market demand (thousands seized and in markets), still locally common in the wild and widespread across Java.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, FLIGHT (2023)
Despite being trapped locally and assessed as CR, recent studies indicate populations in eastern China are secure.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Gleave et al (2024)
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Berryman & Collar (2023)
Used to be common and widespread, but population declines recorded. Regularly recorded in trade in moderate numbers.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
Faces continued threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
While range restricted and impacted by emerging national and international trade recorded, recently discovered population in Laos thought to be secure due to inaccessibility
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Range restricted, undergoing population declines and impacted by emerging national and international trade recorded. However, this trade appears to be "deluxe" trade in small numbers.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Rare in the wild, but field studies required to ascertain levels of declines. While still in demand for trade, volumes recorded are smaller now than before.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
Suggested citation:
IUCN SSC ASTSG (2026) Priority Taxon List 2026. IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group. [https://www.asiansongbirdtradesg.com/taxa-list]