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WILDLIFE: FAKE BIRDS
Doomed To Dye
Look again, the exotic bird for which you paid a
tidy amount could be a common species disguised to look different by unscrupulous
traders
By Supriya Bezbaruah
 Trap
a few random birds, dye them in brilliant hues with vegetable dye, pick
a suitable name-and a new "species" is born. In bird trading
circles it's a very simple way to obtain an exotic bird. Admittedly, not
quite the same thing as a genuine exotic bird, but why let a minor detail
get in the way of many advantages? This saves the traders time, trouble,
expense, the danger of trapping and breeding rare and exotic species.
It costs only a few rupees to trap the birds and colour them, but can
fetch thousands of rupees, or if exported, several hundred dollars. The
financial logic is hard to beat-and it keeps the customer happy.
An unsuspecting bird lover is thrilled with
a bargain on pets that are so "rare" that they do not feature
in any of the bird guides. An apparently foolproof recipe for success-and
it is leading to a boom in "fake" birds. In India, up to 8,000
birds are trapped every day, according to ornithologist Abrar Ahmed of
WWF-India. About 50,000 traders earn their living from these hapless birds.
"The practice is widespread. I have seen dyed birds in Delhi, Mumbai
as well as in smaller towns," says Asad Rahmani, director of the
Bombay Natural History Society.
The idea of dyeing animals is not novel. Says
wildlife expert M.S. Ranjitsinh: "In the 1970s, the rare golden langur
was dyed grey for the purpose of smuggling." A similar strategy has
been adapted to the bird trade. Profit margins range from Rs 50 to Rs
5,000 per bird. Losses are minimal. The bottom line is-it's big business.
It's also a business that is making a mockery of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972 (WPA).
The bird trade was practised in India even in
400 b.c. Thanks to the enduring fascination for pet birds, the international
market today is estimated at a minimum of $44 million (Rs 206.8 crore).
More than two million Indian birds have been exported to Japan, Italy,
France and the west Asian countries. Tradition plays its role in fuelling
this trade. Munias as pets are considered auspicious by many. It is believed
that the feathered friend will take on misfortunes that would otherwise
befall the household. Others see birds as a source of salvation. They
buy insect-feeding birds to set them free on religious ceremonies. Some
birds are associated with black magic. The rare Brown Fish Owl or Horned
Owl, for example, is an integral part of Tantric rituals. "To meet
this demand, more than 250 species of birds in India are trapped every
year," says Ahmed.
While demand across the world continues unabated,
birds of interest are no longer as abundantly available. Dwindling habitats
mean fewer rare birds. The wpa has banned the trade and trapping of any
wild bird except the crow and the blue rock pigeon. The punishment for
WPA violation could be a year in prison, a stiff fine, or both. The traders,
however, have found a loophole. This allows exotic birds, which are of
foreign origin and bred here in captivity, to be traded within the country.
They can also be exported with a permit provided they aren't mentioned
in cites-an international agreement to protect endangered wildlife. This
has become the route to survival, even prosperity for this age-old practice.
So with the wave of a paint brush, the traders
transform plain white-throated munias to the striking red munias and the
real red munias are disguised as the endangered green munias. In Mumbai's
Crawford market, behind Jama Masjid in Delhi, in Patna's Mir Shikar Toli,
in Kolkata's Shyam Bazar-there is a buzz of activity. Ordinary wild blackheaded
munias are dyed fluorescent green, red and yellow to enhance their value.
Himalayan Greenfinches are passed off as the popular Belgium canary. Hill
mynahs, in great demand internationally, are frequently substituted by
common mynah bathed in lamp black and mustard oil. With a touch of orange
katha on the head, the ordinary rose-ringed parakeet turns into the more
expensive Alexandrine parakeet or Malabar parakeet. And many a black magic
curse could have failed because the owl used in the ritual was not the
necessary horned owl but a spotted owlet, dyed with tea leaf water, with
feathers stuck on with latex to resemble the miniature "horns".
And many romances gone sour could be attributed to the fact that the peach-faced
lovebirds of African origin, obtained as gifts for couples, are actually
blossom-headed parakeets. All a flagrant violation of the law.
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