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

Abstract

The exotic pet trade has largely shifted from traditional brick-and-mortar shops to online commerce. Understanding the dynamics of online pet trade, including relationships between species characteristics and a species’ relative popularity, can assist in informing trade regulation for conservation and biosecurity. Here, we identified the leading correlates behind the abundance in the Australian trade of parrot (Psittaciformes) and songbird (Passeriformes) species. We examined 14,000 online sales of parrots and songbirds 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 (i.e., popularity); including (i) breeding and handling requirements; (ii) trade and availability; and (iii) appearance and behaviour. We found 55% of parrot species and 64% of songbird species traded online were non-native to Australia (i.e., alien species), most of which (81% and 85% respectively) have an extreme risk of establishing invasive populations. Species abundance of both orders was influenced by cheaper prices, which is associated with a higher invasion risk. Trade in parrots was also correlated with attractive birdsongs, being easy to care for, and a preference for native Australian species. Songbird abundance was correlated with attractive plumage colour and, to a lesser extent, the availability of colour mutations and smaller range sizes. These results, combined with an understanding of consumer behaviour and international trends, may help predict which species will become popular in domestic trade in the future, and identify current and future invasion risks to assist in environmental biosecurity efforts.