Blue-Winged Leafbird - Lessons from Seychelles

 

Blue-winged Leafbird - a flock were flying about and singing in the forest of Selangor/Pahang border that afternoon. One of the many species of leafbirds which are unique to the Asian region. However, due to its melodious calls, the leafbird species are facing a threat in being captured from the wild by poachers and heavily traded in the market, to be sold and kept as pets. It is heartening to read of rescue and conservation efforts in Indonesia such as the one reported HERE. Reading about declining numbers of songbirds and how many of these species are on the brink of extinctions can be disheartening. A silver lining in the dark clouds over such songbird species could be the possibility of saving these species by raising awareness and raising funds to save species from the brink of extinction. When the usual sources of income from Tourism declined, Seychelles turned to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) to raise funds for a good cause - to save their critically endangered Seychelles Magpie Robin. Read about this initiative at World Economic Forum website HERE.