European GoldfinchesCarduelis carduelisas pets in Algeria: numbers and social dimension of a conservation issue

Abstract

Summary Since antiquity, the keeping of finches as pets has been common throughout the Mediterranean countries and it remains a widespread hobby to the present day. Since most finches are sourced from the wild this hobby can have implications for their conservation, especially for already imperilled species. We conducted a survey of 257 households in the city of Guelma, in the north-east of Algeria, and of 70 participants to a European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis show contest in Algiers, to understand the owners’ motives for keeping cage birds and find solutions to mitigate any negative effects on the trade. Keeping and showing finches in Algeria is a male-dominated hobby, especially for the 30–40 year age bracket. Our surveys indicate that almost 60% of households had a cage bird, with the European Goldfinch being the most popular species. With a mean of 0.75 goldfinches per household we estimate that in Guelma alone some 17,000 are kept in captivity. Between 70% and 90% of the owners indicated that their birds were indeed wild-sourced, and over 85% of them were aware of the protected status of the European Goldfinch in Algeria. Our findings underline the need for strict enforcement of existing laws and better targeted awareness campaigns to influence the behaviour of owners in order to reduce the demand for wild specimens.

Illegal wildlife trade in Algeria, insight via online selling platforms

“…Despite the existence of a wide range of legal instruments regulating the use of biological resources such as the list of protected species established by an executive decree in 2012, and the law regulating recreational hunting activities dating from 2004. Wild animals are openly sold in street markets, pet shops and online, without any constraints due to weak law enforcement (Atoussi et al, 2020; Bergin et al, 2019; Louadj et al, 2021; Razkallah et al, 2019).…”

“…Wild animals are openly sold in street markets, pet shops and online, without any constraints due to weak law enforcement (Atoussi et al, 2020;Bergin et al, 2019;Louadj et al, 2021;Razkallah et al, 2019).…”

"The Goldfinch (Carduelis Carduelis Linnaeus, 1758) in Palestine: An Appreciated Bird and A Threatened Species"

“…As a result, people tend to keep these species indoors as cage birds. A survey in an Algerian city indicated that almost 60% of households had a cage bird, with the Goldfinch being the most popular species [10]. Goldfinches are commonly kept and bred in captivity around the world because of their distinctive appearance and pleasant song.…”

“…Shop owners used to hang cages of these birds at the doors of their stores. Some Goldfinch breeders cross them with other species of songbirds, such as the Canary (Serinus canaria) [4,10]. Goldfinches have become a source of financial income for their hunters [11].…”

“…Studies concerning Goldfinches in the Middle East counties are escalating day by day. In Algeria, A lot of recent work was done where Goldfinches are considered as major pets illegally trapped and later sold at pet stores [10,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18], where in most households possessing cage birds, Goldfinches were found to be the most popular species [10]. In Morocco, Ben Yahia [19] pointed out that the country has adopted legislations to protect the Goldfinch and launches regular operations to combat the trafficking of protected species.…”