Status of Illegal Bird Hunting in Bangladesh: Online news portal as the source

Illegal wildlife hunting, especially birds are a major global conservation concern for many dwindling species. This article attempted to collate the illegal bird hunting incidents in Bangladesh from 2010 to 2020 (until June) by searching articles published in online news portals. Three hunting hotspots have been identified, which are typically wetland habitats. Birds from the Ardeidae family (herons, egrets, bitterns, night herons) (118 cases) were hunted mostly preferred by trapping (40%) and netting (27%) hunting techniques. To generate some easy income (77% cases) during the winter season was the main motivation for hunting. Existing Wildlife Crime Control Unit of Bangladesh Forest Department should be strengthened and laws should be implemented to halt the further illegal killing of birds in Bangladesh. The country is strategically an important stopover site for bird migration where two migratory flyways (East Asian-Australasian and Central Asian) run over.