Sale of white-rumped shama bird going overboard, laws needed to protect the songbird

One of dozens of white-rumped shamas that were seized by Perhilitan. Photo by Traffic.

PETALING JAYA: The international trade of South-East Asia's most popular songbird, the white-rumped shama, has led to "incredible numbers" of birds seized in markets in and around Malaysia, a 2018 study revealed.

According to wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, the study found that close to 70% of 15,480 white-rumped shamas seized in South-East Asia between 2008 and 2018 were destined for international trade.