Genomic data reveal shift in geographic source of an illegally traded songbird

Wildlife trade is one of the major contributors to biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia, especially in songbirds. Wildlife forensics using genomic data can be instrumental in informing conservation action by identifying trade routes and animals' provenance to help law enforcement. We obtained similar to 10,000 genome-wide markers spanning a panel of 87 wild, captive, and confiscated individuals of one of the most widely traded songbirds in Southeast Asia, Swinhoe's white-eye (Zosterops simplex), to examine shifts in trade routes. Our population-genomic analyses reveal that a well-studied population of this white-eye on Singapore Island exhibits a major genomic contribution from the geographically distant subspecies simplex, reflecting historic trade into Singapore from China. In contrast, modern confiscated samples as well as a minority of wild Singapore samples carry the genomic signature of the Southeast Asian subspecies erwini, suggesting that modern trade sources in Singapore have shifted from China towards adjacent Malaysia. Our study highlights how accurate identification of trade routes can help conservationists' efforts in tackling the growing songbird crisis in the region.