Flocking alongside Abuja’s bird sellers
In Abuja, Weekly Trust visited one of the selling spots, where birds of different species, shapes and sizes are displayed for sale. It was also discovered that the ring of bird merchants presently cuts across most states and cities in the country. At Dei-Dei Junction in the FCT, one Sani B. Awwal said the bird […]
In Abuja, Weekly Trust visited one of the selling spots, where birds of different species, shapes and sizes are displayed for sale. It was also discovered that the ring of bird merchants presently cuts across most states and cities in the country. At Dei-Dei Junction in the FCT, one Sani B. Awwal said the bird dealers have three other major branches, namely Kano, Kaduna and Zaria. He added that each branch is to serve a state capital and its environs as the clientele is growing larger, thus the need for branch and location expansion.
Explaining some aspects of the business, he said: “The profit is not stable because some of the birds die before they are sold.” Awwal said they set traps to catch most of the birds. Some of the traps have reportedly snared rare, migratory species and it is not uncommon to sometimes see a rare hawk or eagle with a conservation tag on its leg, in captivity. Sometimes, hunters harm the birds. “When situation demands that we shoot the birds, we do so if we don’t intend to sell them,’’ Awwal said. He also said their customers include authorities of zoos across the nation, owners of residential areas or farmlands and foreigners resident in the FCT.
In one of the cage a young Peregrine Falcon, a rare and endangered bird native to North America.
Analysing the species available at the Dei-Dei market, canaries are said to be the most popular ones, as well as love birds, a nickname for a type of parakeet. According to another seller, Ibrahim Dahiru, “Married couples buy them to celebrate their wedding. They are sold in pairs at the rate of N10, 000.” Others include turkeys, with an average sized turkey costing N20, 000. The flamingo is another type of bird kept in compounds. It becomes restless and seeks to hide from familiar faces, according to the sellers. A pair is sold for N40, 000.
For some time now, bird species have been deteriorating in number and becoming extinct at a high rate, particularly in the continent of Africa. Also in Nigeria, some species of migratory birds have faced stress. It is against the backdrop of this and other related activities threatening the birds that a recent study at Mount Afadjato in Ghana suggested that such attitudes and activities from any group of people are likely to affect any conservation actions that would be put in place in respect of birds’ conservation. A lot of effort, therefore, will be needed to arouse the interest of non-receptive communities or groups involved in bird hunting around and within the continent. According to international scientists, 1,227 species, 12 percent of the world’s birds, are classified as globally threatened with extinction to some degree. “It extremely worrying that the number of Critically Endangered birds on the IUCN Red List continues to increase, despite successful conservation initiatives around the world,” says Simon Stuart, who chairs the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission.
On the health hazards of trapping and selling migratory birds, according to a veterinarian, Dr.Dasplan Timothy based in Nassarawa State, says: “It is possible the birds spread the disease in a ‘leap-frog’ fashion by travelling for a short time and passing on infection to another group of birds before dying, and can thereby contribute to the long-distance spread of the virus. There may also be some species that are resistant to H5N1, and capable of infecting other birds without themselves showing serious illness.” He said though most bird meat is safe to consume, there are still some that are questionable, especially if the species are uncommon. “They might carry some diseases that are not yet detected.”