Digital tool developed to combat parrot poaching in Mexico

Scientists from Arizona State University and the Australian National University have developed an interactive digital platform designed to combat the illegal poaching and trafficking of parrots in Mexico. The tool uses advanced modeling to identify critical zones and hidden transport corridors used by criminal networks in real time.

By analyzing over 6,000 confiscation records from 1997 to 2024, researchers found that none of the 20 native Mexican parrot species studied have seen improved conservation status since 1993; in fact, half of these species are now endangered. Criminal networks specifically target large, visually striking species, such as macaws and Amazon parrots, at unsustainable rates.

The research team utilized a modeling technique typically used for wildlife movement, simulating the country's terrain as an electrical grid. In this model, wild parrot populations act as electricity sources and confiscation sites serve as endpoints, allowing researchers to calculate the flow of illegal traffic and reveal the hidden routes used to move birds from forests to urban markets.