Technological advances are changing the field of conservation. \u201cAs new molecular tools are created, like this one just published, we can go a step beyond,\u201d says Carlos del Valle-Useche, co-author of the study and a biologist with the Lab of Forensic Identification of Wild Species under the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and INTERPOL<\/a>.<\/p>\n Part of del Valle-Useche\u2019s job is determining the species of an animal \u2014 or its parts \u2014 when officials make a seizure of trafficked wildlife. The team expects to begin using this new tool soon, which has been standardized and validated by his lab, he says.<\/p>\n The tool will be used in both enforcement and conservation efforts. \u201cIt isn\u2019t only for the legal authorities who intervene from the legal point of view,\u201d del Valle-Useche says. \u201cIt\u2019s also for the administrative authorities that respond from the point of view of wildlife management.\u201d<\/p>\n Wildlife trafficking is taking a massive toll across the region. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Colombia<\/a> notes that it is \u201cone of the big engines for biodiversity loss in South America.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization\u2019s Team Against Wildlife Trafficking also categorizes it as \u201cone of the big [environmental] problems\u201d in Colombia. The statistics are astounding: between 2010 and 2019, Colombian officials seized some 90,000 seizures of animals or their parts.<\/p>\n WCS Colombia experts say that parrots are among the most trafficked animals because they are \u201cvery flashy.\u201d They have beautiful feathers. Though some of these birds are quite large, they are relatively easy to transport and breed. But their capacity to mimic sounds \u2014 including human speech \u2014 makes them particularly attractive.<\/p>\n Investigations revealed that parrots represent the largest percentage of birds rescued from illegal trafficking in Colombia. The Amazona genus alone accounts for 41% of all seized parrots and more than one-third (37.3%) of all birds smuggled in the country.<\/p>\n These parrots are often captured by poachers in \u201cvery remote places like the Amazon, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts or the Andean area,\u201d note WCS Colombia experts. The birds are then sold in the capital city, Bogot\u00e1, or other big cities like Medell\u00edn, Cali and Barranquilla, del Valle-Useche said.<\/p>\n When trafficked parrots are rescued, they go through a rehabilitation process. Their fate is determined following that, Arias says. The first option is to keep the parrots in rescue centers, but this becomes unmanageable because of the vast numbers that arrive each year. Another option is to euthanize them. \u201cIn some countries, they prefer to do this instead of releasing them in a place where they don\u2019t belong,\u201d Arias says.<\/p>\n The third possibility is \u201creleasing them where it\u2019s convenient,\u201d that is, in the place closest to where they were seized. Arias said that this alternative is problematic because parrot species have regional populations with genetic differences.<\/p>\n Through thousands of years of evolution, different groups adapted to the unique characteristics of the ecosystems where they lived, which can be coastal, forest or montane. If they are released just anywhere, Arias says, there is a risk of \u201cartificially mixing populations that shouldn\u2019t be mixed, which creates a loss of genetic biodiversity,\u201d and with it, adaptive capabilities that increase survival.<\/p>\n There are other risks, too. A trafficked bird may carry viruses or bacteria that the resident populations have no immunity to, which could trigger a deadly disease outbreak.<\/p>\n Del Valle-Useche has found that rescued specimens often do come from nearby habitats. For example, if the birds are being sold in Colombia\u2019s capital, it\u2019s likely they were caught in the Andes, not from the Amazon or the coast, which are further away.<\/p>\n Barcoding to identify the birds\u2019 origins<\/p>\n Arias and his team sequenced a specific gene called cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) for each of Colombia\u2019s six Amazona species. It\u2019s a gene often used to generate a genetic barcode to identify animal species. But in this case, it was used to assess the geographic distribution of each individual.<\/p>\n Arias said they began by gathering DNA samples from parrots living in different parts of the country. Analysis revealed genetic differences within individual species. Birds from each region have a particular genome that indicates their origin, Arias says. \u201cThey aren\u2019t homogenous populations. Some regions have different genomes. In some cases, it\u2019s very different.\u201d<\/p>\n The next step was sampling the seized parrots and comparing their genetics with those in their reference database to learn generally where they came from.<\/p>\n Ultimately, this tool will be used to conduct directed releases, says Arias, and though the process can\u2019t determine the exact location the parrot came from, it can effectively identify the geographic region.<\/p>\n The authors found that most of the studied parrots, which were seized in Bogot\u00e1, came from the Andes. A smaller number had been taken from the Amazon and even fewer from the coast.<\/p>\n In the course of their study, the researchers identified differences among distinct populations of each of Colombia\u2019s six Amazona species: the festive Amazon parrot (A. festiva), the scaly-naped Amazon (A. mercenarius), the mealy Amazon (A. farinosa), the orange-winged Amazon (A. amazonica), the red-lored Amazon (A. autumnalis) and the yellow-crowned Amazon (A. ochrocephala).<\/p>\n Arias and his team identified three different genetic groups for the mealy Amazon, an Andean species, and they found that the birds had been poached from both sides of the Andes in similar numbers.<\/p>\n They also observed a \u201csignificant genetic difference\u201d between the festive Amazon parrots that came from the Meta River in eastern Colombia and those from the south-central Amazonas region. The scaly-naped Amazon also showed genetic divergence that depended on where their home flocks lived: the central Andes or the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. In contrast, they didn\u2019t find any significant variations in the red-lored Amazon.<\/p>\n For del Valle-Useche, an important finding was that the yellow-crowned parrot showed great genetic diversity. \u201cIt means it\u2019s a very complex species from the evolutionary point of view,\u201d he says. He adds that this could allow it to survive in different ecosystems, from humid tropical forests to Magdalena\u2019s Caribbean coast. This increases its odds for long-term survival, which is especially important amidst rapidly changing climate.<\/p>\n Arias says that establishing both the methodology and the databases is expensive. Other costs involve time in the field collecting samples, extracting DNA from birds living in various parts of the country, as well as lab work, sequencing and careful validation of their results. Once the database is set up, obtaining samples from the trafficked individuals is \u201crelatively easy and cheap,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n However, the researchers are searching for methods that cost less. They are trying to perfect the use of real-time PCR testing, a process similar to that used to detect COVID-19. This would eliminate the need to sequence DNA, which is a far more costly procedure.<\/p>\n While these technologies require investment, they are fundamental to the fight against wildlife trafficking. \u201cThese types of contributions that academia and [government agencies] are making are extremely necessary to improve the actions of Colombian authorities to rehabilitate and return species to their habitat,\u201d an expert at WCS Colombia says, adding that these efforts should be replicated in other countries.<\/p>\n This type of research is still new in Colombia, Arias says. They have used it for a few species, including primates and mata mata turtles (Chelus fimbriata). Del Valle-Useche believes that the Colombian ministries of environment and science must prioritize use of genetic tools for other species that top the list of the country\u2019s most trafficked animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Banner image: A red-lored amazon. Image by Nick Athanas via Flickr<\/a> (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a>).<\/p>\n This article was first published here<\/a> in Spanish on Jan. 30, 2025.<\/p>\n Citation:<\/p>\n Arias-Sosa, L., Del Valle-Useche, C., Brieva, C., Tusso, S., & Vargas-Ram\u00edrez, M. (2024). Utilising mitochondrial barcode sequencing to evaluate phylogeographical structure and guide the release of illegally traded Amazon parrots. Bird Conservation International, 34(e43). doi:10.1017\/S0959270924000339<\/a><\/p>\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-5.jpg\")
<\/a>A seized yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala) that was part of this study. Image by Luis Alejandro Arias.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-3.jpg\")
<\/a>A researcher extracts a feather sample from a parrot to obtain its DNA. Image courtesy of Carlos del Valle \/ DCII.
\nA third of trafficked birds are Amazona parrots<\/p>\n![\"Scientists](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-8.jpg\")
<\/a>Scientists take a blood sample to identify a parrot that has been painted yellow to camouflage it in transit. Image by Diego Ussa.
\n![\"Feathers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-7.jpg\")
<\/a>Feathers of seized parrots. DNA testing helps to identify the species and the bird\u2019s place of origin. Image by Carlos del Valle.
\nWhere should seized parrots go?<\/p>\n![\"Officer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-4.jpg\")
<\/a>Officer Adriana Mej\u00eda prepares materials and samples for DNA extraction. Image courtesy of Carlos del Valle-Useche \/ DIJIN.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-6.jpg\")
<\/a>A yellow-crowned Amazon that was used for DNA sampling. Image by Luis Alejandro Arias.
\nSurprising diversity<\/p>\n![\"Scientists](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-9.jpg\")
<\/a>Scientists take a blood sample of a trafficked bird to determine its origin. Image by Carlos del Valle-Useche.
\n![\"Trafficked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/amazon-parrot-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Trafficked parrots are often kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions. Image by Carlos del Valle-Useche.
\nA costly but necessary tool<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/92a8467a68ba6484f5372dc6c0c8580efd7d81cc823c1a1f46c9977026eb411e?s=32&d=identicon&r=g\")