Understanding the international trade in African hornbills

This work, linking foreign demand to targeted hunting of hornbills in Central Africa, is now published. Hornbills are essential seed dispersers in forests across Africa and Asia. Their removal from the wild to meet foreign demand for oddities is a big deal not just for the birds, but for the future health of their ecosystems. This news article breaks down the troubling story in reader-friendly detail. 

Our findings helped secure listing for seven species of hornbill under CITES, the treaty that governs international trade in wildlife. More work is needed to monitor trade in these hornbills now that it's being reported to CITES, and to ensure that protections for listed species don't offload demand onto unlisted hornbills.